Holidays vs Holy Days: By Whose Authority? #3

Fred R. Coulter

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As we learned last time and we will see how it functions this time, you are under one of two authorities:

• you're under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ

or:

• you're under the authority of Satan the devil and his demons

—one or the other. Any middle ground puts you in trouble and difficulty with God and puts you eventually in the camp of Satan the devil. It's defined in the New Testament that if you love God you will keep His commandments.

Let's look at something else because some people say, 'Well, I'll never listen to another man because I've been deceived by them. They told me lies.' In today's world, you're probably right. There are many people out there preaching many lies mixed in with some Truth. One of the most profound things that is happening today is the corruption of the New Testament and the Bible by Bible translators; who by changing the Word of God are changing the meaning of the inspired text. Some people may say, 'Oh! Why does God allow it?' He allows it for this reason:

• to see whether you love Him or not
• to see whether you believe Him or not
• to see whether you are willing to come under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ or not
• to see whether you are willing to accept a corrupted, satanically influenced, debauched, blasphemous, translation of the Bible

Remember the instruction of God: You shall not add to or take away from the Word of God! John gave them a final warning at the end of the book of Revelation that if anyone adds to this book of the prophecy, which means the whole Bible, God will add to him the plagues of the seven last plagues. If anyone takes away from it, God will take his or her name out of the Book of Life. So, the Word of God is a salvation issue, fundamental and basic.

2-Timothy 3:13 is a very basic Scripture and something that you need to know and understand: "But wicked men and imposters shall become worse and worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves."

That's exactly what's happening today. Paul wrote this saying, 'Yet, in the last days…' Ask yourself: Where is the Truth? The real Truth? Not only just in the things going on in the world!
You have many different versions filtered through many different political lenses to give you a version of the news. In the field of God's Word: where is the Truth? They're continually being deceived and most people who go to church, especially Sunday-keepers. They are in a constant state of deception. If that makes you mad, then:

• you don't know the Word of God
• you don't believe the Word of God
• you go to church so you can 'feel good' and be with others and have numbers of people who agree with you

Do you agree with God? It doesn't matter how many people agree with you in a watered-down, perverted, Gospel being preached from the pulpits of the land in the world today. It doesn't make any difference how many hundreds of thousands or millions of those that are there, if they don't agree with the Word of God it's because there's no light in them! Jesus said that 'many would come in My name saying I am the Christ and deceive many.'

• Do you fit into verse 13?
• Are you being deceived and continuously having that deception reinforced?
• Whose authority are you under?
  • God the Father and Jesus Christ?

or:

• Satan and his demons?

Those are the only two authorities that rule in this world. For those who are under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ, Paul writes:

Verse 14: "But as for you, continue in the things that you did learn and were assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them." Today we have all 14 Epistles of the Apostle Paul, the inspired Word of God.

Even though men can pervert it, it is up to each individual to provethe true text of the Word of God. That's why in The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version we show:

• what is the New Testament
• when was it written
• who wrote it
• why was it written
• who canonized it
• why was it canonized
• how it is the Truth of God
• how you can know it is the Truth of God

to combat these deceivers out there!

Verse 15: "And that from a child you have known the Holy Writings…" That's the Old Testament. Notice what it says right after that. This is very important, because too many people who claim to be Christian say that the Old Testament has been done away.

• Do you know why they say that?

which is a bald-faced lie, a satanic lie

• Do you know why they claim that?
• So they can preach their own lawless grace and not have to obey the commandments of God!

So they can keep their:

• Sunday
• Christmas
• Easter
• Good Friday
• Lent
• all of the pagan holidays

—instead of keeping the Holy Days of God!

"…which are able to make you wise unto salvation…" (v 15). We have a companion series that is going right along with this one, which is entitled Laws of Moses Without the Veil #s 1 & 2.

"…through faith…" (v 15). This is telling us you have to believe the Old Testament. That's why it's important and that's why we have on our website cbcg.org and also in The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version:Appendix H: How Did Jesus Fulfill the Law and the Prophets? That's very important for you to understand. We go through and show according to the Word of God how Jesus did it. Then in the two sermons The Law of Moses Without the Veil you will understand the spiritual significance of the Laws in the Old Testament.

I want you to understand something very important concerning the Old Testament and New Testament. Guess how many men wrote it? Old and New? A total of forty, that's it! Guess how many men wrote the New Testament? A total of eight! If God can make a false prophet—Balaam—speak the Truth, don't you think that God can surely control eight men to write the Truth? Yes, indeed!

