In Part One of this blog, allegations were answered that Daniel and Ashpenaz, Jonathan and David, and Naomi and Ruth were engaged in homosexual relationships. The Biblical "evidence" was found not only wanting, but downright spurious. Some people find what they want to find in the Bible, whether it is there or not.
The first thing I am going to do is respond to an important side issue found in the letter my friend recieved. To quote the letter, "In Genesis 2:24: 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' (KJV)
"Many anti-same sex marriage supporters use this as evidence that God intended marriage should be only between a man and a woman." If it is only "many" who use this argument to support that position, I find that weird. I thought everyone who does not believe in "gay marriage" uses that verse. It is a completely valid argument. That marriage is only to be between a man and a woman is exactly what the verse says!
The argument that Ruth "clave to" Naomi was dealt with in Part One of this blog.
In about 1994, my father asked me to give him a summary of what the Bible says about homosexuality. There are about 150 verses legitimately dealing with the subject. Not one good thing is said about it in any of the 66 books of the Bible.
Three things will now be examined that the Bible really says about homosexuality: 1) It is called an "abomination" by God, 2) God destroys cultures that engage in and encourage it, and 3) Like any sin, if it is not repented of, it will send a person to hell, and keep him out of heaven.
1) The first thing is, God calls homosexuality an abomination. He said in Leviticus 18:22, "Thou shalt not lie down with mankind as with womankind: it is abonimination." The word translated abomination, toebah, means disgusting, an abhorance, and in The Interlinear Bible, it is translated detestable. It is something that God detests, abhors, and finds disgusting!
2) Secondly, God destroyed Sodom for engaging in and encouraging homosexual practices. Sodom and Gomorrah are the most obvious examples. Genesis 13: 12 and 13 says, "Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the people of Sodom were wicked and sinners before God exceedingly." It cannot even be grasped how evil and wicked that culture was. The people were EXCEEDINGLY wicked!
The reason Sodom was destroyed had a lot more to do than with a lack of hospitality, as the homosexuals allege (this is also true), as the cause. That is a relatively minor sin, compared to the sexual. By the time the the events of chapter 19 took place, Lot was, if not a town leader, at least very prominent among the Sodomites. In chapter 18, Three men visit Abraham and tell him "Because the cry of Sodom and Gommorah is great, and because their sin is grievous, I will go down and see if they have done according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know." Abraham tries to bargain with God for the life of Sodom, knowing his nephew Lot is living there.
In chapter 19, On the same evening Lot entertains the same men in his house Abraham had that day. After they were inside eating dinner, the Sodomites surrounded the house (v.4) and demanded Lot bring the men out, "That we may know them." What the Sodomites wanted was not a simple "meet and greet," but they wanted to use the men sexually. The word for know, yada, has a number of connotations, one of which could have been "meet and greet," but was also an euphamism for sex, as in Genesis 4:1, "And Adam knew his wife; and she conceived," and 4:17, "And Cain knew is wife; and she conceived."
We know the sexual connotation is meant here because, if this were a simple "meet and greet," why would Lot have replied in verse 7, "I pray you brethren, do not so wickedly," then offer his two daughters "which have not known men?" Lot knew exactly what they wanted and the lengths they would go to to get the men. Lot's moral compromise with the lives of his daughters was terrible, but he was trying to protect his guests.
The Sodomites tried to break Lot's door down to get to the men. The men pulled Lot back inside and with the power of God, struck the Sodomites with blindness. Then they told lot to get his family and get out of Sodom. At sunrise, Lot entered the city of Zoar (v.23).
Then fell the judgment of God. "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground" (vs. 24 and 25). This was total destruction, total judgment. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."
This was clearly a judgment of the culture of Sodom and Gomorrah in large part for not just tolerating homosexuality, but for actively embracing the lifestyle.
3. Lastly, homosexuality is a sin against God which will keep a person out of heaven and send him to hell. There are homosexual churches which justify the sin, but that does not mean their members are true Christians. It probably means they are not.
In Romans 1:18-32 it will be seen that the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The part that will be concentrated on will be verses 26-28 and 32. Verses 26-28 read, For this cause (men turning away from the true God to worship idols) God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not conmvenient. We see from this passage that God has an extremely low opinion of homosexuality. It is so serious to Him that becuse of it He turns men over to a reprobate mind (a mind rejected by Him) so they are filled with the sin in verses 29-31.
The end result is that these people, "Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Not only do people do things worthy of death, but they take pleasure when they see or hear about others doing them! They are entertained by it. Television is full of it!
Homosexuality is sin as much as heterosexual adultery is sin. Both will send you to hell. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians 6:9 and 10 tell us, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdon of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effiminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals), nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." It is true. Everyone has sinned, and all it takes is one sin to cause one not to inherit the kingdom of God, i.e. go to heaven. Homosexuality makes the list.
But there is hope even for the homosexual. Verse 11 says, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
spirit of our God."The Corinthians Church had people in it who had been delivered from the homosexual lifestyle: "Such were some of you." They are new creations in Christ, born again by the Spirit of God.
Friends, sin is a very serious matter with God. The whole reason Jesus came to earth was to deliver men from their sin. He died on the cross to deliver you from your sin. It does not matter what you have done, or how many times you have done it. If you will put you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ rigth now, He will save you, and yo will be on the road to heaven. You may not have tomorrow. II Corinthians 6:2 says, (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
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Thursday, May 7, 2009
Homosexuality in the Bible, Part One
A friend of mine wrote to me on Facebook requesting my help with some arguments a friend of his gave saying the Bible supports homosexuality.
The argument is the Bible mentions three relationships that are claimed to be homosexual. They say Ruth and Naomi had a lesbian relationship, and there were homosexual relationships between King David and Jonathan, and Daniel and Ashpenaz, the prince of the eunuchs. These will be dealt with in reverse order.
Daniel 1:9 - "Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (King James Version).
II Samuel 1:26 - "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."
Ruth 1:14 - "And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law (Naomi); but Ruth clave unto her."
These are the Passages alleged to give support to the claims of homosexuals that their lifestyle is somehow okay with God. These allegations are far from the truth.
First, we see what the Bible says about the relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz. The Interlinear Bible translates Daniel 1:9 this way, "And God had given Daniel kindness and compassion before the prince of the eunuchs." The passage says absolutely nothing whatsoever about a sexual relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz. The word translated "tender love" is racham, which simply means compassion. It is NOT a reference to sexual orientation in any way, shape or form.
The second instance of alleged homosexuality mentioned as "legitimate" is the relationship between King David and Saul's son, Jonathan. Jonathan's love for David, was "passing the love of women." The word translated "love" in II Samuel 1:26 is ahabah (starts with the letter aleph), meaning affection. Jonathan affection for David passed the affection of women. Men have affection for one another that is not in any way remotely sexual. There are many men I have affection for, but not one of them would I want to go to bed with! If David had meant sexual relations, he would have used the word agabah (starts with the letter ayin), which is sexual love. The words do not have the same meaning. Therefore David was NOT talking about a homosexual relationship with Jonathan, but affection between best friends. This in no way Biblically legitimizes the homosexual lifestyle.
We now come to the "lesbian" lifestyle of Ruth and Naomi. This is one of the most pathetic interpretive graspings at straws I have come across in all my nearly 40 years of studying the Scriptures! The writer of the letter to my friend takes one sentence in Ruth 1:14 out of context and says, "Ruth 1:14, referring to the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, mentions that 'Ruth clave unto her' (KJV). Clave in this instance is the past tense of cleave used above to show the joining of man ands woman." This last sentence is a reference to Genesis 2:24, which will be covered subsequently.
"Ruth clave unto her" in the context in no way even implies a lesbian relationship. The verb dabaq (to cleave) has more than one meaning. Yes, it does mean to adhere or cling to, which is the meaning in Genesis 2:24 without question. But in this context, it means to follow close (hard after), and perhaps pursue hard.
In the context Naomi (a Jew) is leaving Moab, where she has lived for 20 years and raised a family. Her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion have died, leaving Naomi with Orpah and Ruth, her daughters-n law. She is about to return to her homeland, Israel. Orpah kissed her goodbye, but "Ruth clave unto her." In verse 15, Naomi asks Ruth to go back to her own people as Orpah had done. But in verse 16 and 17, "And Ruth said, 'Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.'"
