# 302: Born to Lose or Born to Win

No one desires to be a loser in life. The sad news is that the vast majority of humanity, those who have not actively accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, will lose their most valuable possession in life: life itself at the time of death. All that has been accomplished or acquired during his or her lifetime, all things of value—like wealth, possessions, reputation, family, etc.—all the good they have done will be lost. They may/will become nothing more than a faint memory. Thus, physical death will make them big losers.

That is the main reason most fear death, and that is understandable. But what if a person could be freed from the fear of having to die? That is possible by believing that his/her spirit will live on at the time of physical death. Hebrews 2:15. “. . . and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Even though many may make little of their spirit or not believe that they have a spirit, humans are spirit beings with bodies, as opposed to the belief that our body has a spirit. The reason that is true is because our spirit is of greater value than our physical body since it has the possibility of living forever. Having a spirit is what makes us potentially valuable to God. Without a spirit, humans would be no more than intelligent, well-trained animals.

This is where religion and morality come into the picture. God through Jesus Christ promised eternal life for the spirit part of us, to all who have faith and obedience, which signifies their divine love for God. That unique form of divine love actually—believe it or not—puts other people in need before self, and at the same time they verbally give Jesus Christ the credit and glory. This God-type love must first be experienced to believe it even exists; the reason is that this form of heavenly love defies human logic.

With that said, now the question is this: Should genuine Christians be afraid to die physically? If eternal life in heaven with Jesus Christ is waiting, all genuine Christians should be looking forward to leaving this “dog-eat-dog,” me-first, secular world.

The disturbing fact is that the more unpleasant life is for an individual, the more realistic heaven could become, and the more eager one would be to depart from this physical world. Could that be why Jesus teaches in Luke 6:20, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven”?

Realistically and eagerly looking forward to departing from this evil world by death could be good evidence that a person’s faith is genuine. Just verbally making that statement without actually wholeheartedly meaning it could display one’s hypocrisy and lack of faith required to live the Christian life.

The most important statement—though not the only one—in Christianity is this: The afterlife (eternity) is the main reason why Christ died for us. Without that hope that is based on faith, love and obedience, one’s life would be centered on our mortal lives and our insatiable desire for whatever this world offers.

The only, only reason God created the vast universe was so that He could share His life of unimaginable splendor with an infinite number of other forms of intelligent life. And as we enter this divine realm, we will be so overjoyed that we will automatically CHOOSE God-type love—implying we will have a free will—as a valuable and necessary attribute. Without a free will, we would be nothing more than “God’s good little robots.” As no one desires to be a robot on earth, the same will be true in heaven.

Physical life and its needs—the only life we know—make it extremely difficult to believe in a meaningful way that the afterlife that is waiting for us. One of the main ways to overcome this handicap is to keep our minds on holy and spiritual matters to the greatest degree possible by making “. . . EVERY EFFORT to be found spotless and blameless . . .” (2nd Peter 3:13; emphasis added).

Death is one segment of Christianity that is not talked or preached about to any great degree. The reason may be that no one wants to hear about their physical death and its morbid connotations.

That seems to infer that Christians are more concerned about praying, talking and meditating on our physical needs and challenges.

It can emphatically be said that this part of the Christian life is most difficult to think about in a constructive way. The reason may be that the physical world is really real to us in the here and now, while life in heaven with God and His Christ could be like a hopeful dream that we are not acquainted with, especially its details; thus making it more difficult to concentrate on, especially to the point of wanting to be there today or in the very near future.

At the same time, attempt to imagine how wonderful that life will be. The best way to envision God’s abode is that we will have all the same holy attributes as Almighty God and Jesus Christ. Some may ask, “And what will we be doing for all eternity without getting bored?” The most logical answer is this: There will be different classes of heavenly participance, from the greatest to the least (Mark 10:43: “. . .whoever wants to BECOME great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (emphasis added). Hebrews 8:11: “. . . because they will [future tense] all know me from the least to the greatest.”

Since we will all be near-replicas of God, there most likely will be at least three large groups of heavenly Saints. The first group could be physically spending a glorious eternity on the new earth; Revelation 21:1. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . .” The second group could be living in the new heaven in the form of angels, in the company of Jesus Christ, etc. The third and greatest group will most likely be transformed into Gods, and then sent to distant planets in our vast universe that are, or will eventually be, inhabited by intelligent life. Their work could be similar to the work that Jehovah God and Jesus Christ have been doing on our planet. Even if it may not be exactly as is portrayed, could anyone imagine anything more glorious and meaningful? No chance of being bored. I am saddened that there are no words in the human language I can use to accurately describe the heavenly joy and contentment its recipients will experience, while never getting tired of it.

The “64-dollar” question remains: How can we as genuine Christians not neglect our necessary earthly chores of life—including our Christian obligations—and still give adequate attention to the main reason for our salvation: eternal life?

The answer the New Testament has, which is not compatible with life on earth, is to somehow lose our interest in a comfortable, secure, and serene life and desire a difficult and unpleasant life. Sure, I can already hear the response: “This author must be wacky.”

This is where Christ’s ways are not our ways. What we modern Christians desire is comfort and an easy life. The Christian poor don’t have an easy life. That is the reason Jesus teaches in James 4:4, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” The criteria in this tough verse teaches that poverty is not a bad thing, and having impeccable faith is essential; and last but not least, to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Having untarnished faith and that type of Godly love will override any earthly desire to have comfort, security, etc. Of course, they must and can only be displayed by obedience to New Testament commands and not only by our mouths.

