Sunday, January 18, 2009

According to Mark Duke, If You Know Someone Is Off, Tell Them... Matt Skelton - You're OFF!!

In the audio clip on this post, House of God cult and Freedom Foundation member, Matt Skelton, is affirming and teaching Mark Duke's and the House of God's warped view of Jesus Christ.

The short audio clip (one minute, nineteen seconds) contains so much Scripture twisting that it was almost hard to know where to begin. I’m sure you can imagine how much blasphemy and error is contained in the nearly 2-hour lesson. Skelton is really “off.”

First: Skelton claims that "you really don't know where you're at until the test comes, and that goes for everybody, including me… it even included Jesus."

Wrong. Jesus knew exactly why he had come to the world, and his purpose was not to be "tested" by God the Father, but rather to give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of humankind, so that anyone who believes in Him (as God), admits that they are a sinner and accepts Him as Savior can have eternal life with Him (John 3:16).

Second: Skelton makes the statement that Jesus did not “overcome” sin because He was God, but rather that He had God's Word.

Wrong. Jesus didn't "have" God's Word, He is God's Word (John 1:1). That Jesus needed to overcome [His] sin is completely counter to any reasonable understanding of biblical Christian belief. On the cross, Jesus became sin and through His resurrection completely conquered it for our benefit. We can overcome sin only through Jesus Christ's shed blood.

Third: Skelton claims that we can overcome sin just like Jesus, and that’s the difference – the difference in true Christian doctrine and the House of God’s error filled doctrine – “and that’s the power, that’s the thing that we need.”

Wrong. We don’t need to know that we can overcome just like Jesus. That’s NOT the power that we have as Christians. The way that humans overcome sin is to properly relate to God the way that He told us to - through Himself as the Lord Jesus Christ. Only through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ can we be forgiven of our sins.

Fourth: Skelton states that some Churches or doctrines “they’ll try to make it where Jesus was God, and then that justifies our sin, because He was God, only he could be pure, only He could go without sinning...” (emphsis added to express Skelton's sarcastic tone)

Wrong. There is no recognized Christian Church, denomination or doctrine that says, or even implies for that matter, that Jesus Christ is God as an excuse to sin, and to suggest it to bolster Duke’s warped dogma is just plain absurd.

That we can be pure like Jesus as is implied by Skelton’s teaching means that Jesus is not who He said He is. His clear words to us in 1 John Chapter 1, verses 8-10 put some bright and particular light on this part of Skelton’s false teaching:

1 John 1:8-10 (KJV)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.


From a biblical viewpoint, Jesus “forgives” our sin, He doesn’t give us power to “overcome” it in the sense that the House of God falsely teaches.


Fifth: Skelton quotes part of Titus 2:12: "we should live soberly, righteous and Godly in this present world," and claims that this is their standard. In other words, if fully achieved, this will be salvation.

Wrong. While Chapter 2 of the book of Titus certainly speaks of salvation – in fact it identifies Jesus Christ AS salvation – the portion of verse 12 that Skelton quotes IS NOT a requirement for salvation, but rather an indication of how we should live because we have salvation.

I will give him credit though, he says that they are not there yet – and he’s right, not by billions upon billions upon billions of country miles.

Titus 2:11-15 (KJV)
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.


Note verse 13 – could it be any clearer that Scripture is identifying Jesus as God?

Please know that the “and” between the words great God and Jesus Christ is not suggesting two separate beings (or that Jesus is God the Father). Contemporary translations (such as the New American standard Bible – NASB, more properly show the end of verse 13 as reading our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

For reference, here are verses 11-15 of Titus Chapter 2 from the NASB:

Titus 2:11-15 (NASB)
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.


One thing is for sure, Matt Skelton’s long-time association with and discipleship by Mark Duke is evident. He can take one small part of Scripture completely out of context and twist it to suit the error filled doctrine of Duke and the House of God.

Matt Skelton’s connection with Mark Duke is long, all the way back to his teen years. Duke even says that if “I ever had to go to war with somebody, I’d go with Matt.” That Duke does view his spiritual rights movement as a war, and perhaps not just spiritual in nature – is very important to understand. Duke even claims that the House of God and the Freedom Foundation (the integral parts of the spiritual rights movements) “may have to give their blood on the bridge again.”

People in Selma who read this blog will probably recognize Matt Skelton’s name. He is one of the two Selma police officers spoken of in the article Outside Agitators recently published in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Report (available in print and online). According to sources in Selma, a third member of the Freedom Foundation was recently hired and sworn in by the Selma Police Department. The SPLC article also talks about Duke’s connection with an "influential local judge.” (emphasis mine).

Perhaps this is why so many of the people in the Selma area are afraid to use their real names on internet forums (such as Topix) related to the House of God and the Freedom Foundation.

Check back soon for more information on Duke’s and the Freedom Foundation’s apparent influence with a local judge and other political leaders in Selma in and Dallas County, Alabama.

As a closing, Christians, when it comes to Skelton’s, Duke's and the House of God's teaching about Jesus and salvation, we should take God’s instruction from verse 15 of Titus Chapter 2 seriously, and do exactly what it says.

These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man (including Mark Duke and his cohorts) despise (or disregard) thee. Stand for Truth.


Click the Play Button above to hear House of God and Freedom Foundation member Matt Skelton, speaking about Jesus "overcoming" and not being God.


You can easily share this blog entry with others by clicking on the email link (envelope icon) below.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment!

I may not read your comment. If you desire for me to contact you, or if there is something that you want me to know, please send me an email using this address: wewillfindthetruth@gmail.com. You can also contact me via U.S. Mail at PO Box 361493, Birmingham, AL 35236.

Thanks again, Allan McConnell