Isolating Scriptures - Another of Satan's Schemes
Aaaahhh! Freedom! We are so fortunate to live in the United States where we can follow the religious faith of our choice. A quick look at today's society and you could say that "everyone lives according to what is right in their own eyes." On the surface, such religious freedom may sound so good, but according to God's word, the Bible, it is a recipe for the disaster of countless souls. Jesus said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." (Matt. 7:13) This "One way to get to Heaven" path is so very different then the popular theories of today where most people would say, "I'm glad that you believe as you do, but I'm happy with my beliefs"
There are many reasons why people have false beliefs. Paul often wrote in his letters about the spiritual dangers and deceptions that Satan can drum up against us. He tells us that Satan can masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:4). In Ephesians 6:11-17, Paul explains "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.... And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." So the disciple of Jesus, tries to warn us about Satan, but he also describes our walk as a genuine spiritual warfare and how to combat it - through the knowledge of Scriptures. Unfortunately, Satan seems to go one step further, as we see Matthew and Luke's Gospels, by the fact that Satan knew and used Scriptures too, for indeed as Peter puts it, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
Three times Satan attempted to mislead Jesus by misquoting Scriptures. Shouldn't we also expect Satan to use the same "schemes" against us? Let us look at just two examples in which a deceptive or incomplete usage of Scripture has many people following a false path today:
1) - John 20:23 - "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Based upon this statement, along with the "binding and loosing" given in Matthew 18, we see the misconception among those who claim their priest or pastor is able to forgive those that come to him. However, using the complete Bible to let Scripture interpret itself, we find that only God can forgive sins, as even the Pharisees knew this (Mark 2:7). And our sins are or aren't forgiven based upon John 3:36 - "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." So the disciples, having spent three years learning from Jesus, they knew His ways, could now preach and teach to others. As other people heard and believed, they were saved (Ephesians 1:13,14). The disciples could tell if anyone was or wasn't a follower based upon what that individual beliefs were by what they did and said, "... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ..... For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matthew 12:34-37). Thus, the disciples could inform others of whether or not their sins were forgiven based upon whether or not they were believers. One more point here to realize God is in control, not man. For man to have the power to forgive sins, then God would be under man's control.
2) - 1 John 5:16, 17 - "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.? All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. " There are many that would point to this verse as the "proof" to back up the classifying of sins into two different categories, some called "venial" (less serious) and some called "mortal" sins, which are the grave or serious sins. Again, one can only come up with this erroneous conclusion by ignoring the rest of Scriptures, preferring rather to listen to the "logic" of men. However, God's Word clearly says that, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and that "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10). Also, "... there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) any thing that defileth...." (Revelation 21:27).
Therefore, as you can see, God hates all sin equally for He is a holy and perfect God. Satan's strategy is simply to lull a person into resting on a false sense of how righteous they are, as if they would deserve Heaven by not having committed the "grave" sins, and thus they fail to understand and glorify God for the "finished work of Calvary." What 1 John 5 was actually referring to was not meant as spiritual classifying of sins, but rather that sometimes God causes a physical death to occur as a result of sin, such as can be seen in Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira) or 1 Corinthians 11:29, 30 (For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.) Another example of this could be that as a result of a illicit sexual encounter, one might be infected with the AIDS virus.
There are many, many more fallacies such as these in which people that are believing in these types of deceptions are in danger of an eternity of damnation simply because, as Jesus said in Matthew 22:29, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." In closing, Gospel Light Ministries encourages others to "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). To learn Scriptures, "...precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" (Isaiah 28:10) so that, "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) Free from deceptions and free to serve God!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Article #4 - Should We pray to Saints?
Should We pray to Saints?
Should We pray to Saints? Sooner or later, everyone of us loses a loved one to death. What happens after our loved ones have passed on? Can they watch over us, interceding for us as many would like to think? Can or should we attempt to communicate with them, pray to them or pray for them? With six billion people alive, one can get just about six billion different viewpoints and opinions on this subject as well.
