By David J. Stewart | July 2012
God has greatly blessed the world over the past century with thousands of
godly authors. I remember hearing Dr. Jack Hyles (1926-2001) encourage
church members to write books for the next generation. Brother Hyles said
that everyone wants to make a singing album; but what future generations
will benefit from is books, not music. Brother Hyles exhorted the older
generation not to let die the things they have learned over the decades; but
rather, to pass it on to following generation. What great wisdom!
I love books. I have thousands of books. When I was in Bible college (1985-1993), the internet as we know it today didn't exist. Back then people still went into bookstores and bought books made out of paper. Ah, the good ole days! If the Lord tarries His return, the time will come when paper books will be considered collector's items, just as are antiques and relics today from the 19th century.
Oftentimes on my way from Bible college to work, I'd stop off by Larry Harrison's Bookstore (reprints of rare and out-of-print Christian classics) on Indianapolis drive. It's good to see that Brother Harrison is still serving the Lord decades later and online. I am encouraged by his ministry because I love books. I ordered many books over the years. I didn't have much money then, but what money I did have to spend, I gladly spent on books. Books are knowledge. Books are worth more than gold to a wise person.
God has PROMISED to teach the truths of the Bible to His children, which no human eye nor ear can perceive. ...
1st Corinthians 2:9-10, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
I love that phrase... THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD! Also, carefully notice what God's vehicle is for delivering THE TRUTH to us... BY HIS SPIRIT! All the gold and money in the world cannot buy an understanding of the truth. You could hire the top leading theologians in the world and they wouldn't understand the truth of God's Word (no matter how much money you paid them). This is because the unsaved man, that is, the NATURAL MAN (1st Corinthians 2:14) cannot grasp divine truth. Only BY HIS SPIRIT (God's Spirit) can anyone comprehend spiritual truths...
John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
Today's youth value talent more than wisdom. Dr. Jack Hyles delivered a
tremendous sermon on the subject of wisdom titled,
WITH ALL THY GETTING GET WISDOM. In
the sermon Dr. Hyles states, “Talent seeks attention; but wisdom pays
attention.” Isn't that good? America is perishing today because of talented
youth with no wisdom. Wisdom ought to be praised, not talent. Our colleges
in America pay millions of dollars per year to their athletes, sending the
wrong message to young people about the value of education and wisdom.
Beware Of The Apostate Dangerous Books Of Our Generation
It was Sir Francis Bacon who said: “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” Most of the books being promoted and sold on the market today will poison the reader's soul with apostasy, ecumenism, liberal ideas, false theology and the rudiments (basic principles, like Evolution) of this evil world. Such books should be tasted and spit out!
Colossians 2:8, “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.” As you just read, the Bible warns us as Christians not to be spoiled (Greek: sulagogeo, which means, “to lead away as booty, that is, seduce”) by such things. Booty is goods or money obtained illegally. The Bible is warning that the Devil will steal you away from Jesus Christ if you're not careful, and he'll use television to do it!!! More than any other disease in society today—the damnable things keeping people from obtaining genuine Christianity—is all the false Bibles, false religions, false prophets and false Christs.
We've all heard the saying: “Everyone has an opinion...” Interestingly, the word “heresy” in the Bible comes from the Greek word hairesis. Here is what VINE'S COMPLETE EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS (Page 303) states concerning the word "hairesis" ...
...“a choosing, choice”; (from haireomai, "to choose") then, "that which is chosen," and hence, "an opinion," especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects...
SOURCE: VINE'S COMPLETE EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS; ISBN 0-7852-1160-8
The word “heresy” in the Bible simply means, “an opinion.” Many of the doctrines circulating in today's churches are merely opinions, not based upon the Word of God. In John 5:39 Jesus commanded His disciples to... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!!! It is dangerous to form one's opinions apart from the Bible.
