Jehovah’s Witnesses: Christian or Cult, Part III

This is the last part of a three-part series on the cult known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  You can find part one here and part two here.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe the Last Days Began in 1914

Mixing different verses from the Old and New Testaments, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have come up with the date of 1914 as being the beginning of the last days.  From their booklet, “What Does the Bible Really Teach,” (pp 215-217), the date 1914 is derived from Jesus’ words in Luke 21:24, who mentions that Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  Romans 11:25 also mentions the fullness of the Gentiles, and says that a partial hardening has happened until Israel until fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  Has the fullness of the Gentiles happened?  Some interpret the word fullness as being a time or a number.  I believe that until the rapture of the church takes place and the church is taken to heaven, we are still in the time of the Gentiles.  Just as Romans 11:25 says, Israel is currently in a state of partial hardening UNTIL the time of the Gentiles is over.  Has Israel turned to Christ yet?  The country is current in preparations to build the third temple so that sacrifices can resume.  Jesus was the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins and our salvation and none other is needed.  Until Israel accepts Jesus as their Savior, they are still partially hardened and, thus, the fullness of the Gentiles has not come in.

Back to the date of 1914.  In the 21st chapter of Luke, Jesus is explaining the conditions on earth prior to His return.  Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies.  There will be great earthquakes, famine and plagues.  There will be great signs in the heavens.  There will be great distress upon the land.  Right now, Israel has turned what was once practically a barren desert into a vast area of produce.  They are not surrounded by armies, although they are surrounded by enemies.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses calculate the date of 1914 by adding 2,520 years to October 607 BC (which they refer to as “B.C.E.,” strangely – before common era).  607 BC was the date Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians.  The 2,520 years comes from a scriptural reference in Daniel 4:10-16, which are the verses that speak of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.  In the vision, an angelic watcher tells Nebuchadnezzar that a period of seven times would pass over someone who would live with the beasts of the field.  The angelic watcher also told the king that a tree would be chopped down and all of its branches removed.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses took the “seven times” from this verse and compared it to three-and-a-half times in the book of Revelation 12:6 and 12:14 and multiplied by two.  Unfortunately, Revelation 12:6 is talking about days, not years.  Somehow the Jehovah’s Witnesses decided to use 2,520 years for “seven times” instead of 2,520 days, which is the correct interpretation for “seven times,” if Revelation is used as a guide.  As far as Nebuchadnezzar’s vision is concerned, Daniel interpreted the vision later in Daniel 4.  The vision was about Nebuchadnezzar, not Jerusalem or Israel.  So there is absolutely no connection between the trampling of Jerusalem under the Gentiles’ feet, the 2,520 years and their prediction of 1914 marking the beginning of the last days is false.

If you want to look at this in a very simple fashion, I can prove their “1914 is the beginning of the last days” prophecy with one chapter in the Bible:  Acts 2.  This was the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on mankind (Acts 2:1-4).  In Acts 2:17, the prophet Joel is quoted as saying, “And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams.’”  Peter was talking about that moment when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them.  The prophet Joel called it the last days.  The last days have been here since the day of Pentecost, not 1914.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe Jesus Was the Archangel Michael

Denying the divinity of Jesus is a very dangerous move, but it’s something done by thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world.  In their aforementioned booklet, pp 218-19, the Watchtower Socierty has linked 1 Thessalonians 4:16 with Jesus being the archangel Michael.  That verse reads, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice.”  They figure that if Jesus has the voice of an archangel, he must be Michael.  They also go on to say that the term “archangel” is only used in the Bible in singular form and is never plural.  In addition, they determined that because Michael leads an army of angels in the book of Revelation and Jesus has an army of angels in other parts of the Bible, they must be one and the same.  Colossians 1:15-17 tells us a different story.  It reads, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  Nehemiah 9:6 says that God created all the hosts of heaven.  Psalms 148:2 refers to angels and hosts and in verse five says they were created by His commandment.  John 1:1-5 says Jesus existed in the beginning with God.  In John 10:30, Jesus said that He and the Father were one.  So if Jesus created everything we see and everything we don’t, did He create Himself, too?  Of course not.  Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity – three distinct personalities but representing God:  the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Everything else was created by Him for Him.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe Only 144,000 Go to Heaven, Part II

I’m covering again in this post, even knowing I covered it in part two.  I wanted to be more explicit and help you to understand that what the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe isn’t Biblical truth.

