Bible Matters 410: Heartburn

First, I’d like to thank those that have walked with me on this journey into understanding the truth in God’s word.  If you are like me, I was not sure where this journey was going to take us.  It has been twenty-two months and two hundred bible matters later, when the doctrine of the truth out of the mouth of two or three witnesses had entered into the bible lessons.   Every man in the jail was confused about God’s word and the lessons they had previously been taught.  These men were of different religious denominations and all had different beliefs, commandments and ordinances.  Many studied the bible, knew the verses and didn’t understand the differences in church doctrine that they had been exposed to.   If there is one God, then why are there so many religious denominations.  These men needed to understand the truth in God’s word.

I had participated in United States Federal court trials in Pasadena and Cincinnati as a professional witness and on a jury.  I participated in civil trials in Cincinnati on a jury several times.  I participated in a trial at work as a professional witness.  I participated in civil trials in Cincinnati and Warren County as a plaintiff.  The two elements of trials are the contract and the multiple witnesses.  The outcome of these cases is not always what one would have expected!  

That is exactly the experience of what we have learned in the last twenty-two months.  The outcome of these lessons were not as I expected, but it is what God wanted you to know.  For many members of the group, these lessons were just the beginning of the heartburn created in comparison to what you had previously been taught.  God had sent me three messages on 2/25/23 & 2/26/23 that lead to Bible Matter 228: Salvation: Preponderance of Evidence.  In Bible numbers: 2 is Witnesses; 28 is led by the spirit.  God led me by the spirit to create this bible message.   It is the study of salvation as reported by the eight New Testament bible witnesses.  In summary:  God’s message of salvation is clear.  Believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, repent of your sins and be converted or born again as a child of God.  Live a righteous life by doing the will of God by serving and showing your love for God and neighbor and not abiding in darkness or sin.   Religious acts are not required for God’s gift.  Keep yourself in the love of God, show your faith by your works and Jesus promises you in the end, everlasting life with him in heaven.

1 Corinthians 1:17 – For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

It is clear that God does not offer salvation in terms of a verse or two from the bible.  Many of you have been told that you are saved because you believe a couple of verses from Romans and/or John.  A wicked doer should take heed and recognize your life as an abomination in the sight of the Lord.  The wicked man would pervert the ways of God’s judgement.  Be wise with a merry heart and live a righteous life for Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 17:23 -A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment. 

In this case, the contract is the offer of a relationship with God for the Gentiles as presented in the New Testament.    You don’t pluck and choose verses from the Old Testament as an ordinance that God requires of you as a Gentile. 

The number one question the men had was on drinking alcohol.  Not once in the New Testament does God’s word present drinking alcohol as a sin.  God’s word warns you from multiple witnesses of the sin of drunkenness.  Drunkenness serves only self and the devil.  When you walk in drunkenness, you are walking with the devil in darkness and death.  See Bible Matters 234: Drunkenness POE.  This lesson is heartburn for those walking in drunkenness and thinking they are saved.   

The number two question the men had was on baptism.  Many men were baptized by water several times, thinking they are saved while walking with the devil in the state of drunkenness and sin.  Baptism by the Holy Ghost occurs when you recognize your life as a sinner and you repent of your sin and ask to be with God.  You turn from the devil and walk in the light of the world, serving God.  Baptism by water is but a sign.  It does nothing to guarantee salvation.  See Bible Matters 253 Baptism POE.  This offers the biggest heartburn of all for those that are totally putting their trust only in water baptism to be with God, forever.   

The number three question is on the subject matter as to who is God.  From the testimony of the witnesses, we know that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth and all that we see and don’t see.  No one has seen God at any time.  The men have accepted the following lessons without heartburn.  These include:  Bible Matters 301 God the Spirit, 373 God Is, 382 True God, 391 One God, 401 One Lord God and 405 God is King.  The heartburn comes when you have been deceived into believing that Jesus is God and by believing that Jesus is God, somehow guarantees you everlasting life.  Some religious denominations use a verse from John which implies that Jesus is the Word, therefore Jesus is God.  We know that God accomplishes all things by his Word.   See Bible Matters 392 Word.  Bible Matters 377 Jesus Is POE is the study of the witness and the testimonies leading to the doctrine of Jesus as a man, sent by God.  From these testimonies you know the following:

Jesus referred to God as “my Father” One hundred and three (103) times in the New Testament.  Witnesses: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter and John in Revelations.  It is clear, that Jesus is man and as the Son of God, God is his Father.  Jesus respected his Father.  God told you exactly how to worship him in spirit and truth.