If one million people who claimed to be Christians were asked a two-part question—if they love God, and if they obey New Testament commands—most likely, the vast majority would say yes to both questions. The reason is that many Christians are knowingly or unknowingly fooling themselves about what is needed for salvation. Most believe that accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior is what is needed for salvation, and possibly going to church. That is where the pernicious problem lies that has plagued the church since day one, and possibly why thinking of the afterlife is not a popular subject.

Christians who are living mostly for this life are doing nothing but wasting their lives. The only way we can be certain that we are not wasting our lives is to work/live for Something/Someone who is eternal.

Also, Christians who subconsciously or otherwise believe they are going to live only once should/could disregard what the Bible teaches, if they haven’t already.

There are not many more than three LEGITIMATE reasons why genuine Christians do not desire to immediately depart from this world: A) When one has people who depend on him/her exclusively for financial support; B) When a person has young children to raise and support; and C) When it is more important to continue to do the work that Christ started, and at that time forgo the joyful thought of leaving this godless world in the near future.

One thing must be emphatically mentioned: Regardless of how bad things may be, taking one’s own life is not acceptable. And besides, if anyone is as gung-ho as this author is in exposing false teachings, they will know of the money-hungry religious leaders who would want to help you on your immediate departure (would give anything for your neck).

The apostle Paul is speaking in this passage: Philippians 1:21-24. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain . . . Yet what should I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

For more Biblical information on death, click on post # 265: “Death and its Implications.” Go to blog.exposing-pseudo-christianity.org.

In closing: It is a crying shame that the majority of what is written in this post may fall on deaf ears. PLEASE NOTE: Ignoring what is written herein could be an eternal death notice for all who claim to be Christians, regardless of their stature or prominence in their church or community.

# 301: Let the Bible Speak for Itself on Inordinate Sex

There are many evils going on in America that make her a heathen country. I, via the Bible, will pick on only one wicked lifestyle at this time: America’s open-arms acceptance of sexual perversions as being normal concerning homosexuals/gay and lesbians; I will also touch briefly on another topic.

About 20 years ago or so, homosexuals got sick and tired of being called homosexuals, perverts, queers, faggots, freaks of nature, and other despicable names; therefore, they decided to hijack a joyful, uplifting, bright and happy title as to their identity. They chose the word “gays” to cover up their disgraceful conduct as the majority of heterosexuals at that time saw them to be. Therefore, I choose to use the word “homosexuals” to reflect their true identity, and not “gays” when referring to them.

This post is meant only for those who claim to be genuine Christians. First and foremost, they MUST believe and obey all that the New Testament of the Christian Bible commands, or they are dangerously fooling themselves, and this post will be of little or no value to them.

There are active homosexuals and lesbians who claim to be Christians. When some of the clergy, along with many of the laity, silently/openly condone that type of lifestyle in the church, Christianity itself has taken on an ungodly practice by claiming it is okay. The general public is also guilty by their silence. They may say, “No one is perfect,” etc.

Every adult has underlying principles that motivate how he/she lives. Those principles/morals are their gods, although most would deny that this statement has any validity in their lives. Here is the hard fact: Anyone who goes to a church and claims to be a Christian, but does not believe and obey all that the Holy New Testament teaches, is a hypocrite and a nonbeliever in the sight of Almighty God. God’s love, grace and mercy CANNOT disregard those two seemingly innocent though deadly sins any more than He can force someone to live by Biblical standards. Even though God is Almighty, His love-nature restricts Him from violating anyone’s free will.

I will quote Old and New Testament verses while making this Biblical case. Caution is advised for the young; explicit/graphic language will be used to describe some actions.

My commentary will be in brackets, although it may not necessarily reflect my personal opinions.

[The question is: Why does the Bible, which displays the true representation of God’s holy morals, speak negatively/as sinful concerning any and all human sexual perversions? To say that it is unnatural seems true, but that alone will not suffice. The truth may be that given enough time (hundreds of years or more), homosexuality—if not legally and forcibly condemned—would become the norm and heterosexuality would be considered a minority group. That may have been the main reason God, through His angels, totally destroyed—most likely by means of a meteorite/s—all the inhabitants of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; everyone in those cities was either a homosexual or lesbian who, most likely, knew little or nothing about God’s Holy decrees.] Genesis 18:26-33.

[It must be noted that the countries of Iran, Iraq and other Arab countries except Kuwait ban homosexuals in their obedience to the Qur’an (their holy book). Anyone admitting that they are homosexuals or caught in the act will be executed with no trial, or, depending on the country, a quick trial.]

[Here is a prime example of what homosexuality was like in the city of Sodom:] Genesis 19:4-5. “Before they had gone to bed, all the men [that implies that women lived there also] from that part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot [Lot was Abraham’s nephew], ‘Where are those men [two angels disguised as humans] who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them’ [forced sodomy].

Dictionary definition of the word “sodomy”: any sexual intercourse held to be abnormal; specif., a) bestiality; b) anal intercourse, esp. between two male persons. [As anyone can tell, the word “sodomy” was derived from the wicked city of Sodom. Nowhere does it tell in all of Scripture of God destroying a complete city with all its inhabitants without working through His people, the Israelites, as He did when He destroyed the city of Jericho and other cities in the land of Canaan. That fact alone displays how detestable (the epitome of evil), the Lord God Almighty thought/thinks those perversions really were/are.]

Leviticus 18:22. “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.”

Leviticus 20:13. “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Numbers 15:36. “So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.” [Stoning was God’s means of execution for crimes of those condemned to death.]

[Was that form of punishment cruel and unusual to Moses or the creator of the universe? Not at all; they knew how to minimize crime and maintain law and order. In America, we give light prison sentences, and then in a short while put them on parole so they can continue their crimes if they so desire, and thus make room for other convicts in our over crowded prisons. Controlling crime is something we have not been able to accomplish in America to any great degree concerning sex crimes, organized crime, and especially with gang violence in the big cities, etc. To those types of hoodlums, killing is a sport with little or no fear of legal retribution.]