As I mentioned in part two, the Jehovah’s Witnesses cult uses a reference in the book of Revelation to drive home the point that only 144,000 go to heaven.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses use Revelation 14:1 to determine that only 144,000 go to heaven.  That verse reads, “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.”  So 144,000 people sealed with the mark of God and were standing on Mount Zion with Jesus.  The cult does not bother to go into further detail or show the context in which this verse was written.  Revelation 14:4 says the 144,000 were virgins.  Revelation 7:3-8 describes the 144,000 prior to receiving their seal of God as being from the 12 tribes of Israel.  To reiterate what I wrote in the last post, unless the Jehovah’s Witnesses are all Jewish virgins, they’re not the 144,000 spoken of in Revelation.

One other major section from the book of Revelation was also missed.  Revelation 7:9 says a great multitude which no one could count from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues are standing before the throne and the Lamb.  The 144,000 are considered the saved remnant of Israel.  But they’re in heaven with what Revelation 7:9 described as a number of people that no one could count.  There are many, many more people that make it to heaven.  And simply reading a few more verses in the Bible exposed this lie.

Summary

After having read the material given to me by a member of the Jehovah’s Witness cult, I can’t call this organization anything but a cult.  They deny the divinity of Jesus.  They believe, at least partly, in works-based salvation.  They believe only 144,000 people go to heaven, even though John 3:16 tells us something completely different.

Also, were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Jehovah’s Witnesses?  Matthew 8:11 says they’re in heaven.  I believe the Bible tells us they were found righteous because of their faith, not because they were Jehovah’s Witnesses.

By setting the groundwork for man to believe he can save himself, the Jehovah’s Witnesses remove the need for the death and resurrection of Jesus.  By limiting the number of those who can enter heaven, they are attempting to create a high-demand, low-supply situation for their cult.  And by implying that one can lose their salvation, it takes away the hope of each of us who worship Jesus.  We’re all sinners and we all fall short of the glory of God.  If Christians have to continually earn their salvation over and over again, we are not free but laden with burdens.

Now, ready for the good news?  Jesus came to set us free.  We’re not good enough to get into heaven on our own merit.  But Jesus died for all of our sins–past, present and future.  Do you want to know how to get into heaven?  It’s not by following religious cults.  It’s about having a personal relationship with Jesus.  Believing that Jesus was born of a virgin, died for your sins, and rose again.  How do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?  Pray.  Read His word.  And if you ask Him to be your Savior, He will save you from your sins instantly.  If you’re sincere, you’ll be changed forever on the inside.  And then you’ll want to live like Christ lived, and your actions and works in life will reflect Christ living inside you.  It’s not the works that save you.  Works are what you’ll want to do once Jesus saves you, so you can be like Him.

Jehovah’s Witnesses: Christian or Cult, Part II

I’m picking up where I left off last week on Jehovah’s Witnesses:  Christian or Cult, Part I with three additional examinations as to why the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization is a cult.

As with last week, I’ll continue to dissect the Watchtower Society’s booklet, What Does the Bible Really Teach? and help you to understand that what the Bible teaches really isn’t in this Watchtower guide.

Strike Four:  Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe Water Baptism is a Requirement for a Relationship with God

Chapter eighteen, page 175 of the Watchtower booklet says this:  “Water baptism is a requirement for all who want to have a relationship with Jehovah God.”

This is as far from the truth as the east is from the west.

