My Personal Christian Blog

Thanks for sliding into my blog site. This blog bog is a spin-off from my website at http://www.niteowldave.com/. Call me a Night Owl, as my full-time mission and hobby are jabbering from midnight until 8 a.m.ish with chatter bugs across the world. Hoot, hoot! Being a retired newspaper guy and a Curious George, I've written and assembled a whack of stuff that I hope you'll find interesting and thought-provoking. Check out the Stories bar on the right side, below, for all my articles - from my web site and this blog.




April 7, 2010


Evil Islam On The March

Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book:
Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat

Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life.

Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components. Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges.

When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.


Here's how it works: As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens.


This is the case in: United States -- Muslim 0..6% Australia -- Muslim 1.5% Canada -- Muslim 1.9% China -- Muslim 1.8% Italy -- Muslim 1.5% Norway -- Muslim 1.8% At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs.


This is happening in: Denmark -- Muslim 2% Germany -- Muslim 3.7% United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7% Spain -- Muslim 4% Thailand -- Muslim 4.6% From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population.


For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims.


They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply.


This is occurring in: France -- Muslim 8% Philippines -- 5% Sweden -- Muslim 5% Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3% The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5% Trinidad & Tobago -- Muslim 5.8% At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law.


The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world. When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions.


In Paris , we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam , with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam.


Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in: Guyana -- Muslim 10% India -- Muslim 13.4% Israel -- Muslim 16% Kenya -- Muslim 10% Russia -- Muslim 15%.


After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in: Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8%.


At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in: Bosnia -- Muslim 40% Chad -- Muslim 53.1% Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7%.


From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels, such as i n: Albania -- Muslim 70% Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4% Qatar -- Muslim 77.5% Sudan -- Muslim 70%.


After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim.


This has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in: Bangladesh -- Muslim 83% Egypt -- Muslim 90% Gaza -- Muslim 98.7% Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1% Iran -- Muslim 98% Iraq -- Muslim 97% Jordan -- Muslim 92% Morocco -- Muslim 98.7% Pakistan -- Muslim 97% Palestine -- Muslim 99% Syria -- Muslim 90% Tajikistan -- Muslim 90% Turkey -- Muslim 99.8% United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96%.


At 100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in: Afghanistan -- Muslim


100% Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100% Somalia -- Muslim 100% Yemen -- Muslim


100% Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical


Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons. “Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life.


It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel.” -- Leon Uris, 'The Haj'.


It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim populations, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law.

The national police do not even enter these ghettos.
There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate into the community at large.


The children attend madrasses. They learn only the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death.


Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.


Today's 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world's population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers.
Muslims will exceed 50% of the world's population by the end of this century.


THE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MARY



There is a huge misconception out there about the immaculate conception. Many people mistakenly believe that the immaculate conception refers to the conception of Jesus Christ.

The conception of Jesus was most assuredly immaculate, but the immaculate conception does not refer to Jesus at all.

The immaculate conception is a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church in regards to Mary, the earthly mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.

An official Vatican statement states:
“…the blessed Virgin Mary to have been, from the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of Mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin.”

Essentially, the immaculate conception is the belief that Mary was protected from original sin, that Mary did not have a sin nature and was, in fact, sinless. That’s bunk!

The Bible describes Mary as an ordinary human female whom God chose to be the earthly mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.


She is called blessed amongst woman, not above woman.
Mary was surely a wonderful wife and mother. Jesus definitely loved and cherished His earthly mother (John 19:27).

However, the Bible gives us no reason to believe that Mary was sinless. In fact, the Bible gives us every reason to believe that Jesus Christ is the only Person who was not “infected” by sin and never committed a sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5).


The doctrine of the immaculate conception originated out of confusion over how Jesus Christ could be born sinless if He was conceived inside of a sinful human female.

The thought was that Jesus would have inherited a sinful nature from Mary had she been a sinner.

In contrast to the immaculate conception, the Biblical solution to this problem is understanding that Jesus Himself was miraculously protected from being polluted by sin while He was inside Mary's womb. Mary being sinless is neither necessary nor Biblical.