[To get more information on how homosexuality started in America, and how it progressed, go to Internet Explorer: type in “A brief history of homosexuality in America.” Some bloggers will be shocked.]

[I do know that in 1940 and beyond, in Nazi Germany (while Hitler was in power), homosexuals were persecuted, tortured, and killed in ways that I don’t care to describe in this post. They were treated even worse than the Nazis treated the Jews.]

[The type of cruel discrimination and treatment they received in America and Nazi Germany at that time is not acceptable for genuine Christians to approve of, then or now, even though Moses was instructed in the Old Testament by The Lord God to put them to death. Death is one thing, but brutal, inhuman torture is even worse.] John 8:5. “In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.” [This verse indicates that the teachers of the law and the Pharisees still practiced stoning in Jesus’ time as the most severe punishment.]

Romans 1:26-27. “. . . God gave them [Jews] over to shameful lusts. Even their women [lesbians] exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way, the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves due penalty for their perversions.” [The modern punishment: AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). A few drugs have been formulated to fight AIDS, which would keep those who are infected from dying in a short period of time, although there has not been a breakthrough in new drugs that completely destroy HIV (human immunodeficiency virus.)]

[1st Corinthians 5:9 teaches that genuine Christians must not associate with anyone who calls themselves a Christian but is sexually immoral:] “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral or greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother [Christian] but is sexually immoral . . . With such a man [woman] do not even eat.” [I believe the reason the apostle Paul gave this order was so that outsiders would not also categorize genuine Christians as homosexuals.]

Romans 1:32. [The apostle Paul continues to reprimand them after stating their sins in 1:26-27.] “Although they [Jews] know God’s righteous decrees that those who do such things DESERVE DEATH, they not only continue to do these very things but also APPROVE of those who practice them.” (emphasis added).

[Are not many Americans making celebrities and idols of homosexuals in the entertainment field, and becoming partners in our schools with people who openly pervert the right and holy way to live? Perfect examples: “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Also, Kevin Jennings: He is the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education and head of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools department. He is also the co-founder of The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) who advances homosexuality in our schools, etc. Click www.glsen.org “books” for more detailed info.; but I warn you—caution is advised.]

Ephesians 5:12. “For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” 1st Corinthians 6:9-11. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders . . . will inherit the kingdom of God . . . And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

[This tells me that if people who were born or by some other means became homosexuals/lesbians, but then decided to repent and refrain (become celibate) from all inordinate sexual activity, then accept and obey Jesus Christ as their Lord (Boss) and Savior, and give their lives in service to our Lord Jesus Christ, they would then become genuine Christians; of course, only if they continued to live as New Testament Scriptures command.]

[The above verses blatantly teach that for homosexuals, the punishment in the age of grace and mercy initiated by Jesus Christ is not physical death by stoning—thus giving them a chance to truly repent for their remaining days on earth, and if no repentance—eternal death in the fires of hell.]

[According to the American Constitution, all men [people] are created equal. That may be the law of our land, but according to the Bible, that definition is not acceptable. The Old Testament implies that homosexuals are not created as equal/normal to heterosexuals since they cannot on their own reproduce their own offspring. Repeating, therefore, according to God it is not true that all people are created equal. It is not normal/natural to be a homosexual; and besides, if it were just an occasional personal preference (just for the heck of it) and not a compulsion to have sex with the same gender, they would still be condemned for having inordinate sex. Therefore, to God Almighty, engaging in homosexuality for whatever reason is a most serious crime against Him.]

[Since men cannot reproduce on their own, lesbians can become pregnant by artificial insemination (having fertilized male sperm of their choice implanted into their uteruses.) Here is a thought that may be controversial: The child/children born/adopted by homosexuals/lesbians and living in an abnormal environment of having either two females as mother/caregiver, with no fathers, or two male fathers with no mother, etc. the child/children have a greater chance of being born homosexual or lesbians, or acquiring those tendencies as they mature: a slow but sure way to increase their population.]

[We must always remember that having normal sexual intercourse between a husband and wife was/is MAINLY for the continuation/propagation of the human race of which a few, hopefully, will believe, obey and inherit the kingdom of God. Of course, it cannot be overlooked; sexual intercourse also gives great pleasures, meant ONLY for MARRIED opposite-sex couples as the New Testament dictates.]

[There is another reason for men to have ejaculations other than to make children: The buildup of seminal fluid makes them easily aroused. If there is no emission of semen for some time and they do not masturbate by means of genital manipulation and/or sensual fantasies, etc. (which could/most likely is sinful; the Bible is silent on that subject), they will probably have an involuntary nocturnal emission of semen, which is natural. For women, when sexual fluid builds up, and women stimulate their own/each others’ clitorises, a climax will/could be experienced. I can’t speak for women if it is right or wrong since the Bible is also silent in this area.]

[As for men, the Old Testament does have several verses teaching that when a man has an involuntary (via nocturnal emission) or voluntary (via masturbation) emission of semen, they must wash.] Leviticus 15:16-17. “When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Any clothing or leather that has semen on it must be washed with water, and he will be unclean till evening.” [Since the Holy Scripture is silent as to the reason why washing is mandatory, I cannot comment on these verses except to say that since semen is an intricate partner in reproduction of humanity, it must be treated as something sacred and returned to the dust of the ground where it originated. Or it has something to do with the rules imposed by the Levitical Priesthood.]