While we are commanded by Jesus to be baptized, it is not a requirement for a relationship with God or for salvation.  Titus 3:5-7 is very clear:  “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

So how do you have a relationship with God?  The Bible says that you only need to believe in Jesus to become a child of God.  John 1:12 says this:  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…”  Believing in Jesus is a great first step in having a relationship with God.  But there’s also praying and reading God’s word.  You speak to God through prayer, and Jesus taught us how we should pray in Matthew 6:7-13, and God will speak to you through His word.  Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  The Bible provides guidance.  The Holy Spirit, once it indwells in you, can give you wisdom and understanding as you read it.

Strike Five:  Jehovah’s Witnesses Deny the Trinity

The translation committee I mentioned last week that wrote the New World Translation for the Jehovah’s Witnesses completely changed the meaning of the Gospel of John.  Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that John 1:1 states, in part (and this is from page 202 of their booklet), “…the Word was a god,” and they signify that Jesus was simply in a “high position among Jehovah’s creatures…”  (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, p. 202)  Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus and God are one.  Their material quotes other translations of the Bible, none of which I’ve ever even heard of, and try to blame the error on various translations from the original Greek.  However, they never bother to discuss John 10:30 where Jesus simply says, “I and the Father are one.”

Strike Six:  Only 144,000 go to Heaven

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have twisted scripture in their New World Translation to make it say whatever they want you to believe as part of their cult.  In their booklet, when discussing the topic of communion (which they call “the Lord’s evening meal”), it reads, “Humans can thus become clean in God’s eyes and can enter into the new covenant with Jehovah.  This covenant, or contract, makes it possible for 144,000 faithful Christians to go to heaven.”  The only place in the real scripture that mentions 144,000 people is in the book of Revelation, where 144,000 Jewish (Revelation 7:4-8) virgins (Revelation 14:1-4) are sealed.  So unless the Jehovah’s Witnesses are from the twelve tribes of Israel and are virgins, they’re not the sealed 144,000  mentioned in Revelation.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t have an exclusive contract with God.  John 3:16 says it very plainly:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  Romans 10:13 is also very clear that salvation isn’t limited by number:  “…’Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”  2 Peter 3:9 elaborates on this even further: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”  God wants everyone to come to repentance.

Next week, I’ll wrap up this series on the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Jehovah’s Witnesses: Christian or Cult, Part I

I had an opportunity two weeks ago to speak with a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses that were going door-to-door in my neighborhood. Having not read my copy of The Kingdom of the Cults recently, I was admittedly a little rusty on what beliefs they held that placed them on the cult list in the first place. So I listened to their speech for a few minutes to pick up on some clues. The Holy Spirit was ringing alarm bells in my head as I stood there outside my home and listened to their heretical teachings. After pointing out some scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15 and referencing a passage in Matthew about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob being in heaven, the duo excused themselves citing a need to do more studying before they could address my Bible-based statements that clearly contradicted their belief system. Before they left, one of the gentlemen handed me a copy of their booklet, What Does the Bible Really Teach?, a publication from their parent organization, the Watchtower Society. And as they left, I reminded them that Jesus is the only way and invited them back once they had an opportunity to study so we could chat.

I took the time to dissect their What Does the Bible Really Teach? booklet and was astounded by the number of unbiblical “truths” spread by this organization. In fact, the quotes from scripture contained in the booklet were off somewhat from everything I’d read and been taught. While the two individuals were talking with me, I noticed that they were reading from a Bible, so I did some research into the translation being used, the New World Translation, and was equally stunned at what I discovered.

Strike One: Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own version of the Bible that twists scripture to make it fit their belief system.

According to this Wikipedia article, the New World Translation was created specifically for the Watchtower Society, the parent organization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. And instead of giving credit to the translation committee responsible for it, the members asked the Watchtower Society to keep their names anonymous, stating that they did not want to “advertise themselves but let all the glory go to the Author of the Scriptures, God,” and that the translation “should direct the reader… to… Jehovah God”. It sounds like to me that the members who made up this committee, which was comprised of multinationals, didn’t want their true affiliations to be known. After having read some of their scripture, it’s clear to me to whom some, if not all, of its members have their allegiance.