Ruth was very determined to stay with Naomi. She was, according to verse 18, "steadfastly minded to go with her." This means she "clave" to Naomi, i.e., followed close after, her. It is ridiculous to postulate a lesbian relationship between them. That is pure speculation and rationalization and nothing more; all smoke and mirrors. No substance.
There was no homosexual relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz, or David and Jonathan, and no lesbian relationship between Ruth and Naomi.
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The argument is the Bible mentions three relationships that are claimed to be homosexual. They say Ruth and Naomi had a lesbian relationship, and there were homosexual relationships between King David and Jonathan, and Daniel and Ashpenaz, the prince of the eunuchs. These will be dealt with in reverse order.
Daniel 1:9 - "Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (King James Version).
II Samuel 1:26 - "I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."
Ruth 1:14 - "And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law (Naomi); but Ruth clave unto her."
These are the Passages alleged to give support to the claims of homosexuals that their lifestyle is somehow okay with God. These allegations are far from the truth.
First, we see what the Bible says about the relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz. The Interlinear Bible translates Daniel 1:9 this way, "And God had given Daniel kindness and compassion before the prince of the eunuchs." The passage says absolutely nothing whatsoever about a sexual relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz. The word translated "tender love" is racham, which simply means compassion. It is NOT a reference to sexual orientation in any way, shape or form.
The second instance of alleged homosexuality mentioned as "legitimate" is the relationship between King David and Saul's son, Jonathan. Jonathan's love for David, was "passing the love of women." The word translated "love" in II Samuel 1:26 is ahabah (starts with the letter aleph), meaning affection. Jonathan affection for David passed the affection of women. Men have affection for one another that is not in any way remotely sexual. There are many men I have affection for, but not one of them would I want to go to bed with! If David had meant sexual relations, he would have used the word agabah (starts with the letter ayin), which is sexual love. The words do not have the same meaning. Therefore David was NOT talking about a homosexual relationship with Jonathan, but affection between best friends. This in no way Biblically legitimizes the homosexual lifestyle.
We now come to the "lesbian" lifestyle of Ruth and Naomi. This is one of the most pathetic interpretive graspings at straws I have come across in all my nearly 40 years of studying the Scriptures! The writer of the letter to my friend takes one sentence in Ruth 1:14 out of context and says, "Ruth 1:14, referring to the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, mentions that 'Ruth clave unto her' (KJV). Clave in this instance is the past tense of cleave used above to show the joining of man ands woman." This last sentence is a reference to Genesis 2:24, which will be covered subsequently.
"Ruth clave unto her" in the context in no way even implies a lesbian relationship. The verb dabaq (to cleave) has more than one meaning. Yes, it does mean to adhere or cling to, which is the meaning in Genesis 2:24 without question. But in this context, it means to follow close (hard after), and perhaps pursue hard.
In the context Naomi (a Jew) is leaving Moab, where she has lived for 20 years and raised a family. Her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion have died, leaving Naomi with Orpah and Ruth, her daughters-n law. She is about to return to her homeland, Israel. Orpah kissed her goodbye, but "Ruth clave unto her." In verse 15, Naomi asks Ruth to go back to her own people as Orpah had done. But in verse 16 and 17, "And Ruth said, 'Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.'"
Ruth was very determined to stay with Naomi. She was, according to verse 18, "steadfastly minded to go with her." This means she "clave" to Naomi, i.e., followed close after, her. It is ridiculous to postulate a lesbian relationship between them. That is pure speculation and rationalization and nothing more; all smoke and mirrors. No substance.
There was no homosexual relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz, or David and Jonathan, and no lesbian relationship between Ruth and Naomi.
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Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Consecration Camps
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." He was preparing His disciples for what He knew He was going to do. He was to be crucified, to be the sacrifice for the sin of the whole of humanity.
This would have implications for His disciples, because they were chosen to take His message of redemption to the world. Church tradition tells us that all but one of the twelve original Apostles (John) died violent deaths at the hands of those they ministered to, and several were crucified. For instance, Peter, at his own request, was crucified upside-down, because he said he was not worthy to die the same way his Lord did. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross, and today this form of design is known as St. Andrew's cross.
Today we must be reminded that the cross is more than a design for jewelry, or a motif for stained-glass church windows. We have lost sight of the fact that it was the most excruciatingly painful means of execution ever invented by man. Even before men were nailed to the cross the Romans had additional tortures for them, and many did not survive to get to the cross. Their naked backs were whipped with leather that had pieces of bone and rock attached to them, which ripped the skin open. So they were already heavily bleeding before they were actually on the cross. Then they were led to the place of crucifixion carrying on their backs the cross bar already tied to their arms.
At the site of the execution, they were nailed naked to the cross, and then it was shoved into a hole, which had to have had a jarring effect on the man's body. In order to breathe, he had to keep raising himself up. Some men lasted several days hanging on the cross, and occasionally a man did not die for a week. I said all that to remind people of what the cross really was. It was pure torture!
This was the way Jesus laid down His life for our sin. Now He tells each of us to "take up his cross and follow me." Does this mean every Christian is to be literally crucified? Obviously not. The way to follow Jesus is to deny yourself as He did. His life was one of total self-sacrifice, and this is what He asks of us. To follow Jesus is to live as He did, a life dedicated and consecrated to God.
I don't think most American Christians even begin to "get it" where this kind of life is concerned. We have been spoiled. To many, the notion of sacrifice means putting a little money in the offering plate on Sunday, and attending a couple of services during the week. This concerns me because we may be headed into a maelstrom of events in which monumental sacrifices will have to be made.
It is a well-known fact that in World War II, the Nazi government of Germany imprisoned Jews and dissidents in concentration camps. The brutality of the treatment of the prisoners in these camps is a fact of history. Some have tried to deny the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews and numerous others died, really happened, but the facts are too well documented to be sanely disputed. Great Christians, such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie Ten Boom, suffered greatly in these camps, and many, including Bonhoeffer, died there.
Now I have seen the possibility that the U.S. government is building concentration camps for people who cling to the Judeo-Christian heritage. Christians have been blocking the way for some evil and power-hungry men who wish to destroy the freedoms God gives us under the Constitution of the United States of America. The Christian value system is diametrically opposed to what these people wish to impose on all Americans. I hope they don't succeed, but it is possible.
I cannot read the mind of God, but I know He is in control of the situation. He has higher purposes for the good of the world than we know, and maybe He sees that the fire of persecution is what is needed to purify the American church. Is it possible He sees that American Christians have equated American values with Christianity to the point that the nation has become an idol to the Church? As terrible as this sounds, being shed of things and worldly influence could be the way to a sorely needed spiritual revival. As the Church Father Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church," - not the blood of the lukewarm (see Rev. 3:14-22)! We hope and pray it doesn't happen, but what if God allows it?
What are Christians to do if they are put in a concentration camp? I suggest that through the power of the Holy Spirit, they be turned into consecration camps. I mean that within and among ourselves we must "make sacred" the grounds for the purposes that God has set for them. I mean we do not have to be defeated by the enemy, even if the worst-case scenario happens.
This could conceivably be the time when the "greater works" (John 14:12) will be done by Christians who will be faithful in persecution. Religious persecution has been conspicuous by its absence in America. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees all of its citizens the right to worship or not worship God as they see fit. People have come to America from all parts of the world to escape religious persecution.
But those who wish to destroy freedom of religion and force others to accept their faith, such as Fundamentalist Muslims, call America the "Great Satan" and will resort to anything, including murder and torture to force Islam on others. But the truth is greater than the monumental lie of Mohammad. It may be that Islam will be forced on America, but that does not mean that it is the truth. It does not mean that Christians should throw in the towel and surrender to the enemy, even if we wind up in concentration camps. The truth of the Lord Jesus Christ is far more powerful than anything Satan has, in Islam or in anything else. Muslims can murder Christians and shout "Allahu Akhbar" ("Allah is great") all they will, but in the the end, they will discover that Allah is pathetic, and unable to protect those who worship him from the judgment of the true Lord, Jesus Christ, from the fires of Hell. I pity them, because they do not know what they are getting into.
