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Last week I discussed the danger of false prophets whom the apostle John referred to as “antichrists.” In my article today, I want to give you a little of the background of the religion system of the coming Antichrist of the end times. This religious system is an integral part of his government. It is a mixture of all the great religions of the world headed up by apostate Christianity.

            In has never been Satan’s primary deceptive tactic to convince people to be atheists. He knows that man was created with the innate knowledge of God and rather than fight against human nature he chooses to exploit to his best advantage man’s ignorance of the true God. Since the beginning of the church two thousand years ago, Satan’s greatest weapon has been to pervert the gospel by corrupting the church and creating a confusing counterfeit. Today, Christianity claims two billion adherents most of which have some affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Through the centuries, Roman Catholicism has proved to be a great compromiser and thus Satan’s most effective counterfeit. During the Reformation, it was common for the reformers to equate Mystery Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5) with the Roman Catholic Church. Having been part of the Catholic system themselves, they were familiar with its rife corruption.

            It has always been Catholicism method to increase her numbers by compromise. In the fourth century, Constantine saw the advantages of joining Christianity with his secular government, but it was difficult to convince pagans to give up their mythological gods. To diffuse the opposition, the gods of the pagans were given new names and incorporated into the worship of his universal church. Although known by different names, their practice of worshipping Mary, the saints, and angels predates Christianity by thousands of years going all the way back to the construction of Babel in Genesis 11. In its missionary efforts through the centuries, when Catholicism wanted to embrace a different culture, it was no problem for them to be flexible and to incorporate the superstitions of their converts into their religious system.

            In the Tribulation, history will repeat itself as Roman Catholicism will be the head of the Antichrist’s apostate religion. Compromises will be necessary to mix all the world’s religions into one satanic concoction that will help the Antichrist rise to power and control the world. The same movement is foreshadowed today in the compromises of Protestants to rejoin their harlot mother. When the ECT accord (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) was signed in 1994, many well-known Protestant and Catholic leaders agreed to cooperate in their efforts to propagate the gospel. This was done notwithstanding Rome’s gross perversion of the doctrine of justification. The chief battle in the 16^th century Reformation was the correction of Rome’s false gospel of meritorious justification. This was laid aside in the ECT as being inconsequential, which makes the ecumenicism of the agreement nothing less than the affirmation of the Antichrist’s agenda.

            In 2021, it is difficult to find a religious leader that still identifies the Great Whore of Revelation with the Roman Catholic Church. Satan’s deception goes on as one world church and religion become more of a reality every day. When the leaders of our country, many of whom claim to be Christians, cover up the atrocities of Islam and approve them as seekers finding their own path to God, they are setting up the convergence of all religions. As Congress gives up national sovereignty, they pave the way for the one world government of the Antichrist. Mix these two together, apostate Christianity and one world government, and the result is Mystery Babylon the Great, the extremely vilest enemy of God that has inhabited earth.

            Revelation 17 is the worst of the world’s history looking backwards or forwards. Thank God the King is coming! Mystery Babylon will fall, and the King of kings will reign supreme! We pray daily for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. Until it comes, we oppose religious dualism. We cannot and will not join any ecumenical efforts that promote unity by compromise. We are not ashamed to name the names of religious apostates. The day of wrath is coming. We will not be sleeping dogs who are passive and will not bark out the warning.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18) 

In our study of the end times, there is the term “last days” used several times in both Old and New Testaments but is often misunderstood. Sometimes the same concept is expressed in the way the apostle John did in 1 John 2:18 when he said, “it is the last time.” Since the Bible was completed two thousand years ago, we might think the writers were referring to a far-off time, different from theirs and referring to our own time or some other future date. However, it is clear from John’s present tense usage, “it is the last time,” that the time he was living in was also considered the last days. Hebrews 1:1-2 defines the last days as a time inaugurated with the first advent of the Messiah. This means for these past two thousand years we have been living in the last days and will be until Christ returns to close out this period of earth’s history.