[Some people would wonder why homosexuality is a most detestable sin to God. As homosexuality is progressing in our dear country, it is likely that since it is accepted as normal in our society, it becomes self-propagating with no end in sight, as it has already started in America.]

[If that is true—and it is—what will become of America? As homosexuality continues to increase, so do sexual sins and other degenerating habits, such as excess alcohol consumption by all classes of people, overuse of legal drugs, overeating of the wrong type of food, and lack of exercise that can cause type 2 diabetes, which will cause an eventual early and miserable death, etc. At this time, over 66% of us are either overweight or obese, while half the world is starving. That is one of America’s most grievous sins. Then there is the emptiness in the lives of millions who attempt to fill that void with the make-believe world of movies, just to name a few. In short, America’s damnation by God could be summed up in Luke 12:19-20: “And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” God said to him [also to us and to our government], ‘You fool! . . .’”

[Along with that, we in America are known as the biggest users of illegal drugs than any other civilized country; we are known for Las Vegas-style promiscuity/prostitution and out-of-control hard-core pornography, along with alcohol abuse (binge drinking) of young school kids, and worst of all, America’s legalizing of homosexuality.]

[From the above point of view, one can see why some Muslim countries believe that America is a country run by sugarcoated devils, which may be true. At this point, many Americans have been brainwashed into believing they live in a great Christian country. The reason many may believe that is because there seems to be a church building on every other street corner filled with multitudes of people. The only thing is that many, if not most, of those church people may not be experiencing the life of Jesus Christ, if even in a small way, thus making church-going a sham.]

[Just because 92% of us claim we believe in a god, it will not alter the fact of America’s many sins along with our damning homosexual growth; God has openly predicted our demise in the book of Revelation. How can any entity, regardless of how large or powerful, survive when at this time it has already spent more money ($ thirteen trillion + and growing) than it took in by taxation? And believe it or not, as any fool can tell, our doom most likely will be the result of our own doing. Read Revelation chapter 18. Many theologians and church leaders believe that this chapter refers to the old Roman Empire. They are cold-bloodedly wrong. America is the role model for the world. Read chapter 18 several times and you will see the similarity.]

[If Americans claim to live in a Christian country, it must have/make laws restricting ungodly behavior (like a theocracy). Since our Constitution gives Americans freedom of religion, it cannot enforce Godly behavior on any religion. Therefore, no one can call America a Christian country if some religions refuse to believe and live by Biblical, Christian precepts. Along with that, in America, large groups unknowingly are making Satan their god (doing what comes naturally). That is their religion. Religions of that sort would repudiate the widely held belief that America is a Christian country. In short, what makes any country a Christian country is when its people live according to Christian principles.]

[I must inject a topic that is never, to my knowledge, mentioned for fear of being accused of treason. Matthew 5:38. “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other . . .” This verse sets a precedent that all followers of Jesus (Christians) must never retaliate when evil people want to harm us in any way. Therefore, any country that claims to be Christian must not take up arms against their enemies. That is glaring proof that we do not live in a Christian country. In today’s world, no country could exist for very long without attempting to defend itself. That implies that Christianity was not meant for any specific country as a whole, but for groups of Christians (either large or small) to live in any country, regardless of what laws the government implements; at the same time, not comply with laws, regardless of the consequences that violate their/our moral values. To my knowledge, there is no country in this world that would qualify as being a Christian country, especially our country, with all its military armaments, meant only to destroy and kill.]

[In conclusion: getting back to the main topic of this post. Now here is a paradox that must confront many: About 9 years ago, I knew a very nice man who had AIDS; he claimed to be a Christian. He did not have a Bible, so I bought him one. Later on, when I asked him how his Bible- reading was going, he said he gave the Bible to someone else; he didn’t need it. I visited with him occasionally until he said he was an active homosexual. At that time, I separated myself from him as the New Testament commands. He had been taking medicine for many years so that he wouldn’t quickly die from AIDS; but still, he was in a pitiful condition (he looked 20 years older than his age). The AIDS medication he had to take gave him continual diarrhea to the point that he could travel just about nowhere.]

[Also, about 35 years ago I knew several older women who were lesbians; they were very, very nice, reputable ladies. We got along fine. Then several years ago, I had to do business with two lesbians; again, they were very nice young people. I never asked if any of them claimed to be Christians; should I have asked? That question still haunts me.]

[I am certain many, if not most, homosexuals/lesbians are nice people. The only thing is this: Hell will be filled with many nice, loving and kind people who did not, knowingly or unknowingly, care to live by the standards that are taught by Jesus Christ/God in the New Testament.]

[In ending, here is the main crux of this post: As Christians, we must show kindness to homosexuals/lesbians with a compassionate-type love in hopes—with our help—that they will leave their lives of sin; at the same time, we must let them know that we do not approve of their conduct. That is one of the main reasons we are taught to love our enemies.] Matthew 5:44. “But I tell you, love your enemies . . .” [And if/until they change course, they will continue to be enemies of God and of all genuine Christians. Our love for the unsaved mainly is that we desire that they change course. A somber reminder: Believe it or not, all unsaved people, regardless of how nice, loving and kind they may be (including a large number of church leaders), are still enemies of God.]

# 300: Christianity: The Road To Divine Love

When God’s love is given to an individual, it is made up of spiritual matter, but when the party receives the love with the correct physical response that activates it, a physical love transaction will be initiated.

To be loved by Almighty God is the needed force that gives us the desire and ability to love others as they need/desire to be loved. When one is experiencing being loved by God and truly knows it, that person is one of the wealthiest—though not materially—people in the world.