Islam could get the upper hand, and force Sheria law on the nation. Christians would lose most of their influence politically, and be given the low dhimmi status of second-class citizens. The implications for the Christians who wish for freedom to practice their faith are terrible. Islam regards very basic Bible doctrine as blasphemy. According to the tenets of Islam, Jesus was not God in the flesh, and was not even crucified! (If you want a full picture of some of the differences between the religions, see my previous blog, "Unavoidable Blasphemy.") If the Muslims get their way, there will be no freedom of religion.
This is why concentration camps must become consecration camps. I see a day coming when the Bible will be outlawed here in the "free" U.S.A., just as it was in the old Soviet Union. We will no longer have the freedom to hold church services. Homeschooling our children will be out of the question, and will be taught either Islam or Secular Humanism. Guns will be taken from citizens, so there will be no physical protection against encroachment from government or criminals.
We will no longer be able to fight with money, influence, or physical weapons: We will not have them. But God has better weapons, spiritual weapons. The Apostle Paul, in II Corinthians 10:3-5 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds)." We American Christians have been making a serious mistake: We have used fleshly weapons to fight spiritual battles. We have depended on our own power and influence to effect change in human government rather than the power of God. This is a great sin.
Ephesians 6:10-12 tell us: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. In other words, we are not fighting against some penny-ante thugs who simply want our pocket-change. Our enemy is Satan himself and his demons, who are far stronger and more powerful than we are (apart from the power of God), and want our very souls. Carnal weapons are worthless against these enemies, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we will use God's spiritual weapons instead of clinging to our own.
We will now examine what God has given us in verses 13-18; our armor. Verse 13 is a command from the Lord: "Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Don't rely on your own puny weapons and resources to fight the enemy: If you do, you will fail. God has provided the armor and weapon to need to defeat the foe. In the consecration camps, we would need every piece.
Verse 14 says, "Stand, therefore, having your loins girt with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" In Roman armor, the girdle, or belt, was what held the armor together. It was attached to the breastplate, which protected the torso. There is an interesting prophecy in Isaiah 11:5, which says of the Messiah, "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Note the connection of righteousness with truth. You cannot have one without the other. They are tied together to protect literally everything.
In verse 15 we read, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." The armor has a pair of shoes to protect your feet. In Isaiah 52: 4-7, the Prophet says, "Thus saith the Lord God, My people went down to Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrians oppressed them without cause. Now, therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for naught? they that rule oer them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name every day is continually blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" The truth of the Gospel will trump falsehood every time. The Gospel is an extremely important piece of the armor.
In verse 16 we see another defensive weapon: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." As the old song says, "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world." Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." It may take a time of persecution to bring many of the Christians of this nation to their knees. Today, many do not diligently seek Him, but are satisfied with going to church once a week, putting a dollar in the collection plate, and just maybe praying a little on the side. This puny brand of Churchianity will not build any spiritual strength for evil times. When persecution comes, THEN will you diligently seek Him? It may be too late. Should you be put in a concentration camp, will you wilt away, or will you be able to turn it against the enemy - turn it into a Consecration camp? The shield of faith is the key to pleasing God, and He must be diligently sought, in good times as well as evil.
This faith I speak of now is more than an intellectual assent. It is trust. It is a trust in God that will continue even when absolutely nothing is going your way. It is a trust which will say with the Prophet Habakkuk (3:17 and 18), "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." It is a faith that will trust even in a concentration camp undergoing torture. It is this trust that will turn it into a consecration camp. I add now the end of Hebrews 11 for your due consideration (32-40): "And what more shall I say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, nor accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having received a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."
Our link to these past heroes of the faith is we must also endure through faith as they did. In a sense, we are all in this together. Whether we view this "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) as watching us from heaven as we live by faith, or as witnessing to us that out faith will be justified as theirs is, does not really matter. If we consecrate our lives to God whether in or out of a concentration camp, in some way we will help complete what the heroes of faith began. They without us, cannot "be made perfect." But should the time come that Christians are imprisoned in Nazi-like camps, we will by faith be victorious if we turn them into Consecration Camps.
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This would have implications for His disciples, because they were chosen to take His message of redemption to the world. Church tradition tells us that all but one of the twelve original Apostles (John) died violent deaths at the hands of those they ministered to, and several were crucified. For instance, Peter, at his own request, was crucified upside-down, because he said he was not worthy to die the same way his Lord did. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross, and today this form of design is known as St. Andrew's cross.
Today we must be reminded that the cross is more than a design for jewelry, or a motif for stained-glass church windows. We have lost sight of the fact that it was the most excruciatingly painful means of execution ever invented by man. Even before men were nailed to the cross the Romans had additional tortures for them, and many did not survive to get to the cross. Their naked backs were whipped with leather that had pieces of bone and rock attached to them, which ripped the skin open. So they were already heavily bleeding before they were actually on the cross. Then they were led to the place of crucifixion carrying on their backs the cross bar already tied to their arms.
At the site of the execution, they were nailed naked to the cross, and then it was shoved into a hole, which had to have had a jarring effect on the man's body. In order to breathe, he had to keep raising himself up. Some men lasted several days hanging on the cross, and occasionally a man did not die for a week. I said all that to remind people of what the cross really was. It was pure torture!
This was the way Jesus laid down His life for our sin. Now He tells each of us to "take up his cross and follow me." Does this mean every Christian is to be literally crucified? Obviously not. The way to follow Jesus is to deny yourself as He did. His life was one of total self-sacrifice, and this is what He asks of us. To follow Jesus is to live as He did, a life dedicated and consecrated to God.
I don't think most American Christians even begin to "get it" where this kind of life is concerned. We have been spoiled. To many, the notion of sacrifice means putting a little money in the offering plate on Sunday, and attending a couple of services during the week. This concerns me because we may be headed into a maelstrom of events in which monumental sacrifices will have to be made.
It is a well-known fact that in World War II, the Nazi government of Germany imprisoned Jews and dissidents in concentration camps. The brutality of the treatment of the prisoners in these camps is a fact of history. Some have tried to deny the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews and numerous others died, really happened, but the facts are too well documented to be sanely disputed. Great Christians, such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie Ten Boom, suffered greatly in these camps, and many, including Bonhoeffer, died there.
Now I have seen the possibility that the U.S. government is building concentration camps for people who cling to the Judeo-Christian heritage. Christians have been blocking the way for some evil and power-hungry men who wish to destroy the freedoms God gives us under the Constitution of the United States of America. The Christian value system is diametrically opposed to what these people wish to impose on all Americans. I hope they don't succeed, but it is possible.
I cannot read the mind of God, but I know He is in control of the situation. He has higher purposes for the good of the world than we know, and maybe He sees that the fire of persecution is what is needed to purify the American church. Is it possible He sees that American Christians have equated American values with Christianity to the point that the nation has become an idol to the Church? As terrible as this sounds, being shed of things and worldly influence could be the way to a sorely needed spiritual revival. As the Church Father Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church," - not the blood of the lukewarm (see Rev. 3:14-22)! We hope and pray it doesn't happen, but what if God allows it?
What are Christians to do if they are put in a concentration camp? I suggest that through the power of the Holy Spirit, they be turned into consecration camps. I mean that within and among ourselves we must "make sacred" the grounds for the purposes that God has set for them. I mean we do not have to be defeated by the enemy, even if the worst-case scenario happens.
This could conceivably be the time when the "greater works" (John 14:12) will be done by Christians who will be faithful in persecution. Religious persecution has been conspicuous by its absence in America. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees all of its citizens the right to worship or not worship God as they see fit. People have come to America from all parts of the world to escape religious persecution.
But those who wish to destroy freedom of religion and force others to accept their faith, such as Fundamentalist Muslims, call America the "Great Satan" and will resort to anything, including murder and torture to force Islam on others. But the truth is greater than the monumental lie of Mohammad. It may be that Islam will be forced on America, but that does not mean that it is the truth. It does not mean that Christians should throw in the towel and surrender to the enemy, even if we wind up in concentration camps. The truth of the Lord Jesus Christ is far more powerful than anything Satan has, in Islam or in anything else. Muslims can murder Christians and shout "Allahu Akhbar" ("Allah is great") all they will, but in the the end, they will discover that Allah is pathetic, and unable to protect those who worship him from the judgment of the true Lord, Jesus Christ, from the fires of Hell. I pity them, because they do not know what they are getting into.
