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Intro: Please, do not start off on the wrong foot here by taking offence to the title; I am not for a moment suggesting all Christians are liars, or Jesus is a fake. This is not to say that Christianity itself is a lie, for the original gospel of Jesus given to the disciples was indeed the truth, but modern teachings of this original gospel is where the lie comes from. Because of the false beliefs and doctrines of Christianity, I am now forced not to regard myself a Christian, but rather a follower of Jesus the Christ and the bible. This incorporates many subjects which hopefully we can get into later one at a time, but it's at this stage important to at least realize that false beliefs can adversely effect the journey of the soul, making your journey somewhat in vain even in some cases. Now whether some of these false beliefs, all of these beliefs, or none of these beliefs are worrying God all that much, I am not to judge, but simply to point them out. For example; if one was to believe they need to keep the seventh day Sabbath, then I don't see a problem with this so long as they follow they main core teaching of Jesus which is to love God and love their neighbor. On the other hand, if one was to 'teach' that this is a mandatory condition of salvation, then I would have definite concerns about that, and suspect God would not support it either. But who am I to judge, or you for that matter, what God would support in any particular instance anyway. There are some things we feel we know for certain, but just can't explain why for certain. It's like a gut feeling that we are compelled to follow. Maybe it's the "writing of Gods laws on our hearts" that claims responsibility, I cant be sure, but I strongly feel in my heart of hearts that following a bunch of laws, whether given by God or not, can inadvertently stand in the way of the spiritual advancement of ones soul. That's what happened to the Pharisees of old, they felt higher than the rest because they kept 99.9% of the laws, but failed on the most important two which Jesus taught, and that was to love God and your neighbor... hence the parable of the good Samaritan. So you see then, by following laws we will never get there; only by our goodness and faith in what Jesus has already done for us, while remembering always that it is this very act of our Savior that is the root cause of our goodness, can we ever succeed in God's plan. It is by these laws and rules I believe, impressed upon us by the church organizations of today, that lump us with these very over fastidious Pharisees that Jesus had to deal with 2000 years ago. Lets now move on and look at some of these Christian lies coming from the church organizations.
The greatest lie of all; The church organization itself. Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. As believers in God, and saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, we are a new being in a new agreement with God...a "New Covenant". According to Jeremiah, this new covenant does not require and form of "outward" action, like reading scriptures, performing rituals, keeping laws, or going to a religious institution because from now on, our relationship with God will be personal...He will put His law on the inward parts (heart), and there will no longer be a need for teachers (clergy) to know God.
Now, please open up your bibles and search for any mention at all of the word church or synagogue in the old testament. There is not one single instance of such an organization. It's not until Mathew 12:9 that the word synagogue is even mentioned, and Matthew 16:18 that church is mentioned, and it is the misunderstanding of this very verse that modern day church organizations have been built upon. We will explore that soon, but first lets determine what a synagogue is. Agreed, it is a meeting place... but what for? It was merely a place some Jews conjured up themselves as an extension (so to speak) of the temple. A place .. (1.) of prayer, which
formed a kind of liturgy, there were in all eighteen prayers;
( we now can pray anytime anywhere on our own) The synagogue was also sometimes used as a court of judicature, in which the rulers presided (Mat_10:17; Mar_5:22; Luk_12:11; Luk_21:12; Act_13:15; Act_22:19); and also as public schools. Its certainly not a place where one must go in order to qualify as a Christian. Although Christ and his disciples frequently taught in the synagogues (Mat_13:54; Mar_6:2; Joh_18:20; Act_13:5, Act_13:15, Act_13:44; Act_14:1; Act_17:2-4, Act_17:10, Act_17:17; Act_18:4, Act_18:26; Act_19:8), there is no other reason to believe it is a place for the worship of God (although this was performed by the Jews) according to Jesus, or give money. The worship of the Christian Church was later modeled after that of the synagogue, with many added features like decoration, priests and their garb, and musical choir etc. The synagogue required no priest to minister; this and the reading of the Old Testament prepared the way for the gospel. Sometimes a wealthy Jew or a proselyte built the synagogue ... not an organization. The essential aim, however, of the synagogue was not prayer, but instruction in the Law for all classes of the people. Some maintain that the synagogue began in the days of Moses, but surely if this was so there would be some mention of it through out the Old Testament on a regular basis, if not once or twice at least. There is no proof from the bible or the history books that they existed much before Jesus' time, so for the first 4000 years of scriptural history, it was apparently not required to have weekly gatherings to worship and sing praises to God. The fact that the synagogue was primarily a place of learning about God does show it to be a good idea maybe, but certainly not compulsory by God's standards, otherwise there would have been a whole lot more about it in the Old Testament. Did Moses or the prophets go to church? Well if they did, there is no record of it. As we know by the New Testament, the synagogue was also a court where the rulers judged. Luk_12:11; Act_9:2, Mat_10:17; Mat_23:34; Act_22:19; Act_26:11 In summary I must say the synagogues of the Jews were not to be known for their holiness like many see the Christian churches of today, but merely a common place for like minded Jews to meet, learn, judge, and even worship and prayer. Jesus taught in the synagogues not for the pureness of the place, but because of convenience. He would always find many Jews there to listen to Him and receive the truth, so they might spread the word. It was only for the common ground, and the fact the Jews were the lost sheep of Israel, is why He went there at all. Now the temple spoken of in the Old Testament is another story; it is a holy place of God.
