I've Written Very Boldly

[Sue J Love]

“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:14-16 NASB’95)

When I read this passage of Scripture this morning, it reminded me somewhat of 4 of the 7 letters written to the 7 churches in Revelation, chapters 2 and 3. For there the Lord Jesus commended and complimented the Christians in some areas where they had been faithful in service to the Lord, but this was then followed by some rebukes of current practices which were not in line with the truth of the gospel, of which they needed to repent and to now follow the Lord in obedience to his commands, in all respects.

So this would be like God speaking to the church today in America, for instance, which is where I live, and he may commend some of them in areas where they are walking in obedience to the Lord, and where they are doing his will, and where they are serving him faithfully. But then he would follow that up by speaking to them boldly on some other issues of concern where they were failing to do the will of God, and perhaps where they were not living as they ought, and where they needed to now change and turn.

But, by my own observations of the church in America over my 75 years of life, living in multiple cities and states, and attending services in many of these churches, and participating with them in ministry, and reading about them and watching their videos and reading their social media memes, I have reached the conclusion that the vast majority of what is called “church” in America more likely fits with the description of the Laodicean church. For so many of them are marketing their gatherings to the ungodly world.

So this really comes down to “if the shoe fits, wear it.” Not everyone is the same. If any of this fits you and/or your church situation, then accept it, don’t deny it, and then do what is necessary to correct it or to improve on it. Let the Holy Spirit deal with your hearts and your church situations as it fits you and your church gatherings. For there are those who are following the Lord in his ways in purity of devotion to the Lord. There are others who are obeying in some areas and not in others. And others are not obeying at all.

And we have all three of those situations talked about in Revelation, chapters 2-3. Only two of the churches were commended without needing correction for themselves, but only encouragement. Four of them needed both commendation and correction. And only one of them needed correction only and no commendation. Five out of the seven were called to repentance or to face the judgment of God. And following that, in the book of Revelation, we are told of the judgments of God to come on the earth.

So we need to see the context of the book of Revelation through this insight. For many people have this idea that if they have “prayed the prayer to receive Jesus Christ” that they are now good to go to heaven, and that they will escape the time of testing to come on the earth, and that God will no longer judge them for their sins, even if they never repent of their sins, and even if they continue living in their sins in deliberate disobedience to our Lord and to his commands. But that just is not biblical!!

If the book of Revelation is written to Christians, which it is, and it begins with warnings to the churches that they will face the judgments of God if they do not repent of their wrongdoing, and then following that we have those judgments of God declared, and we are then warned of the events that will accompany these last days before the return of Christ, and we are told how we, as Christians, will be treated by the beast, meaning that Christians will be on the earth then, we must take these warnings to heart!

For the Scriptures teach us that faith in Jesus Christ, which is of God, leads us to repent of our sins (to die with Christ to sin) and to now follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living, by the Spirit, in the power of God, by the grace of God. But if we should hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, and not repent, and not walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in practice, then we don’t know God, we are not in fellowship with God, and we do not have eternal life with God. Believe this!

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

Caution: This link may contain ads

I’ve Written Very Boldly
An Original Work / March 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

 

[bdavidc]

>>> I have reached the conclusion that the vast majority of what is called “church” in America more likely fits with the description of the Laodicean church. For so many of them are marketing their gatherings to the ungodly world.

>>> So we need to see the context of the book of Revelation through this insight. For many people have this idea that if they have “prayed the prayer to receive Jesus Christ” that they are now good to go to heaven, and that they will escape the time of testing to come on the earth, and that God will no longer judge them for their sins, even if they never repent of their sins, and even if they continue living in their sins in deliberate disobedience to our Lord and to his commands. But that just is not biblical!!