Islam could get the upper hand, and force Sheria law on the nation. Christians would lose most of their influence politically, and be given the low dhimmi status of second-class citizens. The implications for the Christians who wish for freedom to practice their faith are terrible. Islam regards very basic Bible doctrine as blasphemy. According to the tenets of Islam, Jesus was not God in the flesh, and was not even crucified! (If you want a full picture of some of the differences between the religions, see my previous blog, "Unavoidable Blasphemy.") If the Muslims get their way, there will be no freedom of religion.
This is why concentration camps must become consecration camps. I see a day coming when the Bible will be outlawed here in the "free" U.S.A., just as it was in the old Soviet Union. We will no longer have the freedom to hold church services. Homeschooling our children will be out of the question, and will be taught either Islam or Secular Humanism. Guns will be taken from citizens, so there will be no physical protection against encroachment from government or criminals.
We will no longer be able to fight with money, influence, or physical weapons: We will not have them. But God has better weapons, spiritual weapons. The Apostle Paul, in II Corinthians 10:3-5 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds)." We American Christians have been making a serious mistake: We have used fleshly weapons to fight spiritual battles. We have depended on our own power and influence to effect change in human government rather than the power of God. This is a great sin.
Ephesians 6:10-12 tell us: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. In other words, we are not fighting against some penny-ante thugs who simply want our pocket-change. Our enemy is Satan himself and his demons, who are far stronger and more powerful than we are (apart from the power of God), and want our very souls. Carnal weapons are worthless against these enemies, and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we will use God's spiritual weapons instead of clinging to our own.
We will now examine what God has given us in verses 13-18; our armor. Verse 13 is a command from the Lord: "Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Don't rely on your own puny weapons and resources to fight the enemy: If you do, you will fail. God has provided the armor and weapon to need to defeat the foe. In the consecration camps, we would need every piece.
Verse 14 says, "Stand, therefore, having your loins girt with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" In Roman armor, the girdle, or belt, was what held the armor together. It was attached to the breastplate, which protected the torso. There is an interesting prophecy in Isaiah 11:5, which says of the Messiah, "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." Note the connection of righteousness with truth. You cannot have one without the other. They are tied together to protect literally everything.
In verse 15 we read, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." The armor has a pair of shoes to protect your feet. In Isaiah 52: 4-7, the Prophet says, "Thus saith the Lord God, My people went down to Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrians oppressed them without cause. Now, therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for naught? they that rule oer them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name every day is continually blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" The truth of the Gospel will trump falsehood every time. The Gospel is an extremely important piece of the armor.
In verse 16 we see another defensive weapon: "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." As the old song says, "Faith is the victory that overcomes the world." Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." It may take a time of persecution to bring many of the Christians of this nation to their knees. Today, many do not diligently seek Him, but are satisfied with going to church once a week, putting a dollar in the collection plate, and just maybe praying a little on the side. This puny brand of Churchianity will not build any spiritual strength for evil times. When persecution comes, THEN will you diligently seek Him? It may be too late. Should you be put in a concentration camp, will you wilt away, or will you be able to turn it against the enemy - turn it into a Consecration camp? The shield of faith is the key to pleasing God, and He must be diligently sought, in good times as well as evil.
This faith I speak of now is more than an intellectual assent. It is trust. It is a trust in God that will continue even when absolutely nothing is going your way. It is a trust which will say with the Prophet Habakkuk (3:17 and 18), "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." It is a faith that will trust even in a concentration camp undergoing torture. It is this trust that will turn it into a consecration camp. I add now the end of Hebrews 11 for your due consideration (32-40): "And what more shall I say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, nor accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having received a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."
Our link to these past heroes of the faith is we must also endure through faith as they did. In a sense, we are all in this together. Whether we view this "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) as watching us from heaven as we live by faith, or as witnessing to us that out faith will be justified as theirs is, does not really matter. If we consecrate our lives to God whether in or out of a concentration camp, in some way we will help complete what the heroes of faith began. They without us, cannot "be made perfect." But should the time come that Christians are imprisoned in Nazi-like camps, we will by faith be victorious if we turn them into Consecration Camps.
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
Detecting Signs of a Cult in a Church
Do you ever wonder about certain things which happen in your church? Perhaps things are not the way they used to be. The differences may be almost too subtle to notice, but you sense something is not right. Maybe there is a church leader who has departed from the faith and is starting to build his own cult. Here are eight questions you should ask yourself about your church leaders to be alert to this possibility:
1. Is the preacher moving away from preaching God's Holy Word, the Bible? Maybe he has never preached God's Truth at all; just a watered-down version. I am especially suspicious of preachers who use texts as "springboards" and then never refer back to them again. I don't care to knopw what a preacher thinks from the pulpit: I want to hear God's Word preached. This means actually exploring the text, not just reading and then forgetting it. The main protection you have against cults is the Bible. Get to know the Book!
(Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 119 (entire psalm), Matthew 5:17-19, II Timothy 3:14-17)
2. Is he dictatorial? The only man who has the right to your total obedience is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You are to follow a Pastor as he follows theWord of God and no further. Dictators are bullies who do not deserve to be in the pulpit. One example of this is Jim Jones. He was a Marxist who while "preaching" threw the Bible to the ground and stomped on it, demanding that people obey him rather than God. He demanded absolute control of he lives of everyone in the People's Temple cult. In other words, he demanded to take the place of God in their lives. This is what dictators do. If you are following a dictator, that is a sure sign you are not following God.
(Acts 5:24-29, I Corinthians 11:1, III John 9-11)
3. Does he claim exclusive rights to interpret the Bible: Is it "his way or the highway?" Does he want to be like the Pope of Rome, claiming to represent Christ, to say his interpretaation of the Bible is right and everyone else is wrong? Any man who thinks he is the only one who can interpret the Scriptures correctly ignores the fact that the Holy Spirit resides in ALL Christians (I John 2:27), and God is a muuch better Teacher of His own Word than any man could ever be. Absolutely, listen to men of God: but do not be so lazy as to not prayerfully study the Bible on your own to get God's message for your own heart. God gave you a mind, and He expects you to use it. This will greatly reduce the chances of you falling into a cult.
(Deuteronomy 6;4-7. II Timothy 2:15, III John 9-11)
5. Is he trying to seperate church members from family and friends? This is a sure sign of cultic abuse. Anyone who tries to isolate you from your friends, and especially form your family, is only trying to take control of your life for their own purposes, not God's. I would be very suspicious of any church leader (or anyone else) who tries to seperate me from friends I have known for years. It should be pointed out that God Himself instituted the family, and unless a member is abusing you or someone else, it is wrong to cut off ties with one's own family. No one will be impressed with your "godliness" if you do so. If a church leader tries to get you to sever family ties or long-standing friendships, RUN from him!
(Exodus 20:12, Mark 7:9-12 (principle), Proverbs 16:28, 27,10)
6. Is he demanding that church members give an inordinate percentage of their money to the church, or to leave everything to the church in their wills? Ethical preachers do not do this, and this is a sure sign a leader might be trying to start a cult. It is one thing for a church to ask for a tithe and offering, but it is another to demand inordinate percentages. You have legitimate obligations apart form the church for the use of your money, and even if you didn't, it is your money, and not the church's or the leader's. Under God, you have a right to use it according to your own discretion. Don't be fooled into believing that God expects you to give every dime you have to some religious organization, or you are not "totally committed to Christ." To do so is to allow a church to become "a den of thieves." Leaders of cults live high on the hog, not only on their followers' money, but on money collected by members for the cult. These followers are expected to accept a lower standard of living because they are "committed to Jesus." The Lord will some day judge such leaders for their hypocrisy. Be smart with your money. Leave an inheritance to your children, not to a cult.
(Proverbs 13:22, II Timothy 5:8, Matthew 21:12 and 13)
7) Does he uphold standards of morality for others, and then not follow them himself? Does he claim a moral position above others? This is scandalous, and has happened over and over again. Jim Jones used to take other men's wives and use them for his own pleasure.. No one else in his cult was allowed to do that. He was a lustful hypocrite, like Mohammed and Joseph Smith, who would not keep their hands off women either. Our Lord Jesus Christ never held Himself to a different moral standard than anyone else. Other true Christians are expected to have the same moral standards for themselves as they do for their followers. They do not tell their followers to do one thing, and then do the opposite. That is hypocrisy, a sure sign of a cult.
