THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com

There are three schools of thought about the age of accountability regarding one’s salvation.

The age is not clearly identified in Scripture. The Bible says we are born with a sinful nature, that we all choose to sin, and that our sin is forgiven if we repent and believe in our heart that the Lord Jesus Christ paid our sin debt in full with his blood when He died and rose again.
 
Perhaps the reason the Bible does not state an age is because children mature at different paces. That would be true from culture to culture, and from age to age in history.
 
1. Some say the age when a child is on the hook for his own sin is when he begins to know right from wrong and hears about Jesus. Author-Bible teacher John MacArthur's says, “When a young child says, ‘I want to invite Christ into my life,’ then you need to encourage him to do that. At what point that becomes saving faith -- only God knows for certain.”
 
2. The Jews teach the age of accountability is 12 as that was when Jesus was taken by His parents to Jerusalem for the Passover and the Feast, and He went absent to the temple and asked profound questions of his elders. This age seems to be when those kinds of questions begin to be personal in the heart of a child.
 
Luke 2:46 says, “They (Mary and Joseph) returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”                       

3. Some say the age is 20. In the book of Numbers, 20 years old was the age when males were considered mature enough to serve in the army and be counted independently in the census. 

Numbers 14:29; 32:11 says, “In the wilderness your bodies will fall…every one  of you 20  years old or more…surely none  of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham. Isaac and..Jacob because they have not wholly followed me.”

Those aged 20 or above did not enter Canaan after fleeing Egypt. They all died in the wilderness for their sin of unbelief. Those below the age of 20 were, apparently, considered too immature to be held accountable for not believing the account of Joshua and Caleb concerning the Promised Land.

Why we left the Mormon Church

By Rauni Higley
 
Question to Rauni: Why did you choose to walk away from the Church of The Latter-Day Saints (The Mormons) after many years as a loyal adherent?
 
What prompted my husband and I to leave the Mormon Church was our discovery of contradictions, changed doctrines, cover-ups, lies and deceit from Joseph Smith to the current leaders.

The final decision to leave came when we learned more about the Bible, and discovered that Mormon teaching does not square with its teaching. There are major differences between the LDS Church and the Bible.

For example:

(1) Mormonism teaches that God was once a mortal man, who had a father, who had a father ...and so on. The Bible teaches that God has never been less than God and there are no Gods before Him nor after Him. (Isaiah  43:10; 44:6, 8 etc.)

(2) Mormonism teaches that Jesus is a brother of Lucifer (Satan) and also a brother of all humans and angels. The Bible teaches that Jesus IS God and that He created everything, including angels. (John 1:1-3, 14; Colossians. 1:16.)
 
(3) Mormonism teaches that Jesus came “to work out His own salvation”, and that He is only one of the billions of spirit-sons of God and His wives, even if the eldest, and that He was physically conceived by an exalted, resurrected god-man, (God the Father of Mormonism) in Mary. (Mormon Doctrine under Only Begotten Son, 1966 ed., pp. 546-547.)

The Bible says that Jesus is Immanuel, meaning GOD with us, born of a Virgin, begotten by Holy Ghost. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, John 1:1, and 14: 20-28.)

(4) Mormonism's gospel consists of "laws and ordinances" of the LDS Church. They teach that man can be truly saved only through obedience to them.

The Bible says that the gospel is THE message, good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for us. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) The Bible says that we receive salvation by faith and that it is the gift of God so no one can boast of earning it. (Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9.)

The Bible says that if anyone preaches any other gospel than the one preached by apostles (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), it will bring God's curse on him, even if it came from an angel. (Galations 1:6-9.) THE MORMONS PREACH ANOTHER CHRIST.

Paul warned about those who change the identity of Jesus into "another Jesus," and His gospel into "another gospel," and listen to and have "another spirit."(2 Corinthians 11:4, 13-15; 1 John 4:1.)

The Bible tells us that we must study to prove ourselves to God. (2 Timothy 2:15.) The Bible says that we must test all things and prove all things by the Word of God, the Bible. (1 Thessalonians 5:21; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15.) We must even test the spirits that give “feelings" and “testimonies." (1 John 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:1.)
 
When we saw all that, we did not have any other choice but to leave the false doctrines of Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church. We accepted Jesus of the Bible, who alone can save. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12.)
   

WE ARE SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

If I ask God to forgive my sins each day and try to live a good life will I not be saved? The answer is no.

We are not saved by works. Romans 6: 23 says, “The wages of sin is death…” Our sin debt was paid in full by Jesus Christ at Calvary. He shed His blood and died to provide forgiveness for us. Our good works contribute nothing toward our salvation.

We must come to Him with our sins and depend on His sacrifice alone to saves us. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:22, "...without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness) of sins.”

God forgives us if we are depending on the only sacrifice that takes away sin. He is said in John 1:29 to be "...the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." We must ask the Lord Jesus to forgive us of our sin and trust God that we are forgiven by Christ alone.

The Bible warns us not to lean on what we think but what the Bible says. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Our way often seems to us to be the right way, but God says Isaiah 55:8, "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts.” Our good living will not take away past sins.
 
The Bible says in Hebrew 9:22, "...without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness) of sin.”

We must come to Him as a sinner, hopeless, helpless and unworthy and cast ourself upon the mercy of God where it can only be found, at the cross of Christ.

BOO! GOD HERE.

     
By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmal.com                                                      

Many years ago when I lived in Nassau, Bahamas, I recall a long-serving out-island missionary standing on our porch and staring quietly at the star-filled sky and reflecting,

"Ever think about the invisible things?" I followed his eyes upward and frowned.