Here's what we need to understand because this is the authority that we need to follow today, not the authority of a man. I can say for those people who never want to hear a man again—because they were deceived—shame on you because you didn't prove things. God is going to hold you accountable because you failed in your responsibility. God did not create us with a funnel cap in the top of our skulls so someone can come along a pour into our brains whatever we need to know:

• He expects us to use our minds
• He expects to prove things
• He expects us to be able to understand the problems and deceptions

I'll tell you one thing in particularly that is true, you will never, never, never understand the Word of God the way it needs to be by keeping Sunday and going to a Sunday-keeping church. They are meeting on the wrong day and that is the wrong place to learn, though they do quote some Scriptures.

Also, we have on our website cbcg.org Rome's Challenge to the Protestants, concerning Sunday. Read that, then ask yourself:

• What does God expect from me?
• Do I really want the Truth of God

or

• Do I want to stay deceived?
• Do I really want to cling to a lot of social friends in a feel-good social church?

or

• Do I want to have a person relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ and stand for the Truth and live in the Truth?

Those are the choices that are set before us today.

Verse 16: "All Scripture…" What does that mean? Every word, syllable, genealogy, every Word of God, each and every one:

"…is God-breathed…" (v 16). God's Spirit moved these men much like wind in a sailboat. Of course, God was guiding them where He wanted to take them. You stop and think; after all the experiences that the apostles went through in the writing of the New Testament:

• Do you think that any of them would dare to even conceive of writing something that is not true?
• If they did, do you think that God would have inspired it to be included in the New Testament or in the Old Testament?
• Why do people view God as weak and far off some place? Because you're all steeped in the theory of evolution!

If you're 'religious,' you have to believe all the Word of God. Then you're living in the 'way of God rather than being 'religious.'

As Judge Roy Moore defined, which is good, they had the two lawsuits before the Supreme Court concerning the Ten Commandments monument, and they didn't take Judge Roy Moore's lawsuit because the basis of his lawsuit was this: Can government acknowledge God without the establishment of 'religion'? Yes! Religion is defined by rules and regulations. The first four commandments, which I thought that he understood very well, he said, 'These are the spiritual understanding, not establishing religion.' Very clear!

Verse 16: "All Scripture is God-breathed…"

• Do you believe that?
• Have you proved that?
• Do you understand that?
• Do you live by that?

"…and is profitable for doctrine…" (v 16). Instead of fairy tales and nice stories, doctrine means teaching, teaching of the Word of God.

"…for conviction…" (v 16). If you not only believe but you stand for the Truth and have conviction in it. Most people today are not convicted of anything. Most people today—in postmodernist thinking—how do they believe? If I believe it, it's true and the only conviction you have is of yourself and your own thoughts! This is to give you conviction with God's Spirit and God's Truth.

"…for correction…" (v 16). We need correction; human beings, the way we are!

"…for instruction in righteousness" (v 16). Instruction in righteousness has to do with having the Word of God taught, keeping the Holy Days and the Sabbath of God. That's instruction in righteousness.

Verse 17: "So that the man of God…" This applies to Timothy, who was the minister there that succeeded Paul in Ephesus, Paul was giving him these instructions. Also, it applies to everyone who reads the Bible.

That every man or woman "…may be complete… [perfected in Christ] …fully equipped for every good work" (v 17). We are to walk in the ways of God and those are the good works we are to do.

Let's see the authority that the Apostle Paul passed on. This is how you judge by whose authority you're under. If you do as Jesus Christ said, 'Live by every Word of God,' then, you are under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ. What is every minister to do? and Every person to study? The Word of God! Here's a solemn charge that he gave to Timothy. This is a solemn charge that every minister, every teacher should take as a direct command from God the Father and Jesus Christ. They're both mentioned, here.

2-Timothy 4:1: "I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom" We're closer than ever to the return of Jesus Christ. We are being judged every day. That's why you need to be under the true grace of God, not a false, lawless grace.

Verse 2: "Preach the Word!…." That's God's revelation. If you preach anything else, then you're a false preacher. Which Word? All Scripture is God-breathed! That's what needs to be taught.

• Do you believe that?
• Are you willing to live by it?

If you believe it, then you have to act upon it because God is calling you! If God is calling you and you don't act upon it, then you will be fulfilling the Scripture, which says that 'many are called but few are chosen,' because you choose to refuse to repent and live God's way. Living in the end-time, God is calling us to stand for Him in a world ruled and deceived by Satan the devil. So, "Preach the Word!…." How is it to be preached?

"…Be urgent in season and out of season…" (v 2). Since we're talking about Holidays vs Holy Days: By Whose Authority?, what does it mean, "…in season and out of season…'? The command of God concerning the Holy Days is: 'These are My Feasts which you shall proclaim in their seasons.' What does this tell us? The early New Testament Church was keeping the Holy Days of God! That's what it's telling us. We will see that later.

"…convict, rebuke, encourage…" (v 2) so that you can be:

• built up in Christ
• built up in love
• built up in faith

But you have to have conviction first before that's possible. You have to have the inner desire by that conviction that you will love God with:

• all your heart
• all you mind
• all your soul
• all your being

Otherwise, what are you doing?