(Matthew 23:1-4, I Corinthians 11:1, Jude 14-16)
8) Is he trying to build his own empire? This is not always a sign of a cult, but does need to be watched. Dr. Lee Roberson built a tremendous work for our Lord in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was an humble man whose life's sole aim was to glorify God. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon cult, was his opposite in character, an arrogant blusterer out only to glorify himself. God built an empire through one. Satan built a cult from the other man's ego. Many times I heard Dr. Roberson say, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." He was right. The applicable question here is, Is the leader serving God or himself? Watch the leader, especially with regard to part 7. Discern whether it is God or Satan who is really building the empire.
(Jeremiah 45, Daniel 4:28-37, II Corinthians 11:22-28 (principle))
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," I would strongly suggest you consider leaving that church!
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1. Is the preacher moving away from preaching God's Holy Word, the Bible? Maybe he has never preached God's Truth at all; just a watered-down version. I am especially suspicious of preachers who use texts as "springboards" and then never refer back to them again. I don't care to knopw what a preacher thinks from the pulpit: I want to hear God's Word preached. This means actually exploring the text, not just reading and then forgetting it. The main protection you have against cults is the Bible. Get to know the Book!
(Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 119 (entire psalm), Matthew 5:17-19, II Timothy 3:14-17)
2. Is he dictatorial? The only man who has the right to your total obedience is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. You are to follow a Pastor as he follows theWord of God and no further. Dictators are bullies who do not deserve to be in the pulpit. One example of this is Jim Jones. He was a Marxist who while "preaching" threw the Bible to the ground and stomped on it, demanding that people obey him rather than God. He demanded absolute control of he lives of everyone in the People's Temple cult. In other words, he demanded to take the place of God in their lives. This is what dictators do. If you are following a dictator, that is a sure sign you are not following God.
(Acts 5:24-29, I Corinthians 11:1, III John 9-11)
3. Does he claim exclusive rights to interpret the Bible: Is it "his way or the highway?" Does he want to be like the Pope of Rome, claiming to represent Christ, to say his interpretaation of the Bible is right and everyone else is wrong? Any man who thinks he is the only one who can interpret the Scriptures correctly ignores the fact that the Holy Spirit resides in ALL Christians (I John 2:27), and God is a muuch better Teacher of His own Word than any man could ever be. Absolutely, listen to men of God: but do not be so lazy as to not prayerfully study the Bible on your own to get God's message for your own heart. God gave you a mind, and He expects you to use it. This will greatly reduce the chances of you falling into a cult.
(Deuteronomy 6;4-7. II Timothy 2:15, III John 9-11)
4. Does he claim he is above criticism and not to be contradicted because the Bible says, "Touch not mine anointed (Psalm 105:15)?" Cult leaders love to yank this verse out of context and twist it for their own ends. The verse has nothing to do with dealing with a preacher's conduct or his interpretation of Scripture: God is prohibiting people from doing physical harm to His anointed servants. An examle of obedience to this command would be, when given opportunities to do so, David refused to harm King Saul, even after Saul attempted to kill him several times. This verse says nothing about even the greatest men of God in the world being above criticism. The fact is that anyone who is arrogant enough to claim he is above criticism is no man of God.
(Numbers 12:3, Proverbs 18:12, Romans 3:23)5. Is he trying to seperate church members from family and friends? This is a sure sign of cultic abuse. Anyone who tries to isolate you from your friends, and especially form your family, is only trying to take control of your life for their own purposes, not God's. I would be very suspicious of any church leader (or anyone else) who tries to seperate me from friends I have known for years. It should be pointed out that God Himself instituted the family, and unless a member is abusing you or someone else, it is wrong to cut off ties with one's own family. No one will be impressed with your "godliness" if you do so. If a church leader tries to get you to sever family ties or long-standing friendships, RUN from him!
(Exodus 20:12, Mark 7:9-12 (principle), Proverbs 16:28, 27,10)
6. Is he demanding that church members give an inordinate percentage of their money to the church, or to leave everything to the church in their wills? Ethical preachers do not do this, and this is a sure sign a leader might be trying to start a cult. It is one thing for a church to ask for a tithe and offering, but it is another to demand inordinate percentages. You have legitimate obligations apart form the church for the use of your money, and even if you didn't, it is your money, and not the church's or the leader's. Under God, you have a right to use it according to your own discretion. Don't be fooled into believing that God expects you to give every dime you have to some religious organization, or you are not "totally committed to Christ." To do so is to allow a church to become "a den of thieves." Leaders of cults live high on the hog, not only on their followers' money, but on money collected by members for the cult. These followers are expected to accept a lower standard of living because they are "committed to Jesus." The Lord will some day judge such leaders for their hypocrisy. Be smart with your money. Leave an inheritance to your children, not to a cult.
(Proverbs 13:22, II Timothy 5:8, Matthew 21:12 and 13)
7) Does he uphold standards of morality for others, and then not follow them himself? Does he claim a moral position above others? This is scandalous, and has happened over and over again. Jim Jones used to take other men's wives and use them for his own pleasure.. No one else in his cult was allowed to do that. He was a lustful hypocrite, like Mohammed and Joseph Smith, who would not keep their hands off women either. Our Lord Jesus Christ never held Himself to a different moral standard than anyone else. Other true Christians are expected to have the same moral standards for themselves as they do for their followers. They do not tell their followers to do one thing, and then do the opposite. That is hypocrisy, a sure sign of a cult.
(Matthew 23:1-4, I Corinthians 11:1, Jude 14-16)
8) Is he trying to build his own empire? This is not always a sign of a cult, but does need to be watched. Dr. Lee Roberson built a tremendous work for our Lord in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was an humble man whose life's sole aim was to glorify God. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon cult, was his opposite in character, an arrogant blusterer out only to glorify himself. God built an empire through one. Satan built a cult from the other man's ego. Many times I heard Dr. Roberson say, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." He was right. The applicable question here is, Is the leader serving God or himself? Watch the leader, especially with regard to part 7. Discern whether it is God or Satan who is really building the empire.
(Jeremiah 45, Daniel 4:28-37, II Corinthians 11:22-28 (principle))
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," I would strongly suggest you consider leaving that church!
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False Teachers in the Church
In Matthew 24, when Jesus began to speak on the end of the world, he said in verses 4 and 5, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many." Throughout the Bible, we find constant instances of false teachers working their deceptions in Israel and the Church. So this is nothing new: False teachers have been with us from the beginning. I want to address two things in this post; dealing with false teachers already in the church, and those fundamental doctrines opposed by false teachers.
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I. Dealing with false teachers. If you know someone is teaching false doctrine in the Church, what should you do about it? Should you leave a church where false doctrine is being taught?
First, if the the false teacher is teaching a class (Sunday School, Training Union, etc.), the church leaders must be informed as to what he is teaching, then they should deal with him accordingly. At the very minimum, you should leave the class until the matter is settled in favor of the teachings of Scripture.
More importantly, if the false teacher is in the pulpit (especially if he is the Pastor) leave the church! No family should stay ina church that teaches false doctrine. While there may be honest disagreement in some non-essential points of doctrine, there are some teachings which have been believed by Christians throughout the entire centuries the church has existed. If someone's teaching opposes or waters down any of the following doctrines, he is clearly a false teacher, and should not be followed.
II. Here are the fundamental doctrines I am referring to:
A) The Bible is the Word of God. It is unique as the revelation of our Lord God. What I mean by the Bible is the 39 books of the Hebrew Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The Apocrypha is not a legitimate part of it. Also excluded are such books as the Quran, with its distortions of the Bible, and the Greek, Roman, Hindu, Norse, and other legends, with their polytheism. It especially excludes such "revelations" as found in the Book of Mormon and the false views of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), whose "supplementary materials" also distort the true message of the Bible. The Bible is the Truth in a way no other book could possibly be, because it is God's revelation to mankind.