I completely agree with you. Much of what is called “church” today has become more focused on appealing to the world rather than faithfully preaching the gospel and calling people to true repentance. The description of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22—a church that is lukewarm, self-satisfied, and unaware of its spiritual blindness—sadly fits many modern congregations. The idea that simply praying a prayer guarantees salvation without genuine repentance and a transformed life is a dangerous distortion of the gospel. Scripture is clear that true faith produces obedience (James 2:17; 1 John 2:3-6) and that those who continue in willful sin without repentance will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 10:26-27). Jesus Himself warned that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-23). Numerous churches across America urgently require a revival of biblical truth, emphasizing the complete teachings of God instead of delivering diluted messages that provide misleading comfort. It's essential to prioritize genuine biblical study over entertainment-driven approaches.

 

[Sue J Love]

I completely agree with you. Much of what is called “church” today has become more focused on appealing to the world rather than faithfully preaching the gospel and calling people to true repentance. The description of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22—a church that is lukewarm, self-satisfied, and unaware of its spiritual blindness—sadly fits many modern congregations. The idea that simply praying a prayer guarantees salvation without genuine repentance and a transformed life is a dangerous distortion of the gospel. Scripture is clear that true faith produces obedience (James 2:17; 1 John 2:3-6) and that those who continue in willful sin without repentance will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 10:26-27). Jesus Himself warned that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-23). Numerous churches across America urgently require a revival of biblical truth, emphasizing the complete teachings of God instead of delivering diluted messages that provide misleading comfort. It's essential to prioritize genuine biblical study over entertainment-driven approaches.

Amen! Thank you for reading and for responding and for your hopeful and encouraging remarks. I agree with you. I just see the majority as being market driven, and the minority as actually walking by the Spirit. But I am glad knowing that not all have compromised their faith to please the world. I know very few people who believe as we do.

 

[Garee]

I completely agree with you. Much of what is called “church” today has become more focused on appealing to the world rather than faithfully preaching the gospel and calling people to true repentance. The description of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22—a church that is lukewarm, self-satisfied, and unaware of its spiritual blindness—sadly fits many modern congregations. The idea that simply praying a prayer guarantees salvation without genuine repentance and a transformed life is a dangerous distortion of the gospel. Scripture is clear that true faith produces obedience (James 2:17; 1 John 2:3-6) and that those who continue in willful sin without repentance will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 10:26-27). Jesus Himself warned that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-23). Numerous churches across America urgently require a revival of biblical truth, emphasizing the complete teachings of God instead of delivering diluted messages that provide misleading comfort. It's essential to prioritize genuine biblical study over entertainment-driven approaches.

I would offer.

It seems many forget that we do not look to the temporal dying things (2 Corinthians 4:18) but by the eternal invisible power of Christ that faithfully works in believers to both(the key two). reveal the will and empower mankind (Christians) to perform it to the glory of the Holy Father

Scripture speaks of the confederacy those of the literal number the temporal

Isaiah 8:12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Psalm 83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Not comparing themselves to sola scriptura,. the gospel law

Like when David not trusting the Lord numbered the troops many died because of his sin .

The confederacy. Revelation 2 .those who lost there first love . . . "hearing the living words" which then Chrsit in us empowers them to believe God and do the will.

Revelation 2;1-6 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.; Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.;Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; (believe God not seen) or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.;But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds (confederacy) of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

The assembly today is a ceremonial law. . the gospel to the unbelieving world not a sign to ones own self. .therefore adding to sola scriptura the final authority in the things of Christ not seen .

Aaron's two sons left the first love and made it all about selfish pride .We did it, it proves it .

it consumed them "out of sight out of mind the ceremonial attire not a hint of smoke.

God protecting the integrity of His living abiding word

 

[Johanabrahams]

The organizations are the "Babies of God in carnality".

1 Cor 3: 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

They exist in the "tree of knowledge" in fruit their "pastors" feed them with. Which is knowledge for their minds. Where these "pastors" are "rabbi's" with "titles" and not Brothers with Gifts to be able to raise the "Babies".

Mat. 23:
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.


As more Gifts are manifesting they will raise the Kids of God in being Churches themselves just as Jesus the Word of their Creation was.

1 Cor. 3:
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

And they will not meet in big building but in houses of Edifying which God said.

