04 January 2016
You go into a new church and almost immediately upon entering the doors you have several people with smiling faces coming over to greet you and welcome you to their church. Everyone in the entire place seems to be happy and smiling all the time. Despite how happy and friendly everyone seems to be, there is something you can sense in the back of your head. Something just doesn’t seem right. Everyone knows quite a few Scriptures and they know all the right words and phrases, but you can’t figure out what it is. Shortly after you sit down the pastor starts his sermon. It starts out as most sermons do, but every so often when the pastor is giving it you get that sense in the back of your head that something just doesn’t feel quite right.
That night you think about what all you saw and heard and then it dawns on you what it was that felt out of place. There was no real compassion. Everything the members of the church kept saying to you was like they were reading from a script or something. Even when the pastor was giving his sermon, there as no real compassion or felling in it. He was just reciting words, but lacked commitment. The entire church was as if it was focused on the pastor and the others that were running it. It seemed to be more about control and more about numbers, than sharing the Lord of Christ and God’s Word.
So it is with many false religions. They may call themselves Christian. They may know all the right words and phrases and do all the right things. They may have many Scripture memorized, and constantly go on and on about God and Jesus, but after a while you start to sense a lack of compassion in what they say. If you spend enough time around them you realize that a lot of the Christian terminology they use has a different meaning to them that are different from Biblical teaching. Whatever the pastor tells them is to be believed and followed without questions. If you ask questions or make a comment that is different from what their leaders say then they will tell you that Satan has entered into you and that you need to repent.
The Bible has warned us about these fakes and to watch out for them. They come in and sound so sincere and seem very knowledgeable, but once they have you trusting them, then the false teachings slowly begin to emerge in what they say. God gave each and every one of us a brain, so use it. We are not to follow everything someone says. We are to ask questions (in fact the Bible encourages us to do so). If anything anyone tells us contradicts Scripture, then we are to have NO part of it or their organization. They may give you a line about how things are outdated and changed, but this is a lie on their part. The Bible is God’s final word on all matters. God’s Word does not change and neither does God. Likewise, God’s Word is never outdated and will never change. Follow God and follow His Word in all things and do not let anyone tell you otherwise!
At this point in time, no one can say with absolute certainty exactly what the Mark of the Beast actually is. No matter what it eventually turns out to be there is one thing we know for certain, God has commanded us not to willingly take or accept it. The Bible describes this Mark as serving two functions. First, as an economic mark for buying, selling, and even owning. Second, this is the side of the Mark that most will never know about until it is too late, it is also a sign of worship. The worship, not of God, but of the god of this world (Satan). It represents the rejection of God and all that He is and all that He stands for. The Bible further warns us that those who have willingly accepted this mark will later be afflicted with an illness that will cause great discomfort and that those who are so afflicted will seek death and not find it.
There are still those who call themselves Christian, who are more than willing to freely take this Mark. Despite knowing God’s warnings about doing so they try to justify it by saying such things as, “God will understand. He will understand that I needed to take it so I can feed and clothe my family and provide shelter for them as well.” Sure, God will understand alright. He will understand that you have deliberately chosen to go against what He said not to do, and did it anyone for your own selfish reasons. He will further understand that it represents that rejection of God and those who take it have literally and irrevocably given themselves and their souls to Satan, and there is no redemption for such individuals. These individuals will find everlasting damnation waiting for them.
When it comes down to it, will you or will you not willing take the Mark of the Beast? Will you stand for God and risk everything for Him, or will you take the Mark knowing full well that it stands for the rejection of God and all that He represents? When the time comes, there will be NO middle ground. You will either refuse it and stand for God, or you will take it and become Satan’s forever.
25 January 2016
Are you? Well, are you? Are you saved? Are you washed clean in the Blood of Christ? Are you one of God’s Children? Are you one that will follow His Words and do as He instructs us? Or…
Are you? Are you one of those who have rejected Christ and all He stands for? Are you one of those who will die in their sins and go into everlasting damnation and eternal punishment because you thought you didn’t need Christ! Or…
Are you? Are you one who will now repent of their sins and realize that without Christ you are nothing and have nothing to look forward to? Are you one that desires eternal life and salvation with Christ by grace through faith? Now is the time to decide. There is no waiting, for Christ can return at any time and if you wait too long it will be too late.