(Proverbs 30:5 and 6, II Peter 1:20 and 21, Revelation 22:18 and 19)
B) The Trinity is another doctrine which false teachers try to say is not true. By distorting what the Bible says, the Jehovah's Witnesses say that Jesus is not God. they allege that only the Father is. But they are wrong. One of the earliest of the Christian statements of belief is the Nicene Creed.It says of our "one Lord Jesus Christ" that He was "begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made." The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are of one and the same essence, and equally God. To question the Deity of any of the Three in One is heresy.
(The Father as God: Matthew 6:9, Ephesians 1:2)
(The Son as God: John 1:1 and 14, 10:29-31, Philippians 2:5-11)
(The Holy Spirit as God: Acts 4:3 and 4)
(All together: Matthew 28:19, I Corinthians 13:14)
C) The Virgin Conception is another doctrine which has been denied by false teachers. This is a very important Biblical doctrine. Christ's conception by the Virgin Mary was prophecied by Isaiah, and the virgin did conceive, whether certain false teachers believe it or not. Mary did not, however, remaina virgin, but conceived other children with Joseph (Mark 6:3). The Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin and we must believe this. Anyone denying this is a false teacher.
(Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1: 20-23, Luke 1:30-35)
D) Substitutionary Atonement is the most important of all Bible doctrines. It is the very reason for the existence of the Bible itself. As Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Because of His holiness, God cannot accept man in his sinfulness. This is the reason Christ died on the cross. So in Romans 6:23, we read, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." For sin, men are paid with death. But God in His love sent us a gift; His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He was born to die, to become our substitute and atone for our sin. He took the payment for our sin and gave us the gift of eternal life. How DARE anyone stand up in a Christian church pulpit and deny this, te most precious of all Bible teachings? If I were to hear a denial of this doctrine from any pulpit, I would walk out while that "preacher" is still spouting out his poison!
(Isaiah 53, Matthew 16:21-23, John 3:16 and 17, Romans 5:8 and 9)
E) The Resurrection of Christ is another very important doctrine denied by false teachers. Jesus Christ was really crucified. He really died and was really buried. Three days later, He really rose from the dead. This is the true gospel. This is reality, and not a myth. After His resurrection He was seen of many witnesses during the following forty days prior to His ascention into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). This was the proof that Jesus was the Son of God (Romans 1:4).It is unquestionable that this is Biblical doctrine. Anyone denying this is a false teacher.
(Psalm 16:10 with Acts 2:22-27, Matthew 28:1-7, I Corinthians 15:1-8)
F) The Second Coming of Christ is the final doctrine false teachers deny to be discussed here. I will not give my position on when the rapture will occur. There are honest differenes of opinion about that. But there are those who deny that the Lord will come back to judge the world. There are those who teach there is no heaven or hell, but the Bible teaches that both exist. There is a heaven for those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his atoning blood for remission of their sins, and there is a hell for those who refuse His gift of Himself. After the judgments God will destroy this universe and create a new heaven and a new earth, which will be inhabited by the redeemed. Those who refused Christ's redemption will have their part in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. False teachers will probably be in the lowest part of this hell, closest to the devil who used them to deceive others. Their followers will not fare much better. I pray that anyone who reads this blog and is not redeemed by Christ's blood will consider what the Scriptures say, repent of your sins and put your faith in Christ.
(Revelation-the entire book)
The Bible teaches we are to seperate ourselves from those who teach false doctrine. Titus 3:10 and 11 tell us, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned himself." (Warning to young people: Titus was a Pastor. It was his job to abmonish heretics in the church. It is your job to let the Pastor do his job, and stay away from them.) More to the point is Romans 16:17 and 18, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good works and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."
In short, the best way to deal with a false teacher is to get out of the church and stay away from him!
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`
I. Dealing with false teachers. If you know someone is teaching false doctrine in the Church, what should you do about it? Should you leave a church where false doctrine is being taught?
First, if the the false teacher is teaching a class (Sunday School, Training Union, etc.), the church leaders must be informed as to what he is teaching, then they should deal with him accordingly. At the very minimum, you should leave the class until the matter is settled in favor of the teachings of Scripture.
More importantly, if the false teacher is in the pulpit (especially if he is the Pastor) leave the church! No family should stay ina church that teaches false doctrine. While there may be honest disagreement in some non-essential points of doctrine, there are some teachings which have been believed by Christians throughout the entire centuries the church has existed. If someone's teaching opposes or waters down any of the following doctrines, he is clearly a false teacher, and should not be followed.
II. Here are the fundamental doctrines I am referring to:
A) The Bible is the Word of God. It is unique as the revelation of our Lord God. What I mean by the Bible is the 39 books of the Hebrew Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The Apocrypha is not a legitimate part of it. Also excluded are such books as the Quran, with its distortions of the Bible, and the Greek, Roman, Hindu, Norse, and other legends, with their polytheism. It especially excludes such "revelations" as found in the Book of Mormon and the false views of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), whose "supplementary materials" also distort the true message of the Bible. The Bible is the Truth in a way no other book could possibly be, because it is God's revelation to mankind.
(Proverbs 30:5 and 6, II Peter 1:20 and 21, Revelation 22:18 and 19)
B) The Trinity is another doctrine which false teachers try to say is not true. By distorting what the Bible says, the Jehovah's Witnesses say that Jesus is not God. they allege that only the Father is. But they are wrong. One of the earliest of the Christian statements of belief is the Nicene Creed.It says of our "one Lord Jesus Christ" that He was "begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made." The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are of one and the same essence, and equally God. To question the Deity of any of the Three in One is heresy.
(The Father as God: Matthew 6:9, Ephesians 1:2)
(The Son as God: John 1:1 and 14, 10:29-31, Philippians 2:5-11)
(The Holy Spirit as God: Acts 4:3 and 4)
(All together: Matthew 28:19, I Corinthians 13:14)
C) The Virgin Conception is another doctrine which has been denied by false teachers. This is a very important Biblical doctrine. Christ's conception by the Virgin Mary was prophecied by Isaiah, and the virgin did conceive, whether certain false teachers believe it or not. Mary did not, however, remaina virgin, but conceived other children with Joseph (Mark 6:3). The Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin and we must believe this. Anyone denying this is a false teacher.
(Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1: 20-23, Luke 1:30-35)
D) Substitutionary Atonement is the most important of all Bible doctrines. It is the very reason for the existence of the Bible itself. As Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Because of His holiness, God cannot accept man in his sinfulness. This is the reason Christ died on the cross. So in Romans 6:23, we read, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." For sin, men are paid with death. But God in His love sent us a gift; His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He was born to die, to become our substitute and atone for our sin. He took the payment for our sin and gave us the gift of eternal life. How DARE anyone stand up in a Christian church pulpit and deny this, te most precious of all Bible teachings? If I were to hear a denial of this doctrine from any pulpit, I would walk out while that "preacher" is still spouting out his poison!
(Isaiah 53, Matthew 16:21-23, John 3:16 and 17, Romans 5:8 and 9)
E) The Resurrection of Christ is another very important doctrine denied by false teachers. Jesus Christ was really crucified. He really died and was really buried. Three days later, He really rose from the dead. This is the true gospel. This is reality, and not a myth. After His resurrection He was seen of many witnesses during the following forty days prior to His ascention into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). This was the proof that Jesus was the Son of God (Romans 1:4).It is unquestionable that this is Biblical doctrine. Anyone denying this is a false teacher.
(Psalm 16:10 with Acts 2:22-27, Matthew 28:1-7, I Corinthians 15:1-8)
F) The Second Coming of Christ is the final doctrine false teachers deny to be discussed here. I will not give my position on when the rapture will occur. There are honest differenes of opinion about that. But there are those who deny that the Lord will come back to judge the world. There are those who teach there is no heaven or hell, but the Bible teaches that both exist. There is a heaven for those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his atoning blood for remission of their sins, and there is a hell for those who refuse His gift of Himself. After the judgments God will destroy this universe and create a new heaven and a new earth, which will be inhabited by the redeemed. Those who refused Christ's redemption will have their part in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. False teachers will probably be in the lowest part of this hell, closest to the devil who used them to deceive others. Their followers will not fare much better. I pray that anyone who reads this blog and is not redeemed by Christ's blood will consider what the Scriptures say, repent of your sins and put your faith in Christ.