The difference between a synagogue, a church, and The Temple spoken of in the bible is profound indeed. We see that the synagogues and churches are firstly inspired of man while the Temple is of God, and secondly that the Temple is a "one of" building compared to the many of the churches and synagogues. Lastly, and most importantly we see clearly and without doubt, that only the Temple is holy; the others are mere stone and mortar... a convenience. Was it a curtain in a synagogue or a church that signified the end of the old covenant when Jesus died on the cross? No, it was of the only temple of God on earth; the holy Temple in Jerusalem. As law in those days, it was considered mandatory as a Jew to visit on certain occasions while it was still standing at least, and had been ever since Solomon as part of the law, but thanks to Jesus it is now considered redundant so the church of today cannot use this practice as a reason to build church buildings. The new Temple of God is within us and remains holy. So we can be confident in believing that the church organization and buildings of today are not a place where we are required of God to attend or even give money to, but, it is a place where you can go to learn about what man says about God. Personally, I am wary of what others say about God; I prefer to hear what God says about God. We as true believers are not required to be taught by priests anymore according to the New Covenant brought by Jesus as all we need to know now is written on our hearts by God Himself, with no interference by man. Now we have the privilege to know God personally and not have to go by what others say; it's called grace. Where God once relied on special men throughout the Old Testament to speak for Him, now because of His mercy and grace and love for His people, we can listen to Him personally via His Holy Spirit. Glory to God.
Another lie...2nd Advent of Christ: It is commonly believed today that Jesus has not come yet, and that He will come, in the flesh, at a future time to rule the whole physical world in His physical body. How could this possibly be correct when Jesus Himself preached that the Kingdom of heaven was NOT of this world? He clearly reminds us several times that heaven is a SPIRITUAL place, and Paul confirms this (not that there is any reason to confirm anything Jesus says) when he said 'flesh and blood cannot enter heaven. Unfortunately this is a fairy tale devised to tickle the fancy of believers in Jesus Christ and keep them in the dark so they will have false hope and continue to attend church and support them financially. I have my reasons why this delusion is imposed on us, but prefer to keep that to myself...at least for now that is. Those who are inclined...will follow, because their hearts are not pure and seek not the truth. They believe what MAN says about Jesus, but refuse to believe Jesus Himself. They take the words that Jesus spake, and turn them all about in all sorts of directions and meanings, to lead people away from the truth. I hear you say...oh God would not let that happen, and why would God allow His people to believe a lie? Simple answer is because they do not seek the truth with a pure heart, but rather with a self centred and carnal attitude. People just cant seem to get it through their thick heads that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. It is a spiritual world only. If people would stick to what God says instead of trying to makes His words say what they WANT them to say, then they would easily understand... if in fact they really want to understand that is. Once you accept that the flesh dies and the spirit lives, then you have to accept that eternal life is in the spirit. Just forget about the bible for one second while you focus on the ways and will of God. Now then, why would God want to come to earth and rule over flesh people? Is it the flesh or the spirit that God is interested in? Is it the flesh or the spirit that Jesus refers to when speaking of life? If it was the flesh, then God would have made us to last forever and Jesus would have had no reason to leave us. This body that we live in is God's way of knowing how far we will go to love and obey Him. Like Jesus for example, He went to the cross IN His body, to show obedience to the Father, and that is why He has ALL authority in heaven and earth. If we can follow in His way and truth, then we too can have authority and power and eternal life in spirit...just like Jesus. What we need to do as truth seekers is simple... be like Him. If Jesus was to come thousands of years later, or there was to be a rapture of the saints, would not Jesus, being the main focus and seeing the enormous importance of the subject, not speak of these things? I mean He spoke of how we should keep His commandments, and how we should have faith and how we should repent... why not complete the story by telling us about His return? Well He actually did tell us in plain and simple terms, but we refuse to believe Him and follow the ways of man. Lets look at a few points regarding this matter. 