People are blinded by Satan today through the apostate teachings of Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Max Lucado and Pat Robertson (to name but a few) who lead them to put faith in Jesus to go to Heaven (which is NOT the Gospel). Doesn't every Roman Catholic have faith in Jesus? Don't Catholics also believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose up from the dead? So doesn't that make them saved? Not at all, because they ADD keeping the sacraments to be saved. Catholics ADD water baptism, confirmation, confession and holy communion. Catholics ADD performing good deeds for others and their church to be saved. Biblical salvation is by grace through faith PLUS NOTHING! (Ephesians 2:8-9). Catholics have added everything except the kitchen sink! (and I'm sure that's in their catechism somewhere).
Thus, Catholics are not saved at all, and are still in their sins without Christ as Savior. Unfortunately, they've been lied to by demon-possessed priests who falsely claim the power to forgive men's sins, and who know nothing of the grace of God that bringeth salvation freely to all who believe. Eternal life is a PROMISE from God to receive; not a goal to achieve.
So beware of all the phony-bologna religious books on the market today that cater to Roman Catholics. I like authors who are direct, to the point and controversial; such as, Dr. Max D. Younce, Dr. Jack Hyles and the God of the Bible. No one has been more brutally honest than God in the Bible. In fact, the Bible is so direct that men have been trying to eliminate, ban and change it for 2,000 years!!! Why do you think all these corrupt Bibles are being sold today instead of the offensive King James Bible? It's because people won't endure sound doctrine anymore, just as God foretold they wouldn't. 2nd Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”
Nearly all books today are all but worthless in comparison to the wealth of knowledge, depth of sincerity, truthfulness and excellence of literature from centuries past. Most of today's books are lame, agendacized, censored, politically correct garbage. Your book won't get on the New York Times Bestseller List unless you further the New World Order (which means promoting ecumenism between different religions). God hates ecumenism (the doctrine of the ecumenical movement promoting cooperation and better understanding among different religious denominations; aimed at universal Christian unity).
There's a lot of brightly colored and attractive book covers in stores these days, beckoning for people to purchase them, but you'd be much better off going to a thrift store or flea-market to look for older books. When the elderly pass away, their belongings are often donated to thrift stores, such as the Salvation Army. I've found a lot of great books in these places.
In fact, I've found better books in the garbage pail than I have in today's so-called Christian bookstores. Yes, I like going through garbage; it's one of my favorite pastimes. After a flood, I used to drive around the suburbs of Chicago and replenish my home with all sorts of new things. One man's gold is another man's garbage (or is it the other way around...lol). Seriously, you can find some awesome things in people's garbage after a flood.
One thing that I saw more than anything else in
the garbage is exercise equipment. People just don't stick to it.
Treadmills, you name it! I still have books on subjects from A-Z that I've
found in people's garbage. I love books!
No Book Can Substitute For THE BOOK!
Please don't misunderstand, no book compares to our beloved and inspired King James Bible. No book authored by man is inspired. Only the Bible is INSPIRED (God-breathed). Literally, God made sinful men holy in order to prepare them to be PENS to write His Words. God is the divine Author. For a much better explanation on this subject please read, HOW WE GOT GOD'S WORD. No book ought to be compared nor elevated with the GOOD BOOK!
Albeit, God has blessed us with the wisdom and knowledge of Christian men who've diligently studied the Word of God. The great DANGER is becoming dependent (reliant) upon books written by man instead of doing our own homework and study. Many people are being led astray these days by corrupt Bible-teachers that arrogantly pervert the truth into a lie.
The big problem with contemporary corrupt Bible-scholars is that they all use contemporary corrupt Bibles. I just wrote an article exposing the Holman Christian Standard Bible, which is published by the apostate Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). It is based upon the same corrupt Greek manuscripts of Westcott and Hort as the New International Version and Bad News For Modern Man. If you have a corrupt Bible, then all the fruit will be corrupt. The ONLY Bible that you can trust is the precious and inspired KING JAMES BIBLE (often called the 1611 “AUTHORIZED VERSION”). The most priceless Book is our beloved King James Bible.
“I've devoted my life to the distribution of books, Bibles and tracts and anything that will help to further the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The reading of good Christian books is one of the best ways to challenge and encourage Christians.” —Larry Harrison (Christian Book Gallery)