"We are staring at thousands of stars, but it is the things we don't see with our eyes that are most intriguing." “What on earth?” I muttered.

He explained, "What we are able to see with our eyes is very limited compared to what remains invisible to us. Let me list some of the things which are totally invisible to our eyes but they are surely there because we use them or witness their power every day."

1.  Electricity. It flows through those wires and lights our houses. Can't see it but it's there.
2.  Radio waves
3. TV signals
4. Citizen Band radio signals
5. Medical radiation signals 
6. Telegraph signals
7. There's radar
8. Sonar
9. Fish finder signals
l0. There's invisible oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air.
11.There are germs and viruses everywhere, all invisible to the naked eye
12. Metal detection signals
13. Infrared signals
14. Magnetic signals
15. Gamma rays16. Ultraviolet rays from the sun
17. X-ray beams
18. "Lastly," he clucked, "we sure could use a cool breeze which we couldn't see coming but could certainly feel its affect."

That was 40 years ago. Since then, we have tacked on a few additional invisible things we have uncovered or built upon pre-established science.
   
1. Cell phone signals
2. Pager signals
3. TV remote control signals
4. Microwave oven wonders
5. Remote garage door openers
6. Remote car door openers
7. TV remote channel changers
8. Fax machine signals
9. Internet signals
10. Satellite to TV set signals
11. Global positioning signals
12. Invisible animal "zap" fencing signals
13. High-pitched animal whistles
14. Laser beams
...the list goes on. 

Given the reality of the above invisible things, it is confusing that many today give no consideration to the idea of an invisible but equally-real spirit world.

Is it because we see God, angelic and satanic forces as being the stuff of science fiction? A real God? A real Devil? A real after life? 

Another missionary friend recently wrote,

"There was a time when God was invisible. But one night He came to Earth in Bethlehem as the baby Jesus. He later revealed His love for us at the cross where He died. Three days later, He rose again in fulfillment of l,000-year-old Old Testament prophecy.
 
"That invisible Man who became visible was the Lord Jesus Christ who is alive today at the right hand of Father God.  The Bible points out that He will return soon and take all true believers home to Heaven. That sounds Starwarian, but that is the promise."

The Bible says there is eternal life to those who will believe in Christ for salvation simply by faith.
   
The apostle John, in the company of the disciples, quotes Christ as saying, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed.  But blessed are those who have not seen me but still believed." (John 20:29)

The apostle Paul refers to invisible things several times.
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen." (Romans l:20)
                                                     
"For by him were all things created, in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible." (Colossians 1:16)

"For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
       
The apostle Matthew said our spirit is totally invisible yet is everlasting.
"Man can kill the body, but not the spirit." (Matthew 10:28)
           
Christ's resurrected body is now invisible.
"Christ is now in the spiritual presence of God." (Hebrews 1:13)
                                       
Our resurrected bodies will be invisible.
"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 15: 50-51)
   
The conclusion is that because God may not choose to reveal himself at half time during the Super Bowl in no way allows us to say, "That's unacceptable, that's not good science."

No, we are born with a bothersome conscience which every so often whispers, "God here, check Me out."
       
Perhaps the most valid reason to believe in the "invisible God" is what we can see in the lives of those who have opened their hearts to Christ and have been visibly changed.

There are many once-bound people out there who were once ravaged by visible sin who are now gloriously changed by God who they thought was invisible, or did not care.

God invisible? Perhaps we need to open our eyes.
                 
The Bible says eternal life is available to anyone who repents of his or her sin and calls out to Christ for His completed salvation. (Mark l: 15) Have you done that?

Who is this Jesus? Is He God?

By NiteOwlDave

niteowldave@gmail.com
 
(Great video: http://www.whoisjesusdvd.com/)

The Bible says that Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, is equal with God Almighty.

Like God, Messiah Jesus and the Holy Spirit each have equal power and authority, and are everlasting. They make up the Trinity. Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

*God says in the Bible that He predates Moses. Exodus 3:14 says, "And God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”

*Jesus made the same claim in John 8:58 where He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.

*Jesus said in John 14:6 that He was the only Way to the Father: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

The disciples testified of Christ’s divinity.

*John 20:28 says, "Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God’!”

*Colossians 2:9 says, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form."

*Hebrews 1:8 says, "But of the Son He says, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice."

*John 1:1 and 14 say, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Because the Word was with God and the Word is God and became flesh, we understand that Jesus has two natures, divine and human. This is the bedrock for Christian thought that Jesus is both God and man at the same time.

The Bible says the reason God became flesh is because only God can atone for our sins. We can't do it on our own because we are finite, sinful beings and we cannot please an infinitely holy God.

If we place our trust in what Christ has done for us, we will be saved and go to Heaven. We qualify for Heaven if we belief in what Jesus did - not what we do - when He paid our sin debt in full on the cross and rose again from the dead. We contribute zero to our salvation.

We access God in prayer through Jesus, and no one else. There is no biblical support for the idea that so-called saints, the blessed mother Mary, or any earthly persons plays a mediating or call-center role between Father God and us.

1 Timothy 2:5 says, "For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

He retained the wounds of His crucifixion when He rose from the dead. He told a doubting apostle, Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.”

Forty days after His resurrection from the dead, Jesus ascended into Heaven, bodily.

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."

The Bible says He will return again from the Heavens, and will judge the world and all people.