So again we turn to the Scriptures where we find that, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching....so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped." (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) Indeed, God's word answers these questions as well.Contrary to the idea that a saint is someone who has died and is now in Heaven praying with us and for us, the Bible shows us that saints are simply believers, ordinary people that have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Paul often began his letters by addressing them "to the Saints" in whichever city that they lived, such as Rome, Ephesis, Phillipi or Colossi. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:13+14 that the moment one hears and believes the Gospel, it is at that point that the Holy Spirit seals us as Heaven bound. Believing the Gospel, that Jesus Christ saves us by what He did, not by how holy we lived or any "works of righteousness" of ours, is the underlying difference behind a Biblical saint as opposed to the view of a saint as a title given to person based upon an outstanding life of holiness and good works.
Scriptures also reveal that besides God, there is no other. He has certain characteristics as God that enable Him to hear and answer prayer. The Bible speaks of God's omnipresence, defined in Nelson's Bible Dictionary as a theological term that refers to the unlimited nature of God or His ability to be everywhere at all times. (Psalm 139:7-12) The Bible also shows His omniscience, described in the Nelson Bible Dictionary as a theological term that refers to God's superior knowledge and wisdom, His power to know all things. (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16) But these are characteristics of God, humans do not possess these capabilities to hear and answer the many prayers that are said each day.We have a loving God, who needs to consult no one for knowledge or understanding (Isaiah 40:13-14.) He loved us so much that He provided the only solution for sin by sending Jesus to the cross and thus making Himself the answer, the only answer as Acts 2:38 states, by which men must be saved . This is what the Scripture writers meant by Jesus being the only mediator in 1 Timothy 2:5+6 -"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men....." So glorious was God's plan to provide the solution for men's sin, and now so complete was His love for us, that we now can boldly approach God (Hebrews 4:15) with our prayers.There is a stark reality as told by Proverbs 14:12 - "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prayers to anyone else but God is not a sign of humbleness, but rather of unbelief. All of the Bible speaks of Jesus (Luke 24:27) and our Salvation is determined, not by our good deeds, nor our popularity (which may work to our advantage here on Earth, but not before God.) but rather by our belief or lack of belief in God's only solution. (John 3:16-18 and 3:36).
We must be aware of the schemes of Satan, for Satan can indeed make Himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14) Praying to others not only is pointless because of the inability for them to hear, or intercede for us, but also because it offends the one and only God in which the Bible repeatedly shows is a God, jealous for our love and desires to be our God. Jesus warned us of the great deceptions that would deceive so many (Matthew 24:24) and Paul repeatedly express his concerns about Satan's cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) and false messages (Galatians 1:7-8). Regardless of how or why one prays to another, apparitions included, when we pray to anyone, for any reason, other than to God, it is a form of worship, as John tells us in Revelation 19:10 and 22:8-9, to which the Angel reminded him (and us) that they are just fellow servants, that we should go to God alone. Surely John's "worship" wasn't a worship of the angel as God, but rather what he did is much like the faulty rational that many have today, thinking that he was simply honoring and showing the angel respect. Thankfully, in hindsight, when John wrote, the Holy Spirit correctly termed his actions as a form of worship.In other words, in closing, I remind you of what Isaiah 8:19 says: ".....should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" Indeed then, in regards to praying to the dead, we should heed and apply the same type of sound advice as given in Acts 14:15 - "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you.... telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them."
Thus we find, that according to the Bible, we are to pray to God alone.
Should We pray to Saints? Sooner or later, everyone of us loses a loved one to death. What happens after our loved ones have passed on? Can they watch over us, interceding for us as many would like to think? Can or should we attempt to communicate with them, pray to them or pray for them? With six billion people alive, one can get just about six billion different viewpoints and opinions on this subject as well.
So again we turn to the Scriptures where we find that, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching....so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped." (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) Indeed, God's word answers these questions as well.Contrary to the idea that a saint is someone who has died and is now in Heaven praying with us and for us, the Bible shows us that saints are simply believers, ordinary people that have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Paul often began his letters by addressing them "to the Saints" in whichever city that they lived, such as Rome, Ephesis, Phillipi or Colossi. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:13+14 that the moment one hears and believes the Gospel, it is at that point that the Holy Spirit seals us as Heaven bound. Believing the Gospel, that Jesus Christ saves us by what He did, not by how holy we lived or any "works of righteousness" of ours, is the underlying difference behind a Biblical saint as opposed to the view of a saint as a title given to person based upon an outstanding life of holiness and good works.