1)  There is one God, God the Father.  Creator of heaven and earth.  Do not worship idols. 

2)  God the Father gave you the Son of God, Jesus, as a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the world.

3)  Holy Ghost is given by God to dwell in your heart, guiding you to be a light of life and to do the will of God. 

Jesus never declared himself to be a god or equal to God.  He loved God, his Father, and did all things to please him.  Jesus performed miracles as his apostles did, after he received the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Acts 10:38 – How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Before his death on the cross, Jesus asked the Father to forgive them!

Luke 23:34 – Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Believing that Jesus is but a man is major heartburn for many Christian believers.  You see, it is easy to believe in the truth in God’s doctrine established by two or three witnesses, when the study says that God does not require circumcision to enjoy ever lasting life, because only one witness spoke of it in the New Testament.  See Bible Matters 337 Circumcision. 

The doctrine of two or three witnesses starts to be questionable when you learn that God does not require a tithe in the New Testament, See Bible Matters 402 Tithing or that God wants women to serve equally with men in the New Testament, See Bible Matters 275 Serving Jesus.  Only one witness Paul, spoke out against women serving in the church equal with men.  Ignore Paul’s testimony on this subject and if you are a woman and called to serve God, then serve him in all his glory using the talents he has given you.

Now ask yourself.  Does God’s doctrine and living your life per the will of God, change whether Jesus is a man or if you believe he is God.  The answer is no.  For most of you, it has given you a means to judge others that do not believe that Jesus is God, as a means for you to have a sense of security that you are going to heaven and all those that don’t believe that Jesus is God are going to hell.

It is clear by the doctrine of two or three witnesses, that you will be judged by God when you die.  See Bible Matters 398 The Judge.  The testimonies of the two men that died and went to heaven and returned to earth, both said they talked to God.  See Bible Matters 267 Three Witnesses.   It is clear from Bible Matters 375 Judgement and the testimonies of Howard Pitman and MK McDaniels (Kathy) that when you show up at the gates of hell or heaven that God already knows what is in your heart.  You have been judged already, based on your belief in God and how you have loved him and your neighbor here on earth.  God made it clear that you are not to treat salvation as a commodity, as in silver and gold.  It is not something you carry in your pocket, but carry in your heart shining forth to all in the glory of God. 

Acts 17:29-31 – Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

For most of the members of this ministry, believing that you are saved or guaranteed everlasting life by just believing in Jesus, when in fact this doctrine is not established by the testimony of two or three witness, creates the most heartburn of all. I believe I may have lost several members with these lessons.   This is the number one subject matter that you need to understand.  Do not be deceived!  Read and understand these lessons, Bibles Matters 323 Dichotomy of Confusion, 261 Sound Doctrine, 314 Once Saved Always Saved, 394 Saved Do Nothing and 379 Gospel.   If you are living your life per the will of God, then believing that you are saved or not saved, doesn’t matter when it comes to the judgement by God.  The problem comes when you think you are saved, being baptized in water and walking with the devil, thinking you are going to heaven.  In this condition, you are blaspheming the Holy Ghost.  You are told not to blaspheme the Holy Ghost, See Bible Matters 273 Blaspheme the Holy Ghost POE and 396 Murder – Unforgivable Sin.  When living your life in the state of sin, the witnesses refer to you being a backslider, See Bible Matters 367 Backslider POE. 

To cure that heartburn, just worship God in spirit and truth.  Show your love of God, by loving your neighbor and always looking for ways to serve and doing the will of God with fervent acts of charity.  Do not be afraid to share God’s word and be a doer of his word.  Make a New Years resolution to know the truth in God’s word and do not be offended.  Share God’s message of salvation and look forward to being judged by God in the end.  See Bible Matters 409 The Godly, 329 The Do, 356 Do thy Will and 388 Do Good.  Hang it there and looks for ways to share God’s word and love!

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.