Archive for the 'Better Religion Insights' Category
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
Judge John E. Jones III’s decision in the Dover trial has been heralded as a great victory for science and science education and a major setback for intelligent design and creationism.
It is neither of these. The Dover trial is simply the latest certainly not the last in a long line of largely irrelevant and inconsequential legal challenges to the teaching of evolution in America. The most famous of these is certainly the Scopes Trial. Nominally, Scopes lost and was fined in this historic encounter, but the real loser was the teaching of evolution weakened in the wake of the verdict as skittish textbook publishers downplayed the controversial theory.
Another celebrated legal encounter occurred in 1982 in Little Rock, Ark., when that state proposed to mandate “equal time” high school pedagogy, requiring creationism to be taught alongside evolution. The judge concluded that there was no basis for teaching creationism with evolution in Arkansas public schools. In an about-face from Scopes, creationism lost this battle, but continued to dominate the cultural battle among Americans at large.
A similar challenge originated in Louisiana in 1987 and eventually made its way to the Supreme Court where, presumably, once and for all, creationism was declared unscientific, religious and not appropriate for America’s high school biology classes. But polls continued to show that America’s rejection of evolution was as widespread as ever.
Intelligent design creationism’s successor suffered its first major legal defeat in Dover late last year. But like similar legal defeats of its parent species, the defeat means next to nothing to the American public. Polls will continue to show opposition to evolution. The real effect of the Dover ruling will prove to be as inconsequential as its predecessors in Tennessee, Louisiana or Arkansas.
America’s battle over evolution is not about science nor even about education. It is about religion, and, as such, can only be understood as a culture war between religion and secularism. The legal hairsplitting we have seen about how science is religiously neutral and religion can be reconciled with evolution is an ivory-tower perspective that may warm the hearts of philosophers but does little to thaw the chill between the culture warriors who disagree.
The careful, sober language of Judge Jones stands in marked contrast to the rhetorically charged commentary that has emerged from both sides over the past few decades as religious and secular visions of origins have competed for the allegiance of Americans.
Liberal publications produced cartoons heaping ridicule on the opponents of evolution, portraying them as “missing links.” Anti-religious spokespeople for science described the illiteracy and backwardness of the creationists. Richard Dawkins called creationists “cavemen,” an insult that Isaac Asimov seconded on the back cover of Dawkins’ influential book The Blind Watchmaker. In his review of Blueprints in The New York Times, Dawkins charged that people who did not believe in evolution were “stupid, wicked, or insane.” Dawkins is considered by many to be the leading public intellectual in the English-speaking world, and there are countless other leading anti-religious intellectuals who share his views, such as Daniel C. Dennett, Peter Atkins and Stephen Pinker.
Creationists countered that science was trying to undermine religion. Their leader Henry Morris argued in his influential book The Long War Against God that evolution was a part of Satan’s strategy to destroy faith in God. His views are shared by many of today’s influential religious leaders, such as Ken Ham, James Dobson and D. James Kennedy.
So, while major confrontations like the Dover trial get headlines and give the impression that important battles are being won and lost, they are really nothing more than highly visible skirmishes while the real battle the one for hearts and minds, not stickers and textbooks continues unabated.
Karl Giberson is editor of Science & Theology News.
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Saturday, November 15th, 2008
What does God think of rich people? I know what a lot of people say about rich people. You’ve probably heard phrases like, “Filthy rich”, “Stinking rich”, “Lousy rich people”, etc.
It seems that there is an underlying belief that to be rich is wrong and yet most people wouldn’t mind at all if their bank balance had an extra zero or two or three at the end of it!
There are a lot of people who assume that those who are rich got their wealth dishonestly, or, never had to work for it. Some see the rich as snobs who look down on the rest of the world. How rare it is to find someone who is actually glad that someone has tremendous wealth! Most think that rich people don’t deserve to be rich and that it is wrong be rich. It’s just not fair for them to have all that money! There are some religious people who actually think that being rich is not right in the sight of God.
But what does the Bible say? It does not say that money is the root of all evil; it says that the love of money is the root of all evil. You can have a dollar and love it, and you can have a million dollars and not love a dime of it.
There are a number of great people mentioned in the Bible who were rich, very rich. Job was the greatest man in the East. He lost everything and God restored double back to him! God did that for Job – gave him double!
Abraham in the Bible is called the friend of God and the father of all them that believe and he was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. How about David? Solomon? The list goes on and on.
When Jesus died, it was Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, who took care of the burial. He had the means to do what he did.
Now I know that there are some who would argue that those mentioned above were special people with special reasons why they had riches and that they were just the exceptions. But if that is true why is there promise after promise of prosperity in the Bible? And please don’t fall for that fatalistic idea that some are “just meant to prosper and others are not.” Again, if that were true why are there so many promises of prosperity all over the Bible? There is nothing in the Scriptures to even remotely suggest that God would have some to be rich, some to be poor, and the rest to be in the middle.
Not too long ago, “The Prayer of Jabez” was very popular. All the items that were associated with it were basically from I Chronicles 4:10. If you read that verse you’ll find that Jabez simply asked God to bless him, to enlarge his coast, to be with him and keep him from evil. And God granted him what he requested! God didn’t say what most people would have said, “Oh Jabez, you are getting greedy, just be satisfied with what you have!” No. God gave him what he requested!
Now I know that there are a lot of Scriptures related to this topic to consider, and that a few might at first glance appear to be in opposition to prosperity and wealth. But those few cannot be magnified above the numerous obvious verses that show God’s desire for His people to be successful and prosper. There is a verse that plainly states that God wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health!
