Month: April 2024

She came to Jesus Christ on 23 July 2006, bowed her knees in shame and repentance, requested the undeserved gift of grace by the LORD God, accepted the gift of shed blood by her Savior Jesus Christ to pay for her sinful nature, and at 8:00 p.m., entered into her death through the baptism of Jesus Christ. As she descended into the waters, her thoughts and control were focused on Him in faith, knowing that when she died, that death would come to the sin that controlled her body, and when she arose from the waters, she would be resurrected as a new believer and follower of Jesus Christ. When she was resurrected from the waters, we greeted a sister and new daughter in Christ with hugs and tears, and then had a great celebration on that really good day!

But when no one was looking, I snuck away to a quiet place, and shamefully reflected on my own human frailties, and shivered to think how things could have been so different if I had not followed my Christ’s instructions to the letter. How close I came to failing Jesus Christ, her and myself! How important it is for Christians to do as their told, and not how they feel! How little I am for my discomforted spirit and how great our LORD God is in his provisions to the faithful! And how great and faithful a little old lady, who lay on her death bed, with a fragile and searching soul held firmly in her hands, bringing the gift of one more soul to Jesus Christ at her last breath.

When I met her last year she was horrible. She came from a place different from mine, and her focus was on things that were repulsive to me. She was carnal and loose with the ways of the world, with knowledge of dark things that a girl of twenty-two should never know. Her tough life reflected in her ways, and she was controlling and headstrong as a result. To avoid hurts from coming to her, she would manipulate people and times, to perform to her demands. And if her nature and ways were not bad enough for me to handle; it got even worse!

She loved one of my children, and he loved her, and they were married. The only thing in our favor was they lived clear across the United States, which spared the face to face conflict that was destined to come. But it got even worse!

She started writing letters demanding to be accepted as part of my family. She tested our faith daily, as letter after letter demanded our attention to her and her ways that she flaunted continuously in front of us. She had the advantage of holding our son’s heart, and she had the techniques of the worldly to ensure our compliance. Letter after letter we wrote of our faith and our lives. We told her that our world was different from hers, and explained in great detail over the months to come the ways that we lived, worked, walked and loved according to the Word of God. She took the same opportunity to explain in great detail in her return letters the way she lived, worked, walked and loved according to her worldly ways.

Our invitations to come up to our Kingdom resulted in hard-hearted invitations to come down to hers. Our conflicts even got
worse than this!

Soon her letters became more demanding and abrasive. She wrote us that she had a right to be accepted in our inner circle, and for us not to do so, reflected badly on our faithful walk with Jesus Christ. She began a campaign of spitefully using us and our faith to force us to go to places we did not want to go. At the height of all our troubles, we were left with no more words. We had written so many letters telling about our love for Jesus Christ, and His love for her. We had encouraged and pleaded and prayed and talked over and over and over to her about the things of spiritual life that she had never considered or known, and she rejected them with a stubborn forcefulness each time.

To make matters even worse, our son and her moved back home, and we were stuck in the face to face conflicts that had been brewing for so long. In desperation, we considered and measured all things, and determined we had no recourse but to search the Word of God, examine Jesus Christ’s teachings in the minutest details for a solution to this exasperating situation, and follow them to the exacting letter.

Matthew 5:43-48

“43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Mt 5:43-48 AV)

And that’s what we did. We prayed and prayed and prayed for her and us, day after day. We even shared our dilemma with our friends, and asked for their prayers to be added to ours. Month after month we prayed. Our conflicts of natures were so great, that contact between us stopped. Soon a year had passed, and no solution or salvation was in sight to the problem with her.

One month she accepted a job at a nursing home close to where they were living. Her duties as a nurses assistance required her to perform the menial and back straining tasks of patient care, but apparently left time for her to have interactions with the patients from time to time.

And that is where Miss Virginia, the most wonderful and strong Christian I have ever known, entered her life. Miss Virginia was dying. She had a large family that would gather around her day after day, grow nervous at her continuous prayers and praise to God and leave, to return again and again to be there when she died.

Each day, after the family left Miss Virginia’s side, she would be summoned to her bed for their talk. Miss Virginia would tell her stories from long ago that were always sprinkled with faith and surety of the wonderful Grace of God. The faithful servant of Christ would delight her with stories that connected them to each other’s natural stubbornness, and their familiarity of relationship grew tight. They knew each other, and they understood each other, and they began to love each other.

She would hurry to work every day so she could hear more of Miss Virginia’s wonderful stories, and learn more about the Savior Jesus Christ, that Faithful Virginia loved so much. As the witness of Christian faith by Miss Virginia increased in the perfect timing of God, the lost and sinful girl began connecting her stories to our own letters of witness we had written to her over the year.

Suddenly, her blind eyes cleared, as the Spirit of God lingered and called her toward Him. She finally understood our words, Miss Virginia’s words, His Word, and saw it all come together in a great big ball of faith that was planted within her the moment her eyes could see. She was humbled and hungry, and eagerly ate the milk of faith as Miss Virginia gently guided her through the requirements of the Walk.

Soon after her eyes were opened, Miss Virginia began the final dying process. Her family gathered around her bed that night and said their goodbyes. Miss Virginia blessed each of them, then asked for her to come to her side for one last time. She entered into the quieted room, and the frail lady moved over in her bed to make room for her to be near. Miss Virginia grasped her hand, looked deep into her soul, and giggled. She asked what she was giggling about, and Miss Virginia whispered, “I’m gonna get to see Jesus Christ, before you!” The moment of delightful and intimate sharing was intensified as their hand grip tightened, and the Spirit of God washed through the room and enveloped her in His Truth and Love. At that very moment, Miss Virginia left her body and entered into her home prepared by Jesus Christ Himself, with a repentant sinner in hand and ready to accept Him as her personal Savior.

HOW SELFLESS AN ACT OF GREAT FAITH! Miss Virginia had brought a lost soul to the cross of Jesus Christ in the face of death itself, and her last breath was used to bring glory to Him! PRAISE BE TO GOD!

The next day, she came and testified of her great faith and praised God for His enduring love, and asked us to baptize her quickly, before she lost too much more time in serving Him and bringing glory to His Name, as she had been taught by a dying old woman who loved deeply enough to bring her to the One who loved us all!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all ye creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

Amen.

You are welcome at Becker Bible Ministries, Inc.

What a dilemma you are struggling with! To be honest to yourself as the person that the LORD God created places you directly in the path of sin, but to deny your true self causes you to move closer to Him with only part of your self.

In my mind, holding back from having a complete relationship with the LORD God through Jesus Christ because you can only share a part of yourself is just as much of a sin as any of the sins of nature recorded in his Word.

First, you must be true to who you are if you seek to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and the LORD God. You must come to them with your complete mind, heart and soul. If you hold back a part of your self because it is judged a sin by man’s interpretations of the Word of God, then man is stopping you from moving closer to Him.

The farther away you are from Jesus Christ, the bigger the dilemma of your struggles become. Soon you find yourself on a path of loneliness and shame, with confusion to who you really are, your unworthiness to come to God, and the devil himself whispering words of judgment to you to prevent you from ever walking forward to Jesus.

There are many different kinds of homosexuality and heterosexuality in the world today.

1. The Nasties – Many sexual deviants attempt to destroy the innocent souls in liberal game playing that encourages a gay or straight lifestyle with sexual vulgarities that shock and horrify traditional society. Most usually, these movements of depravity are initiated by Lucifer as he uses the lust of people to move them toward wickedness. These types of homosexual and heterosexual activities are sinful and will be judged harshly by Jesus Christ, and the doer will indeed be punished for these nasty deeds.

2. The Abused – Innocent souls who have embraced their sexual preferences as a result of abuse in their childhood. These sexual preferences surely will not be weighed the same as the doers of wicked nasties, by Jesus Christ. I personally believe that the Abuser will be accountable to all sin that the abused has done as a direct result of that abuse.

3. The Born – Now we get to the classification that you seem to fit. You are what you are, and you’ve known for a long time. You are what Jesus Christ made. True homosexuals and heterosexuals are not sinners because of who they are! HOWEVER, many of the sexual acts of homosexuals and heterosexuals are sin, and these sins are listed briefly in his Word, and quite strongly in the hearts of those who love Jesus Christ.

My advice is to quit trying to make yourself perfect and sin free before you establish a close relationship with Jesus Christ. It isn’t going to work. Every one of us is too weak, too sinful, to ever make ourselves perfect and clean before we approach Him!

Come to Jesus Christ just how you are! He loves you just the way you are! He knows who you love, and he knows how you love, and he knows all of the dilemmas you are facing as you struggle with these issues. If he wants you to change, he will gently guide you to that change in His Time and in His Way.

As your relationship with Jesus Christ grows, he may change your thoughts and heart gently and steadily and move you toward the heterosexual world. He may ask you to give up your sexuality in this life in service to him, with promises of great reward for your dedicated sacrifice on the New Earth.

And this is important: He may keep your heart and mind and thoughts and spirit toward your love of the same-sex just the way you are right now, and give you teaching and guidelines in how to live righteously with who you are and continue to grow to His expectations.

There is a way for you to have a true and close relationship with Jesus Christ and still be you. The trick of it is giving Jesus Christ the control, and letting him lead you to the path he has chosen for you, with the loving relationship of people he has led your way that are walking the same path toward him.

Most importantly, keep walking toward Jesus Christ in spite of those who condemn you in their judgments. It is the sinners of great faith that Jesus Christ loves the most!

My developing ministry (Becker Bible Ministries, Inc.) is focused upon teaching the things of God to the unchurched. Unchurched Christians seem often rough around the edges, and most show through their looks or their behaviors why they are rejected by traditional Christians.

1. Some unchurched are victims of child abuse, and feel themselves so unworthy and so unclean, that they are unable to approach the cross of Christ. The average child abuse victim takes over three years of professional Christian counselling, and a few more years of witness of Christ before they are made whole enough to commit themselves completely to Christ.

Even harder for many of us in this ministry, is the offering of God’s Word to the child abusers and rapists; when they hear God’s salvation, they often rush to the cross, and claim God’s grace quickly. It is a difficult part to witness the ease that the sexual abusers come to Christ when the victims’ salvation is always in jeopardy because of the crimes of the abusers. But, to deny one group, is to deny all groups the total grace of God to offer sinners salvation and hope through Christ.

2. We have the usual outliers of society that do better without a lot of people and programs and institutions in their lives; seldom do they bathe, and always are they armed, and most of the time, willing to listen to the Word of God if the speaker can be trusted. In today’s climate of conservative politics, and a strong focus on the Constitution of the United States and the Amendments that allow the right of firearms, a clear path of these rights must be negotiated with Christ’s message inserted only after trust is gained. To jump quickly into the message of the Gospel usually results in an obstinate cuss walking away to practice shooting his targets once again before the End of the World as we know it comes to his dwelling places. But, when trust is built, these ornery ones turn into some of the greatest evangelists I have ever seen, because they have the ability to develop trust amongst large segments of society that are normally separate from traditional Christian churches.

3. The people rejected and hated by traditional Christianity (sexual deviants that cross normal practices) have tremendous difficulties coming to Christ, because their path is prevented. It is the only group of sinners that I am aware that are expected to drop their sins before they can belong to a Church. These deviant sinners are required to understand their sins, reject them, and commit to do them no more, BEFORE they have a relationship with Christ to help them according to the flawed thinking of misguided Christian congregants.

True Christian evangelism requires the bringing of Christ into a person’s life and the reliance upon the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to guide the new believer to deeper relationship with Him. Most Christian leaders are confident that once a relationship with Christ has been established, a strong-growing faith will eventually help the believer to remove the difficult sins. Sadly, in the current conservative church movement, this is denied them, and they are forced to find a path to Christ unsupported by conservative belief and only guided by the most liberal theologies that deny Scripture as inerrant. So much damage has been done by the conservative Christians to these groups of sinners, that it becomes increasingly difficult to even approach them.

Careful evangelism with the exegesis of the Bible should not even be discussing sins of the sexual nature any more than any other of a multitude of sins people are doing. At the point of beginning belief, we are to teach new believers the things of Christ that connect to sin, judgment, baptism, resurrection, and eternal life. Then we are to move on to the more difficult things contained within God’s Word, confident that the Holy Spirit will guide the sincere believer to His path (Hebrews 6:1-2). There is going to be a great deal of conservative believers that are going to have to answer to Christ as to why one group has been so ostracized from the congregation of Believers that restricted the growth of faith and relationship with Him.

These are just a few, of many examples of seeking Christians that we evangelize to. Each requires a great deal of effort and risk to ourselves in order to teach the things of Christ to the oppressed, rejected, persecuted, ornery, hated, and mentally ill. True evangelism does not happen quickly.

This is a wicked world, and those that are able to be evangelized bring a great deal of baggage with them. It is messy. Sometimes in the midst of the ministry, sincere efforts are attacked and shamed. Evangelists out in the middle of the field without the support of the traditional church get tired, accused, fought, and ridiculed. But, when one of the unlikely outliers comes to Christ with hope, and you can witness the saving grace of the Lord as the sins drop and righteousness seeps into their inner being, you are reminded that you were once just as bad, and now, just as blessed, because God gave us all a chance. Thanks be to God!

Matthew 5:5 (KJV 1900)
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Now let’s reason this together. Throughout the New Testament teachings of Jesus Christ, He tells us over and over that this earth does not belong to us as Christians. He wants us to separate from the world, right? And we know that there will one day be a New Heaven and a New Earth. Reasoning this through is clearly speaking of the New Earth. The meek will be blessed by inheriting the earth.

So, when does the Lord want meekness? Right now, as we inhabit this sinful old earth. It’s not about being angelic and holy towards the earth people today. Secular people are aggressive and loud and political and opinionated and violent. Christians should be apart from this world. Not boisterous and having their views known throughout the world. Meek. Gentle. Mild.

I taught you that I will never be famous and lead hundreds of thousands of people. How do I know? Because meekness will never get me fame. I stay as gentle and mild as I can (difficult always), so I don’t lose the opportunity to teach those that God wants me to teach. Now, I am a strong Christian with the Power God dwelling within me and quite capable of defending myself, my family, and my Lord. But if I use that power and strength to gain the world’s attention, my days of teaching the Word of God to the Christians God has chosen is over. That is how I know I will NOT be famous on this earth.

And by the way, if you carry guns, knives, machetes aggressively, concealed or otherwise, you are not being meek. You are arming yourself to be powerful and overcome others. Yes, sometimes you must war, or defend your country, or your loved ones, and that is acceptable for righteousness’s sake. But posturing and attention-seeking with a weapon assumes you want power over others (or you are a coward), and that is not being meek. You run the risk of losing your inheritance of the New Earth if you become too powerful on this one.

Another problem with meekness that Christians have is their dress. If women are showing their bosoms, and wearing tight clothes, that is not meek; it is attention-seeking. If men wear tight pants and buy expensive clothing to take pictures to show their wealth or good looks, that is attention-seeking also. If believers dance with HOLINESS for the LORD God in worship inside a church setting, that can be meek, because it is done inside the church walls. But if that church opens its doors to invite the world within, and dance for entertainment’s sake with their dance moves emulating sex to possibly attract men or women, then that is attention-seeking.

I am meek as I do my job, I am promised by the Lord to inherit the New Earth. I will not have to be meek on the New Earth. I will live my life with my loved ones and do the ministry that the Lord directs with my full righteousness and personality. But today, I am meek, and do not gain the world’s attention. I will be blessed on the New Earth because I am going to inherit it. Does this make sense?

If the Lord has chosen a Christian for a specific work that requires him or her to gain the attention of the world, then whatever the Christian is equipped with should be used. There are times when the Lord does not want meekness to be defined with large works. However, in most cases, staying meek is the behavior that should be emulated in this world that does not belong to us.

Why do Protestants claim to go by scripture alone when we read in the Bible itself that we are to follow tradition and scripture? For example, in 2 Thessalonian 2:15, St Paul commands us to “stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.” So why not follow St Paul’s command?

Protestants often hang their hat on a couple of strong verses of warning in Scripture:

Matthew 15:1-9

“Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to [his] father or [his] mother, [It is] a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, [he shall be free]. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. [Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:1-9 KJV)

Colossians 2:4-8

“And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:4-8 KJV)

Most Protestants believe that Catholics have faulty doctrine, and that their traditions emulate that untruth. I don’t think most are against tradition, and in fact, many practice their own traditions in their own churches. However, when many Protestant believers criticize the Traditions of Catholicism, I think they are actually addressing the false doctrines that the Tradition hides in its pageantry and beauty.

So, instead of confronting the differences of belief, searching Scripture and finding common ground, some old-fogey Protestants attack the tradition and avoid the real issues that separate our fellowship. I think that many Protestants attack Catholic Traditions because, underneath the traditions lies doctrine that is false. If Protestants attack Catholic Traditions, then the area of their contention remains unaddressed; specifically, the conflicts concerning the Truth of God and the apparent misinterpretations that these Traditions reflect. On the other hand, many Catholics defend their Traditions, and are completely unaware of the confused doctrines that their traditions represent.

It goes both ways! and that’s what is wrong with tradition. When the focus is solely upon Tradition (whether it possesses Roman Catholic nature or Protestant nature), and the Word of God is neglected, misused and misinterpreted, both Protestants and Catholics get it wrong. However, if any Protestant thinks that tradition has no place in the worship of God, I personally believe they are missing out and subverting the expression of the holiness of God. On the other hand again, if any Catholic thinks that tradition is the complete worship of God, I personally believe they also are missing out by subverting His teachings and their ability to grow stronger toward Him.

If Tradition is based upon the Truth, IT’S VERY GOOD! If Tradition is based upon false teachings, IT’s VERY BAD! Our job, as Christians, is to make sure that everything we do is based and conforms upon His Word and glorifies Him!

Now to the crux of your question and its suggestion that all Protestants arbitrarily deem Catholic traditions as traditions of men, while not addressing the actual difference themselves. The answer is “Yes, sometimes.” There are SOME Protestants that do just that. I can only offer you that explanation for those Protestants that attack Tradition without explanation of the real reason for their disdain.

Some Protestants are like some Catholics; yearning to have a growing relationship with the LORD God through Jesus Christ, and experiencing life with as much flavor as God places in their life. Regrettably, others, on both sides of Christian belief, aren’t like that at all.

I don’t think that most Protestants are convinced that the present-day Roman Catholic Church is the established Church of Jesus Christ. Please recognize I am not a spokesman for all Protestants; however, I think this reflects their views somewhat. Protestants believe that the Roman Catholic Church was established to replace the falling Roman Empire; that this group became just as corrupted as the government it replaced, and as a result the spiritual things of God were corrupted within it.

Interestingly, the father of Protestantism, Martin Luther, accepted Roman-ruled religion, and tried to change the corruption from the inside-out. Apparently that was NOT the Will of God, because, instead, Luther was moved away from the established Roman rule, and started a movement that put Bibles in the people’s hand, gave them a right to approach the LORD God through Jesus Christ, and allowed them to walk with Him. Since then, regrettably, Protestants splintered off into so many different groups, some corrupted, some not. Many Protestant churches are now approaching the same levels of corruption that have been perpetrated upon believers by the powers that lead within the Roman Church.

So what do we, as believers, do?

We must first look to our God and our Savior. We must trust that Christ will Shepherd us and lead us through the complicated mess that religion has made. We have one guidebook, and that is His Word. For me personally, life is too complicated and religion too corrupted for me to be led by anyone but Him. I have personally chosen to use the Bible as the final authority on all things that I do, with the moving of the Holy Spirit as my guide.

For instance, I say that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is blessed among all women, because that is in the Bible. In my studies and worship, I have gone further in meeting Mary on a more personal contemplation, through the moving of the Holy Spirit. However, I cannot take it that next step and place her upon a pedestal equal with Christ, and as co-ruler of Heaven, because the Word of God does not reflect this as Truth, even though the Roman Catholic Traditions reflect this in their practices.

At some point, every Christian must decide where their line is. My line is resting firmly on the Word of God, and looking greatly forward to the day when I can participate fully in the pomp and circumstance in celebration of my Lord. But in these times, and in my life, I have no other choice but to draw my line between tradition and the Bible; the Bible is the only thing I know to be Truth completely. If I’m wrong, then when I meet my Lord, I imagine He will point out some of the areas in my life that could have received comfort from the “Tradition” that was given; however, he will not find fault with my belief because it is based upon God’s Truth.

Now you didn’t write me to hear my personal views, however, I don’t think you can understand a Protestant’s belief, unless it is personalized. While a Catholic believer practices his faith corporately, Protestant’s practice their faith personally. That’s why the nature of the arguments always escalate to ugliness among the uneducated and the impassioned. One side is talking from a supposed elevated position representing a big world of believers, while the other side speaks generally of one personal belief that usually becomes offended to just discuss these issues. In the end, we all lose out.

I’ve enjoyed our conversation. If you have any more Protestant questions, you can find this middle-of-the-road Protestant Catholic right here, ready to figure it out with you.

Thanks for sharing.

One of the things that bothers me in these times is specialized Bible studies for the different sexes. The reason it bothers me is because it has reduced our Christian women to believe they are of a class that should focus merely on women in the Bible with application to homemaking, childrearing and supporting their husbands.

While all of these things are important and required by God, women are just as easily used, and often more effectual in teaching and bringing the things of God to those He Wills. In fact, He is bringing many strong Christian women to the table and preparing them for vital works in the exact same way that He prepares men.

Women can NOT be the head of a church as a primary leader of the congregation according to the Word of God because she lacks God’s authority to be a shepherd over the flock. However, NO authority is required for teaching and writing and doing the things of God when guided by the Holy Spirit. Christians can read and learn and hear the teachings of God from a woman, and determine whether it has the authority of the Holy Spirit that is guiding them to grow spiritually. That is what a strong Christian woman leader can do!

Women can raise those preachers (both their children and others) to perfectly handle the Word of God. The Word of God does not prohibit women from writing books, participating in social protests, implementing social change, bringing religious doctrine closer to the Will of God, teaching His things and leading the lost, homeless, disabled, confused and young to find His path. For these reasons, I include women in all areas of our Bible Studies, and in fact, they are my best authors and teachers.

I understand you asked a simple reference, and I seem to be preaching a larger sermon; but, this issue is so close to my heart that I jump at every opportunity to share my view. Simply stated, the capabilities of spiritual works have been severely limited in women as a direct result of bad doctrine, arrogant interpretations by pretend Christians and a constant oppression by the devil himself. Many of our women have been subjected to the most heinous of assaults, both sexual and mental, as young girls to prevent them from accomplishing the LORD God’s Works later in life. Churches prepare simplified women’s Bible studies to focus them on simple spiritual stories of Ruth to bring loyalty to mother-in-laws of Faith, and basic training of Esther to manipulate men to achieve God’s Will. While these stories bring a certain feeling of mattering to most Christian women, they result in few spiritual Works being accomplished.

I have committed to raise up the spiritual potential of all Christian women, and I believe the only way to accomplish this is to require the same demanding of learning the things of God, being held to the same accountability to rightly divide His Word. That means I expect all my women students to start at the basic studies of foundation and move on to the deeper things as God Wills. I believe that our Becker Bible Studies are a perfect teaching tool for this goal, and I have seen many strong Christian men and women learn His Word, and do His Works led by the Holy Spirit to accomplish great things of His as a result.

I encourage you to look at our various studies online and prepare to teach your Bible study for women with the same commitment that is displayed continuously for the training up of Christian men. start with our Foundation of Jesus Christ Bible study, and move on to the deeper things as He leads.

God’s Blessings in your important Works for Him.

If you give your hard earned dollars or your easily acquired inheritances or your paid for homes to our ministry at Becker Bible Ministries Inc., you will not automatically prosper. Your donation to further our efforts to teach the Word of God to hungry Christians all over the world will not result in a blessing of flowing wealth to come upon you with thanks from the LORD God Himself. In fact, it is not only our ministry that will NOT bring fortunes to you, but every true ministry that is guided and moved by Him.

People who turn to religion often have reached a point of lost dreams and direction. They are easy targets for the prosperity gospel to flourish under the manipulative hands of the pretend Christian leaders who seek to make fortunes in this world to finance their opulent lifestyles. Sadly, many of the depressed, lonely, lost, confused, widowed, disabled and poor brothers and sisters in Christ are tricked by these virulent techniques to transfer their small change into the pockets of the pretend Christian Evangelist charlatans.

God does not want to bless the Faithful with earthly riches! Now hold on! I know there are many Scriptures that are quoted often by the pretenders that convince the hopeful that He truly wants His People to prosper. However, when the true nature of the LORD God, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit are known, and when believers sincerely seek to do His Will, money is the furthest thing from their minds! Why? Because true Christian workers are confident that when a work is given to them by the LORD God, all things are provided by Him to complete that job! Money is neither a worry nor a focus of true workers of God!

We have donation buttons on almost every page of our Becker Bible Ministries, Inc. for just this reason. When God moves faithful people to donate money to fund our ministry, they do it. They receive no blessing for that act alone, but rather will receive great reward from Him as they allow themselves to be used and moved according to His Will. In most cases, those rewards will not come to the generous faithful until they receive their crowns in Heaven. This will be the time when a Christian’s works will be judged and rewarded accordingly.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

It is then and only then when reward is received. We cannot expect the life of luxury to be given to us in this world, but rather look for hope of great reward of prosperity in the Kingdom of God. There is only one way to receive this reward, and that is to complete the Works God moves us to do!

Not all of us can minister throughout the world. Not all of us can shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, comfort the saddened, or adopt the orphans. Some are given these tasks by God, and some are given the works by God to specifically support these efforts through generous financial support as He moves them.

If the LORD God is moving you to support our ministry, then push that donation button at the top of our Facebook page and give according to His Will. If He is not moving you to give financial support, then don’t do it! Regardless, don’t expect great blessing to come to you in this life; financial support does not guarantee an easy life nor an easy judgment!

Every penny that you give to support the Works of God should always be given only as He moves, without any expectations of personal benefit! Care should always be taken that it is His Will and His Word and His Ministry that is being accomplished, and not the ministry of the world that preaches a false gospel of prosperity!

The staff, authors and teachers at Becker Bible Ministries, Inc. thank each of you that supported our works for the LORD God this year. We do not have the words to express our deep gratitude for responding to the moving of Him through your generous givings. We remember each of you in our prayers, not only for your generosity, but also your commitment to ensuring His Works are completed according to His Will.

There are so few faithful workers, with so little time left to complete our tasks. Your support has shined the light of our ministry and His Grace into places of deep worldly darkness, and given hope to hungry Christians all over the world who crave morsels of His Word and His People to strengthen their own works for Him. Thank you for your support.

1 Corinthians 9:13-18

“Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live [of the things] of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” “But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for [it were] better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation [of the gospel] is committed unto me. What is my reward then? [Verily] that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:13-18)

Colossians 2:18–23 (KJV 1900)
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Definitions:

Voluntary – 2527 θέλω (thelō): vb.; ≡ Str 2309; TDNT 3.44—1. LN 30.58 purpose, will, decide (Col 1:27), for another interp, see next; 2. LN 25.1 desire, want to

Humility – 5425 ταπεινοφροσύνη (tapeinophrosynē), ης (ēs), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ Str 5012; TDNT 8.1—LN 88.53 humility, humbleness, modesty (Ac 20:19; Eph 4:2; Php 2:3; Col 2:18, 23; 3:12; 1Pe
5:5+)

Beguile – 2857 καταβραβεύω (katabrabeuō): vb.; ≡ Str 2603—LN 30.121 disqualify (for a prize), decide against giving out a reward (Col 2:18+)

1. Voluntary humility (humbleness) as spoken in Colossians 2:18 is NOT a good standard.

a. Voluntary humility means that you purposely make yourself appear humble.

b. Colossians 2:18 says that a man can beguile you of the reward due you if you have voluntary humility.

c. “Beguile” means to disqualify a reward.

d. If a pretend Christian shows “voluntary humbleness,” it is equal to worshipping the angels, and vainly puffed up in fleshly concerns. It is definitely NOT good!

2. To be pleasing to the LORD God and Lord Jesus Christ, you must display an honest INVOLUNTARY humility.

a. We know this because it is the exact opposite of voluntary humility.

b. Involuntary humbleness shows wisdom in worship and humility.

c. Involuntary humbleness neglects the body and does not satisfy the flesh.

d. It is GOOD to have involuntary humbleness!