1/ Is eternal life spiritual or physical? The bible, Jesus, science, and of course our own minds, tells us that the flesh rots away and disappears while the spirit lives on after, so why in the name of truth would we want to believe a whole lot of fairy tale garbage about living forever in our bodies with a physical Jesus in a physical place? Nowhere in the bible or science does this notion appear, and so it should not be in our thoughts either unless maybe we are toddlers being lead by a nose ring. Eternal life is in the Kingdom of God or heaven (both the same), not on planet earth or some planet far away. When we come to the truth that this is so, then all we have to do is find out what the Kingdom of God actually is. Jesus tells us clearly here in Luke that it is an invisible place... Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: And that it is spiritual within us...Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.And again in Matthew Jesus shows it is spiritual by what He says to the Pharisees who firstly hide this knowledge, and then because of their sin do not enter in themselves... Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.And lastly Jesus declares to Pilate that.... Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. And another for good measure... Romans 14:16-17 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Even Paul spiritualizes the Kingdom of God.
So, now that we know that eternal life is within the kingdom of God, then we also must know that eternal life is not physical but is spiritual, and this is where Jesus rules with all authority. Jesus spent most of His time preaching this gospel of the kingdom of God, but so many deny it still. It is a sad situation when we put the church organization lead by man, before the truth of eternal life lead by Jesus Christ Himself.
2/ Jesus never said He will come in the flesh. There is but one single verse in the whole bible that dispensationalist hang their lie on.. Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. If you check the meaning from the original Greek word (tropos) used here for 'manner', you will find via the Strong's concordance describes it as...mode or style. Now the style Jesus left in was "Power and Glory" which has nothing to do with the flesh. He was in Glory mode when He left, and He came in Glory when Jerusalem was destroyed. This has already happened just like Jesus said it would. When the bible spiritualizes the kingdom of God and all within, how can we make it physical? God is not physical, He is spirit, and so His whole plan of eternal life is built on spiritual things. Even Jesus said...blessed are those who believe without seeing...indicating a spiritual heaven. We will never see God while we look for the physical, but when we seek God as He really is...we see Him everywhere.
3/ The new Jerusalem This new Jerusalem is imagined by the mass as a new physical world, but in fact it is telling us that after the old Jerusalem is destroyed, a new spiritual Jerusalem will appear, and it did indeed. Jesus even goes on in more detail where He describes His people who are never in darkness under the light (truth) of God, compared to those on the outer in darkness (sin and unbelief). That's exactly what we have now people in the world today, as we have had for 2000 years nearly. Think hard on this; we have the old covenant (old Jerusalem) which was the Law and done away with by death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, and now we have the new covenant (new Jerusalem) written on our hearts by God. There is no fantasy world you wait for. This is the new Jerusalem we are experiencing today. Open your minds and hearts and you will see it clearly; Jesus has returned. He is here now if you say He is in your life. Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. You see? we are the new Jerusalem...the bride in the new covenant. Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.Are you an overcomer? If so, then you already have a new name and are part of God's new Jerusalem, abiding in the new Covenant with Jesus within you.