Prosperity and wealth can be obtained honestly or dishonesty – ethically or unethically. But far too many are so quick to judge when they see someone with prosperity and wealth. It is really sad because there are a lot of wonderful successful Christians who are being unfairly judged and condemned because of the blessings they have received from God. They work hard, apply principles expect God’s blessings, and receive abundantly. Prosperity is a blessing from God available to all.
So what does God think of rich people? Is God displeased with the wealthy? Does He want everyone to be poor? God desires above all things, for all His children, to prosper and to be in health.
Michael A. Verdicchio is the author and producer of “Inspirational Pep Talks”, available at http://www.inspirationalpeptalks.com He is also the author of the book, “Healing From God is Available”.
He has produced other motivational and inspirational items, including the audio CD, Healing Words, available at http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com
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Saturday, November 15th, 2008
Interreligious dialogue is a challenging process by which adherents of differing religious traditions encounter each other in order to break down the walls of division that stand at the center of most wars. The objective of interreligious dialogue is peace.
What does interfaith encounter look like? Interreligious dialogue has many faces. Two people can come together and share the aspects of their respective faiths and struggle to understand that which is foreign. Theologians can write papers, publish in journals, and convene to discuss the finer theological issues related to interreligious dialogue (and there are a multitude of theological issues). Perhaps members of one faith tradition can join with members of another religion to improve a neighborhood. Suppose the world’s political leaders met to investigate the other’s most basic assumptions about the world and what human beings are doing here?
Each of the above examples is a form of interreligious dialogue. What is most crucial in any such encounter is that the participants lay aside attempts to evangelize, which is always accompanied by an attitude of exclusive superiority. That is the spoken or unspoken belief that one’s own religion is to “true” way, the only way in the ultimate sense of the terms.
A commitment to openness is deeply difficult. For example, in Christianity, evangelizing and converting others to that faith system is a central tenet that is rooted in the Christian scriptures. Christians generally believe that one must be saved and that salvation is only possible in Christianity. On the other hand, the Hindu tradition maintains (generally speaking) that there are many paths to the Divine and each religion has similar and relative value to the others. These differing cosmologies can be obstacles that cannot be overcome or opportunities for release from enslaving assumptions.
The following are some guidelines for effective interreligious dialogue:
1. Participants in interreligious dialogue cannot use the encounter as opportunities to defend their own traditions.
2. Neither is interreligious dialogue a means to defend religion in general.
3. There is a risk of conversion. Participants may find themselves transformed by the interfaith encounter.
4. Dialogue participants must reveal the beliefs that they hold closest and that define their religious tradition.
5. Interreligious dialogue is not a philosophical, theological or intellectual exercise. It is an expression of the participants’ lived faith lives. Therefore, interfaith encounters form communities of awareness.
The World Council of Churches, various theologians and many other resources provide guidelines for interfaith dialogue. Those listed above are gleaned from different sources. Many items were omitted and others were expanded, according to this author’s interpretation of the dialogical process.
Finally, since peace is the goal of interreligious dialogue, the process must be peaceful. It is important to realize that peace is not easily achieved and maintained. The process may be peaceful, but it is somewhat like climbing Everest. Peace does not occur in a day and there are obstacles as intrepid travelers struggle up the path to heights where the human spirit may soar.
Sandi Fults has a Master’s degree in Systematic Theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. She also attended the graduate Middle Eastern Studies program at the University of Texas at Austin. Her area of specialization is Interreligious Dialogue and the world’s religions, with emphasis on the South Asian Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.
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Friday, November 14th, 2008
The chapter of Matthew 24 is one of the most misunderstood chapters in the Bible. Most believe that this chapter has to do with our wars, day and age however this is not the case. In fact Billy Graham use to say, “Matthew 24 is knocking at your door.” When trying to understand scripture you must be careful how you apply the message. Trying to make everything in the Bible to fit to these days and times will surely get you into trouble. In this article we will be discussing the first part of the chapter which deals with the destruction of Jerusalem that happened around 70 AD; several years before the United States was a country. It was written by Matthew about the events that would happen in the apostles’ future. It would be helpful for you to read the first part of the chapter in Matthew 24 to understand the article.
The ministry of Christ was in full force. Some Jews believed and began following Jesus however most didn’t. Even the ones that thought it might be possible that Christ was their expected Messiah still went against him. Christ forewarned the apostles and all those present, when you see the abomination of desolation as spoken by the prophet Daniel, meant it was time for them to get out. See Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. The abomination that causes desolation. (cf. Lk 21:20.). The abomination would be the order that came from the Emperor to place statues in the temples of themselves to be worshipped. The temple would be desolate, as there will be no more worship in it. It would be the end of the Jewish state.
Fleeing to the mountains would be a great place to hide but if it’s a nuclear attack in the United States it wouldn’t matter if you hid in the mountains. The rooftops were flat in those days and often traveled on by foot making escaping easier. There was not time to come down from the roof top to get your things. Some also slept on the rooftops in those days and if they did it would be easier to get up and flee. Do not go back and get your clothes. Get out of dodge. Mothers with children would make it even harder to leave. It would be better for the war not to take place in the winter as the rivers would be frozen and impassible. With modern day transportation we can get anywhere in the winter so what would it matter if the attack happened in the winter? So then it doesn’t make any sense when you apply it to the 21st century. Hopefully the Romans didn’t make their attack on a Sabbath because the city gates of Jerusalem would be closed as always on a Sabbath. Neh. 13:19. The darkened moon and falling stars are signs that a nation has fallen or great political change. This figurative language is used in the same way with the fall of other nations. Is. 13:10; 34:4-6; 51:5-6 Jer. 4:1-6; 23-28; Ezek. 32:7-8; Joel 3:15-16; Nin. 1:1-5; Amos 8:1-2, 9. The destruction of Jerusalem was predicted by the Old Testament prophets. Micah 3:12; Zech. 14:4. There was about to be a great change in the law that would change their lives and the lives of the Jews forever. Why the war?
