" Is Your FAITH in the GOSPEL Vain ? "

          HI All !!!  I have been conversing about our LORD with many people in this country and around the world over the past few months and many of them are quite uplifting and allow me to hope that there are still a few Truly Born Again Christians out there.  But I have also heard from many who are extremely religious but still extremely lost, their sins unforgiven because of the false way they are either being taught by unscrupulous teachers or they are part of unscriptural but widely known denominations that corrupt the truth of GOD's WORD with their own agendas.

  Why are there so many "wrong" interpretations of the WORD of GOD ?  Because those who are either teachers, ministers, pastors, priests etc. are not saved themselves and since they are not saved they do not have the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT, WHO HIMSELF speaks to the believers spirit to give peace when the truth of GOD's WORD is spoken. See what the LORD HIMSELF says in John 10:26 thru 28  -  "But you do not believe because you are not of MY sheep, as I said to you. MY sheep hear MY voice, and I know them, and they follow ME, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of MY hand.  Also in 2nd Peter 1:20 thru 2:3 the WORD of GOD tells us about the one TRUTH of Scripture and warns us of those who use it in a false and corrupt way. - Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of GOD spoke as they were moved by the HOLY SPIRIT.  BUT there were also false prophets among the people even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the LORD WHO bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction, and many will follow their destructive ways because of whom THE WAY of TRUTH will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.  Even in the book of Corinthians when it talks about the gifts that GOD gives, there is a warning NOT to pray or rejoice over the gift of teaching because this gift holds a higher standard and the teacher will be judged for not giving out the TRUTH of GOD's WORD.

          Now the Gospel is not rocket science but it is a free gift that GOD HIMSELF gave to all mankind. Like the person who has a birthday party and people bring gifts, IF he does not open the gifts and accept them from the giver, the gifts will do him no good just sitting on the table.  So to is the Gospel of Salvation through our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.  Simply put, YOU ARE A SINNER SEPARATED FROM A HOLY GOD BY YOUR SIN so am I but the difference between us is that I know that I am a sinner and I have accepted the fact that as a sinner I have no chance and no right to fellowship with an ALL HOLY GOD nor have any right to go to heaven and live eternally with HIM.  Also I have accepted GOD's gift of Salvation through HIS SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. This gift of the Gospel is concisely given in the book of 1st. Corinthians 15:1 thru 11  -  Moreover brethren I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that WORD which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received that CHRIST died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that HE was buried, and that HE rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures, and that HE was seen by Cephas(Peter), then by the twelve. After that HE was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep (died) . After that HE was seen by James, then by all the Apostles. Then last of all HE was seen by me (Paul) also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the church of GOD (the Christians). But by the grace of GOD I am what I am and HIS grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of GOD which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

          Now the Apostle Paul said twice in the above section of Scripture about " vain, or vain faith ". He was quite concerned that after his departure there would be those who would come in among the brethren, wolves in sheep clothing, false teachers with a false gospel, deceitful workers that will come in with a corrupted gospel because Satan himself can transform himself into an angel of light in 2nd Corinthians 11:1 thru 15.  Paul knew that the WORD of GOD had to and must be taught correctly through the SPIRIT of GOD.  False teachers, false ministers, false preachers, false priests  CANNOT accurately, without error give out the TRUTH in and of GOD's WORD. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE !!!!  My husband and I have been so very careful in picking out and committing ourselves, our time, our offerings and our GOD given gifts to a new church where we moved to in Florida. Picking a Godly, WORD believing, WORD preaching, WORD teaching correctly / rightly dividing the WORD of TRUTH fellowship of Believers is more important than a new Dr., Bank, Dentist, Job or anything else that I could come up with to list.

          Now " faith " is talked about in many different places in Scripture but one of the most important is in the book of Romans 10:17  -  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the WORD of GOD. So Godly faith comes only through the WORD of GOD and if the WORD of GOD is being corrupted by bad Bible translations ( of which there are many ), by ungodly (not SPIRIT filled) preachers, teachers, ministers or priests then there will be many who are being deceived by this false parade of error.  Now the second most important verse on " faith " is in Hebrew 11:6  -  But without faith it is impossible to please HIM, for he who comes to GOD must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarder of those who diligently seek HIM.   How and what are some of the signs of false denominations, false teachers, false Bible translations, false Gospels :

          1.)  Anyone who claims that JESUS CHRIST is not GOD.

          2.)  Anyone who prays through anyone other than the ONE MEDIATOR between GOD and man, 

                the MAN CHRIST JESUS.

          3.)  Anyone that says that when a person dies they just go into the grave, because GOD said

                that absent from the body is present with the LORD.

          4.)  Anyone who claims there are secret codes or secrets in Scripture that only certain believers

                are privy to. These will just turn out to be secret heresies.

          5.)  Anyone who brings to you a false Gospel, of which there are many false gospels.

          6.)  Anyone who tells you that there is no hell or that there is a purgatory where you can go 

                and pay for some of your sins, then go to heaven. NOT TRUE, nor Scriptural.

          7.)  Anyone who tells you that you must be Baptized to be Born Again / Saved or to go to heaven.

          8.)  Anyone who adds anything to the LORD JESUS CHRIST's death on the cross as payment

                for your sin. Any acts of works added to the Gospel for Salvation.

          9.)  Any church or assembly of persons claiming to be Christians that do not believe that the 

                blood of CHRIST is necessary for Salvation ( check their Hymnals to see if songs about 

                the blood have been taken out ).

        10.)  Anything that feels like idolatry, voodoo, incantations, spiritists, astrology, stay away !!!

The above list is just 10 of the most noticeable of the false doctrines and teachings that can be found in many of our noted denominations in this country and around the world. I do this post as a warning to those who may have stumbled headlong into Satan's den of lies which are false churches / assemblies and may not yet know that they are in GREAT DANGER.  1st.Peter 5:8 & 9a  -  Be sober, be vigilante; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,

Julie