"This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven,"

The Bible says Jesus never sinned. He performed many miracles such as healing, casting out demons, walking on water, calming a storm with a command, raising people from the dead, and rising from the dead Himself.

Though there have been many great teachers throughout history, none of them have performed such miracles and claimed to be divine as Jesus claimed.

Is there just one judgment in Heaven?

How many judgments are there in Heaven? There are two judgments.

JUDGEMENT ONE: Those who accept in this life the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as total payment for all their sins and therefore are “saved” will, upon death, in Heaven, stand in judgment before God.

Re judgment one, 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
                        
They will be judged for how they lived as
Christians after they were saved. Eternal rewards will be at stake.

JUDGEMENT TWO: Those who have rejected Christ or chose to believe it took the sacrificial blood of Jesus plus their good works to gain Heaven will stand before God in a gut-wrenching second judgment where all will be sent to eternal Hell.

Those who stand before God in judgment two will be separated from God eternally, but the degrees of their suffering in Hell will be based on how good or bad a life they lived.

Judgment two is spelled out in Revelation 20: 11-15 which says: Those who have not trusted Christ as Savior will stand before the great white throne and be judged "according to their works."

Everyone there is Hell-bound. This judgment will be to determine the degree of their punishment in Hell.

We should get saved NOW. The Bible states repeatedly that the way to Heaven is by accepting what Jesus completed on the cross. There is no other way.

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am THE WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, NO MAN cometh to the Father but by me.”

JEHOVAH’S REAL WITNESSES? I THINK NOT

Exploring the Doctrine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com
 
Recently, I spent five hours over three visits with several pleasant Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW's) who showed up at our front door advancing the message of The Watchtower.

The first two visits were with two women in their forties who must have thought I was a possible convert to their faith because of the many questions I pitched their way.

The third session was a long one around the dining room table, with the original two women on each side and a more abrupt woman, more knowledgeable about the Bible and the JW teachings, seated directly in front of me.

We tossed off the gloves and gave it a go.

As expected, after three hours we wound up in gridlock. I was not a whit closer to becoming a JW adherent, and they remained solidly fixed in their positions despite what I thought was a solid presentation of who Jesus Christ really is according to clear, biblical references.

The trio focused too much on the teachings of The Watchtower which I told them in advance I reject because it conflicts with the Bible. 

The Watchtower is the primary means of disseminating the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses. It includes articles relating to Bible prophecy, Christian conduct and morals, as well as the history of the Bible. I insisted there is no companion book to the Bible.

In preparation of our round-table discussion, I wrote and printed off a 15 page overview comparing JW beliefs and what the Bible states and gave them each a copy when we were done talking. 

I asked them to proof it and get back to me about any errors before I posted it on my website. I never received  a response.

A couple of tips when sharing:

1. Be polite and listen closely to the presentation of others.
2. Ask follow-up questions or ask them to "Continue."
3. Question their sources.
4. If they ask if they can bring a friend back, be prepared; you're likely going to be dealing with a JW heavyweight who may have deserted true Christianity and is today full of anger.

So, back to the dining-room table.

Me: “If I understand what you have been telling me, I need to join the Jehovah’s Witnesses' organization because, you claim, it is the only way I can learn Jehovah's will.

“Then, if I continue as a faithful Jehovah's Witness for the rest of my life, I will be rewarded with another life on earth because the 144,000 special seats in Heaven with Jesus are, no doubt, all taken.

“You claim the JW way is the only way to God. Upon my death, my body and soul go into the ground but I will be resurrected for another test of good works and obedience for 1,000 years.

“If I prove myself to be Jehovah-worthy during the 1,000 years and don't rebel against God, I will live on a renewed perfect earth for eternity. That's providing I don't rebel against God.
That is quite complicated. That doesn't offer any solid hope.”

                            *****

Let's examine what the Jehovah’s Witnesses promote and what the Bible teaches.
There can be no conflict.

The JWs deny the Trinity

The Bible points out that God exists in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - called the Trinity. The JW’s reject this and preach there is just one solitary being, Jehovah God. (Yes, I am aware that the word "Trinity" does not appear in the Bible. However, there are many references in the Bible that point to the reality of the Trinity.)

How can one deny a Trinitarian God in face of the following Scripture?

Matthew 3:16-17 says, “After his baptism, as soon as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him.”

Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 13-14 say, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May God's love and the Holy Spirit's friendship be yours.”

Genesis 1:26 says. “Let us make man…”

Job 32:8 says, “But it is not mere age that makes them wise. Rather, it is the Spirit in a man.”

Acts 7:59 says, “And as the murderous stones came hurtling at him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’.”

Thus, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Trinity!

The JWs teach that Christ is merely one of God's creations. YIKES.

Because Christ was part of the Trinity, He is God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses preach that Christ was God's first-created creature. SO WRONG.

John 1:1 says, “Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God.”

Colossians 1:15-19 say, “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all.”

Do works help us get to Heaven? No.

The Bible proclaims that Christ completed our salvation at Calvary. The Jehovah’s Witnesses preach that our admittance into a peaceful afterlife can be achieved only by being a JW in good standing, and good works.

Romans 3:24-25 say, “Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal. Yet, now God declares us not guilty of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.”

Colossians 1:20 says, “It was through what his Son did that cleared a path for everything to come to him.”

2 Corinthians 5:21says, “For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 say, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

John 1:12 says, “But as many as received (Christ), to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

To summarize:
•    We are all sinners.
•    Christ took care of our cursed sins on the cross.
•    Salvation cannot be attained by doing good works.
•    Good works are evidence of our salvation.
•    Eternal salvation is available free to anyone who will repent of his sin and invite Christ into his life as Savior and Lord.