(Revelation-the entire book)
The Bible teaches we are to seperate ourselves from those who teach false doctrine. Titus 3:10 and 11 tell us, "A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned himself." (Warning to young people: Titus was a Pastor. It was his job to abmonish heretics in the church. It is your job to let the Pastor do his job, and stay away from them.) More to the point is Romans 16:17 and 18, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good works and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."
In short, the best way to deal with a false teacher is to get out of the church and stay away from him!
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Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Unavoidable Blasphemy.
(Quotations from the Bible are from the King James Version, and from the Quran from the translation of Maulana Muhammad Ali, Ahmadiyyah Anuman Isha'at Islam, Lahore, Inc. 1995).
I read with considerable alarm that some Christian leaders are trying to find "common ground" with Muslim leaders about the differences between the two faiths. While the religions certainly have many things in common, there are crucial differences which make a reconciliation (especially a theological one) impossible without compromising the integrity of one or the other or both.
I am a Christian, and I shudder when anyone compromises faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour for any reason. To believers in Christ, the theological doctrines of Muhammad are blasphemous and hit at the very core of the teachings of the Christian faith. But the Muslims would say the same thing about the doctrines of Christianity in relation to Islam. In honest discussion between them, accusations of blasphemy are unavoidable.
I read with considerable alarm that some Christian leaders are trying to find "common ground" with Muslim leaders about the differences between the two faiths. While the religions certainly have many things in common, there are crucial differences which make a reconciliation (especially a theological one) impossible without compromising the integrity of one or the other or both.
I am a Christian, and I shudder when anyone compromises faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour for any reason. To believers in Christ, the theological doctrines of Muhammad are blasphemous and hit at the very core of the teachings of the Christian faith. But the Muslims would say the same thing about the doctrines of Christianity in relation to Islam. In honest discussion between them, accusations of blasphemy are unavoidable.
I am sure this blog will be considered blasphemous by any Muslim reading it, but I cannot and will not apologise for writing the truth. The following will be discussed in this blog:
- The Bible, not the Quran, is the Word of God. Muhammad was no prophet of God, but an enemy of the truth.
- Jesus Christ is God, the Second Person of the Trinity, three Persons in one Essence. Their "god," Allah, is just another idol, an impostor, a demon from Hell who deceived Muhammad into believing he was God.
- Jesus was crucified and died and was buried, and rose from the dead. Jesus died for your sins and mine that we might be saved.
First, the Bible, not the Quran, is the true Word of God. The turgid style of writing in the Quran reminds many of Adolf Hitler's book, Mein Kampf. I pity a "god" who can't write any better than what I read in that book. The writing is amateurish.
The Muslims claim the early Church distorted the revelation of God's Word. This claim is ridiculous, but Islam has no other way to bolster their claim the Quran is God's Word. You cannot have it both ways: If the Bible is the Word of God, that means the Quran is not. The books contradict each other on basic doctrine, especially on the nature of God and Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Muhammad in the Quran, distorts the stories and teachings of the Bible, which was written hundreds of years before he or it was ever thought of.
Therefore, it is obvious that Muhammad was not the prophet of God he claimed to be. His opposition to the truth of the Bible logically makes him an enemy of the truth, a pawn of Satan. Unfortunately for those looking for "common ground," contradictory thoughts cannot both be right at the same time. Only one may be right or both may be wrong. In this case I believe the Bible. In the rest of this blog, some of the theological disparities between the Holy Bible and the Quran will be demonstrated.
One of Muhammad's claims regarding the relation of the Quran to the Bible is that the Quran abrogates all other revelation including the Bible. In Surah 2:106, the Quran says, "Whatever message We abrogate, or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or one like it. Knowest thou not that Allah is Possessor of power over all things?"
If someone is to believe this, he must first reject the claim of the Bible that it is the Word of God. It claims to be God's eternal Word. In Matthew 24:5, the Lord Jesus tells His disciples, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." In Matthew 5:18, He says, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled." King David also gives testimony in Psalm 119:89' "For ever, O Lord thy word is settled in heaven." This is the Bible speaking. It claims that it is forever, and cannot be abrogated. Therefore, the Quran is a counterfeit "revelation."
From this we see that Muhammad was no prophet of God. Allah was but a figment of his imagination based on something he ate, epilepsy, or distortions of the true Scripture, or any combination of all three. We know he was a liar, thief, murderer, sexual predator and hypocrite. This is clearly not a life that a true prophet of God would live. The Bible sets the bar very high for a prophet or preacher. The man who holds the offices must be a godly man. It directly condemns those who, like Muhammad, are lying "prophets" with a false message.
Secondly, Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Trinity. Here is one area in which I can to some degree sympathize with Muhammad. Of all the basic Christian doctrines, the Trinity is by far the most difficult to understand. With our finite minds, we can only begin to grasp it. But it is to be believed whether it is understandable or not.
Unfortunately Muhammad, like Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, had a distorted view of the Trinity. Whereas Russell thought the Trinity a three-headed monster, Muhammad believed in the oneness of God, and could not conceive of a unity of three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one essence. He thought the Trinity consisted of the Father, Son, and Mary, the Father's "consort," and rejected the idea of the Trinity.
In the Quran are two passages bearing on this subject:
4:171-"O People of the Book, exceed not the limits in your religion nor speak anything about Allah but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah and his word which he communicated to Mary and a mercy from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you. Allah is only one God. Far be it from His glory to have a son."
5:73-77-"Certainly they disbelieve who say: Allah is the third of three. And there is no God but One God. And if they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement will surely befall such of them that disbelieve. Will they not turn to Allah and ask His forgiveness? And Allah is forgiving. Merciful. The Messiah, the son of Mary, was only a messenger; messengers before him had indeed passed away. And his mother was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food. See how we make the messages clear to them! then, behold, how they are turned away! Say: Do you serve besides Allah that which controls for you neither harm nor good? And Allah -- He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Say: O people of the Book, exaggerate not in the matter of your religion unjustly, and follow not the low desires of people who went astray before and led many astray, and went astray from the right path."
According to the Christian faith, this is blasphemy. I am not going to tell anything but the truth about Allah. He is a demon from Hell. I am not "exceeding the limits of my religion" at all in saying that. Jesus the Messiah, is a whole lot more than just a messenger. He was and is the Message. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Verse 14 say, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Christians are not the least bit intimidated by the threat of chastisement in the Quran, for the simple reason that they don't believe Muhammad or his book. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me." If Muhammad thought he was an exception to the rule, he knows better now. He is in Hell, having been deceived by the demon Allah. So the Christian has no regard for his blasphemous threats, which the true God will not enforce, coming as they do from a false "god."
We Christians do not "exaggerate in the matter of our religion unjustly." The importance of the Trinity and the Deity of Jesus Christ cannot be exaggerated. The desire of Christians to bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ are the highest desires one can have, not low, as the Quran alleges. In Matthew 28:18-20, we read, "And Jesus came and spake into them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Jesus commanded His followers spread His Word, and this is not a low desire. Part of the true gospel of Christ is the "blasphemous" concept of the Trinity. The Bible teaches Jesus is God, and that is not a distortion of His Word. The purpose for the gospel of John as stated in John 20:30 and 31 makes this clear: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
Low desires are what Islam encourages. The idea one needs four (or in Muhammad's case, nine) wives to satiate his sexual lust is a low desire. Another low desire is in Islam's idea of heaven, that men will be waited on by the houri, beautiful women. More appeal to lust and low desire. The Christian conception of heaven is so much greater than this, Islam's view pales beside it. In Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians 2:9 we read, "As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, he things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Job 19:25-27 says, "For I know that my Reddeemer liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself,and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." I look forward to seeing my Redeemer, not a bunch of women whose sole purpose is to fulfill my lusts.
One more low desire in Islam is the desire for earthly power, manifested in jihad. They don't just try to make converts, but they murder anyone they can who converts from Islam to another faith. They hate Biblical Christianity more than most. The words of Matthew 23:13 apply to them equally as to the original hearers, "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." Jesus did not covet earthly power, and when He came to sacrifice Himself for our sins, He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." His desire to give Himself was far greater than Muhammad's to take, as in jihad.
Lastly, Jesus was crucified, he died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Jesus died for our sins so that we might be saved from them. To deny Jesus died on the cross is one of the most outrageous blasphemies there is! There can never be "common ground" here!