01 February 2016
There are those who have the erroneous notion that if something is not in the Bible then it is not of God and that we, as God’s children, should have nothing to do with it. I see this attitude usually applied to alternative of non-traditional forms of medicine and healing, such as herbs, chiropractors, acupuncture, and so on. They also apply this to many other things in our daily lives.
This is pure nonsense and this teaching is found nowhere within the Bible. This is simply another made up manmade doctrine that has found its way into many churches, especially the cults. It is used to control and limit what is available in the world to others.
Many of those churches that follow after this false teaching are themselves in violation of it every single day. For example, do they use electricity, running water, as well as sewer and septic? Do they drive a car? Do they use a computer? Well, taking them at their own teaching, none of these things are found anywhere within the Bible so they all must be wrong.
This is silly I know, but if you want to apply this teaching to some things then you need to apply it to all things. God has given mankind the wisdom and knowledge to create and make things to use, amny of which are not even mentioned in the Bible. Just because the Bible does not mention or discuss something, does not necessarily mean it is evil and should be avoided. A little common sense needs to be applied here. The Bible is the final authority and has all the answers for everything that we may come across in our lives, both physical and spiritual. If something is not mentioned in the Bible, then we must prove or test it out and apply Biblical principles to it. Does it in any way, shape, or form contradict any Biblical teaching, no matter how slight? If there is nothing about it that goes against any Biblical teaching, then usually it is fine for us. For example, just because the Bible does not mention something like electricity does not mean it is evil. It is what we do with it or how we use it that may be evil. In and of itself electricity is not evil. We must apply this same principle to things we come across that are not mentioned n the Bible. In this manner can we fully enjoy and utilize the things and knowledge and wisdom that God has given man for us to use.
08 February 2016
There are many churches that claim they are the one and only true church of God and that all others are wrong. And then there are even others that make the same claims. In addition to claiming to be the one and only true church, they all have something else in common. They all have teachings and doctrines that are not found in the Bible. They will tell you that these are newer teachings for the modern age, and that some or even all of what is found in the Bible is old fashioned and obsolete. Many will call themselves a Christian Church, and yet there is very little, if anything, that is Christian about them. They will be all about numbers and control of their members. They will have some truth, but many falsehoods and erroneous teachings. Many of the churches we see arising all over fall into this category. They are nothing but manmade false religions and cults.
If we look at this Biblically there is no single Christian Church or denomination that can legitimately make the claim of being the One and Only Church of God. We even find this fact in the Bible. In fact we don’t see this just once, but many times with numerous examples.
Just as the body has many parts, so does the True Church of God, which has many churches under and within it. The way to be sure about a Christian Church is to ask these questions: Do they emphasis Christ above all else? Do they tell you the truth that Christ is the one and only incarnate Son of the Living God? Do they tell you that works is worthless and that no one can buy or earn their way to eternal life? Do they tell you that through the Blood of Christ, by grace through faith alone, can you achieve eternal salvation and forgiveness of your sins? If they do not teach all of these, or have other teachings in their place or alongside them, then they should be avoided, for they are not of God!
We can call ourselves a Baptist, a Catholic, a Lutheran, a Methodist, or something else, but in the end it does not matter. If we are true believers in Christ and have truly been washed clean in the Blood of Christ, then our denomination or where we go to Church makes no difference. For as a Christian, then we are ALL one in the Body of Christ, now and forever.
15 February 2016
Every year around this time many people in America start grumbling and complaining, more than they do the rest of the year. Why? Because it is tax time once again! Many people needlessly get so stressed out over nothing. Many will wait until the very last minutes then try to get done what they should have done weeks before. People will complain that taxes are illegal and we should not have to pay them. Some will claim that we have no real or fair representation regarding taxes and that we are taxed unfairly. Yes it does seem that some of what people are saying may be true to some extent. Yes it does look like the government goes out of its way to find methods to use to take more of our money under the guise of taxes. Yes it does seem that we are being unfairly taxed and have no representation. But none of these are valid reasons to just suddenly stop paying your taxes, as long as the courts, police, military, Etc., back them up, then we are obliged to pay them, and pay them honestly and truthfully.