Why the new translation? From Wikipedia:

According to the publishers, one of the main reasons for producing a new translation was that most Bible versions in common use, including the Authorised (King James) Version, employed archaic language. The stated intention was to produce a fresh translation, free of archaisms. Additionally, over the centuries since the King James Version was produced, more copies of earlier manuscripts of the original texts in the Hebrew and Greek languages have become available. The publishers claimed better manuscript evidence had made it possible to determine with greater accuracy what the original writers intended, particularly in more obscure passages. They said linguists better understood certain aspects of the original Hebrew and Greek languages than previously.

During my research, I compared the scriptures from the New World Translation against the New American Standard Bible, which was published just after the NWT. For this post, I will reference comparative scripture from the NIV, which was published later than the NWT, and should certainly contain additional better-understood aspects of the original Hebrew and Greek languages. And since it’s never, we should have an even better sense of what the original writers intended. After all, that’s why they came up with the New World Translation, right?

Strike Two: You can lose your salvation.

On page 130 in the aforementioned Watchtower Society booklet, the commandment from the book of Acts to abstain from blood, among other things, is referenced. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this means individuals should refuse blood transfusions, else the believer would be in direct violation of God’s word. Regardless of whether or not blood transfusions are included as part of Acts 15:28-29, page 130 in the Watchtower guide says this: “But if we tried to save our present life by breaking God’s law, we would be in danger of losing everlasting life.” This is in direct contradiction of John 10:29 (NIV) where Jesus made clear that salvation is eternal: “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 3:16 (NIV) says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Our salvation isn’t dependent on how good we are or what works we can perform and it’s sealed from the day you became a believer and your sins don’t put it in jeopardy. Either you’re saved or you’re not. No one becomes unsaved, or John 10:29 is a lie. We know from scripture that God does not lie (Hebrews 8:18).

Strike Three: Jehovah’s Witnesses think Christmas is a pagan holiday that real Christians should not celebrate.

Pages 158 and 159 of the Watchtower guide refers to Christmas as unclean because of its supposed ties to a pagan Roman festival which celebrated the “birthday of the unconquered sun.” At the top of page 159, the guide says this: “…those who want to please God do not celebrate it or any other holiday that has its roots in pagan worship.” This contradicts scripture in two places. The first is in Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) which reads, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” It is by faith that we please God, not by our decision to not celebrate Christmas or any other works. The Watchtower guide is also in direct contradiction of Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV) which reads, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Aren’t the Jehovah’s Witnesses judging us for celebrating Christ’s birth at Christmas?

Next time, I’ll delve into additional topics from the Watchtower book that are contradictory of scripture and help you further understand why the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult and not a Christian-based organization.

Click to read Jehovah’s Witnesses:  Christian or Cult, Part II

The Jews Need Jesus Too: Dual Covenant Theology Exposed

There are some pastors and church leaders today that believe Jews and Christians are on separate but equal paths to heaven, thanks to what is commonly known as the “dual covenant” theology. Those espousing this false doctrine believe the Jews get automatic entrance to heaven because of their being God’s chosen people.

But it’s a lie straight from the lips of the devil.

Let’s look at a perfect example of what it took to be saved in the Old Testament. Abraham was saved by faith. His faith in God, and not his works, were counted as righteousness by God. (Romans 4:3). How do we know Abraham was saved? Jesus told us so in Matthew 8:11, “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” According to Jesus, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are all in the kingdom of heaven.

Doesn’t this pose a conflict with John 3:16, which reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life?” Not at all.

How is that possible? Read John 1:1-4: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” Follow that with John 1:14: “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,” and John 10:30: “I and my Father are one.” It’s pretty easy to see that the people from the Old Testament believed in Jesus all along.

That is, until He was manifest in the flesh. Paul set out to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jew first, then the Greek (or Gentile). This is described in Acts 13:46: “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” The Jews rejected, and continue to reject, Jesus as their Messiah. So Paul set about preaching the gospel to the Gentiles after the Jews summarily rejected the good news.