We live in what the New Testament, from Rev. 3 calls the Laodicean Age. We are rich and increased with goods. We do everything in a 'ho-hum' manner, lukewarm. God isn't going to accept that! He calls on all of those 'ho-hummers' and 'lukewarmers' to repent. We need to ask ourselves:

• How do we approach God?
• How do you approach God?
• Do you:
  • go to church on Sunday?
  • sing a few songs?
  • walk back and forth?
  • listen to a preacher give a nice, smooth, sermon?
  • throw your money in the collection box?
  • walk out and think you've done good?
  • run out to a football game or basketball game?
  • go shopping?

—or whatever it is. That's no conviction!

"…with all patience and doctrine" (v 2). People don't like doctrine today because of the influence of Eastern religion within Christianity, which is part of the infiltration of the authority of Satan within churches that claim to be Christian, but they're not. If they were, that would never be allowed, because it would be understood for what it is.

Not only did it happen then, but it's happening right now. You can judge. You can judge your reaction to what you're hearing me speak by v 3:

• Do you agree with it?
• Do you think it's right?
• Do you think what I'm saying is outrageous?
• Do you think: Who is he to say that?
• What do you think?

Or do you fit into v 3?: "For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine…" That is the true teachings of Jesus Christ in the Bible. They don't that. They want the good words. 'Oh, Christ died to forgive us our sins.' But not to continue in sin!

Do you know the song that they play at every Protestant revival, which Billy Graham and his evangelistic campaign has probably played tens of thousands of times in his career? Just As I Am! Well, God does not accept you just as you are unless you repent and you're willing to change! That's the truth of the matter. We'll get into repentance and things like that later.

"…but according to their own lusts…" (v 3). You stop and think about some of these big, mega, mega churches. They maybe have some very bombastic preachers. They may even preach from parts of the Bible on Sunday, which is not the Lord's Day. God didn't send them; they're stealing the Words of God!

"…they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers, having ears itching to hear what satisfies their cravings" (v 3). People want to hear good words—don't they? God has the best Word of all! What is the biggest myth that they hear every Sunday? Jesus has done it all for you! There's nothing you have to do! There's nothing you can do. If that's true, why do they keep insisting that you come to church and put money in the offering box?

There's plenty you have to do. God shows that if you are not practicing and living by His Word then you belong into this group that rejects Truth and follows myths. If you hear anyone preach and say, 'Jesus did it all for you. You have nothing to do,' part of it is this: Jesus did do it all for you so that you can repent and have His sacrifice applied to you personally for the forgiveness of your sins, but then, you have to get up out of that watery grave of baptism and 'walk in newness of life' and keep the commandments of God.

Verse 4: "And they shall turn away their own ears from the Truth; and they shall be turned aside unto myths." That's the heart and core of Holidays vs Holy Days: By Whose Authority?

We will again see what God says about the Word of God, what Peter wrote about it and by what authority that he wrote.

2-Peter 1:12: "Therefore, I will not neglect to make you always mindful of these things, although you already know them and have been established in the present Truth…. [not in myths, but the Truth of God] …For I consider it my duty, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by causing you to remember these things" (vs 12-13).

How quickly do people forget? We'll see how quickly people forget! That's why it had to be written down. That's why it had to be written by the apostles.

Verse 14: "Knowing that shortly the putting off of my tabernacle will come, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has signified to me. But I will make every effort that, after my departure, you may always have a written remembrance…" (vs 14-15)—and actually has the meaning that it is a saying chiseled in a rock monument or written as a memorial.

"…of these things in order to practice them for yourselves" (v 15). How long do you think that people would remember the things in the New Testament without it being written down? This old lie that it was passed on by word of mouth for 300 years is a blasphemous and satanic lie! It was written by the apostles while they were still alive, by them!

Verse 16: "For we did not follow cleverly concocted myths as our authority…" That's what it means. See how that ties in with 2-Tim. 4; people will follow myths?

Just take for example the thing concerning Halloween, Christmas and Easter. 'Oh, we know that these things are based on pagan myths, but it's so good, we will do it.' What we're going to see is that you're not going to honor God with anything that comes from Satan the devil. It just will not happen! Maybe you'll retort, 'Well, God knows my heart and my intention is good and if my intention is good and I feel good, therefore, God has to accept it.' What is the old saying? What paves the way to hell? Good intentions!

Verse 16: "For we did not follow cleverly concocted myths as our authority… [Do you?] …when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His magnificent glory." That's the vision of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration[transcriber's correction]. You go back and read that account. He goes on saying here and explaining it. After having that experience, you need to ask the question:

• Would Peter have ever written anything other than the Truth?
• Would the Apostle John have written anything other than the Truth?