First off we cannot forget the mighty hand of God. The Jews for years had been going against God. They wouldn’t listen to God anymore and many Jews were committing murders, persecutions and idolatry. Any nation that forgets about God will be its demise. Prov. 14:34; Ps 9:17. Because of the Jews defiance and rejection of their own Messiah, the war happened just as the prophets predicted it would. Is. 53:3.
The Jews hated the Roman Empire and this is the reason they started the war. As far as they knew they weren’t thinking about the hand of God. The Jews wanted political and religious liberty. Rome wanted to have control over everything. Rome wanted to oversee the day to day life of the Jews. The Romans would come in and steal from the temple as well as the procurators who would collect all the taxes for the entire empire. In collecting the tax whatever they collected over the amount due and would line their pockets with the rest. The political tension and religious expectations grew. Finally in 70 AD Titus led the revolt to siege Jerusalem and later became emperor. Some were killing themselves in a suicide battle as it would be better to be dead then to be taken and sold into slavery. What happened to the Christians?
Eusebius and his book Ecclesiastical History, wrote that the Christians fled to Pella. Pella is located in the modern day Jordan, which is about two and a half miles east of the Jordan River. He also said they fled because of divine revelation in which they received. This would mean the warning that is recorded by Matthew in chapter twenty-four as well as the other gospels. Jesus did say that some would be put to death, (Lk 21:16) but this he says would happen before the siege of Jerusalem. It is possible that not many perished because they remembered and heeded the warnings given by the Lord.
The is an excerpt from the book titled End Time Secrets written by Christine Bettridge and she also is the editor of the article directory, Above All Content Visit her blog at: The Bible Sound Blog
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Friday, November 14th, 2008
The path to real progress, whether personal, societal, national or global, passes through man’s self-realization. The better we know the truth about ourselves, the spiritual aspect of our nature, our potential for excellency, and the higher purpose – if any – of our life, the closer will we be to experience real success, inner peace, true love and blissfulness.
Who are we, then? We all think we know; but how close to the truth is our knowledge? “Know thyself” said the ancient Greek sages; but how can we know ourselves? How does one go about it? Who is to know whom?
Let us endeavor to locate and “decode” information about our nature from the Bible, collecting relevant verses of truth scattered throughout the Scriptures. Unfortunately, the Bible reveals the truth to us in small doses, “precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little;” (Isa. 28: 13a) This happened not because, for some reason, God did not want to reveal all Truth to us at once, but because men, even the great prophets, grasped it little by little, gradually gaining more enlightenment, wisdom and understanding. Hence they passed the Truth down to us “line upon line”. Let us, then, see what the Bible says about man.
I: Man’s spiritual nature
Man is divine! Hence the most important “art” that we, humans, must learn in this life is the art of awakening and developing our inherent spiritual principle. First of all, the Bible states that God created man in his own image and likeness: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2: 7) The “material” by which God made man is soil, “the dust of the ground.” However, human body contains a living soul – the result of God’s breathing into our nostrils. It follows, then, that we have the essence of God inherent in us. A preceding verse confirms this: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Gen 1: 27)
So, according to the Bible, human beings, both males and females, are made in the image of God. Further down there is yet another verse that confirms this: “In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them.” (Gen. 5: 1b-2a) From the above verses, we can safely conclude that there is a basic element in man that is like God. Which is this? It is our spirit! The following verse clarifies it: “Thus says God, the Lord, (…) He who gives breath to the people upon it (the earth) and spirit to those who walk in it.” ( Isa. 42: 5)
Man is a spiritual being, who lives in a physical body. The Bible also tells us that man is a little lower than the angels: “You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.” (Heb. 2: 7) The fact that God put all the other creatures under man’s feet is also confirmed through the following two Biblical verses. “And God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth’.” (Gen. 1: 28) “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” (Psa. 8: 6)
Thus far it is established – and we are all aware of it – that man’s body is made of soil, yet, at the same time, man is a spiritual being, “a little lower than the angels”, having been given dominion over all the other creatures! This we also know from experience and observation. If, then, man is superior to every other creature, could it mean that man is the only one made in the image and likeness of God, i.e. the only creature that has a moral conscience? The Bible goes even further: “I say: ‘you are gods; you are all sons of the Most High. However, you die as men and fall like every ruler’. ” (Psa. 82: 6-7) It is a pity that most of us are unaware of our divine nature, and thus we die accordingly…
What is the function of the spirit of man? The following verse gives us a clue: “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching everything that is in the innermost parts of the heart.” (Prov. 20: 27) Apparently, our spirit seems to do the work of what we call ‘conscience’. We assume, then, that our conscience is a manifestation of our spirit, which is “the candle of the Lord”, a ray of God’s Light. The question now arises: is our “candle” always illuminated or do we have to set it alight ourselves in order to activate it? The answer to this will be more palpable if we liken our “candle” to an oil-lamp. Whenever such “lamp” runs out of “oil”, then its light diminishes until eventually it goes totally off. Then we are talking about men with a sleepy or a sheared conscience.
The following scripture clarifies the issue further: “Surely there is a spirit in man; however, the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding.” (Job 32: 
The “inspiration of the Almighty” is the “oil” that our “lamp” needs in order to shine and search effectively our innermost being. A bright spirit not only searches our heart and shows us the right way, but it also strengthens us. “The spirit of man sustains his infirmity; but a broken spirit who can bear?” (Prov.18: 14) This is good news! If our spirit is strong, then it can sustain the whole person. It can heal our body and liberate our soul from various bondages or addictions.