There are even those who claim that, “Since we are Christians we have no Biblical reason to be paying these taxes” or that “the Bible does not tell us to pay them!” On the contrary, these people are making a very dangerous and erroneous mistake. The Bible does tell us to give to the government what is theirs, including taxes!
In Scripture it is even recorded where Christ paid tribute money when required. He made sure what was paid was a fair amount. As well as His own words in regards to our paying taxes.
As Christians, we are compelled to follow Biblical and Scriptural teachings. When dealing with our taxes, we are to do them honestly. Yes there are tax breaks and deductions that we may take advantage of, but we must do so honestly! Be fair with your taxes (even though the government may not be fair to us). Do not cheat the government (even though the government cheats us). Remember as a Christian you are a representative of Christ, so do as Christ would do.
29 February 2016
The world has rejected God and His Son Jesus Christ! They have turned against Biblical teaching and are following after and embracing perversion and evil. As a result we can see how the world seems to be becoming a darker and darker place every day. What was once considers good is now being called wrong and evil. At the same time we are seeing things that are evil being called good and wholesome.
We see many, especially politicians around election time, claiming to be Christian. Yet their beliefs and the things they stand for and do are definitely not Christian, and go totally against Biblical teaching. Yes some of these individuals may be able to quote Biblical Scripture and try to use it to justify their anti-Biblical attitudes and actions, but to those who do understand the Bible see right through these pretenses. They see the fact that no matter what these individuals quote from the Bible or how many times they say how Christian and Bible believing they are, that they are just empty and meaningless words.
They there are those who claim to be Christian and know all the words and right things to say and o, but in reality are not. They make this false claim as a way to get close to real Christians and them try to put doubt into their minds concerning Christ, the Bible, and their salvation. And some do it as a way to just cause trouble and make it look like all Christians are as they are.
All of these are just what Satan and his followers use to cast doubt to unbelievers about God and the Bible and to cause problems and difficulties within the Body of Christ among those of us who are saved in the Blood of Christ!
The Word of God warns us to be watchful and careful of these counterfeits and to be cautious against them and their false teachings. We are further told to stand up against them and their evil and expose them for what they are. We are to trust in God and always keep His Word in our Hearts and in our lives.
07 March 2016
The one main distinction between Christianity and the manmade religions is that we believe and know and profess that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. There is NO other way to obtain salvation. All other ways lead to eternal damnation and the wrath of God!
Many will argue that Christianity is itself a religion. The fact is this is simply not true! Christianity is NOT a religion. Christianity IS a relationship between man and God. Christianity is where God tells man what to believe and do, how to live, and so on. Religion is where man tells God what he will believe and do and then reject any Scriptural teaching that does not go along with what they want. To justify not following any particular Scripture they claim that when the Bible was being translated that this, among many others, translation errors were added to the Bible and changed what was really said. Of course there is NO proof of this.
Many who claim to be a Bible-believing Christian claim that they have received Salvation through Christ, but at the same time say that Christ is just one of the numerous ways in which we may receive eternal life. This is simply not true. These other ways are a lie, a snare put out there by Satan to keep people away from the truth, and keep them in bondage to sin. Christ and Christ alone is the only way to salvation. Anyone who says differently is a liar and is deceived by Satan. Just as Christ Himself told us that the strait (narrow) road and gate lead to eternal salvation (meaning one way alone to salvation) and the wide road and gate leads to destruction (trying to gain salvation through other ways), as a means to warn us about these deceivers and false teachers, so that we may be ready when these deceptions come our way.
Stand firm in your belief and the fact that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. No matter what others say or how they may try to dissuade you, you know the truth. Stick to it and know that Christ is right there with you. With Christ on our side, we can never fail.
14 March 2016
There are those who claim that there are hidden codes and messages throughout the Bible. That only a selected few have been given the knowledge and ability to decipher these codes and find out what the Bible is really telling and teaching us. They are more than willing to use their code(s) and give you many examples, claiming that this is “proof” that what they are saying is true.
These so-called codes and hidden messages are nothing but a bunch of nonsense. Any of these codes that they claim to use to decipher the messages hidden within the pages of the Bible can be used to make it say anything you want. When something does not decipher the way they want it to, they claim it is simply because another code is needed. Using this methodology you can make any message you want to appear in what is already written.