The JWs deny that Christ arose from the dead

Consider these verses:

John 20:24 says, “After greeting them (his disciples, following the crucifixion) he showed them his hands and side. How wonderful was their joy as they saw their Lord!”

John 20:27-29 say, “Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger into my hands. Put your finger in my side.” Said Thomas, "My Lord and my God.”

Here's an eye-opening verse:
 
Then Jesus told them, "You believe because you have seen me. But blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."

The JWs believe that Christ returned to earth in 1914 and was invisible
The Bible says Christ will be visible when He returns.

Matthew 24:30 says, “And then at last the signal of my coming will appear in the heavens and there will be deep mourning all around the earth. And the nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”

Revelation 1:17 says, “See! He is arriving, surrounded by clouds, and every eye shall see him—yes, and those who pierced him.”

JWs teach that unbelievers face annihilation at death. No, it’s Heaven or Hell.
 
The Bible states that eternal punishment awaits those who reject or ignore Christ's gift of free salvation. The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that those who do not become a Jehovah’s Witness will be annihilated with no conscience upon death.

Matthew 13:42 says, “And all who are evil will be thrown into the furnace and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let those with ears, listen!”

Matthew 22:14 says, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

2 Peter 12:17 says, “And there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth as you stand outside....they are doomed to the eternal pits of darkness.”

Jude 1:13 says, “They wander around looking as bright as stars, but ahead of them is the everlasting gloom and darkness that God has prepared for them.”

Revelations 14:9-11 say, “...and they will be tormented with fire and burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and Christ. The smoke of their torture arises forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night.”

What a horrible, conscious eternity awaits the person who, although perhaps active their whole life in church, have never had a one-on-one relationship with everlasting God and never confessed his sin and called out to Christ for his salvation.

He will spend forever, wide-awake in eternal suffering. If you are not sure you're going to Heaven, chances are you're not, and Hell awaits.

That's what is so frightening when you poke into the devilish doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cults.
   
                           ********
Here is some history of the Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses were founded in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1852 by Charles Russell.

Russell taught that the end-times started in 1799 and that Christ returned in 1874. These dates were later changed in 1914 when Armageddon failed to appear. Prophecies about 1915 also failed.

Russell died in 1916 and was succeeded by Joseph Rutherford who falsely predicted Armageddon would take place in 1918 and 1925.

In 1931, the title Jehovah Witnesses was adopted.

In 1942, Nathan Knorr succeeded Rutherford. His major accomplishment was overseeing the completion of The New World Translation of the Bible in 1961, with its major false liberties.

The name Jehovah’s Witnesses is synonymous with the name Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

Headquartered now in Brooklyn, NY, the governing body of the Witnesses wields absolute authority over its membership and popularizes its doctrines by mass distribution of magazines like The Watchtower and Awake.

A Witness is obedient to The Watchtower, which promotes a false gospel as outlined above:

Other JW notes

•    The Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, will not salute the flag or honor any government, will have no part of war, or honor traditional Christian holidays.

•    The most grievous error in the doctrine of the JW's is their insistence that Christ is inferior to God.

Consider John 8:42 where Christ said, "That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am the Messiah, the Son of God, you will die in your sins."

Matthew 16:15-16 state, "Then He (Jesus) asked them (His disciples), 'Who do you think I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'The Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'"

Where in the Bible does Jesus claim to be God?

1. Referring to Himself in Matthew 12:6, Jesus says, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." How can anyone be Lord of the Sabbath except God who instituted it? This is a direct claim to deity.
 
2. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus speaks as though He has personally observed the whole history of Jerusalem: “0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”
 
3. In Mark 2:1-2, Jesus tells a paralyzed man, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Some scribes sitting there caught the obvious intent of Jesus' words and reasoned: “Why does this man speak in this way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
 
Jesus challenged them, Which is easier to say to someone who is parlayed, "Your sins are forgiven or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your pallet and walk? But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ...’?”
 
No one forgives sin but God. Jesus was clearly claiming deity for Himself.
 
4. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus speaks of Himself as the ultimate judge who will have authority to deny entrance into the kingdom of Heaven.
 
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’.”
 
5. Matthew 14: 33 and John 9:38 say that often Jesus received worship and did nothing to discourage it. Worship is for God. Jesus is part of the Godhead (the Trinity.)

6. In John 8:58, Jesus proclaimed to a Jewish crowd, "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am."
 
7. In all, Jesus uses the term "I am" more than 19 times in reference to Himself in the Gospel according to John. Often it is used to make claims about Himself that normally would be thought appropriate only for God.
 
“I am the bread of life, he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst,” (John 6:35)
 
“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
 
“Unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
 
“I am the good shepherd (John 10:11-14)
 
“I am the resurrection, and the life; He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies (John 11:25).”
 
In John 14:6, Jesus did not just claim to be teaching mankind the truth; He claimed that He was the truth. In John 14:9, Jesus admonished Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."
 
In Isaiah 42:8, God said, "I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another."
 
In John 17:5, Jesus prayed, "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had with Thee before the world was."
 
C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, puts all these claims in the right perspective when he reminds his readers that Jesus was a Jew among Jews:
 
"Among these Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time.
 
The question is, can we accept as true what Jesus (God the Son), claimed?
 
The most conclusive evidence establishing the deity of Christ is the historically verifiable resurrection. The apostle Paul wrote that Jesus "was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead." (Romans 1:4)
 
The primary reason that Jesus is the only way to God is that He forgives sin and offers eternal life, (John 10:28) something that the founder of no other major religion has claimed to do. Think about that!
 