1 Cor. 14: 26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

Then they will have money to uplift the poor Brothers in order for all the Brothers to Live in Equality and manifest One Father. And they wioll again be "honored" by all unbelievers" and not ridiculed as it is the case these days.

Acts 2:
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

[Sue J Love]

I completely agree with you. Much of what is called “church” today has become more focused on appealing to the world rather than faithfully preaching the gospel and calling people to true repentance. The description of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22—a church that is lukewarm, self-satisfied, and unaware of its spiritual blindness—sadly fits many modern congregations. The idea that simply praying a prayer guarantees salvation without genuine repentance and a transformed life is a dangerous distortion of the gospel. Scripture is clear that true faith produces obedience (James 2:17; 1 John 2:3-6) and that those who continue in willful sin without repentance will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 10:26-27). Jesus Himself warned that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-23). Numerous churches across America urgently require a revival of biblical truth, emphasizing the complete teachings of God instead of delivering diluted messages that provide misleading comfort. It's essential to prioritize genuine biblical study over entertainment-driven approaches.

Would you recommend to me any preacher and his sermons on the internet who you believe is teaching "the whole counsel of God"?, who is teaching what you just talked about here with regard to the gospel, and who is not diluting the gospel of Christ to make it more acceptable to human flesh?, who is not marketing his church to the world by becoming more like the world in order to attract the world to his gatherings? Where I live I am not finding any who are not making some or a lot of compromises with the world, who are teaching from the pure word of God, taught in the correct context, and whose church is operating as the biblical body of Christ and not like a business to draw in large crowds of people from the world.

 

[Garee]

Would you recommend to me any preacher and his sermons on the internet who you believe is teaching "the whole counsel of God"?, who is teaching what you just talked about here with regard to the gospel, and who is not diluting the gospel of Christ to make it more acceptable to human flesh?, who is not marketing his church to the world by becoming more like the world in order to attract the world to his gatherings? Where I live I am not finding any who are not making some or a lot of compromises with the world, who are teaching from the pure word of God, taught in the correct context, and whose church is operating as the biblical body of Christ and not like a business to draw in large crowds of people from the world.

Listen to many preachers Christ is the one good teaching master

It would seem the teaching it is Christ 's Holy Spirit in us working to both (the gospel key) give us his understanding and empower us to do it to his good "Let there be". . . pleasure

He freely gives us salvation and works it out with us

Philippians 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.;For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Do all things without murmurings and disputing's:

Jesus the Son of man did the will of the Holy Father without murmuring. unlike Jonah that wanted to die because of his racism.

It's the kind of spiritual (not seen food) that the other apostles knew not of our daily bread. Whatever we do eat or drink we do it to His unseen glory. Many are doing it not realizing it is the better thing that accompanies salvation. The food of the Holy Father's will

John 4:33-35Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

 

[Sue J Love]

Listen to many preachers Christ is the one good teaching master

It would seem the teaching it is Christ 's Holy Spirit in us working to both (the gospel key) give us his understanding and empower us to do it to his good "Let there be". . . pleasure

He freely gives us salvation and works it out with us

Philippians 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.;For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Do all things without murmurings and disputing's:

Jesus the Son of man did the will of the Holy Father without murmuring. unlike Jonah that wanted to die because of his racism.

It's the kind of spiritual (not seen food) that the other apostles knew not of our daily bread. Whatever we do eat or drink we do it to His unseen glory. Many are doing it not realizing it is the better thing that accompanies salvation. The food of the Holy Father's will

John 4:33-35Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Garee, you are correct, Jesus Christ is our teacher, and he has given us the Holy Spirit within us to instruct us, and to teach us all things pertaining to Christ, and to counsel, guide, comfort, and encourage us in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord Jesus. bdavidc said: "Numerous churches across America urgently require a revival of biblical truth, emphasizing the complete teachings of God instead of delivering diluted messages that provide misleading comfort. It's essential to prioritize genuine biblical study over entertainment-driven approaches." So I asked him to recommend some of those who are teaching "the whole counsel of God," not because I need to be fed by them, but because I would like to be assured that there are still true men of God out there teaching the truth and not the lies. But we should never rely on other humans to teach us the Scriptures, but we should search the Scriptures ourselves, asking the Lord to give us wisdom and understanding. And that does not nullify the teaching of The Word by humans, it just means we are not believing everything we hear from the mouths of other humans, but we are testing their words against the Scriptures, taught in context, to make certain that what we are hearing and receiving is, indeed, the truth.

