4 BOCNEWS.com JUNE 2019 1. KIRK FRANKLIN - LONG LIVE LOVE 2. NEWS BOYS - UNITED 3. WILLIAM MURPHY - SETTLE HERE 4. DANNY GOKEY - HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET 5. MICHAEL W. SMITH - AWAKEN 6. WOW GOSPEL 2019 7. DONALD LAWRENCE - GOSHEN 8. THE TRUE BELIEVERS - BACK TO TE ROOTS 9 .TEDASHI - NEVER FOLD 10 PAUL WILBUR - ROAR FROM ZION Deceptive Hearts Understanding Biblical salvation should be an easy thing to do. However, when you dig a little deeper, you will find that it's more complicated than you think.The Word clearly warns that your feelings of salvation could be misleading and deceiving. Let's take a look at modern day Christianity, and what it considers to be the "minimum requirements" for Biblical salvation. "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"(Jn 3:16). Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." The Apostle Paul encourages all Christians in 2 Corinthians 13:5, to put their new found faith to the TEST. Why? "Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves, [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit"(AMP). The Apostle John, an unschooled fisherman, also encourages all to take the test. "We know that we have come to KNOW Him IF we keep His commands. WHOEVER says, 'I know Him, but doesn't keep His commands is a liar and the truth is not in him" (1Jn 2:3 NIV). The Words of Jesus. "If you love Me, Keep My com- mands, and obey My teachings." (John 14:15-21). So, is it really that simple to be saved? What are His teaching and commands? Let's take a look at Romans where Paul says, "believe in your HEART." Jesus teaches in several scriptures that the heart can be absolutely deceived, especially in these very last days! "These peo- ple honor Me with their lips but their HEARTS are far from Me." "For out of the heart comes evil thoughts"(Mt15:8-19). This means that we need to study a bit to see if we TRULY believe in our HEART that Jesus is Lord. Are we saved by works, or, are works the evidence of Biblical salvation? What are His Commands? First off, throughout the entire Bible, Jesus, teaches that all true believ- ers must come out from among the idolatry of this world. It's not going to be easy. We have all grown up in it. Most Christians are still addicted to it. As a matter of fact, most Christians don't even know how to identify it. To them, it's just a normal way of life. Sad but true, many are having fellowship with a church that is promoting it. Don't tell me that the main stream church is not dealing with the competition of NUMBERS. Most church goers have been mislead into thinking that big num- bers is of God. Let me give you an example of how the hearts of many today are being led astray. While unsaved and lost into the world, most have become accustomed to listening to, and then being comforted and enter- tained by the inspirational advice from those who are popular, wealthy, talented, good looking and prosper- ous. After they crash and burn, most today will find a church that has an inspirational, motivational, popular, wealthy and prosperous preacher to look up to and listen to. The praise music, for the most part, is energized. A Sunday Morning message of hope and comfort, a change of life and prosperity, and a better way of liv- ing, all sound and FEEL so good. Unfortunately, instead of coming out from among the idolatry of this old world, they are being encour- aged by popular preachers to stay in it, keeping church goers right in their comfort zone. Modern preachers are afraid to talk about the last days doom and gloom because it sends a clear message that this world is going to BURN! That does not sound too inspirational to the broken that are coming into the churches. That's why Jesus, a humble Carpenter, teaches that if we are not Eagerly Waiting and Watching for Him to come, our HEARTS are most likely still set on earthly things. "For where your treasure is, there your HEART'S will be also" (Luke 12:34-37, 21:34-36). It is becoming easy in these very last days to openly welcome the lost into the church. After all, according to modern day, motivational preachers, the grace covers it all, and, you do not have to leave this world to find hope in Jesus. It isn't real hard to understand the commands and teachings of Jesus. What does James teach? " You adulterous people. Don't you know that friend- ship with the world is hatred toward God. Anyone who makes the choice to be friends of the world is an enemy of God" (Jam 4:4 NIV84). "For I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stom- ach, their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on EARTHLY things" (Phil 3:13-21-84NIV). "Are you saying that I need to leave the life that I have been living to meet the real Jesus." YES! That's right! So, now that we know this (turn or burn), how By Michael Forti END TIMES Michael Forti Modern preachers are afraid to talk about the last days doom and gloom because it sends a clear message that this world is going to BURN! That does not sound too inspirational to the broken that are coming into the churches. That's why Jesus, teaches that if we are not Eagerly Waiting and Watching for Him to come, our HEARTS are most likely still set on earthly things. Continued on Page 11