www.scatteredchristians.org
Continuing to Learn the Way of God More Perfectly by Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth - Acts 18:26,  II Timothy 2:15
2005 - Touchet Baptist Church, Touchet, Washington - Pastor Mike Paulson - 2005

- Biblical Increase Today -
Colossians 2:18-19 and Ephesians 4:11-16

Contrary to popular Christianity, increased fruit doesn't mean 'numbers' & 'goods' today (always exceptions!) Revelation 3:17 reminds us of that one!
Psalm 107:37  And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
Psalm 115:14  The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

Increase belongs to God, not our scholars and graduates!
I Corinthians 3:6,7

These are the Days of Decrease, not increase!
II Thessalonians 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Luke 2:52 - And Jesus increased ... in favour with God and man.   Not happening unless lies are told!
Acts 16:5 - And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.  not happening unless lies are preached & GC preached...
Acts 2:41 - Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Again, this is the gospel of the Great Commission of early Peter - NOT Paul - just read the next verses.

Luke 17:5 - And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
This can still happen, but only from reading and studying & preaching, etc. the King James Bible!
Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
P.S.  Notice, Bible Believing Christians can have 'more' faith than the apostles!!!  John 20:29 - Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.


Real Biblical Increase
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:16

Increase in love towards others - (to tell the truth, with Paul, etc.)
I Thessalonians 3:12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
I Thessalonians 4:9,10   But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.  And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
II Thessalonians 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
Romans 12:10 - Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Increase your 'true' love for folks and you will be loved less!
I Corinthians 15:10  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
II Corinthians 2:4  For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
II Corinthians 12:15  And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

OR...

or increase unto ungodliness
II Timothy 2:15,16  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
without natural affection - Romans 1:31; II Timothy 3:3
vile affections - Romans 1:26
inordinate affection - Colossians 3:5  (evil desires of old nature - disorderly, irregular; excessive; immoderate, not limited to rules prescribed)
choke the word - Luke 8:14; Mark 4:18
Warning about a false increase:
Psalm 62:10  Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
Proverbs 30:7-9  Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD?  or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Proverbs 22:16   He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
Ecclesiastes 5:10  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. Ecclesiastes 6:11,12 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?  For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow?  for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?