The last days are characterized as a time of growth in the kingdom of God. We see this in Matthew 13 and the seven parables Jesus taught concerning the kingdom. This is a time for God’s people to witness the gospel, or as Jesus illustrates in the first parable of Matthew 13, it is a time to sow the seeds of the gospel. This is also a time of great opposition. In the second parable, Jesus described how Satan will sow tares among the wheat. The tares are poisonous plants that represent the children of darkness who infiltrate the kingdom. They hate the wheat, which is God’s people, and they hate the works of Christ. Using the term antichrists, which is peculiar to John’s writings, John describes the character of these tares. They are anti meaning against Christ. They try to destroy the growth of the kingdom by teaching false doctrines.

Antichrists are extremely dangerous because the most effective work they do is when they are able to infiltrate churches with their false doctrines. These are not people that stand outside throwing stones. Rather, they are deceitful workers that stealthily worm their way into the church and eat away at it from the inside. They represent false Christianity, and their main target is Christ Himself. If they can destroy doctrines such as the deity of Christ, the penal substitutionary nature of the atonement, justification by faith alone, the inerrancy of scripture, and other essential doctrines they are successful at destroying the gospel before it can ever take root in the heart.

John and other Bible authors warn us to be on the lookout for any deviation from the truths taught by Jesus and the apostles. The theme of 1 John is the apostle’s systematic criteria for identifying those that are not true believers. If these false teachers are characteristic of the end times, then we are sure that John was not the only one living through the last days. We are in the heat of it at this moment, especially when the people of this country have become dreadfully confused about the definition of true Christianity.  When heterodox Mormons are considered Christian, you know we are in trouble! We must be very diligent to “contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude v. 3). We are surrounded by antichrists—not my term but John’s—and a very appropriate description it is.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            The central issue of eschatology (the study of end-times) is the millennial kingdom of Christ. There are three primary positions that are denominated amillennialism, premillennialism, and postmillennialism. As you can see, the millennium is the operative term in each. Amillennialism says there is no literal kingdom that will come to earth. Rather, the kingdom is spiritual and was inaugurated when Christ arose from the dead. In other words, we are living in the millennium now which is indefinite in length. At the end of this age, Christ will return to judge the world and we pass into eternity.

            Postmillennialism is the view that the reign of Christ is not literal but refers to the gradual increase of the gospel until the world turns to Christ producing a golden age upon the earth. This view was popular at the end of the 19^th century during the industrial age when it appeared the world was becoming better and more affluent. However, it lost most of its proponents in the 20^th century due to two world wars that convinced them the world was not getting better. Most theologians no longer agree with this view having reverted to amillennialism.

            The third millennial position is premillennialism. It is divided into two camps—dispensational premillennialism and historic premillennialism. Both views hold that a time of tribulation will occur before the before the millennium and then there will be a literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth. The two views differ in some aspects of biblical interpretation with historic premillennialists regarding much of Revelation as already fulfilled throughout history. Thus, there is much more symbolism involved in the historical interpretation than the dispensational.

            Our understanding of the millennium is dispensational. Although I am not an advocate of what I would call “militant dispensationalism,” I do believe the dispensational interpretation is mostly correct. Our understanding is that Christ will return to rapture believers before seven years of tribulation (pretribulational rapture). This is the time for Israel to be prepared to inherit the kingdom promised by the Old Testament prophets. During this time, thousands, even millions of Jews will be saved. At the end of the tribulation, Christ will return in the second phase of His coming to reestablish the throne of David in Jerusalem where He will reign from a newly constructed millennial temple. At the end of one thousand years, He will destroy Satan and this world and will bring the lost to their final judgment and condemnation in the lake of fire.

            We appreciate the dispensational viewpoint because of its largely literal approach to the Bible’s interpretation. The symbols of other views are widely interpreted which leaves little certainty that students of scripture can come to a consensus of meaning. With a literal interpretation there is much more cohesion and better understanding of what God intended us to know. In dispensational eschatology, Israel is Israel and is always Israel. The church is the church and is always the church. We do not conflate the church with Israel. Further, our view of local church does not conflate the church and the kingdom.