Scriptures also reveal that besides God, there is no other. He has certain characteristics as God that enable Him to hear and answer prayer. The Bible speaks of God's omnipresence, defined in Nelson's Bible Dictionary as a theological term that refers to the unlimited nature of God or His ability to be everywhere at all times. (Psalm 139:7-12) The Bible also shows His omniscience, described in the Nelson Bible Dictionary as a theological term that refers to God's superior knowledge and wisdom, His power to know all things. (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16) But these are characteristics of God, humans do not possess these capabilities to hear and answer the many prayers that are said each day.We have a loving God, who needs to consult no one for knowledge or understanding (Isaiah 40:13-14.) He loved us so much that He provided the only solution for sin by sending Jesus to the cross and thus making Himself the answer, the only answer as Acts 2:38 states, by which men must be saved . This is what the Scripture writers meant by Jesus being the only mediator in 1 Timothy 2:5+6 -"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men....." So glorious was God's plan to provide the solution for men's sin, and now so complete was His love for us, that we now can boldly approach God (Hebrews 4:15) with our prayers.There is a stark reality as told by Proverbs 14:12 - "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prayers to anyone else but God is not a sign of humbleness, but rather of unbelief. All of the Bible speaks of Jesus (Luke 24:27) and our Salvation is determined, not by our good deeds, nor our popularity (which may work to our advantage here on Earth, but not before God.) but rather by our belief or lack of belief in God's only solution. (John 3:16-18 and 3:36).
We must be aware of the schemes of Satan, for Satan can indeed make Himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14) Praying to others not only is pointless because of the inability for them to hear, or intercede for us, but also because it offends the one and only God in which the Bible repeatedly shows is a God, jealous for our love and desires to be our God. Jesus warned us of the great deceptions that would deceive so many (Matthew 24:24) and Paul repeatedly express his concerns about Satan's cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) and false messages (Galatians 1:7-8). Regardless of how or why one prays to another, apparitions included, when we pray to anyone, for any reason, other than to God, it is a form of worship, as John tells us in Revelation 19:10 and 22:8-9, to which the Angel reminded him (and us) that they are just fellow servants, that we should go to God alone. Surely John's "worship" wasn't a worship of the angel as God, but rather what he did is much like the faulty rational that many have today, thinking that he was simply honoring and showing the angel respect. Thankfully, in hindsight, when John wrote, the Holy Spirit correctly termed his actions as a form of worship.In other words, in closing, I remind you of what Isaiah 8:19 says: ".....should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?" Indeed then, in regards to praying to the dead, we should heed and apply the same type of sound advice as given in Acts 14:15 - "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you.... telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them."
Thus we find, that according to the Bible, we are to pray to God alone.
Article #3 - "Take This Body..."
"Take This Body..."
With Easter being so much on our minds, my thoughts turn to the Last Supper and its meaning for us. More specifically, how are we to understand what Jesus meant when "He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me,' " a Bible verse taken from Luke 22:19. It would seem obvious that since Jesus gave His body on the cross that very next day, what Jesus said can be taken as a two part statement. In the first part of His words, He was referring to His body as Peter wrote in his epistle: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." The second part of what Jesus said would pertain to what we do today at communion, in remembrance of Him. But what exactly do Scriptures tell us as the significant meaning behind Jesus' words?
Looking closely at John, chapters four through six, we gain these significant insights. Here, Jesus made some very picturesque statements in an attempt to make us understand the importance of believing in Him. We also see that His words often are spoken in spiritual meanings, not to be taken as literal meanings. For instance, after Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, His disciples brought food to Him saying "Master eat." to which Jesus replied, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." Now if we take His words literally, we'd have to wonder if He had a hidden cheeseburger under His robe. But two verses later, we are given the meaning of His words: "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." Likewise in John chapter six, Jesus speaks in the same manner in verse 35 : "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty....' " verse 51 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' " .... verse 54 "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" and finally verse 58. "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." These verses cannot be taken literally because Christians today get hungry and thirsty daily, and one only needs to look at the obituaries to see that Christians die. Thankfully, Jesus again doesn't leave us wondering because in verse 63, He says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
If we take these verses, we can benefit further if we add the insights given in Matthew 15: 11 and 17 where Jesus states that what goes into the mouth cannot defile anyone, because it passes through the body, but rather it is what comes from the heart that defiles a person. (Naturally this applies to what enters the mouth can't make one holy either.)
