70% of Americans
believe that “many” religions lead to eternal life.
This is the finding of a recent study done by the Pew Forum on religion
and Public life. Though many
Americans are very happy with their particular “faith traditions” they
refuse to admit that theirs is the only right way.
In fact, the study found that 44% of those polled thought their religious
group should preserve their faith traditions, but they disagree that “their
way” is the only one that leads to eternal life.
Some have praised these findings as evidence of the tolerance and love
present in American faith these days, while others are saddened by what they
view as apostasy and cowardice.
Several reporters
were quick to pick up the story. As
I read their takes on the information I was not surprised at their reactions.
Just like the majority of Americans who espouse a pluralistic view of
religion, the majority of reporters penned words of agreement.
Like any good reporter, they tried to remain objective, but much like
Adam and Eve hiding in the garden, we are often betrayed, not by our tone, but
by the very words we say. One
reporter in his summary of the study said, “Some Christians hold strongly to
Jesus’ words as described in john 14:6, “I
am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the father except through me.”
Others emphasize the wideness of God’s grace. (emphasis mine – JC)”
If this sounds like an innocent assessment of the facts, perhaps you
should read it again. Implied in
this statement is that there are two types of believers; one group who
“strongly believes” Jesus’ words in John 14:6, and another who
“emphasizes the wideness of God’s grace.”
Is this the truth? Are we
willing to agree that we can be shoved in to one of these two categories?
If so, which will you choose? Do
you “strongly believe” Jesus’ words or do you “emphasize God’s
grace?” And if you choose one, why
do you exclude the other?
Many of the studies
findings were as contradictory as they were shocking.
92% of Americans said they believe in god, while nearly half questioned
whether he exists. Still more
surprising was the fact that over 20% of the “self described’ Atheists said
they believed in god, with 8% saying they were “certain of it.”
If you find these
results as amazing as I do, you probably have asked yourselves some of the same
questions, like, ‘how can this be serious’?
Do people actually believe this way?
And most importantly we ask, what does God think about this?
You are probably not
surprised by this study, for we have seen others like it, and we see the
evidence of such weakness of faith in our own communities.
Et each time we read new evidence that confirms our concerns we are
reminded of some basic shortcomings that Americans have in regards to religion,
specifically Christianity. Such as
knowledge of the fact that, sometimes you’re wrong!
The study (and the subsequent analyses) pointed out that Americans
differ sharply on religious convictions yet are willing to accept one
another’s beliefs as equally legitimate, yet they didn’t point out that God
disagrees with this conclusion. Indeed,
since the beginning of time God has had different covenants with man, yet at no
time did God permit man to worship “whatever god he chose.”
In Exodus 20:3 Jehovah says, “you
shall have no other gods before me.” To
see how serious He was about this admonition we can look to 1 Kings 9:6-9.
In this passage Jehovah warns Solomon of the consequences of serving
other gods. He tells Solomon that if
it happens, the people will suffer, and soon become a by word.
God’s people would literally become an object of scorn because of their
disobedience.
So, how do we
reconcile Jehovah’s own words with the concept of His grace?
Certainly the reporter quoted above thinks that God’s grace could never
allow such a punishment. But what
does the book say? In Acts 4:12
Peter and John make a statement that faithful Christians have always believed, “…there is salvation in no one else…” speaking of Jesus.
What they declared that day we still hold to be true – there is no
way to eternal life except through Jesus!
No doubt someone will
respond by saying; “that’s just your religion!”
Making the point that many religions don’t believe the same thing –
and they’re correct. Many
religions don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation – but those
religions are wrong. Now, some may
think that statement to be judgmental and mean, but what’s worse is that many
who call themselves Christians would agree with them.
Therein lies the problem. In
this country we have the freedom to believe what we want and worship what we
want and we have abused that freedom. This
country as a whole has swallowed this notion of pluralism so anxiously that now
most American’s faith is just the way D. Michael Lindsay of Rice University
described it; “3000 miles wide, and 3 inches deep.”
Meaning it may span across many different “faiths” and beliefs, but
it has no depth.
So what do we do?
How can we rectify a problem that has grown to epidemic proportions?