            This is a very brief primer on these positions. I must remind you that millennial viewpoints are important, but this is not a salvation issue. Good Bible expositors may disagree on the particulars, and yet remain in agreement on 90% of the rest of the Bible. I do not believe a test of fellowship should be made on these points alone. Thus, we are charitable regarding our differences.

                                                                                                   Pastor V. Mark Smith

Today’s article reflects my experiences attending the Shepherd’s Conference in Sun Valley, California.  I have very much enjoyed the opportunity to hear some good solid preaching from God’s word and am blessed to know there are still men in this country that believe God is sovereign in all His works and all glory should go to Him for the salvation of souls. In today’s congregational reading, you will see this verse: “His watchmen are blind: they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. (Isaiah 56:10). Thankfully, there are some good preachers left who sound the alarm for the glory of God.

I am also pleased to report that in this conference God is continually exalted so that we come away with a great reverential fear of Him and truly respect how we must bow to His majesty. Unlike many conferences I have attended, this is not about personalities. There are no platform squatters here!

Throughout my Christian life, the glory of God has been pressed down deeply into my soul. I never want to fail in my preaching to stand in obscurity behind the cross and let all the glory shine on the Saviour. I am not interested in techniques and marketing ploys to fill the church. I am not interested in entertainment which is falsely substituted for and called worship. I am not interested in theology that says the sinner must meet God half way and through man’s cooperation God is given permission to save him. I am only interested in the Holy Spirit that conquers man’s resistance to the gospel; a Spirit that regenerates and quickens to life enabling the sinner to trust Christ. I want to preach a Saviour that never failed to accomplish everything He intended; a Redeemer who really does redeem; a Substitute who really does infallibly secure salvation for those He intended to sacrifice Himself for. I want to preach the Christ that demands repentance from sin and submission to His Lordship.

This view of God is biblical and should be so fundamental to our teachings that we wouldn’t believe anyone could possibly teach otherwise. These are foundational teachings that stretch back to Jesus and the apostles and were boldly proclaimed by our Baptist forefathers. And yet Baptists today that still preach these doctrines are so few and far between that a diligent search must be launched to discover where they are. Thus, you have the reason I am found at the Shepherd’s Conference instead of in conferences held by most fundamental Baptists.

Our Baptist brethren seriously need to be recalled to these essential doctrines of the faith. There needs to be recovery of a soteriology that is God centered instead of man centered. It is horribly shameful that the landscape must be scoured to find someone who still preaches the old gospel truth, and when it is discovered the label too often is something other than Baptist. If we can get our eschatology right and our ecclesiology right, why must we fail in our soteriology? It is way past time to get the central focus of our purpose back on track. We must preach salvation to the glory of God!

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1 Peter 4:7) 

            I am sure each of you are familiar with the cartoon of a man with long hair and beard standing on a street corner with a sign reading “THE END IS NEAR!” Usually, the sign flanks both the front and rear and some sort of funny caption is placed beneath. The idea is that anyone that thinks the end of the world is approaching is a fool. Every day we wake up to the same sunrise, we head off to work, put in our shift, and then make the drive back home. At night we watch a little TV, crawl into bed and go to sleep. The next morning it starts all over again and we do these 365 times per year and have done it for every year since we were born. Further, everyone we know has done the same routine with only slight variation and everyone we have ever heard of or read about in the history of the world has done the same. It is no wonder that when someone begins to sound an alarm for the approaching apocalypse, he is considered a fool.

            It has now been 2000 years since Peter wrote “the end of all things is at hand” and no doubt there were many that read his words and said he was a fool. Peter’s reference is to the Second Coming of Christ when God will destroy this universe and all that is contained therein. In his second letter, Peter spoke of scoffers that said “Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Are we to consider Peter a fool because Christ has yet to return? Is the Bible’s warning nonsense?