Question: How do we know when we are experiencing God’s love? Answer: When He allows us to share in His holy life. Then we become one with Him because of our love attachment. John 17:22 (Jesus speaking): “I have given them the glory that you have given me, that they may be one as we are one.” Like most human love affairs, we attempt to please each other in all we do. To put it another way, when we desire to live our lives in obedience to all that He (the Father and Jesus Christ) teaches in the New Testament (NT) with the correct motives, that is the main evidence that we are experiencing Almighty God’s love.

Another piece of evidence is that God’s love is impartial; He does not love me any more than the next person. If and when I can love in the same way, I will treat the next person the same way as I would like to be treated. Philippians 2-5. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

Once we know with certainty that we are experiencing the love God/Christ has for us, then it is our solemn duty to display our love for Him. And this is how we do it: John 14:23. “Jesus replied, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.’” There are a total of five verses in chapters 14 and15 in the book of John that associate love for Christ/God and obedience. It could not be stressed any more as to its importance. And yet, love for God is downplayed to the point of using only words and songs of love alone to substantiate love for God by mainstream Christianity.

Therefore, when we start to experience the love God has for us, we will be completely satisfied without desiring any of the physical comforts, relationships and perks that this evil world offers. A people living in God’s superhuman love will be completely content even if sentenced to solitary confinement in a pagan country for the rest of their lives just for being Christians.

This Divine love is, in a way, the same love that abounds in heaven. When people are indwelled with God’s agape love, that love makes us superhuman, in that our human desires are no longer in control of how we live. Let me put it this way: A person cannot be living in God’s love and not know it; in fact, no one can be doing the work of Christ without this miraculous love.

There are a few verses in the NT that are extremely contrary and unnatural to the desires of our sinful human nature; they are those that command us to love those who are our enemies. There are several verses that command that principle; I will give only four: Matthew 5:44. “But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” This verse implies that God has love for all His enemies, but His love for unbelievers is the type in that He DESIRES all of them to be saved. 1st Timothy 2:4. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” Luke 6:35. “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” Romans 12:20. “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink . . .”

What will God accomplish when we obey these verses that command us to love our enemies? The potential is great, and if we were to continue to actively love our enemies, they might be amazed and curious to know what type of force is behind our supernatural (divine) love for our enemies. That means that love for our enemies is one of God’s recruiting tools to entice His ungodly enemies into His kingdom.

God’s love for the world as it is manifested through our lives is the most important ingredient in the Christian religion, and it could be the most neglected component in mainstream Christianity. This seems to say, “America’s (our) religion has the smell of death.”

The reason being loved by God and loving others is so important is because, believe it or not, love is the most potent medicine in existence. Those who are enjoying God’s love will/are experiencing almost all kinds of healings: spiritual, emotional, physical, mental (stressed lifestyles) and any and all other types of corrections our frail bodies may need. There is a saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” That may be partially true, but continually experiencing God’s love is a much more effective and lasting medicine.

Repeating: God loves all people, even His evil enemies (anyone who doesn’t live according to His teaching in the NT), but His love for those who are obedient to all His commands generates the miracle part of Christianity: eternal life.

There are only two classes of people in the world: those who obey the teachings in the New Testament—displayed by the way they live—and those who don’t. Those who don’t will be rejected because of their lack of love, faith and obedience. This is the absolute truth even if religious people don’t want to hear it!

The main, if not the only, way we can display our love for God is our loyalty in obeying His teachings and commands which are in the New Testament.

It is worth repeating what is said in the first paragraph: Love always starts out as spiritual matter, and when it is followed by a corresponding action, it becomes of physical value.

If and when someone has something that is priceless that could help everyone in the world, could/would she/he keep it to him/herself? I am referring to people who are silent about their religion, concerning the great love that God has for humanity (His plan of Salvation). Example: When someone says they love God but produces no corresponding action, that love from/for God is worthless to self and God.

The miracle about Divine love is that it does not concern how self will make out when propagating Godly love, but our concern is only the spiritual or physical benefits to the potential recipient/s.

There are two forms of love in the world: The biggest portion of humanity are the have-nots—those who are not aware of others’ need for love, and their own need for love, physical or spiritual; and the haves: those who wholeheartedly desire to share their Divine love with others; again, either physical or spiritual. Where do we stand?

God is love; therefore, He created us in His image. The greatest gift other than eternal life that He gave us is the ability to love. This tells me that He desires us to love with the same type of love that He has.

All genuine Christians are in the “haves” group. Therefore we have no excuse not to love where and when it is needed. Remember, love—mostly Divine love—is the most important and valuable ingredient in the universe, and not wealth, fame, power or security.

Another great thing about experiencing God’s love is that it will always put our human love in its proper place.

The best thing about being loved is that it makes us feel important, needed and valuable. The lack of genuine love most certainly is the reason there is so much hatred and trouble in the world. We all want to be loved, but most don’t really care to love others because it may be expensive and time-consuming to love as is dictated in the NT.

Therefore, when God through the NT commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves, He is giving us a full-time job; nothing else is needed; love covers it all. And as repeated dozens of times, the only way to do that enormous job is to have an active desire to be obedient to all that is commanded in the NT. Nothing less will do. The tough part of this job of loving God and neighbor with our all is that it most often will go against the desires of our selfish human nature.

In conclusion, the God who created the world for a very specific purpose of spreading Himself (His love nature) throughout the universe is a God that is made up of only one ingredient: LOVE. When any religion displays that selfless Divine love, be it Christianity or any close facsimile, that love is what true religion is all about.

In Christianity, Jesus Christ displayed that love and made it possible for all genuine Christians to continue living and loving as He did as it is taught in the NT. That means any and all religions without that special enlightening/transforming love are anemic forms of religion.