Let us now see what the New Testament says about the spirit of man: First of all, the spirit of man is the entity that gives life to the body, for “the body without the spirit is dead.” (James 2: 26a) The spirit is nothing less than God’s principle, the “kingdom of God”, within man: “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17: 21b) Indeed, man’s body is the temple of God’s spirit. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, asked them: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor. 3: 16) Continuing on the same subject, in his second epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Cor. 4: 7) What a great spiritual treasure we carry in our body, in this earthen vessel!
The spirit, however, needs nourishment and its “food” comes from the word of God: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4: 4) Many people identify the spirit with the mind. However, the next scripture makes it clear that these are two distinct entities: “For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of man which is in him?” (1 Cor. 2: 11a) So then, the spirit of man is the knower while the mind with its products – the thoughts – is the object of knowing. Our spirit constantly examines our thoughts, and with a “still, small voice” whispers to us, indicating whether we are in the right path or not. How many of us and how often understand and take heed of its subtle warnings? It is my firm belief that the most important issue in human spirituality, and the most difficult one, is to be able to hear our inner voice clearly. This, of course, presupposes that our spirit, i.e. the inner man, is strong.
How could one have a strong spirit? Mainly by adhering to God’s principles. Communication with God, through prayer and meditation, is another means of strengthening our spirit. Here is what Paul says: “That he (God) would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” (Eph.3: 16) Unlike our body, this inner man doesn’t grow old. On the contrary, through faith in God and adherence to his precepts, it is renewed daily: “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outward man is wasting away, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4: 16) This is excellent news! Our spirit does not get wrinkled with age.
II: Man’s soul
There is yet another invisible element in man that we must examine. Man has also a soul. In the Bible, and especially in the Old Testament, the words soul and heart are sometimes used instead of the word spirit, and thus it becomes difficult to distinguish the difference between them. For example, in the verse, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Prov. 17: 22), one assumes that heart and spirit are the same thing. Likewise, in the verse (Psa. 42: 2), “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” David refers rather to his spirit, for it is our spirit that longs to be united with the Spirit of God. Indeed it is our spirit that cries out “Abba! Father!” Yes, it is our spirit that craves for the presence of God, while the soul rather pulls man to the opposite direction, yielding to the satisfaction of the five senses and the desires of the flesh.
What, then, is our soul? From what the Bible tells us, we conclude that the soul is the instrument through which man relates to the material world; it is the essence of our personality, which expresses itself through the will, the emotions and the mind, although the mind, to some degree, is also related to the spirit. This is an area where the borderline between spirit and soul is not easily discernable, and one needs the revelation of the Spirit of God and “the word of God” in order to distinguish between them. Let us meditate on what St. Paul said about this matter: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4: 12)
Presumably, to rightly divide between spirit and soul we need the help of the word of God, just as we need it to discern the quality of our thoughts and the intentions of our heart. The New Testament is very clear about the tripartite nature of man. Here is the most definite verse on this subject: ” May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit, soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess. 5: 23)
The Bible also tells us that the soul of man needs salvation and rest, and this state can be found only in fellowship with God. Let us see what David says: “For truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. (…) For you, O my soul, find rest in God alone; for my expectation is from Him.” (Psa. 62: 1, 5) In the following Psalm, we read: “Thus will I bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.” (Psa. 63: 4-5) David had experienced that in God’s praise his soul found nourishment and fulfillment. Praise, then, is the best food for the soul. However, adhering to God’s will and decrees is even better. Furthermore, if our soul clings to God, then God will support us: “My soul clings to you; your right hand supports me.” (Psa. 63:
The soul, however, might not be eternal. Jesus talked about it: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10: 28) It appears, then, that the soul is mortal. In Revelation, there is mention of the “second death”: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: he who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.” (Rev. 2: 11)
Most probably, this second death concerns the soul of man. Final separation of the soul from the spirit results in the death of the soul. Could it be, then, that here lies the secret of life and the answer to the age-old enigma of “Sphinx”? Could the purpose of God for creating man have been the eventual (through evolution) formation of eternal personal spiritual beings out of the impersonal Universal Spirit? And could the esoteric meaning of the so-called “marriage of the lamb” (Rev. 19:7) be the perfect union of soul and spirit, the identification of soul’s will with the inherent spiritual law? In other words, could the highest evolution of man be a state whereby the “wants” of our soul are identical to the “must” (Law) of our spirit?
This is the ultimate question to which every individual should endeavor to find the true answer, while we are still living in this “earthen vessel” i.e. the temple of God…
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Friday, November 14th, 2008
2 Cor 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
There is a battle that is raging although you may not even be aware that it is taking place. The battle is truth versus falsehood. The battle is for your mind. Satan is after your mind because if he can get your mind, then he can get your life.
Sow a thought, sow an action. Sow an action, sow a destiny.
Thoughts determine your destiny.
But God hasn’t called us to that bondage. No, the Bible says that Jesus came to set the captives free. Jesus came to set at liberty those that are oppressed of the enemy.
Our minds are so key. That’s what separates us from the animals. If our minds are in the hands of Satan, then we are going to receive what Satan says. Our mind is meant to be the guiding force of our lives. That’s why our minds need our attention so seriously. We need to think the thoughts that God wants us to think.
We will draw to ourselves what we constantly meditate on. Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings, and that leads to negative people. So our thinking determines what we are going to bring into our lives.
The results of wrong thoughts
Wrong Emotions For example, if you have ever had anybody wrong you? If your focus is on what they did to you instead of love and forgiveness, then hate and anger fill your heart. If you are walking around all hateful and angry, guess what?– you are going to repel people. Because no one wants to be around that kind of person.