            It is helpful to understand that although New Testament Christians believed in the imminent return of Christ, they were not date-setters. Peter did not imply he was certain tomorrow, or next week, or next month, the world would end. He followed the consistent pattern of New Testament teaching, especially that of Jesus, which said the Second Coming would be a sudden event that would occur without warning. The “end” refers to the consummation of the ages. “At hand” means the day is approaching. Every day we live we are one day closer to the time Christ will return. We are encouraged therefore to live in anticipation of the event. This does not mean to stand on street corners with signs, although we should witness of the event in a rational manner. It does not mean to neglect our daily routines in order to stare at the sky. It means to guard our personal lives so that we are a living testimony of faith. The closer we are to the Lord in obeying His commands the more it speaks to the degree of our confidence in the truthfulness of the scriptures.

            The prophet Amos said, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Years ago, I remember seeing signs along the roadway that said the same. The time of our life is uncertain and at every turn in life’s roadway there is a possible hazard that could end our lives. It is not as crazy as we might think to say, “the end is near.” One way or another we will meet God. It could be at the suddenness of the Second Coming or at our failure to breathe the next breath. No one knows the time of either. Are you prepared? In either event, you can be by placing your faith in Jesus Christ.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

by J. C. Ryle

• There is an undeniable zeal in some teachers of error–their “earnestness” makes many people think they must be right.

• There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge–many think that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe to listen to.

• There is a general tendency to completely free and independent thinking today–many like to prove their independence of judgment by believing the newest ideas, which are nothing but novelties.

• There is a wide-spread desire to appear kind, loving, and open-minded–many seem half-ashamed to say that anybody can be wrong or is a false teacher.

• There is always a portion of half-truth taught by modern false teachers–they are always using scriptural words and phrases, but with unscriptural meaning.

• There is a public craving for a more sensational and entertaining worship–people are impatient with the more inward and invisible work of God within the hearts of men.

• There is a superficial readiness all around to believe anyone who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, forgetting that Satan often masquerades himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

• There is a wide-spread ignorance among professing Christians–every heretic who speaks well is surely believed, and anyone who doubts him is called narrow-minded and unloving.

All these are especially symptoms of our times. I challenge any honest and observant person to deny them. These tend to make the assaults of false doctrine today especially dangerous and make it even more important to say loudly, “Do not be carried away with strange doctrine!”

(This was written before the end of the 19^th century. Satan has not changed his tactics—only the names and numbers of false teachers have changed. They are bigger, bolder, and have easier access to the masses of gullible people. Sadly, those willing to confront them are a dying breed. Let’s stand for truth and call them what they are—heretics and enemies of souls. ~ Pastor V. Mark Smith)

            In one of our Romans classes, we had a discussion about witnessing to people who do not believe the Bible is true and do not accept its authority. It seems like an insurmountable problem since our faith is built on the revelation of God in scripture, and without it, we have no reliable basis for our beliefs. It should be that the one who rejects the Bible is an impossible person to reach with the truth.

            A few days after our class, I saw a short missions’ video about a remote tribe in Papua that had no contact with the outside world. About 15 years ago, a pilot was flying over the remote area where this unknown tribe lived and spotted the thatched roofs of houses of this previously undiscovered people. Once the news of the discovery was out, missionaries made this unknown group a target for the gospel of Christ. These indigenous people welcomed the strangers, but the monumental task was before the missionaries of how to communicate and teach these people who had never heard of the Bible or Christ. They had no alphabet and thus no written language.

            Progress was slow at first as the missionaries began with the basic approach of Paul in Romans 1. All people know there is a Supreme Being and none can deny there must be a Creator God. The missionaries began to tell them of the God who made all things by relating the account of creation from Genesis. As they continued their witnessing and education of these backward people, they listened to the sounds and syllables of their language and began to form an alphabet for a written language. When this was accomplished, they taught them to read their own language by translating the Bible into their native tongue. Now these people were enabled to see for themselves what the Bible says about God and His creation.

            The emphasis of the missionaries was the use of the word of God to reach the hearts of the people. First Peter 1:23 says: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” It is always the word of God that is the means by which we are born-again. No one circumvents the necessity of the word in salvation.