Every person is separated from a perfect, holy God by sin. According to God’s requirement, either the individual must pay the penalty for sin – death – or he must find someone who is willing and able – who has no sin – to pay the penalty for him. (Hebrews 9:14, 22)
 
Jesus Christ was both able and willing to do this, as demonstrated by His death on the cross. That is why Jesus is the only way to God.

IS RE-INCARNATION TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE?

BIBLICAL ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS

Compiled by Grace Kemp
gracekemp@aol.com
  
1.Question:  Is re-incarnation taught in the Bible? No. 
"It is destined that men die only once, and after that the judgment; so also Christ died only once as an offering for the sins of many people." (Hebrews 9:27-28)

2. Question:  Is the Bible true? Yes.
"Thy Word is true." (John 17:17) "He that rejecteth me and receive not my words hath one that judgeth him: the WORD that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John 12:48)

3. Question: Which religion is right?
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men..." (l Timothy 2:5)

4. Question:  What can I do for forgiveness of my sins?
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

5. Question:  What happens after death?
"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."  (John 3:36)

6. Question:  Is there such a thing as absolute truth?
"Jesus said...I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."  (John 14:6)

7. Question: Can I know for sure that I am going to Heaven?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

8. Question:  Is there a God and what does He have to do with me?
 "Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God."  (Job 37:14)  "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."  (John 17:3)

9. Question:  Creation or Evolution?
"He spoke it, it came to be; He commanded it, it stood stood forth. (Psalms 33: 6-9) "By faith we understand that the world was created by Word of God.“ (Hebrews 11:3)

10. Question: If God is love, why is there so much suffering?
"For the wages of sin (Adam's original sin) is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:2)

11. Question: What does it mean to be "born again"?
Jesus said, "I am come that they might have more life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." (John 6:47)

12. Question: Why is Jesus Christ still significant after 2,000 years?
"God sent Jesus Christ to take the punishment for our sins...He used Christ's blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath...Jesus took away (our) sins." (Romans 3: 25-25)

13. Question:  What is the meaning of life?
Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life more abundantly."  (John 10:10) "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." (John 6:47)

14.  Question: Do we all have our own truth? No.
"Neither is their salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."(Acts 4:12)
 
15. Question:  Is it important to read the Bible? Yes.
"Despise God's word and find yourself in trouble. Obey it and succeed."  (Proverbs 13:13)

16 . Question:  How does one become a child of God?
"If you believe that Jesus is the Christ - that He is God's Son and your Saviour -then you are a child a child of God." (l John 5:1)

17. Question:  Is there life after death? Yes.
Jesus said, "I am the One who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me even though he dies like everyone else, shall  again.  He is given eternal life for believing in me and shall never perish."   (John 11:25-26)

18.Question: Is God concerned about our personal problems? Yes.
"Let Him have all your worries and cares for He is always thinking about you and watching  everything that concerns you." (l Peter 5:7)

19.Question:  Does the Bible have anything to say about anger? Yes.
"Don't let the sun go down with you still angry – get over it quickly; for when you are angry you give a mighty foothold to the devil."   (Ephesians 4:26)

20.Question:  What is the scariest verse in the Bible?
"And if anyone's name was not recorded in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire." (Revelation 20:15)

21.Question: How can I become a Child of God?
"So all who received Him (Jesus Christ), He gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust Him to save them. All those who believe this are reborn."  (John 1:12-13)

22.Question:  Can our good works save our souls? No.
"Our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in Him...We are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do." (Romans 3: 27-28)

23.Question:  You hear that God is love. Where's the evidence?
"God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners... Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God  - all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins - making us
friends of God." (Romans 5:8-11)

24.Question:  What does God say about the atheists?
"That man is a fool who says to himself, There is no God!" (Psalms 14:1)

 
                

HOW WE QUALIFY FOR HEAVEN

Key Bible verses
               
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created He them.
                      
God made us.


Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
       
God sustains us.
 
Psalms 24:1
The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

God owns us.
 
Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

God judges us.
 
Romans 3:10-12
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Sin blocks our good efforts.
 
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like
the wind, have taken us away.
         
Sin makes even our "righteous" acts filthy.
 
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
        
Sin has separated us from God.
 
Revelation 20:10-15
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. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
        
Sin will send us to the lake of fire.
 
John 12:48 
He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day
        
God will judge us according to the Bible.

                              BUT…

Romans 5:8
But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.
        
God loves us.
 
Matthew 26:28
For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
        
Y'shua (Jesus) shed his blood for our sin.
 
Hebrews 9:22
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
        
Y'shua shed his blood to meet God's requirement.
 
Hebrews 9:12
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
        
Y'shua made a perfect sacrifice to redeem us.
 
Hebrews 10:12, 14
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
        
Y'shua will make us perfect forever.
 
John 14:6
Y'shua saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
        
Y'shua is our only way to heaven.
 
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Messiah Y'shua our Lord.
        
Y'shua is God's gift.
 
John 1:12, 13
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
        
You must receive Y'shua.
 
John 3:1-7
Y'shua answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ... That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit ... Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
        
You must be born again.
 
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
...I declare unto you the good news...By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain...Messiah died for our sins according to the
Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
        
You must believe the Good News.
 
John 1:1,12
In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us.
Y'shua is God, since God made a covenant with Israel through circumcision, and a covenant requires both parties to shed blood.
     