If you meditate on depressing thoughts. You will live a depressing life. We feel like what we think about. We think discouraging thoughts, we will be discouraged. Etc etc
Emotional Problems. Sometimes people say “Pray for me I have emotional problems.” Most of the time, most people–their emotions are working just fine. “My emotions are messed up.” No, your emotions are working just fine. You are thinking bad things and therefore your emotions are coming into play. “Pastor I’m so depressed.” “What are you thinking about.” “I’m thinking how I’m about to die and about my funeral.” That’s not an emotional problem. Your emotions are working just fine. It’s a thinking problem.
Emotional problems may exist if you think of God’s goodness and are still depressed. There would be a problem if you were thinking good thoughts and you were still depressed. But most people have a thought problem, not an emotional problem. We are anxious because we are thinking anxious thoughts. We are depressed because we are thinking depressing thoughts. Garbage in, garbage out.
So we need to think differently. It all starts with our minds. But if we focus on God’s truth. If we focus on God’s word. We will have faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
The Joy of the Lord is your strength. How do we get joy? By believing what God’s word says about us. If you want the right emotions, we need to start thinking the right thoughts.
Wrong Attitude If you think. “I’ll never amount much to anything. Nothing ever works out for me. I always get a raw deal”, are you going to have a highly motivated attitude? You will not marshal all your resources to win if you are dwelling on failure. And if your resources are not marshaled, what are your chances for success? Not much. And then when you don’t succeed, you say, “see I told you so.” Negativity becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.
John Maxwell tells a great story about 2 shoe salesman that go to this island in the South Pacific and learn that none of the people there even wear shoes. They both dash into two phone booths to call their overseas office. The first says. “Book me on the next flight. Nobody wears shoes over here.” The second salesmen says “send be 50 cases of shoes. Nobody even has shoes over here!”
You see we can see the same things, but how we think about those things affects our attitude. Look, we all get knocked down from time to time by life and can have periods of mourning or depression, but we don’t have to stay there forever. That is why praise is so important. But isn’t’ all that praise just psyching yourself up? No and Yes. Of course praise is more than that, but praise is “psyching up” if by “psyche” you mean the mind. We are reminding ourselves of the goodness of God, of our adoption by God of the favor of God, of the promises of God.
Sickness Another thing that wrong thoughts produce is sickness. If you constantly say. “I ‘ll always be sick”, then you will be. You are setting yourself up to receive what you expect. If your mind is on scriptures, you will get healed.
Prov 4:20-22 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.
God said to Moses make a bronze serpent. When the Israelites were dying they were told that anyone who looks at it with a fixed gaze would be healed. Who has believed the report of the Lord? Will you fix your eyes on your healer?
Set Your Mind On Things Above Col 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things
First thing we need to realize is that we can choose our thoughts. Nobody can make you think about something, although the devil will try. If we focus on what God has done for us and Christ, if you believe on what God is saying–His report, you will have victory. We have control over what we are going to think about and we have to choose to set our minds on things above.
We need to focus our faith on God and his greatness. Set your hearts on things above–not just a momentary look, but set your hearts there.
Jesus example John 16:33 In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
How do we become of good cheer? You have to focus on the goodness of God instead of focusing on the tribulation. You have to focus on the fact that Jesus has overcome and because we are united with him we are overcomers. I said we are overcomers.
See even Jesus was not immune to tribulation. Yes he went through good Friday but then came Resurrection Sunday! Some of us might be in a good Friday mode right now. But praise God, Sunday is coming. You see what was Jesus thinking about while he suffered?
Jesus was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now He is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. Jesus wasn’t thinking tribulation. Jesus wasn’t thinking about the nails, the crown of thorns. No he was thinking about His seat in the heavenly places. He was thinking of victory! He was thinking of salvation. He was looking towards the future!
But you might be saying “but you don’t understand what I am going through.” But it’s not what you are going through that has you down . It is how you are thinking about it that has you down.
You may be going through right now but think about God and his plan. If you think about God’s power you will attract strength. Strength to overcome and go through the trials. Jesus said in this life you will have troubles but I have overcome the world. He wasn’t saying it was always going to be nice, but that in the midst, we can choose to believe that Jesus is greater than our problems!
How do you get control of your mind?
You are the gatekeeper You are the ultimate gatekeeper for your mind. Jesus said he stands at the door and knocks. The devil bangs at the door. But only you can determine who you will let in– who will you entertain? You can’t control who is going to knock on the door, but only you have the power to open and let the person in.
“Oh your not going to make it financially. Your not going to succeed. Your going to die early.” Don’t invite him in. There’s an expression, “you may not be able to keep the bird from landing on you. But you don’t have to let it build a nest on your head.”
Ask, “Why I am thinking that. That’s just the devil talking. But instead I am going to listen to the thoughts of Jesus. Lord show me what your word says in this situation cause I want to think your thoughts.”
No Denial I am not saying that we should stick our heads in the sand and pretend like things are great when they aren’t. The difference is your mind. What are you thinking about? I am not saying you should be like an ostrich and deny reality. All I’m saying is just don’t dwell on this reality only! Dwell on the greater one who is within you!
Some people are deniers. “I don’t want to go the doctor because I don’t want too hear the bad news.” No, people of faith say “no I want to face the problems– face the reality– so I can find out about what God says about it, so I can overcome.”
I don’t know when, but God is going to turn this test into a testimony. Sooner or later he’s going to turn this mess into a message. Refuse to give up.