The Roman Catholic Church argues that the immaculate conception is necessary because without it, Jesus would have been the object of His own grace.

The thought goes like this: For Jesus to have been miraculously preserved from sin, which itself would be an act of grace, would mean God essentially “graced Himself.”

The word grace means “unmerited favor.” Grace is giving someone something he or she does not deserve.

God performing a miracle in preserving Jesus from sin is not “grace.” He was perfect and sinless humanity Who joined with sinless divinity.

God cannot be infected or affected by sin, as He is perfectly holy. This same truth applies to Jesus.

It did not take “grace” to protect Jesus from sin. Being God incarnate, Jesus was in His essence “immune” from sin.

Some Bible investigators suggest that the sin nature is passed down through the male. Since Jesus had no earthly father, He did not inherit original sin.
This idea has foundation in Genesis 3:15.

Jesus was miraculously conceived inside Mary who was a virgin at the time. That is the Biblical concept of the virgin birth. The Bible does not even hint that there was anything significant about Mary’s conception.

If we examine this concept logically, Mary’s mother would have to be immaculately conceived as well. How could Mary be conceived without sin if her mother was sinful?

The same would have to be said of Mary’s grandmother, great-grandmother, and so on.The common notion of the immaculate conception has been greatly twisted.

Conclusion: The Bible is clear that the miraculous virgin conception refers to the sinless birth of Jesus Christ, not Mary.




WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM?

By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com

Does the Bible teach that baptism removes our sins? No. This has been taught since the Dark Ages, and is still being taught and practiced by many church organizations today.

The Roman Catholic Church wrongly teaches that inherited sins are removed from babies at baptism. Other churches say that to qualify for Heaven, we much ask Jesus to remove our sins and be baptized too. Wrong again.

It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ that washes away all of our sin. That occurs when we repent of our sin and asking the Lord Jesus Christ to save us.

Water baptism is certainly encouraged in the Bible. However, we must understand that baptism is an only an outer manifestation – and an option – of our new linkage to our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

How dare I suggest that baptism is not a necessary part of a God’s salvation “package?”
The forgiven sinner who died on the cross next to Jesus was not baptized before he died.

It’s not recorded that Jesus baptized anyone even though He was baptized in the Jordan River at age 30 by his brother-in-the-law, John the Baptist.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel..."
It takes more than water to wash away sin.

1 John 1:7 says, "...and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Romans 6:3 says, "...without the shedding of blood there is no remission."
Every born again believer is said to have been baptized into the death of Christ.


The substance then of baptism is the "death, burial, and resurrection" of Christ. It cannot be by an additional “water burial.”

If we have never accepted this completed gift of Christ by faith, all the water in the world won't help us.

"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," says John 3:36.
Again, this comes by faith, not by water.


THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE

niteowldave@gmail.com

(You may find of interest this letter I wrote to an acquaintance. You may want to pass it on.)


You raised an interesting point recently when we were talking about life issues. You said that you believe in God and parts of the Bible.

I hope we agree that there is but one God. I think that makes sense. It doesn't compute to me that there can be many deities.

If there is a wide-awake God, doesn't it make sense that He would not allow us to have a flawed manual, the Bible? If there are many truth documents floating around out there, God has a strange sense of humor.

Can the Bible, which claims to be the Word of God (written by 40 men, most of whom had never met one another, but were inspired by God), be proved as valid? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Apart from being the all-time bestseller, the Bible serves up over 300 Old Testament prophecies, all of which were fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.

In addition, the Bible mentions much science, etc. that was "discovered" centuries later, such as -

Astronomy:
Genesis 1:16 - The sun is bigger than the moon. It was believed until 1600 that the moon was bigger.

Job 25:5 - The moon reflects light. Until 1920, it was believed the moon had its own light.

Job 26:7 - The earth is suspended in space. This has been known only recently.

Job 26:7 - There is an empty place in the north sky. This was not discovered until thousands of years after it was recorded in the Bible.

Isaiah 40:22 - The earth is said to be round. That verse was proved true many years later.

