The following is a perfect example of why every person on every occasion needs to turn to the Word of God and not the words of man. No matter who that man may be.
In the article below by Mr. Brown, he writes, “Jesus gave a famous parable to this effect, known as the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or, Tax Collector)”.
Below is that parable.
The Rich Ruler
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
When you scroll down and eventually get to reading Mr. Brown’s words in the article he wrote, and his modern version of the parable above? Are they the same? Really? Not quite.
To paraphrase or make an attempt to modernize the Word of God thinking that is what’s required for the Scriptures to be understood is the work of the devil and a lazy mind of the individual. Why is it so many professed “Christian writers” and commentators refuse to use the Word of God and instead like to use their own words? Even taking a parable such as the one above and twisting it to the words of Mr. Brown in his article below?
What is wrong with the Bible?
NOTHING!
What is wrong with men and women thinking the words within the Word of God need modernizing, need their personal touch in order to be understood?
EVERYTHING!
This is not to be misconstrued as an attack on Micheal L. Brown. Just an observation, as there are a number of Mr. Brown’s articles that have appeared here on ACP in the past, and I will continue to reprint those that fit and have something to say. But none of us is above or beyond reproof, rebuke, correction. None of us. I certainly make more errors, missteps, mistakes, and sin, yes, sin in a day than I can count! No one is beyond or above correction. Being corrected and have our feet firmly on the straight path leading to the narrow gate by each of us going to the Word of God.
If we really care about and want to get the message right? Then let’s go to the Word of God and use God’s words. Along with our own, certainly in presenting our ideas, furthering our discussions, but first and foremost everything written or spoken by someone professing to be a Christian attempting to convey a message about God? Christ? The Holy Spirit? Christian living? Why is it the words of the Word of God fail these folks but their own words never do?
This constant push that people need fun, interesting, new and exciting ILLUSTRATIONS and STORIES and that the Bible can no longer cut it, the Word of God isn’t somehow enough is the work of Satan. Not of a Christian writer or speaker trying to get the message of the “Good News,” of the Word of God through to someone.
Want to get the message of the Bible through to someone? Here’s a novel idea — then go to and use the Word of God!
Enough of this we have to be hip, and modern, and make up what we think are interesting illustrations or variations on what is contained in the Word of God in order to have someone read, listen, or be drawn to the Lord.
Here’s why — contrary to the myth and massive misunderstanding — WE DON’T SAVE ANYONE BY OUR WORDS! The Supernatural power of the Spirit of God does by working in an individual’s heart, mind, their soul. Not us. None of us. All of us are mere weak vessels. Just small notes played on the instrument of the Lord. It is the Lord’s score, the Lord’s symphony, the Lord conducting everything in the Words of His composition [His music for the soul if you will] that saves.
And if we keep mucking things up? Muddling about? Thinking we’re so wiser, cooler, better than the Word of God which we enter into writing something, or enter a discussion with the wrong approach fearing using God’s Word will turn someone off, thus denying its power, denying God, and denying the power of the Holy Spirit, and also denying the degree of yearning and readiness within the individual in front of us, or the individuals our writing reaches — almost all of whom we do not know, nor can we have any clue as to the condition of their hearts and minds.
Therefore, how about ceasing the modernization thinking that is what is necessary? Getting it all wrong and not even close, as you’ll see below.
This is from a man who a day later wrote this: The Parable of the Cancer Pill that No Longer Cured Cancer.
Let’s stop with the brevity obsession and thinking our words are better than the Word of God.
Give the devil an inch and he may take our eternity.
Why invite trouble in? Why go there?
Am I being picky here? Perhaps a bit. But it is from us being so lax, so lazy, so lukewarm, that the massive erosion and corruption has occurred within individuals and within the body of Christ in these times. Because we haven’t thought the whole solid unerring inerrant Word of God will suffice in these times. We had to change things up. We knew better. We thought we could give God’s Word what? More impact? Make it more accessible? Thus denying the power of God? Because that is exactly what we’ve been so busy doing. Really it is. And now look at where we are and what passes for Christianity. We make the Laodiceans appear greater than the Philadelphians [see Revelation 1; Revelation 2; and especially Revelation 3]!
Mr. Brown is very adept and skilled in his writing. Much more so than I am in my feeble attempts. But let’s be keen to go to and use the Word of God rather than thinking the Bible needs updating in order to be effective. Thinking brevity is the answer isn’t what is needed in writing or discussing a person’s eternity. If it were the Bible would be a pamphlet, a flyer, or a handout rather than the ongoing story of man’s sin and rebellion against God his Creator and there being only One Way to salvation and forgiveness, to eternal life, to heaven, and that Way is in the turning to, being truly changed, by faith in and obedience to the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Let us use, insert in our writing, in our speech the actual, factual words within the Word of God. We don’t need to make things up in order to draw folks in. The Lord draws. We are merely wee instruments to paint a picture as best we can, as the Lord measures out in us. Let’s have the faith to truly believe in the power of the Spirit of God to work in people’s hearts, minds and lives. Just as we find it did in the myriad Bible stories we have as our example. Go to the well of life-giving water rather than a place closer. Our own minds attempting to draw water to quench the thirst of the parched for the Truth, the Way, the Light, and the Life. The Lord Jesus Christ [see John 4].