 

[bdavidc]

Would you recommend to me any preacher and his sermons on the internet who you believe is teaching "the whole counsel of God"?, who is teaching what you just talked about here with regard to the gospel, and who is not diluting the gospel of Christ to make it more acceptable to human flesh?, who is not marketing his church to the world by becoming more like the world in order to attract the world to his gatherings? Where I live I am not finding any who are not making some or a lot of compromises with the world, who are teaching from the pure word of God, taught in the correct context, and whose church is operating as the biblical body of Christ and not like a business to draw in large crowds of people from the world.

John MacArthur teaches verse by verse and I have listened to him for years. He does not beg for money, and his sermons are available online for free.

 

[Sue J Love]

John MacArthur teaches verse by verse and I have listened to him for years. He does not beg for money, and his sermons are available online for free.

John MacArthur teaches a lot more truth than many of them do, that is for certain. I have watched and listened to many of his sermons over the years. I do not agree with everything he teaches under the Reformed doctrine, and I don't agree with him on Israel or on how he views the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and his view on spiritual gifts, not in its entirety, but in how he interprets some things. But he is strong on repentance and obedience to the Lord. Yes, he teaches verse by verse, but sometimes he interprets the Scriptures in light of the Reformed faith doctrine, and not always in the correct biblical context. He is not without error, in other words. None of us are. But he is a very smart man, and he is well versed in the Scriptures, but his theology sometimes blinds him to some biblical truths, I believe. I do not have a present example of this, sorry.

 

[bdavidc]

John MacArthur teaches a lot more truth than many of them do, that is for certain. I have watched and listened to many of his sermons over the years. I do not agree with everything he teaches under the Reformed doctrine, and I don't agree with him on Israel or on how he views the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and his view on spiritual gifts, not in its entirety, but in how he interprets some things. But he is strong on repentance and obedience to the Lord. Yes, he teaches verse by verse, but sometimes he interprets the Scriptures in light of the Reformed faith doctrine, and not always in the correct biblical context. He is not without error, in other words. None of us are. But he is a very smart man, and he is well versed in the Scriptures, but his theology sometimes blinds him to some biblical truths, I believe. I do not have a present example of this, sorry.

Well, it is very hard nowadays to find a preacher who teaches the truth directly from the bible. To many teach a false gospel so preaching the bible and not about everything else under the sun is good for me. The only thing I will say is we should not argue about things that are not salvation issues.

Too many people worry about things that are not worth arguing about.

• 2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NIV)
  “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
• Titus 3:9 (NIV)
  “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”
• Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)
  “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’”
• James 4:1-2 (NIV)
  “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
  
  
• Romans 14:1 (NIV)
  “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)
  “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters... that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you.”

I guess what I'm really saying is that I wish the Church would be more loving toward one another—seeing the good in our true brothers and sisters in Christ. I know it’s something I need to work on in my own life, but I’m trying. Grin

 

[Sue J Love]

Well, it is very hard nowadays to find a preacher who teaches the truth directly from the bible. To many teach a false gospel so preaching the bible and not about everything else under the sun is good for me. The only thing I will say is we should not argue about things that are not salvation issues.

Too many people worry about things that are not worth arguing about.

• 2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NIV)
  “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
• Titus 3:9 (NIV)
  “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”
• Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)
  “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’”
• James 4:1-2 (NIV)
  “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
  
  
• Romans 14:1 (NIV)
  “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)
  “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters... that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you.”