Verse 17: "Because He received glory and honor from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, 'This is My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I am well pleased.' And this is the voice from heaven that we heard when we were with Him on the Holy mountain. We also possess the confirmed prophetic Word" (vs 17-19).

What does that mean? The inspired Word of the Old Testament and what they were writing—the confirmed New Covenant by Jesus Christ! "…the confirmed prophetic…" meaning that it didn't come from a man, but inspired of God! That what it means.

"…to which you do well to pay attention…" (v 19). Rather than have a lukewarm, ho-hum attitude toward it:

• Do you believe the Word of God?
• Do you pay attention to the Word of God?
• Do you let the Word of God guide you in what you need to do?
• Do you let the Word of God guide you in how you need to live?

Those are questions that you have to ask and answer.

"…as to a light shining in a dark place…" (v 19). This world is under darkness and the only light we're going to have to find your way in this world is the light of the Word of God and the light of Jesus Christ Who is the Savior of mankind and you personal Savior. He is your personal Savior when you repent and accept His sacrifice and walk in the way of God. That puts you under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ and takes you out from under the authority of Satan the devil and his demons. That puts you into walking in the Truth of the Scriptures rather than a mixture of Truth and lies, which Satan the devil has given to counterfeit.

"…until the day dawns…" (v 19)—the return of Christ, continually. He said, 'I'm going to write this for you so you can have it until the return of Christ.' That applies to us!

Isn't it interesting when you really understand about the return of Christ? How is the first sign going to appear that it's Christ coming? The heavens will be rolled back as a scroll and all of a sudden there will be a big powerful sun that has never been see before! That's what it means, "…the day dawns…"

"…and the morning star arises in your hearts" (v 19). What does that mean? At that time you will be resurrected! Because of all of this and based on what he says:

Verse 20: "Knowing this first…' You have to understand this first: One of the biggest lies that has been perpetrated on the so-called Christian community today and Christian churches today is that the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament, was not written by the men that have their names on the books, but it was transmitted orally for anywhere from 100 to 300 years and was written down later. So, this is a mythical creation of a mythical Jesus out of the minds of men. 'Therefore, what we can do is say that since a man wrote it, we can ignore it. We then can create our own.'

That's how people think but that's not the truth of how things are. That's how you have to be very careful which translation you have. That's why this translation The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version is written in the same spirit and attitude that we have just covered here, and it being the translation of it. It was done to:

• love God
• fear God
• uphold His Truth
• make sure that every word from the translation agreed with the original Byzantine Text for the New Testament

So that the true inspiration of the original would be manifest in the translation as much as possible. There are two theories of translation:

• the one I just said
• the one when you go in and change it and water it down

That's why it's such a dilemma today. Who would ever have thought that the coup de gráce of Satan the devil would worm his way into the Bible so much that he would pervert it, change it and rewrite it.

Originally the New Testament was entrusted to the New Testament Church. They gave up that trust. God never failed to preserve the Greek New Testament text!

Notice how this ties in with what we read in 2-Tim. 3; "…that no prophecy of Scripture… [nothing that has been written] …originated as anyone's own private interpretation" (v 20). That is the true and accurate translation. It's not the ideas of men. Besides, when you understand the Truth of the Bible you will see that it all fits together, Old Testament and New Testament agree with each other completely. This is why.

What do people have today? 'Oh! I've got an idea!' If it's not according to the Truth of God, who cares! Maybe you can impress human beings but you're not impressing God that you have anything special. I take it back. Yes, you're impressing God. You're impressing God with your spiritual stupidity!

The term 'private interpretation' means I have an idea—coming from yourself, originating in your own mind—not with the Spirit of God but your own thoughts. That's what it means. You can read a lot of religious tracts out there like that. That's what it means.

Verse 21: "Because prophecy was not brought at any time by human will, but the Holy men of God spoke as they were moved… [God-breathed] …by the Holy Spirit." That's important to understand. When we get back and start examining by whose authority? it began back in the Garden of Eden.

• Did Jesus bring something that was different than what God the Father wanted Him to bring?
• Did Jesus speak of Himself?
• Was He just a man as a lot of people think today, or was He 'God manifested in the flesh' as the Bible teaches?

John 5:30: "I have no power to do anything of Myself; but as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father, Who sent Me."

Verse 19: "Therefore, Jesus answered and said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, the Son has no power to do anything of Himself, but only what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, these things the Son also does in the same manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing. And He will show Him greater works than these, so that you may be filled with wonder'" (vs 19-20). Even Jesus Christ did not do His own will, as God manifested in the flesh. The apostles knew that:

• How much more do you think that they understood, profoundly and with God's Spirit in them, having been taught personally by Jesus Christ?
• How much more do you think that they understood having seen Him after the resurrection form the dead?
• How much more do you think that the apostles would also be guided by the Truth of God and not entertain a single lie, or to write anything that would be of their own ideas?

The answer is: Nada, zilch, zip, not a thing!