Dismiss it immediately Take action against it. As soon as that thought flashes through your mind. Don’t let it settle there. Dismiss it . Say this thought is not from God. I rebuke it in the name of Jesus. You may not want to do it out loud at work. But hey. Do what you have to . Don’t let it fester in our mind. Don’t delay. Deal with it immediately.
Replace the thought with the Word immediately Find our what God says about your situations and memorize it . Quote it . Write it on an index card. I’ve been known to walk around with cards and pull them out throughout the day. Why?
Rom 12:1-2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We have got to renew our minds with truth. We can’t lay back and expect this transformation to happen to us just suddenly. No we are going to have to discipline ourselves to toss off the old thoughts and put on the new. Start dwelling on the good things of God.
Stop thinking “I can’t” Start thinking ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Stop thinking “I’ll always be sick.” And start thinking. “By His stripes I am healed.” Stop thinking “God hates me” Start thinking “I am accepted in the Beloved.”
This takes effort especially if we have years of bad habits in our thinking. We have to be on guard and we all have different problem areas.
I heard a funny story about two farmers, one negative , one positive. When it rained, one would say “wonderful my crop is being refreshed,” the other would say” Boy if this doesn’t let up my crops will drown. ” When it was sunny, one would say ” Great my crops are getting nourished”, the other would say, “Man if this doesn’t let up, my crop will be scorched. They went goose hunting together. The positive farmer had a hunting dog. They went out on a boat. When the positive farmer shot a goose, he sent his dog to fetch it. The dog literally walked on top of the surface of the water, got the goose and brought it back. The negative farmer said. “Dog can’t even swim!”
What do you think God really thinks about you? Do you know that he loves you and wants you to succeed in every area of life? The devil says you don’t have enough. Enough Money, time good looks, talent.
God says you can do all things through Christ. God’s thoughts will enable you to walk in victory and freedom. Let’s store them up.
Blessings!
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Sunday, November 9th, 2008
Those who teach the rapture most often quote 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:16-17. In this study we are going to examine 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. There we will learn that the first letter had caused some confusion among the Thessalonians. Many had come to the conclusion that Christ could return at any moment to gather His church. Paul strongly refutes this in the second letter and he will tell us exactly what we should look for before we can expect Christ to return. The rapture will not stand against these teachings. In order to protect their doctrine those who teach the rapture have twisted these scriptures to align with their teachings. We will show you where this is done and prove to you that they are deceiving you. On that same note we will read where God warns us against teachers like these and even against the rapture doctrine itself. God knew this would happen and He has provided us with the knowledge to overcome false teachers.
2 Thessalonians 2
1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Here you see Paul is going to talk to us about the return of Jesus and our gathering back to Him. He says don’t be troubled or doubtful due to a (deceiving) spirit, some other teaching, or any letter we have written you (the first letter), as that the day of Christ is at hand. The day of Christ is not at hand, it will not happen until the events are fulfilled that we will read about in the next verse.
3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Paul makes it very clear that the day of Christ will not come until there is a falling away first and the man of sin the son of perdition is revealed. Now how could any reasonable person read this and say that nothing has to happen before Christ returns to the earth? This is one of the places were teachers have taken a great liberty with the word. Some will tell you that this falling away is the rapture of the church. This is absolutely not true and can be easily disproved. If you have a Strong’s Concordance you can look up this word falling #646 apostasia: it means deflection from the truth. If you have been taught this is the rapture then you have been deceived. It actually means apostasy, which is to abandon one’s religion. This is being fulfilled right now, in fact those who teach this are fulfilling it.
The second event that has to occur before that day is the revealing of the man of sin the son of perdition. To understand who this is we must examine both titles. We know that sin entered into the world when Eve was beguiled by the serpent, who is Satan and took of the tree of knowledge. Gen.(3:6) So if sin entered into the world as a result of the deception of Satan wouldn’t it make sense if he was called the man of sin? The other title “the son of perdition” #684 in the Greek means to perish or die. Only one entity has been sentenced to to death by God at this time. Our (eternal) judgment will not come until the white throne judgment in Rev. 20:11-12. You can read where God sentenced Satan to death in Eze. 28:13-19.
Now that we know who this is we need to find out at what time he is revealed. As verse 3 plainly states that day is not coming until he is revealed. Now in order to reveal something it has to have been hidden. I have maintained throughout the studies on this site that the antichrist will come to the earth playing Jesus. This is why it is hidden and this is how he is able to deceive so many. In Rev. 12:9 it says he will deceive the whole world. If he was immediately revealed at the point he is thrown out of heaven he wouldn’t deceive anyone. There are very few if any that would willingly follow him. Rev. chapter 16 gives you the 7 vials which are the seventh trump. There you will find the vials are judgments from God upon the beast and his followers. Many that teach the rapture like to say God hath not appointed us to wrath and for this reason the rapture is a valid teaching. Well, the tribulation can be broken down into two parts. The first part is the tribulation by Satan and the second beginning with the seventh trump is the tribulation by God. The tribulation by God is only for the beast and his followers. Now during this period of the seventh trump Satan will be revealed for who he truly is. All those that followed him will be receiving these plagues and there will be no doubt that they are not in good standing with God. After this and only after this does Christ return to reign on the earth. This is why He’s coming, you couldn’t find a verse stating Christ returns two times in the bible to save your life. This is why we have new theories popping up like the secret rapture, it’s nonsense!
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
This verse very clearly states the son of perdition will portray himself as God. This is how he deceives the whole world.
