A Lem (Lemuel) contacted us on our chat line, asking for spiritual
guidance, insisting he really wants to worship and serve the Lord fully.
Paul and Sara spoke to him on chat, and Paul and I had a telephone
conversation with him as well. Our basic advice to him was to decisively
turn from any and all sin. We found him to be doubleminded and suspected
him of being disingenuous.
After confessing some of his great and many sins to us, one of the
things we told him was that it was presumptuous of him to use the email
handle of “holyfire,” seeing there was not so much as a
hint of holy fire there with him.
On September 11, 2009, he informed us that in obedience to our counsel,
he had changed his address. On September 23, 2009, Sara discovered
the entry included below on Darwin Fish’s blog.
It was a letter from Lem on September 20, asking Fish about us and
using the name “holyfire”:
“From: holyfire43@comcast.net
To: Darwin
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: afalse teachers or accurate??
Darwin, what about the teachings at www.pathoftruth.com their teachings appear to be sound and biblical. Thanks”
I suppose Lem would argue that he only meant he was not using his
handle, “holyfire,” with us; however, the point was not
about us, but about him and his relationship to God. He leads us to
believe he is obeying when, plainly, he is a liar.
On now to Darwin Fish - we have had him entered into our false teachers
section for years now. He replied to Lem on his blog and in an email,
giving Lem his judgment about us, classifying us as false teachers.
I reply to that judgment.
Darwin Fish writes:
“From: Darwin
To: holyfire43@comcast.net
Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 9:17 AM
Subject: Re: afalse teachers or accurate??
He is right about that. We do reject Luke 16:19-31, with a comprehensive
explanation why. For this, he believes we are false teachers. Understandable,
so far.
Fish writes: “They teach to abstain from
foods (1 Timothy 4:3; Hebrews 13:9; www.thepathoftruth.com/teachings/christiandiet.htm).
Romans 14:17 says, ‘the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking’.
This website thinks it is.”
We do not think the Kingdom of God is eating and drinking any more
than God thought the Kingdom was eating and drinking when He gave His
guidelines to Israel on what should and should not be eaten.
Going to the logical conclusion of mocking Biblical dietary guidelines,
Darwin Fish must think nothing of eating skunk, rat, cat, dog, or mouse
(which, according to God, are no worse than pork, shrimp, or lobster)
or something having been strangled or dying of itself or which has
never been bled or properly processed.
Fish teaches that, morally and spiritually, you are free before God
to indulge your sexual urges by masturbation. It must be concluded
by his thinking that the apostles Peter, James, John, Paul, and the
others would have approved saints masturbating under temptation in
order to avoid fornication or obsession with fornication. In other
words, grace is not enough; a new nature in Christ is not enough; Christ's
power is not enough; faith is not enough; temperance is not enough;
discipline is not enough; doing the right thing is not enough. God
is not enough. According to Fish, establishing the Law of God as true
Christians can sometimes be managed only by masturbation:
"Do we then make the Law void through faith? Let it not be! But
we establish the Law" (Romans 3:31 MKJV).
Imagine that! Establishing the Law by catering to the lusts of the
flesh! Fish teaches that indulging in the sexual lusts of the flesh
is not only acceptable to Jesus Christ, but also necessary at times.
Thus, it can also be concluded that he would say that the apostles
themselves would have masturbated, seeing they had forsaken wives and
were but ordinary men (which they were). Follow his theory and teaching
to a reasonable, indeed, an unavoidable, conclusion, we would have
to concede that Jesus Christ too was free or apt at times to masturbate,
seeing as how He was tempted in all points we are:
"For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot be touched with
the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just
as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15 MKJV).
Darwin Fish has no recognition of the words "yet without sin" concerning
our Savior, Whose mission was to give us His life that we might withstand
temptation and overcome, even as He did.
"For in that He Himself has suffered, having been tempted, He
is able to rescue those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18 MKJV).