The words, every word within the Word will suffice. Then, add our own as weak filler being the thick as a brick folks we often are — it’s the Word of God that is the mortar, always the mortar holding every brick in its place strongly through the ravages of time and whatever prevails upon the structure.
Have as our Rock Solid Foundation the whole inerrant and living Word of God.
And let us build from there in our feeble way. As best we can as measured out by our Good, Merciful, and Mighty Lord.
Ken Pullen, A CROOKED PATH, Thursday, August 4th, 2022
Monkeypox, STDs, Violating God’s Divine Order, and Receiving Mercy
August 02, 2022
By Michael L. Brown
Reprinted from ASKDRBrown
The latest report on the transmission of monkeypox confirms that it is spread overwhelmingly by men who have sex with men. What should we conclude from this?
In the early days of AIDS, it was commonplace to hear preachers refer to this “homosexual disease” as a judgment from God.
As recounted by Michael Christensen on the Ministry Matters website, “When I was a pastor in San Francisco, many Christians viewed AIDS as a sign of the end of the world. I kept busy countering the predominant apocalyptic view in evangelical and fundamentalist churches that ‘AIDS was God’s judgment on the homosexual lifestyle’ or as ‘punishment for IV drug use.’ I remember trying to help people process (including those in my own congregation) why it was that those whose behavior put them at high risk got AIDS from a virus, not as a punishment from God for immorality.”
At that moment, though, AIDS being a judgment on homosexual men seemed like a perfectly logical conclusion, especially given the climate of the day, when homosexuality was denigrated rather than celebrated by our nation.
Sadly, as pointed out by ex-homosexual leader Joe Dallas, the church missed a great moment to reach out to homosexual men across the country at a time when they were terribly fearful of this mysterious and dreadful disease. It was decimating their communities. It was destroying their bodies. It was killing young men in their prime.
Yet the main message these men heard from the church was that God was judging them for their sins.
To repeat: at that moment, it seemed clear that this was the case, that the Lord was striking these transgressors with a modern-day plague. All too few Christian leaders seized the opportunity to reach out to the homosexual community, even if they felt that AIDS was a divine judgment. This should have been the time to visit the sick and dying and offer them mercy and repentance through the cross before it was too late.
Today, we are witnessing another “homosexual disease,” although one that, at present, is not a fraction as savage and deadly as was AIDS.
What are we to make of it?
Here are two major lessons.
First, when we live by our Creator’s rules and honor the proper functions of our body, on average, we will be healthier and live longer.
That’s why insurance companies ask if we smoke or drink.
That’s why people who were obese had a higher chance of dying of COVID, not to mention dying of a host of other conditions, including heart disease.
And that’s why men who have sex with men have a much higher rate of contracting STDs than the rest of the population. Some of their most common sexual acts violate God’s intended use of the body. It is only natural that more diseases are contracted and transmitted.
In fact, simply going outside the bounds of marriage opens people up to more STDs, even somewhat mysteriously.
What I mean is that if a man and woman got married as virgins and had a healthy sex life for years as husband and wife, they would never contract an STD. But if they committed the exact same act with someone they were not married to, they might well contract one.
Why? And how? Where did this STD come from? (The answers to those questions, which are somewhat speculative, are outside the scope of this article. But they are questions worth asking.)
The bottom line is that God made us to thrive as human beings. He designed the body for health, not sickness. And even though it is very true that some of the godliest people on the planet are chronically sick and that some of the wickedest people on the planet are very healthy, the rule is still the same.
When we follow the Creator’s instruction manual, we have a much better chance of survival.
This is a good time for all of us to ask ourselves, “Am I living in harmony with my Maker’s guidelines in every area of my life?”
Judging others is easy. How about judging ourselves?
Second, we need to remember that all of us live by God’s mercy, and the moment we become righteous in our own eyes, thinking we deserve His favor, we deceive ourselves. That’s why self-righteousness is one of the ugliest sins in God’s sight.
Jesus gave a famous parable to this effect, known as the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or, Tax Collector).
To put it in contemporary terms, a well-dressed, rich, Christian man was walking into his church building on a Sunday morning when he noticed a homeless man lying on the street, barely conscious and mumbling under his breath.
The Christian said to himself, “God, I thank you that I am not like this wretch. I have not made a mess of my life. I have not had a drink in more than 30 years. I go to church faithfully. And I give away more money to the poor every year than this bum has made in his lifetime.”
As for the homeless man, he was actually mumbling a prayer, saying, “God, I’m not worthy of Your mercy. I’ve destroyed everything through my foolish choices. But a preacher told me yesterday that Jesus could save even me. So, Lord, because of Jesus, have mercy on me!”
According to Jesus Himself, it was the homeless man who was justified in God’s sight that day, not the wealthy Christian man.
Need I say more?
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