The same way we handle any problem-consult our maker. We
need to look back to the Bible to know God’s will, and to understand His plan.
Only then can we make true spiritual progress.
Some may scoff and
say this notion is archaic and antiquated, and they might be half right.
If by archaic they mean this way of thinking is old, they are certainly
correct, because it’s been thousands of years since God first made a covenant
with man and He has always demanded obedience to Him above all others.
So we can take pride in the age of our system.
But more than argue about age we need to debate about truth, and one
truth that will never change is this: The Jesus who brought grace into the world
is the same Jesus who said, “I am the
way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.”
Distinguishing
Between A True prophet And A False Prophet
The
TEST
8-10-08
Throughout all the ages that have been, we recognize that God has ruled by His sovereign power. God has ruled man by giving man instructions through His word. In all ages god has delivered His word to man so that man could know how to be pleasing to God. A universal rule for man throughout all ages is that man will be judged by God’s word. We read in John 17:17 that “Thy word is truth.” So therefore mankind will be judged by truth. Truth is the great separating force. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-36 “Think not that I am come send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I m come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” The truth or God’s word will separate us from darkness. The standard by which we should live by is the word of God. In John 12:48 Jesus said “He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoke, the same shall judge him in the last day.” Jesus went on to explain that the words which He spoke were God’s words in the next verse.
“For I have not spoken
of Myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should
say, and what I should speak.” Again we see God ruling through His word. In
earlier ages God sent prophets as the messengers of His word. A prophet was an
authoritative teacher of God’s will. He spoke God’s word and it was by
God’s word that they would be judged. God made this statement in Deuteronomy
18:19 “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my
words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.” The people
had to respond to the words of the prophet and his word had to conform to
God’s laws. God stated in Deuteronomy 13:4 “Ye shall walk after the lord
your God, and fear him and keep His commandments, and obey his voice and ye
shall serve him, and cleave unto Him.” A prophet could not speak on his own.
His words were to be in harmony with the word of God. But God foretold that
there would be false prophets that would arise. Again in Deuteronomy 13:1-2
God says “If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams,
and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass,
whereof he spake unto thee saying, Let us go after other gods which thou hast
not known and let us serve them, thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet or that dreamer of dreams.” These false prophets could be heathen
prophets who spoke in the name of an idol. Deuteronomy 18:20 states “But the
prophet which shall presume to speak a word in My name which I have not
commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that
prophet shall die.” To speak in the name of other gods is to speak in the name
of an idol. There were also prophets who spoke falsely in Jehovah’s name as
stated in Jeremiah 23:16,17 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, hearken not unto
the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you, they make you vain: they speak
a vision of their own heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still
unto them that despise me, the Lord hath said…” There were conscious
impostors who claimed the gift which true prophets enjoyed and they were courted
because of their smooth words as the 400 prophets who gave council unto the
kings of
Larry Bumgardner
ANCIENT PROPHETS IN A MODERN WORLD
8-17-08
"THE DAY OF THE LORD": -- The message of the prophets was a message of
warning and call to repentance. They sought to stay the hand of sin and
turn men to God. They cried mightily
against sin, warning of a "a day of the Lord" "a day of
judgment" which should break forth upon their world of ungodliness and
corruption. However, the message was not one of destruction only, but
always with the dark warning of judgment there was an accompanying bright gleam
of hope, an escape for the remnant who would turn to God, or who should abide in
their faithfulness.
With the prophets, the "day of the Lord" was "the great day," "the day", "that day." The expression "the day of the Lord" is found in Peter's sermon on Pentecost, and many times thereafter in the sermons and writings of the apostles.
Christians of today are prone to think of "the day of the Lord" and of the word "judgment" only with reference to a future and final day in which God will judge the world. But judgments of God against sin and ungodliness have come over and over in human history. All of these point to an inevitable and final judgment at the end of time. However, such a final judgment does not militate against repeated expressions of God's hatred for sin, as that hatred finds expression in judgments in time.
The idea of "the day of the Lord" is rooted in Old Covenant teaching. In order to understand its import in the New, and as used by Peter on Pentecost, the Bible student should look at its use among the ancient prophets, and beginning there, continue through to its use by the apostles of the New. Peter's audience would understand his use of it in that light.