What makes Acts 13 interesting is that it defines what is required for everlasting life – a belief in Jesus. After the Jews rejected the gospel, the Gentiles then received the message of salvation through faith in Jesus.

So how do we know that the old covenant is no longer valid and that the Jews need Jesus? Hebrews 8:13 tells us that the first covenant is obsolete: “When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete but whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” The old covenant is no longer relevant. Hence, automatic salvation for faith in God by the Jews does not guarantee eternal life. It’s faith in Jesus that gives eternal life, to Jews and Gentiles alike and for all who will accept it. With the coming of the Son of Man to earth in human form, and the subsequent rejection by the Jews, there is no longer faith in Jesus by them as they continue to wait on their messiah. And Jesus told us while manifest in the flesh that no one comes to the Father except through Him. For those who reject Jesus, there is no other way to the Father.

How to Live a Holy Life VIII: It’s One or the Other, Not Both

In Matthew 5:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters,” Jesus remarked in Matthew 12:30. You’re either with Him or against Him. There is no middle ground.

“Do not be deceived,” Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’”  As Christians, we are not to flirt with the devil.  We are to be the salt and light of the world and we are to display the fruits of the spirit if we are saved.  But Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:21:  ”You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”

Make no mistake here.  Paul specifically warns Christians that we run the risk of having others extinguish our light if we hang around the wrong crowd.  Church is a great place of fellowship for like-minded believers and also helps to prop-up Christians struggling in their personal lives and in their faith. Does that mean we shouldn’t reach out to the lost and share the good news of Jesus’ triumph over death? Absolutely not. In fact, Paul specifically addressed this in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 when he said:

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolators, for then you would have to go out of the world.  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler — not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges.  Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

Paul discusses this topic further in 2 Corinthians 6:14:  ”Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”  We are not of this world, and we should not be bound with unbelievers.  I believe the word “bound” here means marriage, and I make that conclusion based on 1 Corinthians 7:39, when Paul discusses a wife being bound to her husband for as long as he is alive.

Even in 1 Peter 2:12, as Christians we are to maintain “behavior excellent among the Gentiles…”  As Christians, we are already hated by the world.  We’re seen as judgmental and intolerant of other beliefs.  Instead of joining the rest of the world in acceptance and understanding of sins, we stand firmly with the absolute truth of the Bible and refuse to compromise.  But we’re not of this world and this is not our home.  We have a permanent residence in the kingdom of heaven.

So who are you going to serve today?  The God of the Bible that created all things visible and invisible or something else?  Are you still skating by with those sins you still haven’t turned over to the Lord?  Are you going to be lukewarm when it comes to Jesus or are you going to be on fire for the Lord, choosing to follow Him and spread His good news of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ?  Don’t be lukewarm for Christ.  God would rather you be hot or cold than lukewarm.  It’s in Revelation 3:15-16.  Go look it up.

The Most Important Decision of Your Life

What’s the most important decision you can make in your life? Going to college? Getting married? Having kids? Saving for retirement? What if I told you that all of these things, and any other decision you make in your life, pales in comparison to the one decision you need to make?

You need to make a decision to get saved by shed blood of Christ.

Everyone on this planet is going to die one day, unless they are alive when Jesus returns to earth to establish His kingdom. The second you die, you are in the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). At the time of death for the unsaved, it’s too late to make a decision for Christ.

While many in the secular world believe that after death there is nothing, the Bible tells us differently. There are only two destinations after death, and they’re both for eternity: heaven, which is in the eternal presence of the Lord, and hell, which is the eternal absence from the Lord and is described in Matthew 13:40 as “…the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Having someone pray for you after your death isn’t going to do anything to change your situation. Your destination is eternal. Where you go is your choice.