How can God shed blood if He has no body? He would have to become human to represent us legally, hence He would take on flesh, and become human, and He did just that.
 
Luke 13:3
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
        
We must repent.
 
Romans 10:9-10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Y'shua, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
        
We must confess.
 
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
        
We must call on the Lord to be saved

Why not pray the following prayer,
and trust Jesus as your Messiah right now.

Dear God,

I know that I have sinned, and need your forgiveness. I am willing to turn from my sin.

I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died on the cross for my sins personally, and rose again to give me eternal life.

I now trust Jesus to come into my heart and life,
forgive me of all my sins, and give me everlasting life.

I believe that Jesus Christ in the only way to Heaven, and when He died, shed His blood, and rose again from again, He secured eternal life for me.
 
I choose to believe this and accept it with thanks.

AMEN
 
If you just prayed this prayer and really meant it with all your heart, then God heard your prayer and has forgiven you of all of your sins.

Now, get involved in some local congregation of believers in Y'shua (Jesus), and tell someone that you just made this decision for Y'shua.

If you don't know anyone else to tell, why don't you let me know and I'll send you some helpful information.

How were people saved before Jesus?

By Grace Kemp      gracekemp@aol.com                                                                         
 
In the Old Testament, salvation was available through Christ's future death on the cross even though Christ was unknown at that point. Like today, people were saved by God through FAITH.
 
In simple obedience, the Jews shed the blood of animals to cover their sins, having no idea that it represented the future shed blood of Christ, the Son of God.
 
They obeyed out of blind faith. God saw the object of their faith, Christ, the "Lamb of God." In other words, Old Testament believers were saved on credit.
 
Once a year, the High Priest carried animal blood into the sacred Holy of Holies in the Temple where only he was allowed to enter.
 
There, he sprinkled blood on the Mercy Seat which was on the top of the Ark of the Covenant as temporal payment for the sins of the people on whose behalf the animal had died.

HOW DO WE KNOW JESUS IS THE CHRIST?

By Harold Smith
inchrist25@gmail.com
 
QUESTION: Did Jesus ever claim to be the Messiah, or Savior?
 
ANSWER: Yes.

Before going further, 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.

Christ was more than He ever said He was.

The Scriptures say far more about Him, than He said of Himself. Scriptures says He is the Son of God. He also said it Himself.

The word Christ means anointed One, or the Messiah. The word for Messias or Messiah is only mentioned twice in the New Testament. As to Him claiming to be the Messiah, Jesus confirms this in John 4: 25 and 26 with a woman,

“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.”

The only other place the word Messiah 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 great confession of Christianity is found in Matthew 16:16, 17 when Jesus asked His disciples whom He was.

Jesus replied, “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.”

An angel stated at His birth that Jesus is the Savior/Messiah . It said in Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

In Acts 5:31 we see that 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.” Only God can forgive sins.

The Lord Jesus Christ sure is the Messiah and Savior. The question for those who read this is, Is He your Savior? Have you repented and trusted Him?

ARE THE RAPTURE AND THE TRIBULATION BIBLICAL?

 

While the word Rapture is not used in the Bible, it is taught in several portions of the New Testament. 

1Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, 
 
“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the   voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

For the past 2,000 years, God has been building a body of people as a bride for His Son. When this is completed, Christ will return to rapture, or airlift, the body of people from the earth.

He will then deal with those who are not taken to Heaven for a period of seven years of trouble on earth. Following that horrific period of Tribulation, God will redeem Israel and set up a promised kingdom on earth where peace and righteousness will reign.

The body of Christ (the church) will not be here during those seven years of chaos and confusion. A promise in 1Thessaloniians 5:9 states,
 
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” Revelation 3:10 adds, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

The Rapture is called “the blessed hope” of the Christian. Titus. 2:13 says, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
       

SAVED BY GOOD WORKS? NO.

QUESTION: Why do many of us think that good people go to Heaven?

ANSWER:  From our perspective, it makes sense that the good go to Heaven and that bad people go to Hell. God has a different standard.

Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end are the ways of death" Few of us realize that only people who are COMPLETELY sin free get into Heaven. The Bible says that on our own not one of us is good enough, no matter how hard we try. Romans 3:12 says, “As it is written, There is no righteous, no, not one.”

In John 3:1-3, Jesus told a religious leader, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Perhaps it is pride, but few of us are willing to admit that we are helpless sinners in the eyes of God. We may admit we have sinned, but we will defend ourselves when those sins are exposed.

The Bible says the one and only way to Heaven is by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Many reject that and point to their own accomplishments.

The big problem with salvation by works is that no good work will take away even one sin we have committed. It is sin that will keep us out of heaven.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (a man that is womanlike) nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

A truck load of good works will not cleanse a person from these sins and make them acceptable to God and ready for Heaven. The following verse tells us the only way a poor unclean sinner can enter Heaven.

1 John 1:7 says, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God..and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son."

Have you taken your place before the cross of Christ as an unclean and unfit sinner? Have you trusted Christ fully to save you from all sin?

THE COUNCIL OF TRENT

The Council of Trent was a long winded council of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) held in Trent, Italy, between 1545 and 1563.

 It was created to respond to priest Martin Luther’s public outrage over the pope’s offer to shorten shifts in its “purgatory” to those who would give more money to expand the Vatican building complex. 

It also responded to Luther’s stand that eternal salvation is solely by faith in what Christ completed when He died and rose again. The RCC bucks the Bible on this point and teaches that salvation is by faith in Christ, plus its traditions, our good works, and our linkage to the Church of Rome. 