PROPHETS AND "THE DAY OF THE LORD": -- "The Day Of The Lord" And The Nations: -- In his oracle concerning Babylon, Isaiah cried, "Wail ye; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come...Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners there of out of it" (Isa. 13:6, 9). Now note the strong figure of speech which follows, "For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine" (vs. 10). Mark the association of "Day of Jehovah," "cruel," "wrath," "fierce anger," "desolation," "to destroy sinners," with the failure of stars, sun, and moon to give light.
The day of
In his oracle concerning
As he spoke the Word of
Jehovah concerning the nations, and looking especially toward Egypt and her
relation to the king of Babylon, Jeremiah said of their impending doom,
"For that day is a day of the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance,
that He may avenge Him of His adversaries; and the sword shall devour and be
satiate, and shall drink its fill of their blood" (Jer. 46:10). Later,
Ezekiel cried, "Alas for the day!...It shall be a day of clouds, a time of
the nations. A sword shall come upon
Obadiah likewise
included all the nations when he said, "For the day of Jehovah is near upon
all the nations: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; thy dealing
shall return upon thine own head" (Ob. 15). But of
"The Day Of The
Lord" And Israel And Judah: -- As the chosen people of Jehovah, Israel came
to think of such a place in His favor as guaranty of God's goodness toward
themselves, and of the day of Jehovah as being a day of judgment only to her
enemies. Wherefore Amos said, "Woe unto you that de- sire the day of
Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness,
and not light...Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even
very dark, and no brightness in it?" (Amos 5:18-20). While about one
hundred years after "the day of the Lord" came to Israel in the
Assyrian invasion, Zephaniah cried to Judah, "Hold thy peace at the
presence of the Lord Jehovah, for the day of Jehovah is at hand...And in that
day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a
wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills"
(Zeph. 1:7,10). And again, "The
great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of
the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth bitterly. That day is a day of
wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and gloominess, a day
of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities and against the high
battlements. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like
blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be
poured out as dung" (vss. 14-16). To both
From this we conclude
that when
So likewise will it be in the final day, for most, the day of judgment will be a day of calamity and destruction, while for the righteous it will be a day of salvation.
Roger Bruner
GOD’S JUSTICE
8-24-08
Often people ask such questions as, ‘why did God create man so that he could sin’, or ‘would a just God condemn a person to an eternal hell’? Sometimes those who have been afflicted with great personal tragedy blame God for their misfortune and may say, ‘I can’t see the justice in it all’.
God, in placing man in the Garden of Eden, could have kept him from sinning by removing all temptation. Since death and suffering entered the world by sin, why did He not do this? The answer is found in the nature of man. God created us as free moral agents capable of choosing our own path. Rather than make us robots, God in His wisdom, saw fit to give us a choice that we might serve Him willingly. We are made in the image of God, but if our power to choose and think were removed, we would cease to be patterned after Him.
There are many things about the Bible
and God’s way that we cannot completely understand. Moses
exhorted
The Lord declares “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says 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” (Isa.55:8-9). We also have Paul’s statement in Romans “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath know the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?” (Romans 11:33-34).
The complete supremacy of the mind of God over that of man is further expressed. “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Cor.1:25). This being true, it is not our place as mere human beings to question the wisdom and justice of God. If we cannot understand the workings of God let us realize that it is our lack of knowledge and wisdom, not His lack of justice.
An example of this point is that of Paul who three times asked God to remove the affliction from him which was a ‘thorn in the flesh’. No doubt Paul felt he could be more effective as a worker for God if this was done. The answer of God was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor.12:9).
Paul could have argued that God was unjust to allow him to heal others while Paul himself remains afflicted. Yet, when he learned that his thorn in the flesh would remain, he accepted the will of God and was able to understand the reason for his affliction. That it was given to him “Lest he should be exalted above measure” (2 Cor.12:7).
We can understand much of God’s justice if we will submit to His will, but if after so doing we still are at a loss for as explanation; we must realize that God is just, even though, at that moment, we may not be able to see how or why.