4/ Some more proof that Jesus has returned. Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.Do you really think God wants to confuse us? When He says at hand, does he really mean a long way off... like 2000 years or more? 1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. In the scheme of things as we know it, the world is only 6000 years old according to the bible. Now at the time Jesus said this, the world was already 4000 years old which was considered very old as the word ancient is often used to speak of the days of Moses only some 1500 years earlier. Now if 1500 years was considered ancient by new testament writers, then what would they consider 2000 years? At hand? No, it would more and likely read...Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming in a very long time. The new testament writers used words like " soon, at hand, shortly, close, and about to come" to describe the 2nd coming of Jesus. The word translated coming from the Greek word parousia, really means "presence"...not coming. This is a bad translation to fit the false doctrines of the church institutions. It is much easier to understand Jesus return as spirit when we use the correct translation as a presence rather than the false translation as a coming in the flesh. Eternal life is in the spirit...not the flesh, so why on earth would Jesus want to come in the flesh...albeit for a short time? When Jesus was addressing the disciples in Matt 24, among other things opposing futurism, He said that "this generation" would not all die before He came back. A generation in Jewish language is approximately 40 years, and that is precisely when Jesus came back in judgment against the Jews when He destroyed Jerusalem in AD70. Again I say...is God trying to confuse the disciples? No, the bible shows in many places that the believers of that day, including Paul and the disciples, all were expecting Jesus back before they died in the flesh. As it was in the end, John was alive at the fall of Jerusalem. This grand event was the sign and beginning of the new Covenant (new Jerusalem) Jesus was to make with the true believers in God. A new era of God fearing people who could worship God on and in their own time and space, under new laws set up by Jesus Christ. No more blind leading the blind, no more hypocrisy, and no more killing of the prophets because from then on they were not needed, as .... Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. That is now brethren. We have the Holy Spirit telling us what to do and convicting us of our sins that we might not sin any more. According to the last 2000 years of history, there has never been a prophet sent by God. Oh yes, plenty sent by the devil who claim that highest order of God's people, but definitely not from God. There is no need now as we have Jesus telling us what to do under God's authority. How many times have you wanted to sin in some way like think bad thoughts, or rip off some poor old widow, or steel even the smallest of things, but hear that voice saying...I am watching you? That is our Jesus speaking to us through our inward parts helping us to overcome sin. Jesus is IN YOU folks...He is here now! Don't listen to the lies of false teachers in false organizations, they just want your money. For Christ's sake, and the sake of your soul, read the bible for what it is, without the input of others, and you will easily discern the truth about the presence of Jesus in our lives today. In summary on this subject let me say categorically, that there is not one single place in the bible, or in any other writings excepting those of the Jehovah Witness and Islam, that even points to a physical earthly kingdom ruled by Jesus, in fact the contrary is true, the kingdom is within us (Luke 17:21) making it a spiritual kingdom that can be eternal. Jesus never ever said He will be back to rule a physical people on earth... all reference in Revelations to this is symbolic and apocalyptic. I mean a dragon with 10 heads? Are you kidding me? It's all typical Jewish apocalyptic language Jesus uses for typical Jewish believers.
The Great Rapture Lie Recently (sometime in 2005) there was a Christian husband and wife driving down the street somewhere in USA in their nice new car with a sunroof. On the sidewalk ahead there was a man dressed as an Arab ( apparently for a play rehearsal) holding a bunch of human look a like balloons filled with helium gas. Now these floating human look a likes got loose and stared to float off upward towards the heavens. The vision the woman in the car got was of...Jesus on the sidewalk, reaching up to the sky, as a dozen humans floated up to heaven. At seeing this she thought she was witnessing the rapture of the saints, and didn't want to miss the boat, so immediately opened the sunroof and jumped out of the speeding car into the air fully expecting to be lifted up into heaven body and all. Well no surprises to what happened next...that dear God fearing woman was killed instantly as she hit the road. Why would our Jesus let this happen? Well only He knows the hearts of man, but one thing is for sure, she was believing in a lie according to the bible, and so must suffer the consequences. Sad but true. This so called rapture is painted as a miraculous event where all believers in God are instantly taken to heaven body and all, just before Jesus returns to earth in the flesh to rule the whole world. If this were truly so, then why would Jesus take his people out of the world just before He actually comes into the world? Would it not be a better idea to leave them here considering He was coming to earth to rule anyway? Jesus said... Luk 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.So, what actually happened in the days of Noah then ... was it the good people that were taken out of the world? Absolutely not; it was all the evil that was taken out, and the good were left to re-populate the world. This is the way it has always been with God; the bad are taken and the good are left. Besides, the 'coming' of Jesus is not in the flesh, it is in the Spirit (Parousia), a presence only. This rapture theory is not even 200 years old yet anyway. It was not until 1830 that a woman named Margaret McDonald claimed she had a vision of a rapture, and it snow balled from there. Later it was recorded that she told her best friend that the vision could have come from Satan and not God...she wasn't sure. For the best part of 1800 years nobody believed in a rapture. One important factor regarding the resurrection of the saints, is that the disciples and Paul were all expecting it to happen in their day ... with all their expertness and knowledge, could they be so wrong? Surely if they walked and talked personally with Jesus, they would know what they were doing. Mar 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mar 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. For a full comprehensive study on this subject, please go here to check it out.