Jeremiah 33:22 - There are too many stars to count. It was not known until 1600 AD that stars could not be numbered.

I Corinthians 15:52 - It notes here that day and night can exist on the earth at same time. This was confirmed when man discovered the earth was round. See also Luke 17:30-36.

Biology:
Genesis 2:7 - Man's composition consists of the same elements as common dust. Also see Genesis 3:19.

Genesis 3:20 - All men came from the same DNA.

Leviticus 13:46-57 - Those with diseases should be quarantined.

Job 37:7 - Uniqueness of man's hand, fingerprints. This was recently found.

Proverbs 6:6 - Only female ants are seen above ground.

Proverbs 30:28 - Only the female spider is seen, and only she spins the web.

Ecclesiastes 7:13 - Peanuts, grapes and bean vines can't be made straight.

Jeremiah 17:11 - The partridge uses some eggs as a base as the eggs never all hatch.

Matthew 13:8,23,30,60,100 - This explains exactly how wheat seeds yields grain. See also, see Mark 4:8,20.

Physics:
Samuel 22:16 - Currents in the sea. A prime example of this is the Gulf Stream.

Job 26:7 - This speaks of gravitation which holds Earth in space.

Job 26:8 - Condensation.

Job 28:25 - Air has weight as we see with air pressure.

Job 38:16 - There are springs in the seas.

Job 38:19-20 - Light travels.

Job 38:22 - The uniqueness of snowflakes. Only recently known.

Psalms 8:8; Isaiah 43:16 - Ocean currents.

Ecclesiastes - 1:6 - Global wind circuits.

Ecclesiastes 1:7 - Evaporation, hydrologic cycle. Only recently known.

Hebrews 11:3 - Things we see are made up of material we cannot see, such as atoms.
Technology

Leviticus 15:13 - Running water is more sanitary. This was not known until germs were discovered during the Bubonic Plague around 1300 AD which killed one-quarter of the population the Europe.

Job 38:35 - Telephones possible.

Nahum 2:4 - Possibility of mass transportation.

Zechariah 14:1; II Peter 3:10 - Atomic war possible.

Revelations 11:9 - People all the over world will be able to see event at the same time. This is possible today with satellite TV.

Archeology
Archeology continues to verify Biblical names, places, and events. Over 5,000 places mentioned in the Bible have been found. Other findings include -

Genesis 4:21-22 - Early use of metals.

Genesis 6 – The Bible speaks in many places of a worldwide flood. There is much proof today of such a flood.

Genesis 11:28-31 - Speaks of the City of Ur. It was "discovered" in 1922.

Genesis 37:28 - Ancient non-Biblical writings confirm that the price paid for Joseph is accurate.

Exodus - 5:7-19 - Sturdy bricks can be made without straw.

Joshua 2:15 - Jericho ruins show double walls with houses straddling them. This has been found accurate.

Joshua 6:20 - The walls of Jericho did fall outward, as digs have verified.

II Samuel 5:6-8 says - David conquered Jerusalem through the water system. That water tunnel was discovered in 1860. It’s called Warren Shaft.

BIBLE NOT SOLELY FAITH-BASED

The Bible, then, is not solely a faith-based Book. It is solidly in lockstep with current science. Amazing, huh?

The Bible has survived through ages of persecution and attacks by highly educated critics. But it defends well with over 24,000 non-biblical supporting manuscripts around today, which is more proof of the events recorded than any other document in history.

The Bible has been translated into more languages than any book and has had more influence on other literature than any other Book. Shakespeare, for example, quoted from the Bible over 500 times.

To disprove the historical authenticity of the Bible we have today would be impossible. Many have tried.

If the Bible is a valid document, it would be wise, then, that we pay attention to its main message.

That main message is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who, the Bible claims, died and arose again for the sins of the world.

Apart from what the Bible says, why should anyone accept the proposition that Jesus Christ literally rose from the dead? That’s quite a claim!

1. Well, the rumors of this event must have had the ruling Romans reeling. That raises the question, why didn't Rome snuff Christianity before it was launched?