6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
In order to understand this verse we need to understand who or what is being referred to. The word withholdeth means “holds fast” and the he is Satan as we learned from verse 3. So this should read “now ye know what holds fast that Satan might be revealed in his time”. I know those who teach the rapture say the church is the what that is holding fast in this verse. This is incorrect, the Greek word that is translated “what” which acts like an English pronoun is #3588 and it is singular and neutral. Meaning it can only be speaking of a place and not a person or people. If we go to Rev. 12:7 we find that that the beast rises out of the bottomless pit. We also find that before Satan comes to the earth as antichrist there is war in heaven and he is kicked out of heaven by Michael. No place is found in heaven for him anymore. We can easily draw from these verses that Satan is being kept in a bottomless pit somewhere in heaven.
7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
We have just covered the what now we will clarify who is holding Satan. This verse says iniquity which is wickedness is already at work. So even though he is not presently here Satan’s spirit is already at work on the earth. The he that is holding fast “letteth” in this verse can only be Michael. I say this because not long after the (he) that is holding fast is taken out of the way, Satan is revealed as we will learn in the next verse. Since it is Michael which casts him to the earth it must be Michael who is holding him. It makes no sense to say the church is holding Satan in a bottomless pit in heaven. The church is not in heaven. To say that this is spiritual makes no sense either because his spirit is already at work on the earth. If we can’t hold his spirit from working on the earth how can we hold him back in heaven. This business about the church being the great restrainers will not hold water.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Clear as day, once Satan is revealed then Christ returns and will destroy him. There is no rapture, Satan comes first and then Christ. He will deceive the whole world, we need to be ready.
9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Notice those who perish do so because of a lack of truth. Don’t be one of those this is not hard. Let the bible be your authority and not man. This is the great falling away – the deflection from the truth we read about in verse 3.
11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
God will send those who would not receive the truth strong delusion in the form of the antichrist. This is the lie, he’s coming playing God and many have been taught that Christ comes first. This makes it really easy because much of the deception is already here. Iniquity is already working.
12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness
The last place we will go is Ezekiel chapter 13. This chapter is about false teachers and how they make up their own salvation rather than teaching God’s word. That is what the rapture is doing today. The doctrine that is being discussed in these verses will line up perfectly with what the rapture teaches today and in my opinion it is the rapture. You can decide for yourself. We will only cover a few verses but I urge you to read the whole chapter.
Ezekiel 13:18 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
What we have here is very interesting. This sew pillows to all armholes and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature simply means a one size fits all doctrine. For instance they may say “All you have to do is believe”. God expects more from you than that. In the book of James 2:19 we are told even the devils believe and tremble. You want to do more for God than that don’t you? God says “You are preying upon my people by teaching lies” and furthermore He asks can you save my people with your manmade religion?
19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
These teachers are polluting God’s truth for payment. If you tell people what they want to hear they will likely keep coming back again and again. That’s a steady flow of money. They are condemning those who are of a pure heart and those who are hypocrites believe they are saved.
20) Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
These pillows are covering up the truth and polluting the word of God. This is the rapture foreseen by God and He is warning them as well as you don’t teach it and don’t believe it. I’m sure you have heard hymns about flying away, coincidence? God is very good to us and he will tear away the lies and deception during the millennium. At that time we will have one church instead of numerous denominations and false doctrines like the rapture.. We can do better right now though if we pray for knowledge and listen to God’s word instead of man.
This article courtesy of The Rapture Rebuttal www.rapturerebuttal.com
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Friday, November 7th, 2008
Putting the cart before the horse! This common trait, paradoxically, is human nature both at its best and worst. We are good at taking that “leap of faith” and making great strides towards a goal. Yet consistantly we ignore sound planning and preparation – two things what would virtually guarantee our success. Such is man!
Embarking on a course of bible study seems to be no different. How often do we ignore the foundational exercises so we can jump right in? Everyone does. And it works out just often enough to remain a tempting option. But fear not, there’s help for you and I yet. And it comes in the form of the lowly dictionary. That’s right, a dictionary.
Language, especially the written language, is meant to be precise. The more important the writing, the more precise the language. That’s why contracts are so carefully worded. It’s also why we pay lawyers large sums to circumvent what we have so carefully written but that’s something for another day. With respect to the Bible, one could easily argue that it is one of the most carefully worded documents ever crafted.
Understanding the lessons we are meant to learn depends on our knowing the meaning of the words used to convey those lessons. And therein lies problem. Our spoken language is dynamic and fluid, changing rapidly and often. Our written language changes evolves and changes far more slowly. To understand the written word, we need to understand the meaning and context of those words not as we understand them today, but as they were understood when they were written.
So, rather than jumping right in, take a step back and work on the foundation of your studies. Make an effort to understand the historical meaning and context of the words you are studying. Find and use a good Bible dictionary. These days it’s a simple matter indeed There are fantastic online Bible dictionaries that are easily accessed and utilized at the click of button.
Using an online Bible dictionary will enrich your understanding of the Word and deepen your faith. Next time you’re tempted to jump right in, take the time to look up every word in just one passage. You’ll be amazed at what you learn and I guarantee, be hungry for more!
About the Author
Bert terHart is the creator of numerous online learning systems, including basic and advanced bible study tools. Learn the essential keys that can enrich your bible studies and deepen your faith by visiting http://www.eastons-bible-dictionary.com
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Thursday, November 6th, 2008
Do you know what the Restoration Movement is? Do you consider yourself to be a part of this movement? Do you think that the movement is important to the church? Do you even care?
Please don’t think that I am trying to me a smart aleck. I certainly do not intend to be. However, I hope that you can find an answer to each of these questions in this article.
It would not be possible for me to even come close to giving a complete history of the Restoration Movement in this short article. There have been volumes written about the movement, the key people who founded it, its underlying principles, and how it has progressed. My aim is to acquaint you with the movement and hopefully spark your interest so you will seek to learn more about it.