# 299: What is the Name of Your God

In Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, the definition of the word “god” is: 1) any of various beings conceived of as supernatural, immortal, and having special powers over the lives and affairs of people and the course of nature; deity, esp. a male deity; typically considered objects of worship; 2) an image that is worshiped; idol; 3) a person or thing deified or excessively honored or admired; 4) [G] in monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe, regarded as eternal, infinite, all-powerful, and all-knowing; Supreme Being; the Almighty.

Most people who consider themselves as Christians say the name of their God is # 4: creator, eternal, Almighty God, etc. Actually, the name of the God Christians supposedly worship is Jehovah.

Here is something that must be considered when a person claims to a Christian: In the true sense, a genuine Christian must adhere to what is taught/commanded in the New Testament (NT). If one doesn’t, his/her claim is invalid. They most likely, though unknowingly, worship different gods.

Another god that has an extremely large following always—or most often—operates incognito, as it were. He has billions of loyal adherents. His followers love him because through his deception, he attempts to gives them all that their hearts desire. In fact, he many times disguises himself as a beautiful, loving angel of light. What is so attractive about this god is that he doesn’t care how many other gods his followers have; he is not jealous. The name of this mighty, popular god is Satan the devil. 2nd Corinthians 4:4. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers . . .”

The biggest majority of the world’s gods are worshiped for the pleasures and joy they bring to billions of humans. The majority of these gods are inanimate; the list of how many there are is endless. Let me name just a few: accomplishments, possessions, expensive homes, flashy motor vehicles, monetary wealth, skill, esoteric knowledge, etc.

The majority of people who think of themselves as Christians unknowingly have many other gods they worship—even though they wouldn’t call it worship—above and beyond Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ. That means their devotion to Almighty God is compromised. And this is where the trouble starts and for most never ends.

Here is the reason for the trouble: In the Old Testament, there are ten verses or more that clearly state that our Almighty God is a jealous God, especially of inanimate things that are idolized. Exodus 34:14. “Do not worship any other gods, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Most likely the reason God’s jealousy is not often taught in mainstream Christianity is because the word “jealousy” is mentioned only once in the New Testament: The apostle Paul mentioned it just once in 2nd Corinthians 11:2. “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.” He was reprimanding the church in Corinth.

Therefore, when Christians have things or people, even our family members, who we love and are proud of, or honor and admire, we in a real sense—though unknowingly—are making them our gods. And this is what angers Almighty God, because He demands that we love Him and Him alone with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t love our family members any less than we loved them before. But in comparison to our love for God, love for self and family comes second as to importance.

It could be that most of us may have things and/or people who we honor and admire in an excessive way, besides our Almighty God. The thing is, we don’t consider them as gods. But in reality what we are unknowingly doing is taking our devotion away from The Almighty. This concept will not go well with many in America, even though the NT explicitly commands we must love God with our all. There are three gospels that teach the same principle that God demands all our devotion. I will give just one: Luke 10:27. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind …” The key word in these verses is the word “all”.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel infuriated the Lord over and over again because they sacrificed to gods that could not speak or hear. And for their disloyalty, God severely punished the nation of Israel over and over again. At this time, He is withholding our punishment for the end of time. And the punishment will be eternal death.

I don’t believe this post will convince many to abandon their worldly gods, which most likely are intricate parts of their lives. That means people who believe they are Christians and are doing wrong according to Scripture, don’t fear the Almighty, are in big trouble. I realize that bad habits are difficult if not impossible to break, but no one said Christianity would be easy.

Did anyone ever hear a preacher say that it would be difficult to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? The word “disciple” means to be disciplined in the teachings of the one we claim to follow. No, it will not be an easy thing to be a genuine Christian. In contrast to that, the organized Christian religion per se, has become a continual free-for-all, or better yet “anything goes.” And nothing or no one is going to change it even though there are/will be a very few who will realize their lives of error and start to live as dictated by the New Testament.

This fraudulent type of religion got exacerbated by our modern times of wanting everything easy, comfortable and right now. And if things are not that way, they will be rejected by many because these rejects will silently say, “We want a religion that fits our lazy human nature,” even though most will deny that they are lazy. The word “lazy” is an extremely degrading word in our present-day culture. In fact, I don’t believe Christ-like Christianity was meant for our complex, modern life. Our modern, silent motto is “keeping up with the Joneses” and not with the teachings of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, yes, if anyone is absolutely serious about their connection to Jesus Christ, and does not/will not trust the comforting words of professional preachers, they will make certain that their only God is named Almighty Jehovah God.

# 298: God’s Complete Plan of Salvation

This post will point out that it is crucial for all Christians to understand God’s entire plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, beginning with the initial part, which is passive (believing in one’s heart that Jesus Christ has become the Lord and Savior of all people who have faith in who He is, in what He did, and what He taught).

Most people who call themselves Christians have the above faith. And they didn’t have to do a thing to personally receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Salvation is too precious to be earned by doing anything good, or to be bought with all the money in the world; therefore, it has to be given free of any charge and only by God’s miraculous Grace; otherwise, some might think they have reason for their pride, as if they earned it.

That saving faith is meant to produce several pertinent qualities in our lives: Since Jesus has become our Lord—the word “Lord” actually means all who have faith in Him—we now belong to Him. 1st Corinthians 6:19-20. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” Since all genuine Christians belong to Jesus Christ (we are His property), they/we must do exactly what He commands and teaches.

Christ’s ownership of His disciples/Christians is where many may not make the grade. They may not know ALL that is required by Him via the New Testament. Then there are others who know what is commanded but don’t obey those requirements. In short, Jesus Christ staunchly expects obedience from all of His followers. Is that too much for Him (the Son of God) to demand?