            Now these people had the word of God, but this does not mean they would believe the Bible is true. Miraculously through the operation of the Holy Spirit, the Bible does its job of converting the soul and convincing of truth. Once the natives began to read for themselves, the Spirit took over and made the word effectual in their hearts.

            I recite this story because the word works the same way with the hearts of skeptics that you often meet. They do not accept the authority of the Bible and they do not believe it is true. However, when they hear and the Holy Spirit works, there is an irresistible draw to the Father. They are changed from unbelief to belief through the regenerating power of God who enlightens the mind and changes the will.

            The testimony of the natives was unanimous. One said, “I was in darkness until the Holy Spirit showed me the truth.” These were people shackled by fear in their animistic beliefs, but their hearts were set free by reading the word of God. Now they are anxious for the word, and they live in the word, and it is their primary source material for learning to read.

            Never underestimate the power of the word. Often, skeptics believe they are intellectually superior, and we are too often tempted to appeal to the learned through their intellect rather than taking them down to the basic truth—all people are sinners in need of the grace of God. Not one person was saved because they were smart or had good sense. The unbelieving college professor is as ignorant of God as the undiscovered tribes of Papua. The word of God is the only way to reach them. Try it and depend on the Holy Spirit to do His work.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article I think is helpful considering the subject of the confession of sin. In 1 John 1:9, John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” For those of you who still remember our 1 John series a few years ago, we examined this scripture and determined it is a verse for believers not unbelievers.  While the verse is true for unbelievers, John did not intend it for them. The verse is for the church as the epistle of 1 John is for the church. The teaching, then, is that believers need to maintain an attitude of repentance and confession of sin.

            We are to confess, a word that means agreement. We agree with God that His assessment of our sins is correct and immediately upon conviction by the Holy Spirit, we are to agree with God that we have broken His holy law. The question framed in the article was, how do we confess? What actions do we take in confession?

            These are good questions when we consider both private and public sins. The answer is dependent upon which type of sin it is. All sin is primarily against God, which means in either case God is our confessor. We go to Him in our prayers and with proper confession we admit our sin and ask for His forgiveness. This confession is not with a prescription described in the Bible that tells exactly what to say. It is directed by the Holy Spirit according to His righteous, holy, gracious influences. Private sins only require private confession. The confession is to God never to a priest or anyone we consider to be a representative of God. Only God grants forgiveness.

            The public sin, however, is quite different. The modern church has abandoned public confession of public sins. In fact, our churches are far away from discipline for public offenses. Tonight, it will be necessary to dismiss some members of our church for non-attendance of our services. This is public sin. It is sin against the congregation. Excisive discipline is a church term and a church action. It is intended for the good of the member and the good of the body. It is never a vindictive action but is intended for the hope of later restoration. It is an action taken to emphasize the seriousness of the sin as it requires severing from the body of Christ.

            How might a person removed for church discipline be restored? Our church requires public confession. The church as well as God is an offended party. Therefore, the church must be included in the confession. Restoration to membership is granted when the person admits the sin to the membership and asks for forgiveness. The church desires this, so forgiveness is forthcoming upon credible repentance.

            I might add if the person wants membership restored but does not want to take this step, he does not understand the serious nature of his sin. If he is truly contrite and loves the Lord’s church, he will understand the church must be satisfied. This is more important than his personal feelings.

            Much more could be said on the subject. I believe John in writing to the church envisioned the scenario of which we speak. It is consistent with church discipline as taught by Jesus in Matthew 18.

            I encourage you to pray for those members who must be removed. I am afraid to speculate that some of them may need salvation. John addresses this too: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19) 

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Today, our scripture reading from Isaiah 50 is a conversation between God and Israel. To be more specific, it is Christ the Son of God who speaks, and His words reflect His divine ministry when He became incarnate. There are two verses that caught my attention and prompted further meditation.