The
Prophets message about the kingdom of God
8-31-08
Harmful
Consequences of Denying the Present Existence of the Kingdom
Millennialists misuse the prophets and deny some very basic Bible doctrines. Consider:
(1) Jo. 3:5 teaches that the new birth puts one into the kingdom. But if the kingdom is not in existence, then none are in it, and if none are in it, then none are "born again."
(2) Matt. 18:3 teaches that conversion puts one into the kingdom. But if the kingdom is not yet in existence, then none are in it, and if none are in it, then none are now converted, nor can they be. The purpose of preaching to “persuade men” would be nullified.
(3) Col. 1:13 teaches that those outside the kingdom are under the “power of darkness” and therefore lost. If the kingdom is not in existence, then the entire world is lost and under the power of darkness (including every premillennialist) the church could not be the body of the saved, and all is hopeless until the so-called millennium.
(4) Lk. 22:29-30 teaches that the Lord's Supper was to be eaten in the kingdom. If the kingdom is not in existence, then none have a right to eat it. Yet Paul showed that the time of observing it is between the offering of the sacrifice and the Lord's return. It is to be done "in remembrance" and also "till he come again." If the kingdom is not here now, then every premillennial congregation commits a presumptuous sin every time it observes the Lord's Supper.
(5) Their teaching destroys the inspiration of the prophets. A prophet was one who spoke for God. He could be regarded as the mouth of God, since the very words which the prophet spoke were the words of which God had place in his mouth. Deut. 18:15-18 says, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.” This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, "Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.' "The LORD said to me, "They have spoken well.” I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
2 Pet. 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
When predictions fail to come to pass, the prophet is either a false prophet, or God is a false god. The living God is different from men and their idols in that He has the power to cause what He predicts to come to pass (cf. Num. 23:19; Isa. 46:10-11). They are false prophets who make predictions that fail to come to pass (cf. Deut. 18:20-22; 13:1-2).
Thus, the new birth, conversion, escaping the power of darkness and the right to eat the Lord's Supper are all ruled out if the premillennialists are right. It is not an innocent speculation over "unfulfilled prophecy" but a system of infidelity which makes the church an accident, makes God a false prophet, and robs us of every blessing we presently enjoy in the kingdom.
If anyone reads the events of Acts chapters 3 & 4, how can they believe the false teaching of the Premillennialist? The modern day so called Jews do not believe Jesus the Christ will return to collect his glorious Body the Church.
If the very people of
whom this theory is suppose to guarantee salvation to do not believe it
themselves, why do the teachers of this false doctrine continue to preach it?
Do they have more at stake than trying to convert the world to Christianity?
Could it possibility be their pocket book is doing the talking? Many
religious people sent their last dollar to the TV-evangelists believing that
they are helping
Who are God's Jews today? Jews today are "not" those who are "outwardly," racially or nationally so. Circumcision is not that which is "outward in the flesh;" it is "of the heart". This circumcision is "made without hands;" it occurs in baptism when the Lord forgives our "sins" (Col. 2:11-13). Therefore, since one is "not a Jew" in a fleshly sense in God's sight, premillennialism, which promises blessings to Jews based on their physical form, is shown to be a false doctrine.
Premillennialism teaches
that some, because they are physical, fleshly Jews, will inherit the "holy
land" when, as they allege, Christ returns to reign in
According to the
doctrine of premillennialism, fleshly descendants of Abraham, Jews, will be
restored to the
One may be a physical Jew, of the Jewish race, but that does not make him the "off spring" of Abraham in God's sight. "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God" (Rom. 9:8). "Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7). "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made" (Gal. 3:16).
Premillennialism says that to be an heir of the promises, one must be a physical Jew in order to be "Abraham's seed". However, to be "Abraham's seed" today, one must "belong to Christ". To "be Christ's," one must believe and be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). Only by belonging to Christ can one be an heir of the promises made to Abraham. Unbelieving, disobedient Jews, therefore, are excluded, and premillennialism’s promise is proven to be false.
Premillennialism teaches that Jews and Gentiles have different hopes and promises in the purposes of God. These differences are based upon one's racial and national constitution. Acts 15:9 presents a problem for this doctrine. "And (God) put no difference between us (the Jews) and them (the Gentiles), purifying their hearts by faith."