I guess what I'm really saying is that I wish the Church would be more loving toward one another—seeing the good in our true brothers and sisters in Christ. I know it’s something I need to work on in my own life, but I’m trying. Grin

I agree that we should not fight and argue with one another. I agree that we should love one another as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us. I agree that salvation is the most critical issue that needs to be discussed, because that is what impacts where we will spend eternity, as well as our lives in the present. But the subject of our salvation is not the only critical issue discussed in the Scriptures, and it is not the only biblical issue that may have a negative or a positive impact on our walks of faith in the Lord Jesus.

For if someone is teaching that we cannot hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, in our spirits, guiding and directing us in the way that he would have us to go, many people who God is calling to specific areas of ministry may abandon their callings out of a belief that they cannot really hear from God except only through the Scriptures. But the Scriptures do not say, "Sue Love, I am calling you to write down what I teach you each day from the Scriptures, and I want you to post these writings on the internet so that a herald may "run with it" (the title of my blog, and God's calling on my life nearly 21 years ago). But God did use Habakkuk 2:2-3 in my life to give me that calling.

Also, Paul taught much about the subject of Israel to the Gentiles who were being persuaded by the Judaizers that they had to be more like Jews, and that they had to hold to some of those Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, dietary, and circumcision laws. And he spent much time talking about this to the Gentile believers so that they would not feel as though they were subject to the Jews or that they had to yield to the teachings of the Judaizers. And in those teachings he made it quite clear that all who do not believe in Jesus are not God's chosen people. And this is critical that we understand this so that we don't end up giving our loyalties and devotion to a godless nation which has, as a unit, rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

Yes, we should not get into heated debates and arguments, especially not over trivial matters like pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib, for example, although I would definitely encourage all that we need to be spiritually ready to meet our Lord. But with regard to matters that the Scriptures delve into regularly and that they speak strongly about and are insistent that we know and follow the truth, then those things matter. And we should focus our attention on what the Scriptures focus their attention on and teach us because they do matter, not as greatly as our salvation, but they still matter with regard to how we live and what we believe and how that impacts our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord.

The Lord had me write this in 2020, and it talks about John MacArthur and his ministry and some areas where he is off target in some respects which really matter with regard to our faith and obedience to our Lord. But he gets a lot of things right. Read it only if you want to:

Holy or Strange Fire?

Psalm 97:10-12 NASB “Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladnes…

runwithit.blog

 

[bdavidc]

For if someone is teaching that we cannot hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, in our spirits, guiding and directing us in the way that he would have us to go, many people who God is calling to specific areas of ministry may abandon their callings out of a belief that they cannot really hear from God except only through the Scriptures. But the Scriptures do not say, "Sue Love, I am calling you to write down what I teach you each day from the Scriptures, and I want you to post these writings on the internet so that a herald may "run with it" (the title of my blog, and God's calling on my life nearly 21 years ago). But God did use Habakkuk 2:2-3 in my life to give me that calling.

I have been listening to John MacArthur and have never heard him say, "we cannot hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, in our spirits, guiding and directing us in the way that he would have us to go". Because I know he believes the Holy Spirit guides us and Him. He could not preach the way he does without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I believe he's referring to something along the same lines as what I discussed in this article I wrote on my website: The Lord Told Me?

The Holy Spirit, being fully God and the divine author of Scripture, will never lead a person to act in a way that contradicts the clear teaching of the Bible. God does not contradict Himself, and His Spirit will always affirm the truth He has already revealed in His Word. Any impression, prompting, or spiritual guidance must be tested against Scripture, which is the ultimate and unchanging standard of truth. Feelings and experiences can be misleading, but the Word of God stands firm and trustworthy. When the Spirit speaks, He glorifies Christ and aligns perfectly with the message of the gospel and the commands of God. Therefore, if someone believes they are being led to do something that goes against what the Bible teaches, it is not the voice of the Holy Spirit they are hearing. The Spirit leads believers into truth, not away from it, and always works in harmony with the written Word.

I don’t believe it’s wise to criticize a faithful servant of God like John MacArthur. While no man is perfect—John MacArthur included—he remains one of the few bold preachers today who unapologetically stands for the truth of Scripture. Even the apostle Paul admitted to his own struggles and imperfections, as seen in Romans 7:15–25. I certainly know that I am not perfect either. But ultimately, truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit. He alone opens our eyes and hearts to understand what we need to know, in His perfect timing.