Darwin Fish thinks himself to be a preacher of the Gospel and a teacher
of the Law of God as a "Jew" (Christian). Here are some words
for him:
Romans 2:17-24 MKJV
(17) Behold, you are called a Jew, and rest in the Law, and boast in
God;
(18) and know His will and approve the things excelling, being instructed
out of the Law;
(19) and persuading yourselves to be a guide of the blind, a light
to those in darkness;
(20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, who have the
form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law.
(21) Therefore the one teaching another, do you not teach yourself?
The one preaching not to steal, do you steal?
(22) The one saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?
The one detesting idols, do you rob temples?
(23) You who boast in Law, do you dishonor God through breaking the
Law?
(24) For the Name of God is blasphemed among the nations because of
you.
Away with you, Fish, blasphemer, deceiver, defiler, child of Satan.
May you be exposed before all for what you are.
We do not think the Kingdom of God is eating and drinking any more
than we think the Kingdom is clothing when we advise people
to dress modestly and as men and women ought to dress to distinguish
the sexes from one another, even as the Bible advises.
Would Fish, in his spiritual freedom, feel free to dress as a woman?
Is he a cross-dresser? After all, he believes in masturbation, fulfilling
the lusts of the flesh. Or are we simply not to dress at all, since
the Kingdom of God is not clothing?
We do not think the Kingdom of God is eating and drinking any more
than we think the Kingdom is sterilization because we advise people
to practice sanitation, quarantine, and hygiene when dealing with disease.
Over the centuries, many have died because of disregard on the part
of medical doctors and staff for practicing such principles. It wasn’t
until the 1800’s that healthcare workers began to awaken to age-old
godly, Biblical counsel that is wise, practical, and lifesaving. This
counsel has been scorned by the wise in this world, by masturbators
like Darwin Fish, who know much better than God.
Perhaps Darwin Fish does not believe in washing his hands after masturbating.
Why would anyone want to be thought of as one who thinks the Kingdom
of God is sanitation?
We do not think the Kingdom of God is eating and drinking any more
than we think it is masturbation, Mr. Fish. The complete Bible verse
you choose to use against us is:
“Then do not let your good be spoken evil of, for the Kingdom
of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:16-17 MKJV).
We will not let our good be spoken evil of, Darwin. Do you think the
Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit,
or do you think it is sensual enjoyment and orgasm?
That we do. Only devils defame the holy character of a loving God,
accusing Him of subjecting humanity to horrific torment without end
(see The
Restitution of All Things).
He is a consuming fire to consume wickedness, such as masturbation
and all licentiousness. He is not the least inclined to destroy those
He has purposed to create and complete in His image. He is not a loser
or a quitter. He will not be defeated or deterred by anyone or anything
from His will and purpose. His arm is not shortened that it cannot
save.
He even forgives and is able to cleanse those who teach masturbation
in His Name, in their wicked hearts “creating” Him in their
own image. In the fullness of time, He will even deliver Darwin Fish
from his vile perspectives, notions, and habits.
While He destroys sinners in the short term, He does not destroy them
in the long. That is what the lake of fire and brimstone (sulfur – a
purifying agent) is all about – purification, redemption, and
deliverance - from masturbation, murder, lies, theft, adultery, homosexuality,
and all manner of sin and corruption.
Wrong. We do not teach that one must keep the Sabbath to be saved,
though it is easy to see how a self-appointed teacher, intent on sexual
fulfillment, will not be able to concentrate properly on what is said
and therefore misinterpret it.
What we do teach is that the weekly Sabbath has never been done away
and will be kept by every person when their time comes. We say it is
a commandment that must and will be fulfilled in all, as the Lord grants
it to every man in his order.
While the Sabbath is a commandment of God, man will have learned that
he cannot keep God’s commandments - without God’s grace.
Therefore we do not teach that man must keep the Sabbath in order to
be saved, but if he is saved and enlightened, as he will be in due
time, he will keep the Sabbath, for he will know that God has never
annulled or changed it, as evildoers have determined. So yes, the Sabbath
must and will be kept, but not by those who think to save themselves.