That's why when we go to the Old Testament, we understand that Jesus Christ, before He was manifested in the flesh, was the Lord God of the Old Testament.

• He is the One Who spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
• He is the One Who spoke the Ten Commandments from the top of Mt. Sinai
• He is the One Who gave the Holy Days

That's important to understand. Without that, all of your conjectures and all of the things that you do in a 'religious' sense is worthless. That's why it demands repentance. You scrap all of it and you begin again with repentance to God the Father and Jesus Christ. That's what the New Testament is all about.

(go to the next track)

Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which when you eat of that tree you put yourself under the authority of Satan the devil. That's why the world is filled with the knowledge of good and evil, because it's under the authority of Satan the devil. When you do that, you cut yourself off from God. Therefore, Adam and Eve were removed or exiled from the Garden of Eden. This is very interesting and very few people have ever figured this out. A lot of people have never been able to answer, 'Why would God do this?'

Genesis 3:22: "And the LORD God said, 'Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to decide good and evil…'"—not just to know, but to "…decide good and evil…" That's the only way that they were like God. They took the prerogative and the authority of God, under Satan's direction—it was under Satan's authority—to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and to decide what was good and what was evil, rather than their Creator.

"…and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever—" (v 22). Why did God keep them from going to the Tree of Life? Why did He do that? One answer is that they would have eternal life! That's possibly an answer.

• the truth is you cannot have eternal life with a sinful nature.
• the truth is you cannot mix the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil under the authority of Satan with the Truth of God and expect to get eternal life

That's why He cut them off from the Tree of Life. Did they not have the opportunity for it when they were in the garden? He said, 'Of every tree in the garden you may freely eat except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.' That meant that they could have eaten of the Tree of Life.

I put out a sermon What Would the World Be Like if Adam and Even Had Not Sinned? Basically, the long and short of it is that it would have been more like what the Bible shows and describes as the Millennial kingdom reign of Christ and the saints.

That's why you cannot mix the authority of Satan with the authority of God. You cannot take the pagan holidays or pagan practices, and we'll see how that works and how that is condemned by God. Unless you understand that condemnation, you're not going anywhere as a Christian. In fact, we need to understand that the truth is you're not a Christian. You're a fake Christian. That's what Paul wrote as false brethren. You're following false apostles who are inspired of Satan the devil. You can't mix the two. What did God do?

Verse 23: "Therefore, the LORD God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he had been taken. And He drove out the man, and He placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden…" (vs 23-24). The Garden of Eden existed until the Flood about 1565 years later.

God continued to live there in the Garden of Eden. They could come to the east entrance where the cherubim were. When you study about the temple and the tabernacle what do you have over the throne of God? Cherubim, showing where God dwells! That's why it was put into the temple, because that connects right back with Adam and Eve. They could come a commune with God at the east entrance.

One thing that's very important is that nowhere does it show that Adam and Eve repented. You don't receive salvation without repentance. That's another reason why the Tree of Life was cut off from them.

"…and a flaming sword, which turned every way to guard the way to the Tree of Life" (v 24). In order for there to be eternal life given, God has to do the choosing and calling.

It's not going to be a matter that you're living with the literal bodily presence of God as Adam and Eve were after they were created and living in the Garden of Eden. Now you're cut off from God and you have to come to God by His calling, by repentance and by following God's way.

They have figured that given the longevity of the people—beginning with Adam and Eve living into 100s of years—Josephus records that Adam and Eve had 56 children. If each of their descendants had 56 children, by the time you get to Gen. 6 when they were multiplying, they could have had as many as 2+-billion people in 1500 years. That's an amazing number.

Let's talk about what happened here in Gen. 4, because this shows something very profound, important and prophetic. We'll just summarize it this way:

Genesis 4:3: "It came to pass that Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground." God does require that you give firstfruits and offerings to God of the things that grow out of the ground. However, those were not sin offerings. What we're going to see is that Cain decided to mix his way with the way of God, which the very act of cutting off from the Tree of Life shows that you can't mix. We will see that that's the problem of Cain. We will see that it's talked about in the New Testament. What he did, he brought any old thing that he desired.

Every time I see the Hindus in India bring all of their fruit and food offerings to the 'monkey temples' that they have and think their giving it to God because He is in the monkeys, I think of Cain. Some of the Hindus give 10% to the 'monkey temples.' Amazing!

It's not what you think that's a good idea for you to do to please God, it's what God says that you do to please Him!After all, Who is the Lawgiver? God is!

Verse 4: "And Abel… [who is called righteous] …also brought of the firstlings of his flock…" You go read in the laws that God gave to the children of Israel—God's laws were always the same concerning offerings—the firstlings belonged to God. What was Abel doing? He was bringing that which God commanded! Also, if they're the firstlings then there's also the thing of tithing, there's also the things of all the laws that you find that God gave to Israel, because God is the 'same yesterday, today and forever.'