We should remember that no preacher, past or present, has ever been without fault. If you were to name someone you consider flawless, I could likely point to something they did—or didn’t do—that others would find questionable. The body of Christ is diverse, and not every believer will always agree on non-essential matters. That said, we must be very careful when speaking against someone whom God has clearly used to proclaim His Word. Scripture warns against carelessly judging those God has called to ministry.

Some people even go so far as to dismiss the writings of the apostle Paul, but they are wrong to do so—though that's a separate discussion. In the end, I hold to this: if the issue at hand is not a matter of salvation, then it’s not worth division or heated arguments. We may all be surprised by who we see—and who we don’t see—in heaven. And surely, when we stand before the Lord, we won’t still be arguing about speaking in tongues or who heard the Holy Spirit more clearly. Let us focus on Christ, walk in humility, and pursue unity in the truth. Peace to you.

 

[Sue J Love]

I have been listening to John MacArthur and have never heard him say, "we cannot hear the Holy Spirit speak to us, in our spirits, guiding and directing us in the way that he would have us to go". Because I know he believes the Holy Spirit guides us and Him. He could not preach the way he does without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I believe he's referring to something along the same lines as what I discussed in this article I wrote on my website: The Lord Told Me?

The Holy Spirit, being fully God and the divine author of Scripture, will never lead a person to act in a way that contradicts the clear teaching of the Bible. God does not contradict Himself, and His Spirit will always affirm the truth He has already revealed in His Word. Any impression, prompting, or spiritual guidance must be tested against Scripture, which is the ultimate and unchanging standard of truth. Feelings and experiences can be misleading, but the Word of God stands firm and trustworthy. When the Spirit speaks, He glorifies Christ and aligns perfectly with the message of the gospel and the commands of God. Therefore, if someone believes they are being led to do something that goes against what the Bible teaches, it is not the voice of the Holy Spirit they are hearing. The Spirit leads believers into truth, not away from it, and always works in harmony with the written Word.

I don’t believe it’s wise to criticize a faithful servant of God like John MacArthur. While no man is perfect—John MacArthur included—he remains one of the few bold preachers today who unapologetically stands for the truth of Scripture. Even the apostle Paul admitted to his own struggles and imperfections, as seen in Romans 7:15–25. I certainly know that I am not perfect either. But ultimately, truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit. He alone opens our eyes and hearts to understand what we need to know, in His perfect timing.

We should remember that no preacher, past or present, has ever been without fault. If you were to name someone you consider flawless, I could likely point to something they did—or didn’t do—that others would find questionable. The body of Christ is diverse, and not every believer will always agree on non-essential matters. That said, we must be very careful when speaking against someone whom God has clearly used to proclaim His Word. Scripture warns against carelessly judging those God has called to ministry.

Some people even go so far as to dismiss the writings of the apostle Paul, but they are wrong to do so—though that's a separate discussion. In the end, I hold to this: if the issue at hand is not a matter of salvation, then it’s not worth division or heated arguments. We may all be surprised by who we see—and who we don’t see—in heaven. And surely, when we stand before the Lord, we won’t still be arguing about speaking in tongues or who heard the Holy Spirit more clearly. Let us focus on Christ, walk in humility, and pursue unity in the truth. Peace to you.