The next quality which will/must spring from our faith is a wholehearted love for God and a selfless love for others in need—both their spiritual and physical needs. Those who are poor/indigent Christians are partially excluded from the physical part of loving others in need, even though they can help other poor people by advising them about many of the ins and outs of the plan of Salvation. By the way, this above-mentioned love for God and the needy must be demonstrated with action (works/deeds/fruit). If that obedience and love do not start to materialize as Christians mature, most likely our faith is not the kind that is needed to be disciples of Christ.

For all who call themselves Christians but do not obey and live as Jesus Christ requires according to the New Testament, they are “christian hypocrites,” and thus, they become the most formidable enemies of Christ and His cause. One of the reasons is because, unknowingly, these hypocrites—especially if they are well-respected/admired in the community—become role models for other Christians and would-be Christians.

Therefore, the harm caused by the role-modeling a hypocrite engages in is far more detrimental to the cause of Christ than an extremely evil person or even an outspoken atheist. The title “hypocrite” goes for the lukewarm, the marginal, and even those who belong to churches that claim to be Bible-believing, but whose pastors avoid verses of the New Testament that could/would beleaguer the laity; then they might think about going elsewhere, to a more positive/uplifting gospel—the kind that Joel Osteen preaches. Click on post #296 to see the verses that are usually avoided like the plague.

Many pastors and teachers are not aware of the harm they are causing to naïve people who truly trust their pastors with all their hearts and think that what they teach is the complete plan of salvation. These loving and kind, but deceived parishioners—as previously mentioned—become examples for others as to what the complete gospel really is.

This hoax, if continued—and who is going to change it?—will make millions of sincere and good people into fools. The moral of this hoax—which is worldwide—is this: If the love and obedience as vividly described/commanded in the New Testament are not adhered to, regardless of the reason, those millions will end up in a place they never expected. God forbid this should ever happen.

Without anyone knowing it, Satan secretly inspires these church leaders to count the number of people who attend their churches as a priority without measuring the quality of their teachings. And of course, that means more tithe in the collection basket. And I can understand that. Regardless, that is the main reason the New Testament and I pick on religious leaders.

Scripture teaches that those who are the poorest will be the greatest in heaven. Matthew 23:12. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” A Godly preacher who teaches the complete plan of Salvation will be content with what little he/she will receive. But that “little”—blessed by God—will bring more Godly contentment than the “much” that mega-churches pull in. These true and genuine men/women of God may not speak up for fear of being called judgmental for speaking out against what some of their peers are doing. Please read Matthew, Chapter 7, verse 5, and 1st Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse 12. These verses teach us that we must judge evil action as evil, regardless of what types of high positions anyone may hold—the Godly preachers, including myself, still know what’s behind those scheming, smooth-talking counterfeits. Although I am not a church leader, I have been speaking out for the last 5 years. But what good can one wee small voice do to help save millions?

In Matthew, Chapter 23, Jesus is confronting the religious leaders of His time by letting them know, in no uncertain terms, what type of scum they really are: He calls them hypocrites five times; blind fools, blind guides, or blind Pharisees four times; snakes, broods of vipers two times; and says that they are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Now anyone can see why he or she wanted to have Jesus killed.

Those religious leaders must have known Jesus was from God, and yet in John 9:24, “Give glory to God,” they (the Pharisees) said, “We know this man [Jesus] is a sinner.” In John 9:31, the man who was healed said this to the Pharisees, “We know that God does not listen to sinner. He listens to the godly man who does his will.” And yet, these religious hypocrites still wanted to believe that they were doing God’s work. They just couldn’t leave the good life of prestige, wealth, and the power they were used to having over the common people. And when they finally got rid of Jesus, they continued “business as usual.”

This chapter will clearly display that Jesus Christ’s greatest enemies were not the ungodly Roman Empire but religious leaders who were supposedly representing our Lord God Almighty. As this blog undisputedly reveals, the religious leaders of our time are not that much different. Even after 2,000 years, their greedy, sinful human nature is still at work. And just as the clergy got away with it then, they are getting away with it now. And who is there to call them on their hypocrisy? Where is Christ (and the ones who possess His Spirit) at this time?

In this scenario, no truth is better than half-truth. In other words, in God’s sight, the atheists are more honorable than the hypocrites. The atheists tell it as they see it, which is based on stupidity, while hypocrites have been (and still are) pulling the wool over the eyes of many religious people.

This is not something this author is making up; there is New Testament evidence to this fact: Since we all know that the Roman Empire was made up mainly of atheists (heathens), you would think that Jesus Christ would point His finger at them as the bad guys. No! To my knowledge, Jesus never spoke one bad word against the Roman Empire, even though He and everyone knew how wicked they were. That is the reason I very seldom, if ever, mention the wickedness that is being done by modern heathens, but instead pick on the evil of silence done by Bible-thumping religious leaders.

When Jesus was questioned by the religious leaders in Luke 20:22, “Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ‘“He said to them, ‘Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s’” (Luke 20:25). The only thing that Jesus was doing by giving them that answer was openly acknowledging the truth, that they were subjects of the Roman Empire, and were required to be obedient to the laws that Rome instituted as long as those laws did not interfere with how they worshiped according to their religion. That fact was true throughout the whole Roman Empire.

As often mentioned in this blog, anything less than believing and living the whole plan of Salvation will have no eternal benefits. As for those (the clergy) who are responsible for this treachery of deceit, they will be beaten with many blows (the most severe punishment possible.) Luke 12:47. “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.” This verse infers that there are different degrees of punishment in hell.

In conclusion, when truth is silenced by loving men and women because it is too difficult to digest, they unknowingly become the devil’s advocates.