Fortunately, we also have in Acts 7:48 and 17:24 where we see the Bible clearly telling us that, "... the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." If the words that Jesus spoke a the Last Supper meant that the bread was literally becoming His Body, then these verses, as well as the many verses that tell us that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father would also have to be discarded.
What is the true meaning behind the words spoken at the Last Supper and what we do at communion today? Like all of Scriptures, it isn't what we do that counts, but rather it points to the Finished work of Jesus Christ Crucified. In truth, what we celebrate today at communion is simply done totally to reflect upon what Jesus did at Calvary, to be done in remembrance of Him. And thus, we too can shout the same feelings as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. " So next Easter when we partake in communion, let's not sin by making the same mistakes that Paul referred to in Romans 1:25: "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. " But we rather should give to glory to Jesus Christ and what HE did 2000 years ago with His death and resurrection - which really is the importance of Easter Weekend.
With Easter being so much on our minds, my thoughts turn to the Last Supper and its meaning for us. More specifically, how are we to understand what Jesus meant when "He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me,' " a Bible verse taken from Luke 22:19. It would seem obvious that since Jesus gave His body on the cross that very next day, what Jesus said can be taken as a two part statement. In the first part of His words, He was referring to His body as Peter wrote in his epistle: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." The second part of what Jesus said would pertain to what we do today at communion, in remembrance of Him. But what exactly do Scriptures tell us as the significant meaning behind Jesus' words?
Looking closely at John, chapters four through six, we gain these significant insights. Here, Jesus made some very picturesque statements in an attempt to make us understand the importance of believing in Him. We also see that His words often are spoken in spiritual meanings, not to be taken as literal meanings. For instance, after Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, His disciples brought food to Him saying "Master eat." to which Jesus replied, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." Now if we take His words literally, we'd have to wonder if He had a hidden cheeseburger under His robe. But two verses later, we are given the meaning of His words: "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." Likewise in John chapter six, Jesus speaks in the same manner in verse 35 : "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty....' " verse 51 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.' " .... verse 54 "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" and finally verse 58. "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." These verses cannot be taken literally because Christians today get hungry and thirsty daily, and one only needs to look at the obituaries to see that Christians die. Thankfully, Jesus again doesn't leave us wondering because in verse 63, He says, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
If we take these verses, we can benefit further if we add the insights given in Matthew 15: 11 and 17 where Jesus states that what goes into the mouth cannot defile anyone, because it passes through the body, but rather it is what comes from the heart that defiles a person. (Naturally this applies to what enters the mouth can't make one holy either.)
Fortunately, we also have in Acts 7:48 and 17:24 where we see the Bible clearly telling us that, "... the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands." If the words that Jesus spoke a the Last Supper meant that the bread was literally becoming His Body, then these verses, as well as the many verses that tell us that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father would also have to be discarded.
What is the true meaning behind the words spoken at the Last Supper and what we do at communion today? Like all of Scriptures, it isn't what we do that counts, but rather it points to the Finished work of Jesus Christ Crucified. In truth, what we celebrate today at communion is simply done totally to reflect upon what Jesus did at Calvary, to be done in remembrance of Him. And thus, we too can shout the same feelings as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. " So next Easter when we partake in communion, let's not sin by making the same mistakes that Paul referred to in Romans 1:25: "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. " But we rather should give to glory to Jesus Christ and what HE did 2000 years ago with His death and resurrection - which really is the importance of Easter Weekend.
Article #2 - The Sin Issue
The Sin IssueThe Bible says that, “whosoever believes in the Son of God shall be saved.” Yet Paul was concerned in 2 Corinthians 11:4 about those who believe in a different Jesus and a different gospel. So what is it about Jesus that we are to believe in? And since there is only one path to salvation, what are we to know to be saved?
The Bible says that Man is desperately wicked and there are none righteous, no not one. This may be hard for some to understand because it means that the sweet housewife, the religious church goer, or the loving grandmother is eternally damned as much as the serial rapist or the serial murderer that appears on death row. How can this be? Isn't God a God of love? Yes, God is a loving God. God is also a perfect God. His Word says that “if you commit one sin, you are guilty of all sin.” We must realize that even the sweet housewife and mother next door has committed the same sins in her heart as the inmates on death row. The fact that one knows about the characteristics of His Son doesn't save anyone either, for Satan knows that much about God as well. What is it then????