The Romans and Jewish clergy would have done that in a flash if Christ's body was reposing behind a stone-closed tomb, guarded by grizzled Roman soldiers. But the once-dead Jesus had arisen.

2. I read a book recently by a big-gun California lawyer who made the very true statement that no one in his right mind would die for what he knows is a lie. People will die for their country, their family etc., but not for a bold-faced lie.


Ten of the eleven apostles of Jesus Christ died horrible martyr's deaths because they would not deny that they had seen the resurrected Jesus. Peter was crucified upside down. So therefore, what?

The Bible speaks of a literal Heaven and a literal Hell, which it says lasts forever.

The Bible is quite clear that we do not earn our way to Heaven by trying to live a holy life, doing good deeds, being an active church member or by taking a pilgrimage to a so-called holy site.

The Bible says we are born with the sin DNA and we all do choose to commit sin. Lying, cursing, cheating on our taxes, etc., are types of sins.

We get to Heaven by receiving what Jesus Christ has done for us. We must accept that we have sinned and believe what the Bible states - that we are "saved" or "born again" (Bible terms) solely through Christ whose blood sacrifice removes all sin.

Check out this stunning John 3:36 verse: "And all who trust Him - God's Son - to save them have eternal life; those who don't believe and obey him shall never see Heaven, but the wrath of God remains upon them." So exactly what must we do be saved?

Well, in private be honest with God with a prayer something like this:

Dear God:

I am a sinner.
Others have sinned greater than I have. But, nevertheless, I stand before you now as a lost sinner, deserving of Hell.
I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who became a man.
I choose to believe that He allowed Himself to be put to death, that He arose again on the third day and is alive today.
The Bible says our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ, and I believe that.
Father, I want to be cleansed of all my sins right now.
I know I am not right with God, and I want to be forgiven. I want to go to Heaven when I die.
Right now at (time and date)______________, I bow at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, and I am dumping all of my sins there. And I mean ALL of them!
I ask that the blood of Jesus Christ wash away all my sins - past, present and future.
I am sorry for my sin, God, and I accept your forgiveness.
Right now, I declare that I am a Christian.
I ask, Father, that you will make me aware of when I want to sin, and give me the courage to say no.
I ask, too, that You will help me understand the Bible, and to make the rest of my days on earth count for eternity.
I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ - my new Lord and Savior. Amen.

Is that prayer in the Bible? No. But that prayer packages together the necessary confession/belief elements about Jesus spoke.

If you are unsure about your eternal destiny, may I suggest you respond to the free offer of salvation through Jesus Christ now.

Regards, dave niteowldave@gmail.com


Are There Degrees of Punishment in Hell?

By Paul Tatham

Most evangelical Christians have a fairly clear understanding of the concept of varying degrees of reward in Heaven.

They are familiar with Scriptures which speak of crowns, and the like, that will be awarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ and seek to live their lives with that prospect in mind.

Not as many evangelicals, however, grasp the reality that there exist similar variations of punishment in Hell for the lost.

Although Hell will be a place of horrific anguish for all its residents, some will suffer worse than others.


Without delving into the exact meaning of the following Bible passages, it is clear that they all speak to the fact that there are degrees --perhaps literally - of punishment in Hell.

The degree of punishment seems to be predicated on just two factors: the amount of gospel light, to which one was exposed, and one’s works.

If someone, during his life on earth, had the privilege to be presented with a clear presentation of God’s plan of salvation, and dismissed it, his punishment will be greater than for someone who had no such exposure.

Furthermore, although only one sin is needed to condemn a person to a lost eternity in Hell, some sins are worse than others and will be punished accordingly.

Where is the Biblical Evidence?

Luke 12:47-48
“And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.


"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

Romans 2:12
“For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.”

Luke 10:14
”But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.”

Matthew 10:15
“Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

2 Peter 2:20-21
“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.


"For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

Hebrews 10:26-29
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.


"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

Mark 12:40
“Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.”

Matthew 23:15
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of Hell than yourselves.”

Matthew 18:6-7
“But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.


"Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”

Matthew 16:27
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

Deuteronomy 25:2-3
“And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.


"Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.”