You know, it often astounds me that some people would be just so much against good works. If it was bad works, or even just works, then I can understand...but good works? If you do some good works, as did all the disciples, Paul the apostle, and many thousands of people since, wouldn't that be a good thing before God? Of course it would, and if it was not for good works, then Christianity itself would not exist. If we are to just believe in Christ Jesus and not take up our own cross (i.e. good works), what does this say about our faith? Please meditate on that for awhile with a pure heart and allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of the truth. This is a very important subject that the church organizations tend to ignore, especially the Pentecostal churches. If there were no good works then there would be no evidence of our faith. Remember this...even the devil believes in Jesus; just professing Jesus is Lord is no guarantee of salvation. If it was, then the devil will be saved also. James put it all in perspective when he said... Jam 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?and... Jam 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Jam 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Jam 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Jam 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Jam 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Jam 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Jam 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Jam 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Jam 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?Jam 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. By what James says here, there is no way any sincere follower of Jesus can evade the truth on good works. Our good works, or the taking up of our own cross, is the evidence of our faith, and it also shows the love of Christ in us that others can see and desire. Merely witnessing is good works in the way of Jesus. Lets take a closer look at the verse in the bible that so many lazy people use to justify their lack of action in taking up their own cross to follow The Lord Jesus. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. They tend to read verses 8 and 9 and stop there, without continuing for a full understanding. Paul of all people knew that his works was initiated by his faith, otherwise he certainly would not have risked his life the way he did, but the point he is trying to make here is that it is not by "works" alone that we are saved. Otherwise, we could commit all the sin we wanted to, and yet still be saved...which is exactly what the Roman Catholic church believes. This would be a ridiculous assumption, but Paul knew the greenness of the gentiles so it had to be said in order to prevent boasting. And don't forget that Paul was also an ex-Pharisee, so he also knew the art of boasting works, and this is why he probably raised the subject in the first place. Now, if we read on just one more verse we can see the whole picture...Paul is saying exactly the same as James, and that is "faith and good works go together. In other words, Paul is saying in verse 10 that if we do not have good works, then we do not have Christ, because in Christ we are created unto good works. It's the evidence of the presence of Christ in us.
The OSAS super lie. How this got to be part of a Christian doctrine I will never know, but one thing for sure is it is nowhere to be found in the bible. The 'once saved always saved' (OSAS) doctrine has lead more people away from the truth than all the other false doctrine put together. It gives a person a false sense of salvation that not only leads them away from God, but also makes them feel comfortable about doing so. All through the bible God uses that tiny word "if" to point the way to salvation. The Jews were told that "if" they repented they would be saved. Things have not changed, God still requires repentance as the most important ingredients for salvation. John 3:16 is used by OSAS advocates to justify their incredibly false doctrine, but they fail miserably to understand the full meaning of what John has said. If OSAS is true, then this makes Jesus and John out to be liars. Why would John say on one hand that where there is sin there is no Jesus, and then on the other hand say sinners will be saved? Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.... believeth in him Now if you believe in God, do you do Godly things or un-Godly things? Of course you do not sin because God hates sin. ... should not perish Notice it does not say will not, but rather should not perish? This goes hand in hand with what Paul says in.. Heb 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, There is that "if" word again, and that is the same reason Jesus said "should" instead of "will", because salvation can be lost IF we do not repent after knowing Jesus. It's like being unfaithful to Jesus when we sin. 1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. There is the "if" word again. So it appears that by this scripture, IF we are not in the light (truth) as Jesus is in the light, then our sin is not forgiven. Its the same as Heb 10:26 isn't it? In other words, if we profess Jesus as our saviour, then we must live as He lived and not sin. Hmmm, that will cut to the quick of some OSAS proponents. 1Jo 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. There it is folks, make up your own mind if you are born of God or not. 1Jo 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And again, we are to overcome sin through Jesus Christ who is in us and protects us from the evil one, but, IF we turn our backs on Jesus and sin wilfully, He will do the same to us come judgement day.