In the Gospel of John 19:16-18, we read, "The delivered he (Pontius Pilate) him (Jesus) therefore unto them (the Roman soldiers) to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." That he was dead is clear from verses 32-37: "Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. for these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced." The prophecies referenced are found in Exodus 12:46 and Zechariah 12:10.
Two things are to be noted here about the Bible's teaching: (1) The scripture says it was Jesus who was crucified, and (2) The scripture teaches that he died on the cross.
Turning to the Quran, we read in 4:157-159, "And for their saying: We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah, and they killed him not, nor did they cause his death on the cross, but he was made to appear to them as such. And certainly those who differ therein are in doubt about. They have no knowledge about it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for certain: Nay, Allah exalted him in his presence. And Allah is ever Mighty, Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but will believe in this before his death; and on the day of Resurrection he will be a witness against him."
There is no substantiation for anything in this "revelation." Here we have some one writing of events about 600 years after they took place, claiming to refute an eyewitness account by saying Jesus appeared to be dead. This is a ridiculous insult to any one's intelligence. It is Muhammad who is talking beyond his knowledge here.
Muhammad is the only messenger of the demon called Allah. Jehovah, God the Father is the true God. It is He who, as Jesus in John 3:16 puts it, "So loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
On the Day of Resurrection, Muhammad is not going to have anything to say about anything, and he won't be making any more empty threats like those found in the Quran. Allah will not be worshipped by anyone that day, but all glory will be ascribed to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). It is not going to matter in that day whether or not Muslims regard the Deity of Jesus Christ as blasphemy. They will know that they were the ones who blasphemed the true God, and it will be too late. Unless they come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they will spend eternity in Hell. There they will forever have plenty of common ground with those unbelievers in Christ who compromised the Christian faith.
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Thursday, February 28, 2008
Martyrs or Murderers?
On September 11, 2001, four airplanes were hijacked and sent to plow through buildings. Three of them hit their targets; the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon Building in the nation's capital. They killed everyone on board and numerous others. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board.
The perpetrators of these acts were Muslim extremists that other Muslims called martyrs in what amounted to a declaration of war on Western Civilization. In many places in the Middle East, there were celebrations of the feat. A blow had been delivered to the "Great Satan," the United States of America. Of course, the impact of what they did has been felt world-wide, and has created wars in two countries, and has made other "martyrs" bold to kill thousands of people in other lands not having declared war. Suicide bombings are now a daily occurrence.
But are the Islamic suicide bombers actually martyrs as they are claimed to be, or are they murderers, plain and simple? The answer is obvious.
What is a martyr? The word comes from the Greek, marturios, which means "witness." It has come to mean a witness for a religious faith, especially one who is willing to suffer or die for it.
Yes, I will grant the obvious fact that suicide bombers are dying for Islam every day. But I have a real problem calling them "martyrs" in the same sense that Christians are martyrs. When a Christian martyr dies for his or her faith, he or she does not try to take other people with them in their suffering. Their object is to see people saved and kept from going to Hell. In contrast, the suicide bomber seems to delight in sending others to Hell by killing them. It would never occur to a Christian who believes the Bible to keep people out of Hell by killing them and sending them there!
Christian martyrs, if given a chance, testify to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ verbally, as well as suffer and die for their faith. Martyrs throughout the history of the church could be pointed to, but one will show clearly what is meant. The Apostle Paul, in II Corinthians 11:23-28, gives some idea of what he went through as a martyr (witness of Christ) before he died as a martyr. "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more: in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."
Paul lived a true martyrdom daily. Pain was his constant companion. Thinking about all the travelling, and the catalogue he gives of things which happened to him in his travels for Christ, only shows the power of God in sustaining him. He was in three shipwrecks, he was stoned once and left for dead, and in prison many times. He was whipped at least eight times, and these were not like the spankings a naughty child would get. These lashings were excruciatingly painful and left slashes on his back he would have the rest of his life. This may be part of what he meant when he said in Galatians 6:17, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." His life on earth ended in true martyrdom when he was beheaded for his faith in Rome. This is martyrdom unequalled by almost no one else. He was truly "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20).
What about the suicide bombers? While there have been true martyrs for Islam, men and women who gave their lives for their beliefs in the way Christians suffered for Christ, suicide bombers are far short of this.
Many of the suicide bombers are to be pitied. They are impressionable children who have been influenced by Muslim leaders into thinking they are doing right. Their religious leaders want power and are willing to use anyone they can to help them conquer the world for their religion, and thus gain power for themselves. So these cowardly hypocrites will send young people up in airplanes to do their dirty work for them.
It is the leaders who should be condemned, and will come the Day of Judgment. Their cowardice and hypocrisy will stand condemned before the whole world when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to judge the people of the earth. They will be in the very Hell they condemned others to by their inciting suicide bombers to commit murder for them.
Suicide bombing is not martyrdom, but murder. Those who will be judged most severely for the murders will not be the suicide bombers themselves, but the Imams who preached and put murder in their hearts. Jesus is a just judge, and He will put these leaders in one of the hottest places in Hell there is, probably very close to Mohammed himself.
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The perpetrators of these acts were Muslim extremists that other Muslims called martyrs in what amounted to a declaration of war on Western Civilization. In many places in the Middle East, there were celebrations of the feat. A blow had been delivered to the "Great Satan," the United States of America. Of course, the impact of what they did has been felt world-wide, and has created wars in two countries, and has made other "martyrs" bold to kill thousands of people in other lands not having declared war. Suicide bombings are now a daily occurrence.
But are the Islamic suicide bombers actually martyrs as they are claimed to be, or are they murderers, plain and simple? The answer is obvious.
What is a martyr? The word comes from the Greek, marturios, which means "witness." It has come to mean a witness for a religious faith, especially one who is willing to suffer or die for it.
Yes, I will grant the obvious fact that suicide bombers are dying for Islam every day. But I have a real problem calling them "martyrs" in the same sense that Christians are martyrs. When a Christian martyr dies for his or her faith, he or she does not try to take other people with them in their suffering. Their object is to see people saved and kept from going to Hell. In contrast, the suicide bomber seems to delight in sending others to Hell by killing them. It would never occur to a Christian who believes the Bible to keep people out of Hell by killing them and sending them there!
Christian martyrs, if given a chance, testify to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ verbally, as well as suffer and die for their faith. Martyrs throughout the history of the church could be pointed to, but one will show clearly what is meant. The Apostle Paul, in II Corinthians 11:23-28, gives some idea of what he went through as a martyr (witness of Christ) before he died as a martyr. "Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more: in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."
Paul lived a true martyrdom daily. Pain was his constant companion. Thinking about all the travelling, and the catalogue he gives of things which happened to him in his travels for Christ, only shows the power of God in sustaining him. He was in three shipwrecks, he was stoned once and left for dead, and in prison many times. He was whipped at least eight times, and these were not like the spankings a naughty child would get. These lashings were excruciatingly painful and left slashes on his back he would have the rest of his life. This may be part of what he meant when he said in Galatians 6:17, "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." His life on earth ended in true martyrdom when he was beheaded for his faith in Rome. This is martyrdom unequalled by almost no one else. He was truly "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20).
What about the suicide bombers? While there have been true martyrs for Islam, men and women who gave their lives for their beliefs in the way Christians suffered for Christ, suicide bombers are far short of this.
Many of the suicide bombers are to be pitied. They are impressionable children who have been influenced by Muslim leaders into thinking they are doing right. Their religious leaders want power and are willing to use anyone they can to help them conquer the world for their religion, and thus gain power for themselves. So these cowardly hypocrites will send young people up in airplanes to do their dirty work for them.
It is the leaders who should be condemned, and will come the Day of Judgment. Their cowardice and hypocrisy will stand condemned before the whole world when the Lord Jesus Christ comes to judge the people of the earth. They will be in the very Hell they condemned others to by their inciting suicide bombers to commit murder for them.
Suicide bombing is not martyrdom, but murder. Those who will be judged most severely for the murders will not be the suicide bombers themselves, but the Imams who preached and put murder in their hearts. Jesus is a just judge, and He will put these leaders in one of the hottest places in Hell there is, probably very close to Mohammed himself.
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