I don't have time now to respond to this in full, but what I was saying about the Holy Spirit had to do with people being able to hear the Spirit's voice within them directing them to speak to someone specifically, or to move to a particular place, or to write something to someone, or to pray for someone specifically, or to call them to a particular area of ministry, and to guide them in what passage of Scripture to write on and in what to say, and to know what their giftedness is of the Spirit and how God wants to use them and what their assignment is from God, i.e. what their specific body part is. Like the Holy Spirit spoke to me through Habakkuk 2:2-3 and God called me to write down what he is teaching me from his word each day and to post these writings on the internet. And I have been doing that faithfully for nearly 21 years. I don't think J MacArthur would agree with that. From what I have heard him teach, he doesn't believe that we can hear the Spirit in that way. But yes, he does believe that the Holy Spirit guides him in his understanding of the Scriptures, although he leans heavily on the old theologians and even said he gets his sermons from them, which I believe I supplied the video where he stated that. So I am not criticizing the man so much as I am pointing out that there are specific areas of his ministry with which I cannot agree, on biblical grounds. And we are to test the spirits (all of them, even MacArthur and Billy Graham, and the like) to make certain that what they are teaching is biblical. I am not against the man. He does teach much truth, I agree!

 

[bdavidc]

So I am not criticizing the man so much as I am pointing out that there are specific areas of his ministry with which I cannot agree, on biblical grounds.

Are there any preachers whose views you align entirely with on biblical grounds?

 

[Sue J Love]

Are there any preachers whose views you align entirely with on biblical grounds?

There is no perfect human, not one of us. Not one of us has everything right. But if we see that someone is teaching something antibiblical, which has the potential to harm the body of Christ and to discourage believers in Jesus from hearing from God, and from following his leading in their lives, we should point it out so that the body of Christ will not be disheartened if they believe they are hearing from God but someone tells them they are not. But I agree that there is much abuse of spiritual gifts and teachings on the gifts and on the Holy Spirit. But the Bible tells us not to quench the Holy Spirit but to test everyone and everything.

 

[bdavidc]

And we are to test the spirits (all of them, even MacArthur and Billy Graham, and the like) to make certain that what they are teaching is biblical.

I totally agree.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ~ 1 John 4:1 ESV

1 John 4:1 is not about personal opinions or disagreements over non-essential matters, but about discerning truth from error, especially in spiritual teachings. The verse urges believers to "test the spirits" because not every message that sounds spiritual is from God. The concern here is with false prophets—those who teach doctrines contrary to the truth revealed in Scripture. Therefore, this passage is not a call to assume someone is wrong simply because they hold a different opinion; rather, it is a call to evaluate teachings based on their faithfulness to God's Word. Disagreement alone doesn't make someone a false teacher—what matters is whether their message aligns with the gospel and sound doctrine as revealed in Scripture.

When there is a difference of opinion on non-essential biblical matters, Scripture calls for humility, love, and unity rather than public discrediting. Romans 14:1-12 reminds believers not to pass judgment on disputable matters, emphasizing that each person stands accountable before God. We are encouraged to bear with one another in love, seeking to build up the body rather than cause division (Ephesians 4:2-3, Romans 14:19). Publicly discrediting someone over secondary issues can harm Christian witness and sow unnecessary strife. Instead, believers are called to speak the truth in love, pursue peace, and maintain unity in the faith, even while holding different views on matters that are not central to salvation or the core truths of the gospel.

 

[Sue J Love]

I totally agree.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ~ 1 John 4:1 ESV

1 John 4:1 is not about personal opinions or disagreements over non-essential matters, but about discerning truth from error, especially in spiritual teachings. The verse urges believers to "test the spirits" because not every message that sounds spiritual is from God. The concern here is with false prophets—those who teach doctrines contrary to the truth revealed in Scripture. Therefore, this passage is not a call to assume someone is wrong simply because they hold a different opinion; rather, it is a call to evaluate teachings based on their faithfulness to God's Word. Disagreement alone doesn't make someone a false teacher—what matters is whether their message aligns with the gospel and sound doctrine as revealed in Scripture.

When there is a difference of opinion on non-essential biblical matters, Scripture calls for humility, love, and unity rather than public discrediting. Romans 14:1-12 reminds believers not to pass judgment on disputable matters, emphasizing that each person stands accountable before God. We are encouraged to bear with one another in love, seeking to build up the body rather than cause division (Ephesians 4:2-3, Romans 14:19). Publicly discrediting someone over secondary issues can harm Christian witness and sow unnecessary strife. Instead, believers are called to speak the truth in love, pursue peace, and maintain unity in the faith, even while holding different views on matters that are not central to salvation or the core truths of the gospel.