Often when I come against false teachers about OSAS, they will more than likely throw this following verse at me, which is a perfect example of taking a verse out of context. In it's present form it certainly looks like all mankind HAS sin in them, even after coming to the Lord. 1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But, if you put it in full context by adding verses we get the following... 1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Again we take into account that little tiny word "if" that carries with it so much power. We can now see it in context. First John says Jesus will cleanse us of all sin, and then he says if we say we have no sin then we lie. In other words he is saying if you think you have no sin (at the time of coming to the Lord) to forgive, then you are a liar, because all have sinned and fallen short. To prove this correct, we again see in verse 10 that John uses the past tense of sin...sinned, to further explain the meaning. Have no doubt my friend, this is talking about PAST sins, not future. So we do not give up hope, John also writes... 1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: So this now tells us, if we slip up from time to time (like we all do of course), Jesus still mediates on our behalf to pardon us. So, can we loose our salvation? Absolutely! Although Jesus paid for our sins past, He did not die on the cross for premeditated sins. This is made clear from scriptures all through the bible, but if you think you know better than God, then go ahead and destroy your soul in sin. 2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Speaking in Tongues Can anyone show me where it is written in the bible that the speaking in tongues is both proof of salvation and/or required to be spoken publicly today? What does Jesus say about it? Mar 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. First we put things in context once again. We can now see who Jesus is talking to and about what He is talking about, and most importantly when it will happen. Who. Jesus is talking to the disciples, not you and me. He had just appeared to them after he had risen because of their unbelief. It was the disciples who He told to go and preach the gospel to the world...not you and me. If you think this is not so, then why aren't you out their putting your life on the line preaching the gospel to the world. Go tell it to the Muslims...go on. Don't be a hypocrite and do what you say you believe. The world Jesus was talking about then was the immediate Jewish world and the Roman empire only...not the entire world as we know it. What. Jesus tells them about the supernatural gifts that the Holy Spirit will give the disciples as the spread the gospel. It would be evidence of God's power so they would believe. It was for this time only, to get the ball rolling on the new covenant for God's people. It would be a one time event at Pentecost that would prove to the then world, that Jesus is Lord and saviour of the world, and indeed it worked perfectly. Even today we still use this one time event to elevate our faith above all others. As proof of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they would cast out devils and speak in tongues. By the way, if you check out the Greek word glossa used here for tongues, you will find in the Strong's Concordance it is defined as a 'language' and not gibberish as most so proudly display in public. This was also shown to be true in Acts... Act 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Act 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Act 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Act 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.When. Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Jesus said to them; the disciples, to go into the world, so it had to be for that time only as I don't see any disciples still alive today preaching the good news. This is also a great verse to show that 'all the world' does not mean literally the whole world, but merely the Roman empire. If it did mean the entire world, then they would have to each have their own private jets to be able to achieve Jesus' request. A donkey just would not suffice. So now we have it all in context, it's not hard to realize that the gift of tongues was only meant for that time as a witness to the unbelievers of God's power. Please think seriously on this point. Is it the literal power of God in all of us to speak tongues and cast out demons that causes us to believe? Or is it that we have read about it in the bible that it happened 2000 years ago and believe. For me, and I suspect you also, it is the latter. I have never cast out a demon, and I have never spoken a foreign language without a pagan teacher to show me how. So does this mean I am not of God? Well it does if you believe what Jesus said was for you and me today. Go and pick up a live rattle snake, or eat some poison and see what happens. Our proof of God is not what He can do for us today, but what He has already done for us 2000 years ago. Sure He does things for us today, but they are not supernatural things like He did for the disciples...they are things according to His Holy Laws. We are today the product of yesterday.
On one hand your Pastor will tell you the Law was done away with at the cross, and on the other they will tell you the law of tithe must be kept. I wonder if it had nothing to do with money, wether they would still insist it must be kept. Oh, the hypocrisy of it all. The tithing laws was part of the old covenant laws laid down by Moses and was only mentioned by Jesus in this way as He had not yet ushered in the new covenant. Jesus even speaks of the woman who gave ALL she had instead of only 10%. Some important points to remember:
We can conclude from reviewing the New Testament scriptures that although there is support for the sharing of material wealth with the ministry, there is no conclusive proof in the New Testament to support the inclusion of the Old Covenant tithing principle in Christian teaching. Giving today becomes a conscience vote, if you feel inclined to thank God for your blessings received from Him, then feel free to give what you can, but be sure it is God who is getting it. In many cases today, especially in Pentecostal circles, the money finishes up as a new car or house furnishings for the preacher and his friends. Those preaching in America and Australia the prosperity gospel, will one day have to explain their greed to their Judge and Creator.
When you enter a church these days, what do you see that distinguishes it from other buildings? Could it be the huge cross set up on the stage or on a stain glass window? Or is it the tall spiral steeple at the entrance to the building? Or maybe its the statue of Jesus or Mary sitting somewhere strategically in the church like the pulpit or organ or wherever, for all to see to make them feel all religious.
Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
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