These are just further attempts to take away from the validity and divinity of God’s Holy Word, The Bible. At the same time, those who have “created” these codes and making a fortune off of them in God’s name.
God does not need to hide His teachings. He does not need to put hidden messages or teachings within the Bible. God does not need to have someone come up with a code to explain His true teachings. What the Bible says and teaches, is done in such a way that anyone can understand what we, as followers of Christ and real Children of God, need to know. Those who claim otherwise, are not of God and are guilty of teaching falsehoods and leading people away from the truth. Do not put your trust in manmade codes and hidden teachings. Trust God openly and honestly and He will never lead you astray.
Proverbs 3:5-6
21 March 2016
To many this week is Holy Week. The week in which Christ was betrayed by one of His followers, arrested, crucified and rose from the dead. To the world this is nonsense and foolishness. They claim that if Christ did exist, once He was dead that was it, He was dead and nothing more happened after that. They claim that the facts presented in the Word of God as to the resurrection of Jesus Christ are just a fairy tale. Those who reject Christ and these proven Biblical facts are fools in the eyes of God. They are blinded to the truth and prefer to follow after darkness and all of the false promises it has to offer. Yet there are also those who say that if Christ did indeed rise from the dead, then it was only as a spirit, and was not done physically. Again denying the power and divine nature of Christ and ignoring Biblical truth. We know for a fact that when Christ rose from the dead, that He was raised in the same body in which He was crucified, and after His Resurrection He spent time with His apostles. Hold fast to the proven facts and truth about Christ’s Resurrection and ignore and shame anything different that the world has to say.
28 March 2016
The church seems to be full of hypocrites and Pharisees. It seems they have infected almost every church, and most definitely the false religions and cults. Many of them have a “holier-than-thou” attitude and feel they have to right to judge anyone and anything they want to because they are better than everyone else. They will often twist Scripture and take it out of context in an attempt to justify their action and words.
One such example of their arrogance and attitude towards others that are not of their particular group or organization is to go out of their way to judge and ridicule and belittle others. If they know of a single unwed mother or woman who is pregnant, they will, out of the clear blue sky, start pestering, condemning, and name calling her for having sex out of wedlock and then jump all over her for getting pregnant in the first place. They will do so without even knowing the facts or the whole story. To them the facts do not matter since they only want to belittle, shame, condemn, and call the person names.
Another such example happened a few years ago. A single teenage girl found herself pregnant. The baby was not her fiancé’s and her and the fiancé never had sexual relations. Now I can image how these same types of individuals would treat this teenager and her fiancé since they think they are better than everyone else and have the right to judge anyone they choose. By the way when the baby was born, her mother names Him Jesus.
These people may think they are entitled to do this and worse, but in reality they are in great error and guilty of committing great sin. They violate the Word of God and the teachings of Christ! Yes what she did is wrong, but their actions and attitude towards her will not change the fact. If instead of condemning and bad mouthing a woman in this situation, they should at least be congratulating her for not murdering the unborn child, and encourage her to see the pregnancy through.
There is nothing in Scripture or anywhere else that justifies the ungodly attitude these individuals exhibit to others. They think they are justified in acting like Pharisees. They forget, or choose not to remember, that Christ condemned the Pharisees and their actions and attitudes. These people need to repent immediately of their evil and ungodly ways and embrace the real Christ as found in the Bible. They need to get rid of their “holier-than-thou” attitudes and show the love and compassion that Christ commands and expects His Children to show towards others.
04 April 2016
Many, if not all, of the hypocrites and Pharisees just love to twist the meaning of Scripture and take it out of context as their needs may require. We see this same thing also taking place within the cults and other false religions. As Christians and Children of the Living God, we are NOT to misrepresent what Scripture says. We are NOT to take it out of context, and we are most definitely NOT to add to or take away from Scripture. Anyone who does so, no matter what their intentions are, is guilty of a great sin against God and against His Word. No one, absolutely no one, has the right or authority to misrepresent or twist Scripture to suit their own needs or to make changes to God’s Word no matter what their reasoning may be.