Gal. 3:28 further establishes that there is no racial, social, or sexual distinction "in Christ Jesus." "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
The promises made to
Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3 have been fulfilled in Christ.
God’s eternal purpose has been accomplished in Christ.
All who will “call upon” Christ can inherit the eternal life which
was promised before creation. (Tit. 1:2;
Are
you a disciple?
9-7-08
The disciple of Jesus Christ, by definition, is a follower of Christ and, as such, cannot claim any right to glory. They are told to be humble in the sight of God (Jas. 4:10), so that denies any right to claim personal glory. They are even commanded to “count others more significant than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3) and “Clothe yourselves…with humility toward one another” (1 Pet. 5:5), so even amongst themselves disciples cannot make any claim to a right to glory.
The inspired writers have revealed to us who should get the glory. Paul described Him as the one “who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20) and then said, “to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever” (v. 21). It should be noted here that Paul urged them that God was to be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus — and in nothing else and no one else. This is an important point worth noting. The apostle Peter also said to the disciples, “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies” (1 Pet. 4:11). Why? “that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.” Peter's inspired words here that remind us [1] glory belongs to God, and [2] that is done when we do and say things in the way God has established.
Jesus Christ is deserving of glory because of the great sacrifice He made for us. When John wrote of Jesus, he said, “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5-6). Later, John writes of how “the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb” (5:8) singing praises to Him (v. 9), then joined by “the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” (v.11) as they said, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (v.12). Jesus is deserving of all glory and honor for that great sacrifice.
Because of that great sacrifice, God “has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). God glorified the Son with the glory He once had when in heaven (John 17:1-5), and God would receive glory from Him, too, by the things He has done. He established Christ to be head over the church “that in everything He might be preeminent” (Col. 1:18); that means He alone is to have glory in the church. Certainly, no man could claim any reason for glory on the level of Christ!
As
disciples, we are the ones who should be first to glorify God. We
glorify Him in body and spirit when we refrain from indulging in our fleshly
desires and use our bodies instead for His service and work (cf. 1 Cor.6:20;
And it is here when man most often gets things wrong or invents new ways to 'glorify God' when, in reality, it will not be God who gets the glory at all. For example:
When Man Elevates Himself. God does not get the glory when man elevates himself to positions reserved for Christ alone. One religious group claims to have a man who serves as one with "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered" [the Pope, as head of the Roman Catholic Church]; another religious group has recognized a series of mortal men as its head [LDS]; another group submits to a 'Governing Board' of unnamed individuals in Brooklyn [the Jehovah's Witnesses]; and many other denominations elect and replace their leaders on occasion by popular vote. Does God get the glory in these arrangements? Certainly not! It is men [and for some, women] who get the glory! Somehow — for some reason or another — man has forgotten “that the head of every man is Christ” (1 Cor. 11:3) and, because of this, God is not glorified.
When Man
Establishes Other Institutions To Do the Work of the
When Man Elevates Tradition or Creeds. In the first century when Christ walked among men, the Old Law was held in high esteem in word only; the reality was, the religious leaders were following tradition more than the word of God (cf. Matt. 15:3-9). In all reality, their traditions had become their creed! Since the Day of Pentecost when the gospel was first preached, man has created and written more and more creeds to 'explain' and 'clarify' God's already-revealed word to man and the result is not unity, but confusion. Does God get the glory in these traditions of men and in the creeds? Again, only superficially. While some creeds even say God's word alone is their rule, keep in mind that those words are written as part of their creed book — words written by uninspired men! Man is glorified, but not God! And traditions are no better at giving God the glory, either. When we defend 'what we've always done' over what God's word plainly teaches, we are glorifying our own intelligence and our own practices, but God is not glorified!
Friends and brethren, my plea is simple: Glorify God! If I may borrow the words of the psalmist, “You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you [disciples], glorify Him, and fear Him” (Psa. 22:23). Do this not just in mind or just in word, but in reality. Do the will of the Lord, speak as the oracles of God, and submit fully to Him.