1 Samuel 2:3
“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

2 Samuel 3:39
“And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.”

Ezra 9:13
“And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this.”

Psalm 28:4
“Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.”

Hosea 4:9
“And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.”

Hosea 12:2
“The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.”

Obadiah 1:15
“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”

Jeremiah 17:10
“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Luke 23:41
“And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”

Revelation 20:13
”And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”

John 19:11
”Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

1 Peter 4:17
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

Matthew 16:27
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

Proverbs 24:12
“If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?”

Revelation 20:12
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”




























Some Who Declare, “LORD, LORD”, Will Not Get Into Heaven.
Say What?



By HaroldSmith:
inchrist@ca.inter.net

QUESTION:

Matthew 7:21 says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” What is doing the will of the Father?

ANSWER: The will of the Father is in contrast to the will of man. Man’s will is to go his own way and do his own thing. Isaiah 53:6 puts it well, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

To do the will of the Father is to know what He wants us to do, and then doing it. Finding God’s will begins with us getting saved.

1 Timothy 2:4 says, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” We read also in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

So, we must turn from our own selfish will and ways to God in true repentance and trust in Christ as our Saviour from sin and self. This turning and believing has no merit toward obtaining salvation.


However, it is the way we enter into the mercy and value of the sacrifice He made for us when He gave His Son to die for us on Roman cross.


This is like going to a doctor with your problems has nothing of value in his treatments of your troubles. But you must go to get the treatments. Once you are saved then what He has done for you He will work in you to do His good pleasure.


John 8:24 says, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” He said in Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

April 6, 2010

How do I know I am saved?

QUESTION:

Seeing that you believe that we cannot lose salvation and believe that you are saved eternally right now, how can you really know?


ANSWER:

One can know they are eternally saved since the Bible supports this. I am amazed how little we believe what the Bible tells us.


This truth is spelled out clearly and simply in the best known verse in the Bible: “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. John 3:16.”

What does this verse really say? Let’s analyze it.

1. That God loved the world…God loves all sinners with a compassionate love.

2. That He gave His only begotten Son…The rest of the message in the Bible is, that God gave Jesus to die for our sins. I believed this for years, but was not saved.

3. That whosoever believeth in Him…Here is the part that we must play. We can believe the first two without believing all the verse.


Here is where my faith comes in. I really trusted Him as my Savior from sin many years ago. This believing did not make me personally sure that I was eternally saved.

4. Shall not perish (die and go to hell)…Ah, here is the secret. This made me sure. Many people believe the first three parts but not this one.


Faith is not just believing there is a God, or believing the Bible is the word of God, but it is believing what God says.


When I trusted Christ as my Savior, God says to me in this verse, that I would NOT perish. The word ‘not’ means ‘never.’ I believe what God says, This is real faith. Based on Titus 1:2, I believe He does not lie.

My assurance is not in me or even in my faith, but it is in what God said. How did the firstborn in Egypt know that he would not died at midnight?


The blood had been applied and God had said when I see the blood I will pass by that door. His safety was in the blood applied, and his assurance was in what God said. For me to say I was not eternally saved would be saying I do not believe God.


That is calling Him a liar. 1 John 5:10 says, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”


Strange Beliefs and The True Way


By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com


Those who profess to be Christians quite often have ideas about Jesus that are just as wrong as those people who are not Christians.

For example:


1. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is a created god and that He is also Michael the Archangel. Mormons believe Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer and that He was married and had children.

2. The followers of Christian Science and the Religious Science religions believe that Jesus was simply a man upon whom the "Christ empowerment" came.

3. Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine of the Eucharist is transubstantiated, or changed, into the literal body and blood of Jesus, who is then ingested into one's stomach.

4. Lutherans believe that Jesus is consubstantiated, or present, "in, with, and under" the bread and wine of communion.

Such unbiblical beliefs are a mere handful among hundreds promoted by various Christian denominations and cults.

Yet what is even more appalling is that an inquiry about Jesus today among those who call themselves evangelicals (Bible-believing Christians) too often reveals "another Jesus".

What is the simple truth that is taught in the Bible? Everyone has sinned. We must be perfect to get into Heaven.