Just as the saints of the now obsolete Old Testament (Hebrews 8:13) were saved by faith and found righteous before the Lord, the New Testament offers a very similar strategy to secure your eternal destiny with God: believe in Jesus. And I’m not talking about the intellectual kind of belief, for “…the demons also believe, and shudder,” according to James 2:19. God is asking that you believe with your heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Once you believe in your heart these things, the Bible tells us, “therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your sins will be washed away and you will become born again and your eternal destiny with Jesus will be secure. No man can take it away from you.

What about other religions? Don’t Hindus and Muslims go to heaven for believing in their god or gods? While God only knows what’s in someone’s heart, we can turn to the Bible for the answer to that question. In John 6:44 Jesus told us, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” And in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I think the answer is pretty clear.

Give your life to Jesus today. Open your heart to Him. Tell Him you accept His free gift of salvation. Believe that He died for your sins and was resurrected. And once you pray all of this and are sincere in your heart, He will make you a new creation on the inside and your eternal destiny will be secure.

I believe that the end of the age is drawing to a close. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone, so the most important decision you can make in your life is to give it over to Jesus before it’s too late.

The Wise Have Become Fools

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote on one of the virtues of living a holy life by exercising belief by faith and not by man. In the post, I explained how new scientific discoveries occur on an on-going basis and, often, the new discoveries overwrite the previous scientific discovery used as an explanation for certain events. While I do find science fascinating and, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I find astronomy particularly interesting. But as one who believes in the infallible word of God, I know that the Christian Bible is absolute truth. The events described in the Bible are true; any attempt to cast a shadow of doubt on their origins is purely deception.

How many scientific “truths” have you heard or learned over your lifetime? The Big Bang created the universe, right? How about the evolution of all species from a primordial soup? What about the demise of the dinosaurs? Weren’t they killed by an impact of extraterrestrial origins off the Yucatan Peninsula?

You could soon be unlearning that one.

A new study conducted by Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University and a team of researchers may have determined that an impact to the Yucatan Peninsula wasn’t what killed the dinosaurs after all. A mysterious basin found off the coast of India could be the impact site for a projectile that really killed the dinosaurs. The basin, which may be the largest known crater on Earth, is suspected of being created by the impact of an object about 25 miles in diameter. By comparison, the impact site off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is thought to have been created by something a little smaller, perhaps between 5 and 6.2 miles wide.

The Bible tells us that the wisdom of this world is foolish before God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”  1 Corinthians 3:18-19 reads, “Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God.”  1 Corinthians 3:20 reads, “…’The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.’”

As Christians, we know the Bible is true because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). There is nothing new under the sun, and there aren’t revised editions of God’s word being published periodically that rewrite the foundations of the Christian faith. For science, “truth” is only as good as the evidence on which it is based. Once a better, and more widely-accepted theory comes along, it replaces the old “truth” with new “truth,” until the new “truth” becomes obsolete by another new “truth.”

I have the only book of truth I need that’s the same yesterday, today and forever: God’s word.

Name-It, Claim-It: A Dangerous Doctrine Exposed

I’ve witnessed the teachings of false doctrines on blogs and on Twitter recently and I just shake my head at the ignorance of some who are led around by wolves in sheep’s clothing.  One of the more recent heretical philosophies I’ve encountered is something called, “Name It, Claim It,” also known as “Word of Faith” and the “Prosperity Gospel.”  I’m here to tell you today that whoever believes in that garbage is being deceived.

I’m not going to mince any words in this week’s article because too many Christians have fallen victim to shake-downs perpetrated by those who want you to believe they’re faith-filled followers of Jesus.  They’re the preachers that ask for a “seed faith” offering to bring about an increase in one’s personal wealth.  They’re the church leaders that ask for money to perform healings and, when the healings don’t occur, blame your lack of faith for God’s decision to not grant the request.  This is an unbiblical teaching that could cause the foundations of the faiths of many to be shaken.  Read my words:  there’s nothing you can do to get God to do your will.