            The first is verse 4: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” I think of the compassion of Christ who felt every sorrowful experience we encounter. Whether the sorrow is physical, mental, or spiritual, Jesus knows the exact words to speak that comfort our hearts and lifts our spirits. I am reminded how difficult this is for me when I speak to the desperately ill and those who are dying. I am often without perfect words and am left in silence. And yet I know which words are not helpful and are of no comfort. I am aware that some things said are not helpful and may be taken wrongly.

            For example, it is hard to criticize the attitude of those who are sick. When people have extended illnesses, they often become despondent and depressed. Perhaps we believe Christians should never come to this state, but if they didn’t the Lord would never say He knew how to comfort the weary. He realizes this human frailty. I don’t remember reading any passage in scripture in which the Lord rebuked the sick for a less than stellar attitude in their illness. I see the apostle John and the Lord’s brother James calling for love and compassion and prayer, but never chastisement. To hear God’s word and to know people pray for you are the means God uses to lift the spirits of the weary. Be cautious how you deal with the distressed. They do not need to be driven to deeper despair.

            The second verse that caught my attention is verse 7: “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” This is the determination of Christ to do His Father’s will. Despite the criticisms and forces of hell that would deter Him, He soldiered on. He set His face like a flint—that is with steadfast determination not to quit. It is the hardness and resoluteness of steel to continue though humanly everything told Him He should not. Imagine Satan offering Him the kingdoms of the world in exchange for the shame of the cross. How does He withstand except the Father gave His Spirit to help Him?

            The cross was not only a cruel way to die, it was utterly shameful. Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. It was an abomination to the Jews and shouted the worst criminality to the Gentiles. Yet, Christ knew He would not be ashamed. He would be vindicated by the Father’s promise. He would be raised from the dead and restored to His throne in heaven.

            Isaiah 50 is a wonderful picture of Christ. “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” (v. 50). Always trust God. Who has suffered by obedience and has not been rewarded abundantly? Take heart that following the Lord with all its difficulties will end in the ease and peaceful rest of God’s sabbath in His heavenly kingdom.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

            Preaching God’s word to God’s people is often a lonely job. It shouldn’t be, but often it is because it requires telling people what they should do and how they should live when they don’t want to. The apostle Paul made an interesting statement in Galatians 4:16. He wrote, “Am I therefore your enemy because I tell you the truth?”He said this after remembering how the Galatians were blessed and overjoyed when he gave them the gospel. They received his word as if he were an angel of God. He said they treated him as well as if he were Jesus Christ. Then he added they would do anything for him, even if he asked for their eyes, they would pluck them out. What caused their attitude to change and made them think of Paul as their enemy? He called them on their sin and told them they had returned to the weak and beggarly elements of the law. He said they had turned back to the bondage they escaped. He called them on it and then he wasn’t as popular as he was.

            This happens too many times to the pastor of the church. Most love him and support him and will do anything for him until he takes on his friends and tells them they need to change. He sees them turn to old ways and they aren’t as enthusiastic about the church as they once were. When he tells them the truth, it goads them, and listening isn’t fun anymore.

            The truth is, when the pastor comes down on your sins in his sermons and when he steps on your toes, it is never to harm you. He is a friend that loves you and wants you to be blessed and prosperous because you follow Christ. His years are filled with the experience of Christians that gradually dropped out of service—the same people who thought they never would.

            The enemy of truth is the one who refuses to hear truth. One author wrote the enemies of truth refuse to hear in two forms: not listening to someone tell the truth or refusing to accept it. Accepting truth requires repentance. It means you are wrong, and you need to change your ways. It means you must go against your flesh, to reject the old nature and to live within the new. In Galatians 5:17, the apostle wrote: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary…” Simply stated, to refuse truth and not correct errors is to reject the Holy Spirit. Am I your enemy if I tell you not to reject the Spirit? Your best friend is the one who tells you, “If you live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:13-14).

            Be careful of the way you respond to truth. The way you react may tell you more than you want to know. Either way, when you hear the truth, it is always a friend who tells it. He is not your enemy. He is the guardian of your soul.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith