A Philadelphia Christian in Beelzebub's Court

A Philadelphia Christian in Beelzebub's Court

S. C. Cundiff

Copyright © 2021 by S. C. Cundiff

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Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

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Meadville, PA 16335

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Table of Contents

Truth or Consequence

To Do or Not to Do… That Is the Question

It Will Not Be Easy

How Not to Become a Member of the Ephesus Church

This Laodicean-Age Church Is a Real Problem

How to Gracefully Bear Suffering and Be Faithful until Death or the Rapture

If It Be So…

Mostly Free or Free!

A Love Worth Dying For

Time to Make a Choice

Preface

A couple of years following my graduation from high school, my wife and I, having been enrolled in education classes at college, had an instructor who recommended his students return to visit the high school which they graduated from or at least a local high school. We decided to visit the school we graduated from in order to observe some of the methodology and student culture which might affect us if we chose to major in secondary education. We were fortunate enough to observe two of the classes in which subjects we had been students, and these classes still had the same teachers presiding.

It turned out to be quite an eye-opener for us. The school administration had changed, and an atmosphere came with the new principal that we would not have thought possible in such a short period of time. When we had attended this school, there was a dress code and a policy of monitoring students’ behavior in the hallways. The same teachers taught the same classes in the same style, but the behavior we saw in the hallways caused us to think and to say to each other, Look what they’ve done to our school, Hon. Look what they’ve done to our school. The impression was one of great disapproval and disappointment.

Now, after more than thirty years of evangelical ministry, I think about that line more and more. Look what they’ve done to my church, Hon. Look what they’ve done to my church. I want to make it clear from the very start that I still believe the Christian church is Christ’s church! He is the founder and head of the church in heaven and on earth. It is not my church. Jesus said, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18); and we read, Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you (Rom. 16:16). Paul the apostle wrote, And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all (Eph. 1:22–23).

I have studied the writings of John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards, Charles G. Finney, Charles Spurgeon, Oswald Chambers, A. W. Tozer, and more current theologians, such as David Wilkerson; and they all confirm that there is consistency in the truth of the Bible, which I wish to live by. I do not read testimonials for doctrine. I avoid fads and faddish Christianity, which seem to twist the truth while sounding authoritative and sincere. Fads may enhance their authors’ purpose of entertaining the goats (as Spurgeon wrote) and enhance their bank accounts; but they do not stand the test of time as the church fathers’ writings do, in which it is repeated and urged that the shepherds must be about the feeding of the sheep instead of clowning to entertain the goats. It is my belief that the truth of the deity of Jesus the Christ is easily understood when one reads and studies all of the above-mentioned Bible teachers in addition to the Bible itself, the Word of truth.

In July of 1971, when I was born again, converted, and began my life-long acts of repentance, I became part of the church, the family, the bride of Christ. I now say with praise and humility my church. When I say my team as a member of a football team, I am not making the claim that I own the team but that I am pleased and proud to be a player or even a fan. When I speak of my church, I want to be pleased and proud of being a player and a fan. The purpose for the writing of this book is to help those in the Christian faith not to become deceived as prophesied in 1 Timothy 4:1, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

A few years ago, my wife and I were on vacation from the church where I had been called Pastor/Teacher. We agreed to spend some time visiting churches; we were fact finding and checking the spiritual temperature of the body of Christ. I will not elaborate except to say that we were dismayed to encounter overwhelmingly loquacious pastors, false teachers, inaccurate Bible interpreters, ticklers of ears, and fleshly entertainers. At one church, the pastor announced, It’s time to take our smoke break. Come in when you hear the worship team begin to play, as if it could possibly be a worship team. A team of worshippers does not need any smoke break. God’s truth has been stolen from the saints by hirelings (John 10:12–13). I pray we true believers will all be able to reflect the true Christ and not a poor imitation of Him.

All scriptures used in this book will be quoted from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

1

Truth or Consequence

Since I first read in the Bible, in the Gospel of John, that the truth shall make you free, I have been an advocate of basing all my sermons on the positive and negative effects of truth. The truths I write or speak about will be Bible based, not just based on my opinion. The consequence of not telling the truth, not hearing the truth, and/or not putting oneself in a position to learn the truth will always result in bondage to us instead of freedom. With this in mind, I would like to begin with some foundational scriptures. If we deviate from these foundations or twist them, the hellish grip of bondage will become evident in the life of the believer.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, we find, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. The logical question is why? The answer is found in the next verse: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Part A of verse 16 has been used by hirelings as well as by true shepherds, but when part B of the verse is taught and experienced, the believer will have the opportunity to acquire the tools necessary for serving the Lord in good works. This part of the verse is not taught by hirelings because they are influenced by their own lack of motivation or by the enemy of God, Satan, who strives to prohibit believers from acquiring and preserving a strong spiritual foundation.

His name is Satanos in Greek, which means adversary or enemy. He is also known as the devil, which means the malignant, evil foe; and by another Greek word, Diabulos, meaning the one who slanders. Jesus called him the father of lies when He addressed the Jews who wanted to stone Him. Why? Because Jesus knew they were acting on a lie they had believed, and He exposed the truth about this enemy. He told them,

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Let’s take a look at our foundational truth verse, 2 Timothy 3:16. Focus on the word all. All in English, Greek, French, or any of the Oriental languages means all. There is no hidden meaning to this word! All what? All scripture. The Old and New Testament verses in all sixty-six books of the Bible are inspired of God. When I say God, I mean the Father of Jesus Christ, the Creator, the God of Israel who is known by many other names, including Elohim, El Elyon, and Yahweh. Theologically speaking, He is a nonmaterial personal being, self-existent, self-conscious, and self-determining. He is the One and Only about whom Jesus said, I and my Father are one (John 10:30). Let’s expound on why all scripture in the Bible has such relevance and importance regarding truth.

Revelation 19:10 says, …for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Focus on the word testimony. In Greek, it is marturia, and from this is derived the English word martyr—a witness who is willing to die for what he believes. This verse is the essence of every genuine prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus. The Old Testament exists to reveal Christ. Prophets were directed by God to make public declaration (a spoken or written forth