"…and of the fat of it. And the LORD had regard unto Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard unto Cain and his offering…" (vs 4-5). A lot of people will look at that and they say, 'Well, Cain was sincere. Why would God not accept his? His heart was right.' Just like a lot of people say today, 'I know that Saturday is the Sabbath. I go to church on Sunday and God knows my heart.' Yes, it's 'deceitful above all things' and all your good intentions are worthless. That's what we have here.

Rather than repent, notice what Cain did. It's exactly the same thing that you'll have if you go up to any Sunday preacher and tell him, 'If you're commanding people to come here to your church on Sunday and say that God has endorsed it:

• when God never endorsed it
• when God never endorsed the Mass, but the Passover
• God never endorsed Easter, but Unleavened Bread

What are they going to do? They're going to get mad just like Cain!. The same reaction! Why? Because they're trying to work out salvation with their own works rather than the way of God! There you have it!

Here's the principle right back here, which we'll see carries clear over into the New Testament and is written about by the Apostle Jude, the brother of Jesus. Because God is merciful and gracious, said this:

Verse 6: "And the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you so angry? And why has your countenance fallen?'" In other words, 'Why are you so angry and depressed?' As we could say today in modern terminology, 'Your chin is hanging on the ground.'

Verse 7: "If you do well… [according to My commandments] …shall you not be accepted?…." In other words, there is a right way to come to God: the right attitude, the right offering, the right day.

"…But if you do not do well… [if you don't do it according to My instructions, then]: …sin lies at the door…" (v 7). In other words, what Cain was doing was sin.

You need to equate that with: Under whose authority are you? God is saying to Cain, 'You cannot come here in My presence and make an offering to Me while you are still acting under the authority of Satan the devil, and you are not following My instructions.' In other words, He's saying that you cannot mix the authority of Satan the devil with God's authority and be accepted of God. Why? Satan is a liar and has been from the beginning!

You cannot worship the God of Truth with lies! You cannot come before the God of Truth with a combination of error and some of the Bible and expect to be accepted of God. You're either:

• under the authority of God
• you keep His commandments
• live by every Word of God

or you're:

• under the authority of Satan the devil
• which is a mixture of:
  • truth and error
  • good and evil
  • even some of the Words of God mixed in there for a clever counterfeit

But God does not accept it!

• it doesn't matter how righteous it is
• it doesn't matter how much pageantry there is
• it doesn't mater what the ceremony is

If God did not command it, God will not accept it!

In the New Testament we are told by Jesus that God is spirit and those who come to worship the Father 'must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.' How can you mix the myths and lies of men and think that you're ever going to be accepted of God and stand and say that we area delivered to do these things? No, you're not! God never gave permission for that. Any person or minister who tells you that is a liar! It's just that simple. Right here Gen. 4 shows it.

"…But if you do not do well sin lies at the door…" (v 7). What was the door or the entrance? What was that? The east of the Garden of Eden where the cherubim were and there was probably an altar for burnt offerings! That's how Abel offered his firstlings.

"…Its desire is for you… [sin is going to take its pound of flesh out of you if you let it] …but you must rule over it!" (v 7). In other words, God expects you to overcome and stop sinning. When you do that, you begin keeping God's way.

All of this is right there in Gen. 4. Amazing! Notice what else happened. Cain never got over it. Josephus records that this happened when they were about 130-years-old, this over a process of time.

Verse 8: "And Cain talked with his brother Abel. And it came to pass that when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him." Murdered him! Slew him! Cain killed righteous Abel. The one under the authority of Satan the devil, killed the one who was under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Let's see how God handled it here.

Verse 9: "And the LORD said unto Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' And he said, 'I do not know… [just like all murderers, they lie] …Am I my brother's keeper?'" Going against what God said to love your neighbor as yourself.

When this murder took place, did this not also fulfill what God said to Eve, 'In sorrow shall you bring forth children?' Right in your own family, your own flesh and blood, killed your other flesh and blood Abel. Sorrow! Pain! Misery! I wonder how many sleepless nights that Eve had because of that. No one figures that.

Verse 10: "And He said, 'What have you done?…'" God knows! He knows every hair on your head. He knows when even a sparrow falls.

"'…The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground'" (v 10). Some people read that and say, 'How can blood cry from the ground?' Scientifically they can prove that it does have a reaction and God, being Creator, knew that it was crying from the ground.

Rather than execute the death penalty, what God did was, He gave this judgment, v 11: "And now you are cursed from the earth… [a sentence to life without parole] …which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you, and you shall be a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth" (vs 11-12). Wandering people! Yes, he built a city, that is true, but what kind of city? Was it more like thatched coverings of people who wander in the desert, or buildings made of mud brick, because he was cast out?