Sorry, but whether or not we can hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us in our minds and in our hearts in calling us to ministry and in leading us in what to do and in what to say and to whom and when and where is not a matter of personal opinion, it is not a disputable matter, and it is not a non-essential matter, for it has everything to do with our walks of obedience to the Lord in going where he sends us and in being who he wants us to be and with regard to our specific body parts and assignments from God which we, as followers of Christ, are to be doing. How can we walk in obedience to our Lord in all things and in all ways if we are told that we cannot hear his voice except strictly from the written word? We were given the Holy Spirit living within us to teach us all things pertaining to Christ and to empower us to live for the Lord and to call us to specific areas of ministry and to gift us, and for us to use those gifts of the Spirit for the glory and praise of God and for the salvation of human lives. For we are not saved just so we can go to heaven when we die, but so we can live for the Lord, according to his plan for each of our lives while we are on this earth. So we have to be able to hear the Lord speak like the people did in Bible times, like Paul and the other apostles heard the Lord speak. But you and I do not see eye to eye on this subject, so I think it best that we close this discussion. Sincerely, and in love, Sue J Love

 

[bdavidc]

How can we walk in obedience to our Lord in all things and in all ways if we are told that we cannot hear his voice except strictly from the written word?

The reason I’m replying is because I believe there may have been a misunderstanding about what I wrote—please allow me to clarify. I never said, “we cannot hear His voice except strictly from the written word.” If I did write that, please show me where, because that is not a correct statement, and the Bible does not teach that. If that were true, no one could ever preach or share the gospel unless they only quoted Scripture word for word, which would be impossible. I absolutely know that I hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me—correcting me, showing me what to say to others, guiding me on where to go or what to do at certain times, and even correcting my thoughts when they do not align with what the Bible teaches. The Holy Spirit gives discernment, especially when someone is teaching something that does not line up with the Word of God. He certainly speaks to us and leads us—we would be lost without Him—but He never leads us in a way that contradicts the Scriptures God has given us in the bible. (That is what I am trying to say.) That’s exactly why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper (John 14:16–17, John 14:26).

I did write the below, above in my post:

The Holy Spirit, being fully God and the divine author of Scripture, will never lead a person to act in a way that contradicts the clear teaching of the Bible. God does not contradict Himself, and His Spirit will always affirm the truth He has already revealed in His Word. Any impression, prompting, or spiritual guidance must be tested against Scripture, which is the ultimate and unchanging standard of truth. Feelings and experiences can be misleading, but the Word of God stands firm and trustworthy. When the Spirit speaks, He glorifies Christ and aligns perfectly with the message of the gospel and the commands of God. Therefore, if someone believes they are being led to do something that goes against what the Bible teaches, it is not the voice of the Holy Spirit they are hearing. The Spirit leads believers into truth, not away from it, and always works in harmony with the written Word.

 

[bdavidc]

We were given the Holy Spirit living within us to teach us all things pertaining to Christ and to empower us to live for the Lord and to call us to specific areas of ministry and to gift us, and for us to use those gifts of the Spirit for the glory and praise of God and for the salvation of human lives.

I totally agree.

For we are not saved just so we can go to heaven when we die, but so we can live for the Lord, according to his plan for each of our lives while we are on this earth. So we have to be able to hear the Lord speak like the people did in Bible times, like Paul and the other apostles heard the Lord speak. But you and I do not see eye to eye on this subject, so I think it best that we close this discussion.

I agree, and I'm not quite sure why we have a different perspective on this. Perhaps there's something in my explanation that didn't come across as I intended, or maybe you're interpreting it differently. I believe that not everyone possesses the same gifts of the Holy Spirit, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings among our fellow believers. The reason I initially commented on your post was that I appreciated it and agreed with your thoughts. I certainly didn't mean to upset you by responding to your question "Would you recommend to me any preacher and his sermons on the internet who you believe is teaching "the whole counsel of God?"". Wishing you peace, and may God bless you as you continue to share the message of Jesus Christ.