Jesus Christ came to earth as the Son of God. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He allowed Himself to be captured and crucified. He arose again from the dead and is alive in Heaven today.

To get to Heaven we must ask Jesus to save us. Until we do that, we are separated from the Savior and are blocked from Heaven.

How do we get saved? By praying something like this. Of course, we must sincerely believe what we are praying. Consider it a vow.

Dear God:

I am a sinner.
Others have sinned greater than I have. But, nevertheless, I stand before you now as a lost sinner, deserving of Hell.

I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who became a man.

I choose to believe He allowed Himself to be put to death, arose again on the third day and is alive today.

The Bible says the blood of Jesus Christ washes our sins away, and I believe that.
Father I want to be cleansed of all my sins right now.

I know I am not right with God, and I want to be. I want to go to Heaven when I die.
Right now at (date and time)______________, I bow at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, and I am dumping all of my sin there. ALL of it!

I ask that the blood of Jesus Christ wash away all my sins - past, present and future.
I am sorry for my sin, and I accept your forgiveness.

Right now I declare that I am a Christian. I ask, Father, that you will make me aware of when I want to sin, and give me the courage to say No.

I ask, too, that you will help me understand the Bible, and to make the rest of my days on earth count for eternity.

I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ - my new Lord and Savior. Amen.

April 5, 2010



GUILT!

What’s the deal with guilt? When we sin and refuse to come to Christ for forgiveness, our guilt may express itself in a number of different ways.

For instance, before David repented of the terrible sins of adultery and
murder, he experienced physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish.

In Psalm 32:3-4, describing how his guilt affected him, he wrote these words:
“When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long
(emotional).


"For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me (spiritual); my
vitality was turned into the drought of summer (physical)."

1. Physical. Unresolved guilt may affect us physically. It usually manifests itself in one of these ways: Listlessness, imagined sickness, real, illness, headaches, stomach, disorders, vague pains, exhaustion.

If we try to run from our guilt, immersing ourselves in work or turning to sin in reckless abandon, we will pay a price. Eventually our bodies will force us to slow down.

2. Emotional. Psychologists and counselors see these emotional effects of guilt: depression, anger, self-pity, feelings of inadequacy, denial of responsibility.

3. Spiritual. Unresolved guilt may have the following spiritual effects on us: a sense of alienation from God, inability to pray, reduced fellowship with believers, no feeling of joy, inability to read the Bible.

4. Relational. A lack of forgiveness will have an impact on our relationships with others in these ways: irritability, blaming others, withdrawal, profuse apologies, inability to relax, self-justification, refusal to accept compliments, outbursts of temper.

David's entire life was affected by his guilt. It touched him physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.


But he cried out to God, found the assurance of forgiveness, and was able to enjoy life again-damaged but hopeful.

Would David have been more honorable not to seek God's forgiveness? Would he have been more respectful of his victim's survivors to refuse any mercy?

Would self-condemnation and suicide have been a nobler course of action? Only if there is no life beyond the grave. Only if the rest of us were not sinners.


Only if a forgiven person has nothing to offer. Only if God doesn't love us enough to long for our restoration. But as the Scriptures show, God loves sinners.




Is It Necessary To “Feel” Saved?

Some wonder how we can be sure we are truly saved because they’ve been told that God is suppose to always zap us with some kind of warm, fuzzy feeling.

It would be wise to get our eyes off ourselves and get our ears tuned in to the Word of God. It is all in the Word and in Christ.


God says to trust Christ and His sacrificial work for salvation, "...thou shalt be saved." Like railroad signs used to read, "Stop! Look! And Listen!" Stop trying to be religious.

Religion is man working for God's approval. Salvation is 100 per cent about accepting what the Lord Jesus Christ had completed for us.

Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..."

Isaiah says 53:5, "There is none righteous, no, not one."

Romans 3:10 says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Look away from yourself, religion, and signs. Salvation does not come from our experiences. It is a gift from Christ that we must accept.

Rebellious Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish. Similarly, the Son of God took our sins upon Himself, died, was buried, and He rose again on the third day.