The public furor against Rome led to the establishment of Protestantism that snowballed into a huge breakaway from Vatican dogma and control. 

The end result of the RCC Trent sessions were hellish anathemas, or church curses, that were declared to be of God. These man-made condemnations remain in place today. They all fly in the face of Bible truth. Listed here are some of the RCC curses and what the Bible says about them.
                         
The Council of Trent:
 
Canon 9. If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone,[114] meaning that nothing else is required to cooperate in order to obtain the grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the action of his own will, let him be anathema.
 
God's Word:
 
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; He who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
 
Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him form the dead, you will be saved."
 
Romans 10:13 "It shall be whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
 
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no man can boast."
 
1 Peter 2:24 "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His stripes we are healed.”
 
John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
 
The Council of Trent:
 
Canon 18. If anyone says that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and constituted in grace,[121] impossible to observe, let him be anathema.
 
God's Word:
 
Galatians 2:20-21 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
 
Galations 3:10-13 "For as many are under the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law to perform them". Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for the righteous shall live by faith. However the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, He who practices them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree."
 
Galatians 3:21-26 "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be!! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus."
 
The Council of Trent:
 
Canon 4. If anyone says that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation but are superfluous, and that without them or without the desire of them men obtain from God through faith alone the grace of justification,[2] though all are not necessary for each one, let him be anathema.
 
God's Word:
 
Three tenses of the verb saved:
 
•    Been saved -- the believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Luke 7:50; Acts 16:30-21; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:9).
•    Being saved -- The believer is being saved from the habit, power and dominion of sin (Romans 6:1-14; Philippians 1:19, 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8;2; Galatians 2:20, 4:19; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
•    To be saved -- The believer is to be saved. This is the glorification process in which we are changed into the image of Jesus. (Romans 13:11; Hebrews 10:36; 1 Peter 1:5).
 
The Council of Trent:
 
Canon 2. If anyone says that true and natural water is not necessary for baptism[9] and thus twists into some metaphor the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost,[10] let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
Water baptism is just an outward expression of our faith. We want to tell the world about our faith in Jesus. In the days of Jesus, declaring Christ as Messiah Savior was a death sentence. Water baptism is not necessary for salvation. Check out John 4:2, 1 Corinthians 1:13-17. Baptism was not a concern to Jesus or Paul. 

The problem with infant baptism is that babies cannot make a commitment to Christ at that tender a age. In Acts 1:5 Jesus says, "for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Also see Acts 11:6. Holy Spirit baptism is what saves a person.
 
God's Word:
 
•    John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The thief on the cross was not baptized but he went to heaven. Luke 23:43
•    Jesus did not baptize. John 4:2
•    Paul stressed the importance of preaching the gospel rather than baptizing. 1 Corinthians 1:17
 
The Council of Trent (April 8, 1546):
 
These are the new approved books of the Bible - the five books of Moses, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; Josue, Judges, Ruth, the four books of Kings, two of Paralipomenon, the first and second of Esdras, the latter of which is called Nehemias, Tobias, Judith, Esther, Job, the Davidic Psalter of 150 Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Canticle of Canticles, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Isaias, Jeremias, with Baruch, Ezechiel, Daniel, the twelve minor Prophets, namely, Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharias, Malachias; two books of Machabees, the first and second. Of the New Testament, the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the Acts of the Apostles written by Luke the Evangelist; fourteen Epistles of Paul the Apostle, to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Ephesians, to the Philippians, to the Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, two to Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon, to the Hebrews; two of Peter the Apostle, three of John the Apostle, one of James the Apostle, one of Jude the Apostle, and the Apocalypse of John the Apostle.
 
If anyone does not accept as sacred and canonical the aforesaid books in their entirety and with all their parts, as they have been accustomed to be read in the Catholic Church and as they are contained in the old Latin Vulgate Edition, and knowingly and deliberately rejects the aforesaid traditions, let him be anathema.
 
Response:
 
Added to the Canon that was first approved by the RCC in 393 are Tobias, Judith, The dream of Mardochi (added to the book of Esther), Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, The Song of the Three Children (inserted in the 3rd chapter of Daniel), Susanna and the Elders (made a 13th chapter of Daniel), the prayer of Manasses, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd book of Maccabees.
 
1. Jesus nor the apostles ever quoted these pieces.
 
2. 2 Maccabees is claimed to be copied by author. 2 Mac 2:23
 
3. Promotes questionable ethics - Judith 9-11, fanciful legends, Tobit and the doctrine contradicts Scripture, Tobit 4:10, 12:9.
 
4. Never received, acknowledged nor admitted into the cannon of the Old Testament Scripture by the Jews.
 
5. They were never written in pure Hebrew.
 
6. They were rejected by the early church.
 
The Council of Trent:
 
Canon XXIII - lf any one saith, that a man once justified can sin no more, nor lose grace, and that therefore he that falls and sins was never truly justified; or, on the other hand, that he is able, during his whole life, to avoid all sins, even those that are venial,-except by a special privilege from God, as the Church holds in regard of the Blessed Virgin; let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
Well, I guess I'm anathema. Aside from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible is clear that nobody else has ever been sinless: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
 
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:10
 
"They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3:12
 
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin..." Galatians 3:22
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON XXVII - If any one saith, that there is no mortal sin but that of infidelity; or, that grace once received is not lost by any other sin, however grievous and enormous, save by that of infidelity; let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
The Bible does refer to sin that is mortal or leading to spiritual death (1 John 5:16). This is in reference to a situation such as Acts chapter 5:4-5 where a believer is mortally (physically) punished for sin. God will forgive any sin but the rejection of the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
 
"Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemies against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin." Mark 3:28-29
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON XXX - If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
The concept of Purgatory and prayers for the dead are not found in the Bible. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:26 we are told, "And besides all this, between us and you is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us." This tells us that once a person dies, they are fixed forever in Heaven or Hell. 