Looking at the Bible, we find that the key is not just knowing that God is a God of love, but to believe in what God did to show His love. Because man is separated from Him by sin, any sin, He sent Jesus to take our sins to the cross. And when Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished,” He was declaring that everything needed to cleanse us from sin was accomplished that dark day nearly 2000 years ago. And throughout Scriptures, we see this. Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Romans 5:9 – “ being now justified by his blood…” Acts 20:28 – “… the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Ephesians 1:7 – “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Colossians 1:14 + 20 – “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” and “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."There are many more verses in which the Bible gives us this same message.
So what did Paul mean by his verse in 2 Corinthians 11:4, a different Jesus and a different gospel? Simply put, if one believes as many today think, that “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us,” or that somehow “we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life,” as some churches teach, they then would be like those to which Paul referred to in 2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” The difference is evident in that the Bible tells us that the Lord addressed the sin issue 2000 years ago and that one can only attain the perfect righteousness by trusting in what He did at Calvary, (John 6:28-29), by faith alone, not works, lest one boasts, (Ephesians 2:8-9) and that if one is trusting in works, then it cannot be grace. (Romans 11:6)
In closing, Gospel-Light invites you to examine your life to see exactly how you think your sins are removed and then compare – Are you really believing in what Jesus did as Paul did in
1 Corinthians 2:2 – “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified,” (the gospel of grace) or are you trusting in religious rituals, activities and ways attempting to “merit” salvation, thinking you can be infused graces as so many of today’s Churches would have you believe? The way you choose reveals much in whether you truly “believe” in Jesus Christ.
Friday, November 10, 2006
To those dear Catholics: #1 - The Foundation
Article #1 - The Foundation
Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John writes, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." And Paul states, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Using God’s Holy Word as our guide, in my work with Gospel Light Ministries, I hope to be able to shed light upon people’s beliefs, to help them discern for themselves just what is the truth and be equipped with the ability to compare their beliefs to Scriptures. This may sound simple enough on the surface, but today, when people say, "I believe in God," the words mean one thing in one religion and can mean another totally different in another religion. Even within one Christian denomination, often we find people’s beliefs to be one way and another person, a different way and many don’t even know just what is it that their church teaches. For example, some think that you have to be a Catholic to get to Heaven, others think that as long as a person is sincere in "whatever," then that this all that matters, as long as they are sincere. Many believe that all religions ultimately lead to God. So many views, who’s right? Even on this, many simply think, "Who can know?" But God has provided the answers to these questions with His Holy Word and since the Bible interprets itself, we will seek the answers as God has provided in the Bible. With diligent study, we can know, but in today’s world, we have a situation in which "everyone did as he saw fit" instead of what God’s word says. God’s word declares: Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; ".Lord, Lord, " and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Finally, in closing, this ministry, and this monthly column, is not about bashing anyone, but rather we simply wish to do as the Scriptures tells us to do: "...examine the Scriptures every day..." (Acts 17:11) "...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) We at Gospel Light Ministries join Paul’s concern, when looking at today’s society - "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4)
Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John writes, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." And Paul states, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Using God’s Holy Word as our guide, in my work with Gospel Light Ministries, I hope to be able to shed light upon people’s beliefs, to help them discern for themselves just what is the truth and be equipped with the ability to compare their beliefs to Scriptures. This may sound simple enough on the surface, but today, when people say, "I believe in God," the words mean one thing in one religion and can mean another totally different in another religion. Even within one Christian denomination, often we find people’s beliefs to be one way and another person, a different way and many don’t even know just what is it that their church teaches. For example, some think that you have to be a Catholic to get to Heaven, others think that as long as a person is sincere in "whatever," then that this all that matters, as long as they are sincere. Many believe that all religions ultimately lead to God. So many views, who’s right? Even on this, many simply think, "Who can know?" But God has provided the answers to these questions with His Holy Word and since the Bible interprets itself, we will seek the answers as God has provided in the Bible. With diligent study, we can know, but in today’s world, we have a situation in which "everyone did as he saw fit" instead of what God’s word says. God’s word declares: Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; ".Lord, Lord, " and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Finally, in closing, this ministry, and this monthly column, is not about bashing anyone, but rather we simply wish to do as the Scriptures tells us to do: "...examine the Scriptures every day..." (Acts 17:11) "...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) We at Gospel Light Ministries join Paul’s concern, when looking at today’s society - "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4)
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