Isaiah 45:22 says, “Look unto Me all the ends of the earth and be saved." Listen to what God says.

John 3:36 says, "He that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life." The word Hath is huge promissory word, one we can hang our hat and hope on.


Jesus said in John 5:24, "...I say unto you, he that hearth My Word, and believeth on the Father that sent Me, HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation..."

John 3:16 promises, "…whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but has everlasting life."


How Do We Know JESUS Is The CHRIST?

By Harold Smith
inchrist@ca.inter.net

QUESTION: Did Jesus ever claim to be the Messiah, or Savior?
ANSWER: Yes.

Before addressing this, I want to point out that Jesus was many things that He never claimed to be.

He was born of a virgin, but He never said He was.
He was the Seed of the woman, but He never said He was.


There are teachers who say He never claimed to be the Son of God, but Scriptures said
He is the Son of God. He also said it Himself. The word for Messias or Messiah is only mentioned twice in the New Testament.

As to Him claiming to be the Messiah in John 4, Jesus talks with a woman, this is part of that conversation;

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”


Verses 25 and 26The only other place the word is mentioned is John 1:41, where Andrew said,
“ . . first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”

The word ’Messiah’ is Hebrew in origin and is interchangeable with the word ‘Christ.’ The great confession of Christianity is found in Matthew 16:16, 17 when Jesus asked His disciples who He was;

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”


Did Jesus claim to be the Savior? Listen to what He said; “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. Look at what the angel said in Luke 2:11,For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

The apostles preached; “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” Acts 5:31.

The Lord Jesus Christ surely is the Messiah and Savior.The question for those who read this is; “Is He your Savior? Have you repented and trusted Him?” If not, He is not your Savior.



Don't All Belief Systems Lead To Heaven?

Why should it be thought unreasonable to believe that the Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and others, can be saved in their own religion?


Surely if they live up to what they believe God will accept them, right? There is a tendency to believe this, even among those who say they are born again Christians.


It is part of the ecumenical spirit that has invaded the Christian world. The problem is: Those who believe that all religious roads lead to Heaven are calling God and Jesus liars.

In John 14:6, "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus Christ is very emphatic here, very narrow, very politically “incorrect”.

He points out in John 10:9, "No man can come, but by Him." He likening heaven to a sheepfold and said, "I am the (one and only door); by me if any man enter in he shall be saved."

Peter made it doubly clear when he said in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Paul puts is this way in Acts 13:38-39: "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things."

There is none other who was able, who died to put away our sins, but Christ. There is no way a sinner can enter Heaven without being forgiven and cleansed from all sin. Christ alone is the WAY.


The Vast Universe And A Mere Bird

Even if we could build space vehicles that might travel at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross The Milky Way, our relatively small galaxy, and billions of years to reach the trillions of galaxies beyond.

These facts show how foolish is man's dream of "space exploration." Each time I board a passenger jet and glance into the cockpit at the incredibly complex instrument panel, I think of the Arctic tern.

This bird breeds in the tundra of the far north, then flies for eight months across thousands of miles of trackless ocean to reach its destination near the edge of the Antarctic ice pack, only to return to its breeding grounds.


It will cover more than 20,000 miles in its lifetime. Its instrument panel is in its tiny brain and its guidance system is instinct, a capability that no evolutionary process could develop nor any man explain.


Why Isn't The Bible Crystal Clear


Why didn't Jesus speak more clearly in more understandable English? The answer: His teachings were quite often in time-release capsules and not necessarily for everyone's understanding at that time.


We see this in several places in the Bible. The prophets of the Old Testament didn't understand what they were writing.


They wrote by divine revelation and what they wrote often didn’t surface until MANY years later.


The Old Testament prophet Micah in Micah 5:2 wrote 800 years before the birth of Christ, "O Bethlehem, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!"


Fulfillment of that prophecy is recorded in The New Testament opening book Matthew 2:1 where it is written, "Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod."

April 3, 2010


Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters?

http://www.gotquestions.org/support.html

Why does God allow earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, mudslides, and other natural disasters?