Jesus had a very clear message about false prophets and those who bear bad fruit.  In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”  There are many in this world today that seem to be Godly men – until you examine their doctrine.  Any so-called preacher that is telling you that God wants to make you wealthy and prosperous in this life or that God can heal your afflictions for a small donation is deceiving you.  They are wolves masquerading as Christian leaders and some lead very, very large and popular ministries.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus told us how we should pray (verse 10 excerpted here):  “Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  We are to pray that God’s will is done on earth.  And because we do not know how to pray as we have been taught, Romans 8:26-27 tells us the Holy Spirit intercedes for us:  “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  In other words, even though Jesus taught us how we should pray, we don’t get it right.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with what are described by Paul in his letter to the Romans as “groanings too deep for words,” according to the will of God.  The Holy Spirit follows the outline of prayer described in Matthew 6:9-13 and seeks the will of God.

So why won’t God do your will?  Isaiah 55:8-9 gives us an insight into the mind of God:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  I believe what the Lord said here in Isaiah is very simple:  God, who created the universe and everything in it, knows better than you or me.  He sees the big picture and has exponentially more knowledge of a situation that humans can’t even begin to grasp.  But a quick read over in Romans 9:15-17 tells us exactly when God’s will is done:  “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.’”  God will do His will when He wants and only if it glorifies Him.

Does this mean we shouldn’t pray?  Absolutely not.  In fact, in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 5, verse 16, we’re told the following:  “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Does God answer prayers?  Yes, even the ones you don’t know how to pray.  Are all prayers answered?  I believe so, but not always with the result you expect at the time you expect.  Does God heal the sick after receiving prayers about that person?  Sometimes.  Does God also allow the sick to remain ill and even die?  Sometimes.  Remember, God has mercy on whom He has mercy.  But in the end, it’s all about His glory and not ours.  And there’s no amount of money you can send to a preacher on television to get God to take favor with your situation.  All you can do is pray that His will is done in your request and in your life.

Will 2012 Be the End of the Age?

Much like the Y2K hype that, well, fizzled after about 18 months of hype by the media and every two-bit marketing shyster that could put together a sentence, the 2012 doomsday hype machine is changing gears and, if nothing else, hoping to cash in on the Mayan prediction.  According to this Mayan prediction, the end of the current age will take place on December 21, 2012.  But is there any truth to this prediction that has snared the public?  Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about the end of the age.

In Matthew 24:3, the disciples asked Jesus about the sign of the end of the age.  Jesus replied to them in Matthew 24:4-28, describing the various events that will happen just before the end of the age.  Earthquakes in diverse places.  Famine.  Wars and rumors of wars.  Nation rising against nation.  False Christs and false prophets.  Persecution.  Lawlessness increased.  Betrayal and hatred of one another.  The antichrist declaring himself to be God in the Israeli temple, and a great tribulation to follow.

At this point in time, the third temple in Israel hasn’t been completed, so there is no temple for the antichrist to commit blasphemy (also called the abomination of desolation).  We also know from reading the book of the prophet Daniel that the antichrist comes on the scene making a covenant with many for one week of years, but will declare himself to be God in the middle of this covenant period, or the 3 1/2 year mark (Daniel 9:27).  Daniel 12:11 goes a little further and explains that from the day of the abomination of desolation, there will be 1290 days, or 3 1/2 years.

Without going into the book of Revelation and explaining the opening of the seals, the beast (which is also another name of the antichrist) and the false prophet, it’s clear that we’ve already passed the 3 1/2 year mark to December 21, 2012 (the 3 1/2 year point happened back in June of 2009).  No third temple exists in Israel.  No covenant has been made with many.  No one has declared himself to be God in the Israeli holy place.  I can say with all certainty that from a Biblical perspective, 2012 will not mean the end of the world.  However…

What I can tell you is this:  no one knows the day or the hour of the coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:36,42) except God, and He will come at a time when you don’t think He will.  (Matthew 24:44)  While Jesus outlined the signs of His coming in Matthew 24:4-28, He is also coming for those who believe in Him before the tribulation of the end of days “like a thief in the night,” according to 1 Thessalonians 5:2.  This event is most commonly referred to as the rapture of the church.  The rapture is a signless and imminent event.  In other words, nothing is required to happen prophetically-speaking and the Lord could call His believers to meet Him in the clouds at any second.  Are you ready?