Verse 13: "And Cain said to the LORD, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me out from the face of the earth today, and I shall be hidden from Your face'" (vs 13-14).

What does this tell us? When you try and mix the authority of Satan the devil with the authority of God and come to God, you have no contact with God!That's what it's telling us.

"…And I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth, and it shall be that anyone who finds me shall kill me" (v 14). So, God said, 'All right, I'm going to put a mark on you.'

I've often thought that that was probably a little mark right on his forehead. I don't know if it was a cross. I don't know if it was a dot, but whenever those who looked at Cain they knew that he had a mark on him as a sign of his sin for the rest of his life.

Sidebar: Where did Cain get his wife? Out of the 56 children that Adam and Eve had! Since the genetics were very diverse at that time, he married one of his own sisters.

Let's come to the New Testament; Jude is very instructive. As I said previously, when you put the Old Testament and New Testament together they agree in toto. Absolutely! That's what you need to understand. You cannot pick and choose and take your favorite little Scriptural trail and run down the road and demand salvation from God. It's either going to be His way or no way. That's what people don't seem to understand because they're steeped in the modern thing—'If I believe it, it's true.'—have an opinion. Just like they say on the news, 'We give you the right and left and you decide!'

This is important because this has happened. That's why we're in such a wilderness of 'religion' today. That's why there's so much confusion today and so many lies preached in the name of Christ. I'll guarantee you, at the resurrection Jesus is going to say to all these great, famous preachers in the world who preached a lawless grace in the name of Christ, they're going to say, 'Lord, Lord, we did this, we did that, we did the other thing. Millions were converted to you because of me.' Christ is going to say, 'Who are you? I never knew you. Depart from Me you that work lawlessness.'

Jude wrote of them to the true brethren, saying, Jude 3: "Beloved, when personally exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled to write to you, exhorting you to ferventlyfight for the faith, which once for all time has been delivered to the saints."

That is a key verse because it means that the faith that Jesus delivered and inspired His apostles to write when John canonized the New Testament, there was nothing to be added to it. What does that mean? That means every myth and tradition that men have added to the Word of God to create their own religion is null and void before God! Men may love it. The world may accept it, but God has made it null and void. What we're dealing with, with the Word of God is this:

• God is absolute
• God is sole Sovereign
• Jesus Christ is sole High Priest—no man
• His Word of God is absolute, sovereign and will judge you in the last day

That's how you need to think of it. If you think of it any other way, you're going to be deluded and deceived.

Verse 4: "For certain men have stealthily crept in…" They sneak in to subvert! Whose authority are they under? Under the authority of Satan the devil! You're either under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ or you're under the authority of Satan the devil. If you sneak in stealthily to bring in blasphemies and speak evil against the Truth, you're an agent of Satan the devil.

"…those who long ago have been written about, condemning them to thisjudgment…" (v 4). God gave the warnings over and over and over again.

"…They are ungodly men…" (v 4). They're not from God. They don't know any Truth. They may appear to be pious. They may appear to be righteous. They may wear long robes and have great titles, but they're ungodly men.

"…who are perverting the grace of our God, turning it into licentiousness, and are personally denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (v 4).

 This may be a short epistle, but it's a pretty powerful epistle! When he was writing this, in the days that he wrote it, they were having something very similar to what we are facing today in the end-time. That's why its prophetic for us today. Then he talks about saving the children of Israel out of Egypt, the angels who rebelled and Sodom and Gomorrah. Then he talks about how he equates what Cain did:

Verse 11: "Woe to them! For they have walked in the way of Cain…" That is a 'religious' system based on the same philosophy as Cain: whatever we devise in our hearts—which are pagan, satanic, myths—we sanctify. The greatest church that has done that did exactly the same as Cain. They killed those who were righteous before God and it's called the Roman Catholic Inquisition. That's the way of Cain, under the authority of Satan the devil and killing those who are righteous. That's the way the world is!

"…and for gain… [yes, they charge for everything] …they have wholly given themselves up to Balaam's delusion… [that has to do with the Holy Days of God and the holidays of this world] …and haveperished in the rebellion of Korah. These are subversive stains in your love feasts… [they snuck unto the church] …feasting in person together with you; fearlessly they are feeding themselves…." (vs 11-12).

I personally experienced this within the Church of God, myself. I have seen it happen within the Church of God today. That's why this is prophetic.

What does that prove? That proves that God is 'the same yesterday, today and forever' and what Cain did has followed right down unto our day! There are people who have a 'way of Cain,' which is wholly under the authority of Satan the devil even though they take the name of God.

"…They are clouds without water, being driven by the winds; trees of late autumn, without any fruit, uprooted, twice dead; raging waves of the sea, casting up like foam their own ignominious shame; wandering stars… [showing it's the satanic powers behind it] …for whom has been reserved the blackest darkness forever!" (vs 12-13). Those are pretty strong words.

