The fourth word in the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy is “given,” with God doing the giving (making known) His will for mankind. In the Holy Scriptures He declares to salvation seekers His rewards for obedience to His will and His curses for disobedience to His will. Contrary to the opinion of many, the prophets and apostles were not some men who had some ideas and recorded them. GOD SPOKE HIS WILL TO THE WORD (Jn. 1:1-4,14) WHO SPOKE THEM TO HIS PROPHETS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. THOSE WORDS BECAME KNOWN AS THE OLD TESTAMENT. WHEN THE WORD CAME TO EARTH AS JESUS OF NAZARETH GOD SPOKE TO HIM THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. JESUS THEN SPOKE GOD’S WORDS TO HIS APOSTLES WHO RECORDED THEM IN THEIR LETTERS TO INDIVIDUALS AND TO CHURCHES (Jn. 12:44-50). THOSE WORDS BECAME KNOWN AS THE NEW TESTAMENT. In Luke 6:46, Jesus stated that no man has heard the voice of God or seen his form. Jesus, as the Word (Jn. 1:1-4,14), had lived with Him and had, during that time, heard His voice and seen His spirit form. Read The God of the Old Testament. Key word–God.

As a man, Jesus could neither see God’s form nor hear His voice. He, like His saints today, communicated with Him through the Holy Spirit. He told Nicodemus that “… flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God” where He (God) abides. That included the man Jesus Himself. It was only after He had been born again (changed from flesh to spirit) that He could enter God’s kingdom where He abides today and will continue to abide until He returns to earth and saves (rebirths) His obedient saints. NO ONE IS SAVED (BORN AGAIN) IN THIS LIFE. IT IS DURING THIS LIFE THAT WE EITHER MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SALVATION AND REBIRTH OR WE DO NOT. THIS LIFE IS THE TIME IN WHICH WE EITHER QUALIFY FOR SALVATION OF FAIL TO DO SO. THOSE WHO DO WILL RISE TO MEET HIM IN THE CLOUDS UPON HIS RETURN AT WHICH TIME THEY WILL BE BORN AGAIN FROM FLESH TO SPIRIT EXACTLY AS FATHER AND SON ARE SPIRIT. Read Born Again. Key word–Born. Those who qualify for salvation during this life will rise to meet Him in the first resurrection. Read The Three Resurrections. Key word–Three.

Continuing with the focal verse, we find that ALL Scriptures are to be used for “doctrine,” meaning to learn God’s doctrines that must shape our lives in order to receive salvation. As stated, God’s Word is also to be used for “reproof.” To reprove is to point out error, which is what this ministry is about. My job is to compare man’s church doctrine, theological “truths,” wishful thinking, etc. to the perfect Word of God. I have been doing this for many years on radio, television, newsprint, in person and now on the internet.

In combination with the command to reprove those who believe and practice church doctrine is the command to “correct” their erroneous beliefs. Word of warning: PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE TO BE REPROVED AND CORRECTED EVEN WHEN IT COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD THAT THEY CLAIM TO BELIEVE. And understand this: THE HIGHER UP ON THE RELIGIOUS LADDER THE PERSON, THE HARDER THE RESISTANCE AGAINST CORRECTION AND REPROOF. You can take my word for this.

Lastly, the Word of the Lord is good for “training (instruction) in righteousness.” This use of God’s Word carries two levels of rejection. The first level has the church dictating that Biblical righteousness (obedience to God’s Law) is impossible to attain. As a popular local pastor and t.v. preacher said: “Don’t even try to be holy (righteous); you’ll just make yourself sick. You are nothing more than a society of sinners.” In other words, continue to “Sin and grin, my friend ….” You know the rest. As Jesus warned in John 15:18, hatred is the end result of speaking God’s Word in most cases. Hatred toward His messengers resulted in the deaths of some of His prophets, all but one of His apostles and Jesus Himself. But that is not the worst level of hatred.

The second level of rejection involves the negative reaction of church people when shown that God commands righteousness from them. At this point their hatred turns from the human being in front of them to the God in heaven Who sent him–so says the Lord Himself. Read Deuteronomy 5:9,10. Note that those who keep His commandments prove that that LOVE HIM (read Jn. 14:15,23), and that those who do not keep His commandments show that they HATE HIM. Read Luke 10:16. Note in John 14:15,23 that Jesus states that God’s Commandments and His Words are one in the same. In John 17:17 Jesus calls God’s Word “Truth.” We are commanded to love God’s Truth and obey it (2 Thes. 2:10).

Mass unbelief toward (rejection of) God’s Law changes nothing. God’s Word/Law is as true and powerful today as when He spoke it to and through His prophets and apostles. Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the New Testament was founded on the Words of those prophets and apostles beginning with Moses who wrote the first five books of the Bible. Those books are called the Tora (God’s Law). Recall that Jesus said He did not come to earth to destroy the Law (Tora) or (the Words of) the prophets, but rather to fulfill them as a man. He came to live the commandments to the fullest as the example for other men must emulate. Those who do will rise to meet Him in the clouds during the first resurrection. Read The Three Resurrections and The Kingdom of God. Key words–Three and Kingdom respectively.

Jesus became a man for two reasons. He had to die as a man for the sins of man because spirit beings (Gods and angels) cannot die. Secondly, He came as a human being in order to obey God’s Law as a man so that others would know that they, too, can obey God’s Law and qualify to inherit eternal life. The purpose for “walking as He (Jesus) walked” (1 Jn. 2:5) and “… overcom(ing) (Satan) even as I (Jesus) overcame” (Revelation 3:21) is so that we can live with Him in paradise forever. For this reason the Holy Spirit (God’s power– Lk. 1:35) is given to the truly converted at the time of his/her conversion. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus, a man, was able to obey God and do the things He did. In John 14:12 Christ tells us that anyone who has His level of faith will do everything He did, AND EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN HE DID. L.J.