Open your mouth and tell Jesus you’re a sinner.  Ask for His forgiveness and His free gift of salvation.  If you’re sincere and it’s coming from your heart, He will make you a new person on the inside that very instant and you will live with Him for all of eternity when you physically die or are raptured.

Folks, I have never witnessed so many pieces falling into place and prophetic words from 2000 years ago coming to pass so quickly.  I believe time is short.  If you haven’t given your life to Jesus, please do it today.  Even if there are years to go before the end of the age, no man is guaranteed another day.  A decision to follow Christ is the most important decision you will make because it determines your eternal destination.  A non-belief in Jesus is the same as rejecting Him.

How to Live a Holy Life VII: By Faith, Not Man

How do you live?  As a Christian, our hope and faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him.  It’s by faith that we are saved and blessed because we believe without seeing. (John 20:29).  It’s no surprise to many that science looks for proof in all areas of study.  From biology to astronomy, science continues to grow in its understanding of many subjects.  However, the line is crossed when scientific theory is posed as fact when, in many cases, evidence is simply incomplete, untestable or even unreproducible.

Did the Big Bang create the universe and everything we see?  Are we all made of “star stuff”?  Are humans direct ancestors of chimpanzees?  Has the Earth really been around for 4.5 billion years?  Is the universe really 13.5 billion years old?  These are many of the scientific “truths” that have infiltrated our education systems today when, in fact, none of these items are remotely testable.

The obstacle preventing many in the field of science from believing in God is the perceived lack of proof.  But as Christians, we are to live by faith and not by sight, so proof for us is not a requirement of belief.

Let me make a few examples to demonstrate how faith is not a foreign concept to science, even though their faith is misguided:

- Astronomers believe there are 100 billion stars in the Milky Way without ever having counted them.  They have faith that their calculations are correct, even though they cannot possibly count every star.

- Scientists believe the universe is approximately 13.5 billion years old.  They have faith that calculations based on background radiation are correct.  No one was there to witness the theorized event.

- Scientists also believe humans evolved from chimpanzees some five million years ago.  However, carbon dating former living things makes many assumptions about the equilibrium of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere in the past and, therefore, makes any conclusive attempts at dating fossils speculative at best.  The process of dating rocks using other isotopes makes just as many assumptions as carbon dating and, thus, is speculative.  No one has witnessed evolution on a macro scale.

So you can see that science does indeed participate in faith, but their faith is based around the assumptions of fallible humans.  Scientific discoveries occur on an on-going basis, often rewriting previous scientific attempts to explain events.  While science continues to evolve in its understanding, we as Christians have all of the truth we need.  Science wants to continue to proclaim their wisdom and have humans lean on them for understanding all the while condemning those of the Christian faith for believing in a God who created everything (Hebrews 3:4).  1 Corinthians 1:18-19 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’”  1 Corinthians 3:18-19 reads, “Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolish before God.”  1 Corinthians 3:20 reads, “…’The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.’”

Those who reject the Holy Spirit are fools, according to scripture.  1 Corinthians 2:14 reads, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”  Jude 1:18 reads, “…’In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’  These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”

Now is all of this to say that I personally despise science?  Not at all.  I find science, particularly astronomy, to be a fascinating subject.  But there’s nothing new under the sun; supposed revelations made by the scientific community that explain the origins of the universe and the age of heavenly bodies earthly items I take with a very, very light grain of salt.  The Bible tells me in Genesis how long it took to create the heavens and the earth.  Anything contradictory to that is deception.  So how do you live?  By faith.  Romans 5:1 reads, “Therefore,having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Go forward today in your faith in God’s word and not in the faith of fallible men.  For the Bible was only written once and remains true.  Scientific theories are revised constantly and ever-evolving.  Where is your faith?

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