What we need to understand is that God means business! God has a plan that He's carrying out. That plan is preserved in His Holy Days, which everyone rejects and that's why they don't understand what God is doing. They say, 'Oh, what is God doing?' They don't know. They can guess. They may have a step or two right.

• What is God doing?
• How is He doing it?
• What is His plan?
• How is He going to carry it out?

You can only know if you come under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Let's see the end result of the way of Cain, with a few righteous in there. Let's understand something, Jesus said that 'as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man.' Exactly!

Here is the end result. When you have all the population that they had then and you think about the population we have now; we're approaching 8 or 9-billion people. By the time Christ returns, how many will there be? Remember, when you reach a multiplicity and things begin to multiply on an expediential level, within 15 years we could have 12-billion people on the earth, in spite of how many ever are killed by war, plague, sickness and disease. If you don't believe that this is true, channel surf all 200 channels on your direct television.

Genesis 6:5: "And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." In the Hebrew, that means the whole imagination, which means that the imagination but also the purposes and intent.

Man is so mixed up about Who and what God is, about who and what government is—which is the heart and core of the message of the Kingdom of God—that they're going to destroy themselves. Unless Christ returns it says that 'all flesh would be exterminated.' Just like here in Genesis.

What did God do because of what they did? Yes, there was Noah who found grace. He and his family and the animals that God sent to him to go in the ark.

Verse 11: "Now the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." I turned on the news and what did I find? At least six new murders that made the network news! That doesn't tell you how many murders occurred just in the United States or anywhere else in the world:

• the corruption
• the thievery
• the adultery
• the fornication
• the homosexuality
• the cast away babies

When Christ returns, He's going to 'shake the heaven, the earth, the seas and everything.'

Just stop and think about if for a minute. When I heard the news that the Iranians are digging huge tunnels, as much as a half-mile beneath the surface of the earth, I thought to myself, 'I wonder what they're going to do when God cause the great earthquake and they're stuck a half-mile below the surface of the earth. How smart, intelligent and powerful will they think themselves to be at that point? No one is going to mock God and get away with it.

Verse 12: "And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt—for all flesh had corrupted its way… [God's way] …upon the earth." That's what they're doing today.

The movement is running afoot in the United States, as well as other countries, to get rid of any mention of God. Why would God allow that to be? Because no one stood for the Truth! That's why!

Do you stand for the Truth? or Do you stand for a cause? If you stand for a cause—like trying to retain the Ten Commandment monuments, but you don't believe them and you don't live by them—God is going to take it away from you. If you don't honor God in your heart, in your mind and in your thoughts, God is going to take away any ability to publicly acknowledge Him, because it's hypocritical since you won't obey Him.

That's where we are today. That's what the world is like today. That's why, just like God saved Noah and his family, God is calling you out of this world!

• Will you come out of this world?
• Will you come out of the Babylon the Great? (Rev. 17 and 18)
• What will you do?
• Will you repent of you sins and follow God?

or

• Are you going to ignore God, like the song for the fool?

That's the way that most people conduct their lives in the world today.

• Will you be wise in Christ and repent?
• What is it that you want in your life?

Just like it was then, v 13: "And God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. And, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.'" God made a promise and covenant to Noah that He would never do it with a flood. Let me guarantee you, when Christ returns what is going to happen is going to make the Flood look like tiddlywinks.

If you believe in a weak 'sycophant' long-haired Jesus Who couldn't even fight His way out of a broken, open, wet, paper bag and you think that that kind of a Savior is going to return, you got another thought coming. He is the Almighty God, and He's going to come in power and glory. If it weren't for God's mercy, He would destroy the whole earth, all because people put themselves under the authority of Satan rather than God. Those are the choices that God gives every one of us:

• What will you do?
• Will you continue in your deception?

or

• Will you allow the scales of your eyes to be lifted to see:
  • the Truth?
  • repent?
  • put yourself under the authority of God?
  • bury your old life in baptism?
  • receive the Spirit of God to 'walk in newness of life'?

The whole Bible is filled with this question: Whose authority are you under: Satan's? or God's?

All Scripture from The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• 2-Timothy 3:13-17
• 2-Timothy 4:1-4
• 2-Peter 1:12-21
• John 5:30, 19-20
• Genesis 3:22-24
• Genesis 4:3-14
• Jude 3-4, 11-13
• Genesis 6:5, 11-13

Scriptures referenced, not quoted: Rev. 3; 17; 18

Also referenced:

Sermons:

• Laws of Moses Without the Veil #s 1 & 2
• What Would the World Be Like if Adam and Eve Had Not Sinned?

From: The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

• Appendix H: How Did Jesus Fulfill the Law and the Prophets?
• Appendix N: Rome's Challenge to the Protestants

Book: Josephus

FRC: nfs
Transcribed: 04-22-16
Proofed: bo—6/1/16