Tragedies such as the 2004 tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti cause many people to question God’s goodness.

It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather.

God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work.


Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting.

A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.The Bible proclaims that Jesus Christ holds all of nature together (Colossians 1:16-17).


Could God prevent natural disasters? Absolutely.
Does God sometimes influence the weather? Yes, as we see in Deuteronomy 11:17 and James 5:17.

Numbers 16:30-34 shows us that God sometimes causes natural disasters as a judgment against sin. The book of Revelation describes many events that could definitely be described as natural disasters (Revelation chapters 6, 8, and 16).


Is every natural disaster a punishment from God? Absolutely not. In much the same way that God allows evil people to commit evil acts, God allows the earth to reflect the consequences sin has had on creation.

Romans 8:19-21 tells us, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

SIN IS THE ROOT OF SIN

The fall of humanity into sin had effects on everything, including the world we inhabit.
Everything in creation is subject to “frustration” and “decay.”

Sin is the ultimate cause of natural disasters just as it is the cause of death, disease, and
suffering.We can understand why natural disasters occur. What we do not understand is why God allows them to occur.

Such events shake our confidence in this life and force us to think about eternity. Churches are usually filled after disasters as people realize how tenuous their lives really are and how life can be taken away in an instant. What we do know is this: God is good!

Many amazing miracles occurred during the course of natural disasters that prevented even greater loss of life. Natural disasters cause millions of people to reevaluate their priorities in life.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in aid is sent to help the people who are suffering. Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, minister, counsel, pray, and lead people to saving faith in Christ!
God can - and does - bring great good out of terrible tragedies (Romans 8:28).

April 2, 2010


More questions for Roman Catholics

It is true that the New Testament was approved at the Roman Catholic Council of Hippo in North Africa in 393 AD.

But is the Bible is a Catholic book? No. Nowhere in the Canon of Scripture does it mention the Roman Catholic Church?

Further, there is no mention of a pope, a cardinal, an archbishop, a parish priest, a nun, or a member of any other Catholic order?

If the Bible is a Roman Catholic book, why is auricular confession, indulgences, prayers to the saints, adoration of Mary, veneration of relics and images, and many other rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church, left out of it?

If the Bible is a Roman Catholic book, how can Roman Catholics account for the passage, "A bishop then, must be blameless, married but once, reserved, prudent, of good conduct, hospitable, a teacher...He should rule well his own household, keeping his children under control and perfectly respectful.

For if a man cannot rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?" (1 Tim. 3:2, 4-5).

The Roman Catholic Church does not allow a bishop to marry, while the Bible says "he must be married."

Furthermore, if the Bible is a Catholic book, why did they write the Bible as it is, and feel the necessity of putting footnotes at the bottom of the page in effort to keep their subjects from believing what is in the text?

The following list gives a summation of what we have been trying to emphasize. If the Bible is a Catholic book,

1. Why does it condemn clerical dress? (Matt. 23:5-6).
2. Why does it teach against the adoration of Mary? (Luke 11:27-28).
3. Why does it show that all Christians are priests? (1 Pet. 2:5,9).
4. Why does it condemn the observance of special days? (Gal. 4:9-11).
5. Why does it teach that all Christians are saints? (1 Cor. 1:2).
6. Why does it condemn the making and adoration of images? (Ex. 20:4-5).
7. Why does it teach that baptism is by immersion instead of pouring? (Col. 2:12).
8. Why does it forbid us to address religious leaders as "father"? (Matt. 23:9).
9. Why does it teach that Christ is the only foundation and not the apostle Peter? (1 Cor. 3:11).
10. Why does it teach that there is one mediator instead of many? (1 Tim. 2:5).
11. Why does it teach that a bishop must be a married man? (1 Tim. 3:2, 4-5).
12. Why is it opposed to the primacy of Peter? (Luke 22:24-27).
13. Why does it oppose the idea of purgatory? (Luke 16:26).
14. Why is it completely silent about infant baptism, instrumental music in worship, indulgences, confession to priests, the rosary, the mass, and many other things in the Roman Catholic Church?