The idea of a Purgatory, a car wash concept where sins can be washed away, takes away from the Bible statement that the sin issue was dealt with by the blood of Christ at the cross. The Purgatory thought is an affront to the truth that Jesus paid for all our sin debt. (John 19:30 and 1 Peter 2:24) Purgatory was invented as a money maker for the RCC and their sale of indulgences that continues to this day.
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON IV - If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification; though all (the sacraments) are not indeed necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.
 
God’s Word:
 
Romans 8:1-2 "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, For the Law of the Spirit is life in Christ Jesus who has set you free from the law of sin and of death."
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON X - If any one saith, that all Christians have power to administer the word, and all the sacraments; let him be anathema.
 
God’s Word:
 
Acts 16:31"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON II - If any one saith, that true and natural water is not of necessity for baptism, and, on that account, wrests, to some sort of metaphor, those words of our Lord Jesus Christ; Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost; let him be anathema.
 
CANON V - If any one saith, that baptism is free, that is, not necessary unto salvation; let him be anathema.
 
God’s Word:
 
"For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 
1:5. We are saved by the Holy Spirit, not water.
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON I - If any one saith, that the confirmation of those who have been baptized is an idle ceremony, and not rather a true and proper sacrament; or that of old it was nothing more than a kind of catechism, whereby they who were near adolescence gave an account of their faith in the face of the Church; let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
We don't need to be "confirmed" by the RCC. It is the Holy Spirit that does the confirming.
 
1. Our baptism and rebirth (born again) cannot be reversed. The conception and birth of a baby cannot be reversed (John 1:13, 3:3-6; Titus 3:4-6; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4; 1John 3:9).
 
2. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a permanent part of the believer (John 7:37-39; Romans 5:5, 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 6:19).
 
3. The baptism of the Holy Spirit that joins us to the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17,12:13; Galatians 3:23).
 
4. The presence and seal of the Holy Spirit will endure forever (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON I - If any one denieth, that, in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist, are contained truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; but saith that He is only therein as in a sign, or in figure, or virtue; let him be anathema.
 
CANON lI - If any one saith, that, in the sacred and holy sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine remains conjointly with the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and denieth that wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the Body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the Blood-the species Only of the bread and wine remaining-which conversion indeed the Catholic Church most aptly calls Transubstantiation; let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
1. Jesus was present with His disciples when He said the bread and wine were His body and blood.
 
2. Scripture forbids us to consume blood. (Genesis 9:4; Liviticus 3:17; Acts 15:29).
 
3. Christ said nothing about the bread and wine imparting grace.
 
4. After He spoke of the wine as representing His blood, He referred to it as "the fruit of the vine" (Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25). He didn't change it back again.
 
5. He said "do this in remembrance of me" 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON X - If any one saith, that priests, who are in mortal sin, have not the power of binding and of loosing; or, that not priests alone are the ministers of absolution, but that, to all and each of the faithful of Christ is it said: Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven ;(d) and, whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained;(e) by virtue of which words every one is able to absolve from sins, to wit, from public sins by reproof only, provided he who is reproved yield thereto, and from secret sins by a voluntary confession; let him be anathema.
 
Comment:
 
Only God has the power to forgive sin. Mark 2:6-10 The quote of Matthew 16:19 about binding and loosing by the RCC refers to the ability to proclaim the gospel. Those who heard the gospel and believed were forgiven by God. Those who rejected it were condemned to hell by God. As Christians, we have the ability to proclaim the gospel and speak of the consequences of not accepting it.
 
The Council of Trent:
 
ON THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS. If any one saith, that in the mass a true and proper sacrifice is not offered to God; or, that to be offered is nothing else but that Christ is given us to eat; let him be anathema.
 
CANON III - If any one saith, that the sacrifice of the mass is only a sacrifice of praise and of thanksgiving; or, that it is a bare commemoration of the sacrifice consummated on the cross, but not a propitiatory sacrifice; or, that it profits him only who receives; and that it ought not to be offered for the living and the dead for sins, pains, satisfactions, and other necessities; let him be anathema.
 
God’s Word:
 
Hebrews 7:25-27 "Hence, also, He is able to save forever, those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a High Priest, Holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted among the heavens, who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because He did this ONCE AND FOR ALL when He offered up Himself."
 
The Council of Trent:
 
CANON I - If any one saith, that there is not in the New Testament a visible and external priesthood; or that there is not any power of consecrating and offering the true body and blood of the Lord, and of forgiving and retaining sins; but only an office and bare ministry of preaching the Gospel, or, that those who do not preach are not priests at all; let him be anathema.
 
God’s Word:
 
Everyone who is born again is a priest. By our faith in Christ we all become priests of God...Peter 2:9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6. Only God has the power to forgive sins, and the sacrifice of Jesus was a one-time event. The sacrifice that God wants is the sacrifice of praise and compassion.
 
Hosea 6:6 "For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."
 
Matthew 3:13 "But go and learn what this means. I desire compassion and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
 
Hebrews 13:15-16 "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of the lips that give thanks to His name. And not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices is God pleased."