The Restoration Movement was founded in the 1800’s by such men as Barton W. Stone, Thomas Campbell, and Alexander Campbell. These men, along with others, sought to get the church back to following the New Testament as its only source of authority. They also preached against a denominational structure and in favor of local congregations modeling themselves after the churches in the New Testament. They spoke in favor of using the Scriptures as the only source to determine how one receives the gift of salvation.
I am convinced that most people who attend Christian Churches and Churches of Christ which associate themselves with the Restoration Movement do not know what sets us apart from all the rest who claim to be Christian. So, what does set us apart?
We strive for the restoration of the church, both in unity and practice, on a New Testament basis. The church was instituted by Christ. The church is His! Local congregations (we most often call them churches) are just a part of the church which Christ instituted. If this is true, and it is, then we have an obligation to Christ to pattern the local congregation after the pattern which is set forth in the New Testament. By reading and studying the New Testament we can learn how the first churches which came into existence conducted themselves, how they were governed and so forth. Here are a few things we can learn:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) They continued steadfastly, or in other words, they did not allow themselves to deviate from these practices. They continued in the apostles’ doctrine — they followed the teachings of the apostles. We have these same teachings in the New Testament. We too can, if we choose, continue to follow the teachings of the apostles. They continued in fellowship — they met together as Christians to worship. They continued in the breaking of bread — they observed the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis. They continued in prayer — they went to the Lord in prayer on a regular basis. There are many groups today (over 300 major denominations) who claim to be Christian but have gone away from the teachings of the apostles. Just turn on your television and listen to the doctrines being broadcast as if they were part of the apostles’ doctrine. Such things as infant baptism, sprinkling or pouring as a form of baptism, speaking in tongues, “once saved always saved,” salvation by faith only, faith healing, prophesying (as if relaying a message directly from God), denying that baptism is a necessary part of salvation, and the list goes on and on. None of these “doctrines” can be found in the Scriptures. And if this isn’t bad enough, there are other groups who claim to be Christian who deny the deity of Jesus Christ or who follow the teachings of men (latter day saints) who teach things contrary to Christ.
“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;…” (Acts 6:3) The local church is to be governed by deacons and elders, each office having its own functions or duties. This governing group is to come from the people in the local congregation not a regional or state governing board as is the practice of those in denominations. See also: Acts 14:23, Acts 20:17, 1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:5, James 5:14, 1 Peter 5:1-5, and 1 Timothy 3:1-13. “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” (Acts 20:7) We in the Restoration Movement observe the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s Day (the first day of the week) as is patterned in this Scripture.
Not only should we pattern the local congregation after those in the New Testament, but the church should be unified. “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:4,5) Notice in the New Testament that all the local congregations were given the same teachings. A study of this shows that the apostles considered the church to be unified, that all were obeying the gospel, that all were to obey the commands of Jesus, and that all were expected to conduct themselves in the same manner. Are we today to believe that when Jesus returns for His church that He will receive a divided church, a church which teaches different doctrines, a church which has different means by which one may receive salvation, and a church which will not even associate or fellowship with each other? No, He will not! Listen to some of the things Jesus tells the seven churches in Asia as written in Revelation: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:5); “… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10b); “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” (Revelation 2:16); “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-” (Revelation 2:26); “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Revelation 3:5); and “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16) Please read this entire passage in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Do we see here a picture of what Christ expects when He returns? He expects the church (you, I and everyone who professes to be a follower of Christ) to be faithful and not following false teachings. If we don’t measure up, then we can expect to have our name blotted from the Book of Life.
No name but Christian. We who associate ourselves with the Restoration Movement wish to be known only as a Christian. We wish to wear only the name of Christ. The name Christian is a Biblical name, “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26b) Also we read in the New Testament that the church was referred to as either the church, the church of Christ, or the church of God. Many people seem to consider themselves a Baptist first and a Christian second, or a Methodist first and a Christian second, or any other man-made name first and a Christian second. We believe that Christian is not just the first, but the only name we want to wear.
Where the Scriptures speak, we speak. Where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent. It seems that many Christians are ever ready to argue about Scripture. I would like to point out that it is not really necessary to argue about Scripture. The Bible is quite plain in what it says. There are some principles of interpretation which we must follow, but once we do, the truths in the Bible are clear. So therefore we believe that if the Bible addresses a particular subject and a command is given, we should obey that command. We will stand up and defend what the Bible says about how we are to conduct ourselves as Christians. On the other hand, if a subject is not covered in the Scriptures (if the Bible is silent on a subject) then it is not necessary to debate or defend the issue.
The plan of salvation. By reading and studying the New Testament teachings we see that there is a plan of salvation. We are told by the New Testament writers what we must do to be saved. It is not difficult to understand. However, there are many who either try to make it more complicated than it is, or simplify it more than it is, or even to interject man-made rules into what needs to be done. We need to consider all that is in the Scriptures concerning salvation, and then not add any additional requirements. Here is the plan: Faith or Belief (Romans 10:17, John 3:16); Repentance (Luke 13:3); Confession (Matthew 10:32); Baptism [immersion] (Mark 16:16 & Acts 2:38); and Faithful Living (James 1:12).
I hope and pray that what I have given you in this article is enough to show that there is a difference between those churches who associate themselves with the Restoration Movement and those churches we usual call denominational as well as the Catholic church. It is vitally important that we continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. The Scriptures give us ample warning about following false teaching. If you need or want to know more about the Restoration Movement or want to study more about the principles of the movement, there are many good Restoration writers to choose from. Ask your minister to help you locate this information, he will be glad to help you. Or, write to us. We have several excellent books available by different authors to help you in your study.
All scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted
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