Many times the “subject” (to reveal the disobedience-inspired mediocrity in Christianity) chooses the writer (this author) and not what is normal: The writer chooses the subject. I know this is my case/calling, since I have been a carpenter the majority of my life and not a professional writer.

For that reason I have a somber responsibility to all Christians to tell it like it is, and not be the least bit silent. Amen!

# 297: A Bible-Based, Radical Solution to the Arab, Iranian, and US.Conflict

Fort Collins, Colorado 80526

E-mail: jc@exposing-pseudo-christianity.org

April 26, 2010

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov

Dear Mr. President:

A Bible-Based, Radical Solution to the Arab, Iranian, and U.S. Conflict

What if we Americans could become friends with a nation that we hate by showing them a genuine, active love? I mean selling/giving them whatever wares they may need and more.

Matthew 5:44-45. “But I tell you: Love your enemies [plural] and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

Luke 6:27-28, 31. “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those [plural] who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Romans 12:14. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” 12:17. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” 12:20. “On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”

Because of these “love your enemy” verses (commands), along with many other commands that stress love for God and neighbor, the true Christian religion is unique and far superior to all other religions.

These above commands are the most neglected of all other New Testament Scriptures. The reason is because it is not natural to love our enemies. Nevertheless, when obeyed, the rewards are beyond measure.

It is hard enough to love our neighbor as ourselves, but these “love your enemy” commandments seem just about impossible to implement; nevertheless, love for our enemies always creates a positive, seemingly impossible result.

Some might ask, “What is the reason for these commands?” Is there a method, as it seems, to God’s madness? Here is the answer to that secret: Although in our minds we may have a legitimate reason to dislike/hate our enemies, when we are inspired by God’s Holy Spirit—and are actually convinced to obey those commands to love our enemies with kind deeds, etc., and not with just words alone—at that time, our enemy theoretically becomes our friend. That person may still hate us, and that is understandable, but if our active love continues toward that person, in time he/she will consider us his/her friend.

The result: By the power of the Holy Spirit, God desires us through obedience to convert human HATE into divine LOVE. Therefore, yes, there is a method to God’s madness.

Our Holy New Testament Scripture gives us an excellent example of how to love our enemies: Matthew 5:41. “If someone [a Roman soldier] forces you to go one mile [to carry his heavy gear—that was the limit as to how far a soldier could force an Israelite to carry his pack], go with him two miles.” The Romans were the Israelites’ enemies; therefore, when an Israelite goes the extra mile for his enemy, he/she, in a small but meaningful way, will be loving his enemy by going beyond what was expected, and possibly start a friendship.

Did you notice the above love verses always speak in the plural form? Plural means more than one, with no limits as to how many. Does that mean the word “plural” could include a complete nation? Absolutely!

Now the obvious question comes up: Why are Iran and the Arab countries our enemies—though not all of them? Answer: In 1947, President Harry S. Truman—of Jewish heritage—voted “yes” in the United Nations General Assembly to giving Israel statehood. I believe that is the main reason the Arabs—along with the Iranians—hate us and want to destroy us; in turn, that is the most likely reason America became intimate friends with the nation of Israel.

For that reason, since 1947, the American government has been supplying Israel with millions and even billions of dollars, which they needed to survive, etc. Along with that, we have been supplying them with all the technical and military support and more to defend themselves from all the Arab countries that surround them. That financial and military support is still in existence to this day.

Israel and the Arabs have been enemies since who knows when, because they both claimed Israel as their homeland. Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, Israel has the upper hand because of all the help we have given them for over 60 years.

Now, if somehow the U.S. were able to stop supplying Israel with money, arms, and other supplies, and thus have a neutral relationship with them, that would help stop the animosity between the Iranians, the Arabs, and us. Of course, they may still hate us because of the damage already done. It is even possible to become friends with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, since they hate us for the same reason.

At this time, Israel has more than enough arms, missiles, and money to defend itself from any and all of the Arab nations. In fact, they have enough F-16 fighter planes and nukes to annihilate all the Arab nations. But for some type of security reason, Israel will not even admit that they possess the know-how to make one nuclear bomb.

There is one gigantic deterrent that may hinder us from becoming true friends with the Arabs and Iranians: The Jewish community in America has enormous clout in not only the commercial, industrial, and entertainment fields, etc., but also has a stranglehold on most segments of our government.

Now here is the $64.00 question: Do you, President Obama, have the power and authority—without the approval of Congress—to make the world’s most potentially deadly enemy (Iran) a love proposition where we will lift all sanctions now imposed on Iran by the U.S.? Those sanctions not only hurt them but also show that we are treating them as our enemies; if lifted, we could supply/sell what is needed to make life secure and pleasant for the people of Iran.

Along with that, we will allow them to continue to progress unhindered on their nuclear capabilities and will sell them our F-16 fighter planes so that Israel will have no advantage over Iran. This will make Iran one of our friends/allies, so they would have no reason to use nukes against us or our allies. Nukes are not harmful between nuclear nations, regardless of how they feel about each other, because they never would be used, and are mainly a deterrent. Once Iran has nuclear armament and high-tech planes, there will be an even and neutral playing field between Israel, Iran, and all other nuclear nations.

Are we putting Israel or the U.S. in jeopardy? NO! We will be creating peace and hopefully love through equal strength; a perfect example of equal strength is the peaceful nuclear relationship between Russia and the U.S. for the last 60 years. If either Israel or Iran used the bomb, it would be the most foolish thing any nation could do, because the other nation/s would retaliate in like manner.

Here is why this “love your enemies” plan may not work: The power the Jewish community has over what direction America has gone/will go may nip this “love for enemies” plan of God and Jesus Christ before it gets off the ground. Just remember: Jews do not accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah (their Christ). Therefore, since Jews have not accepted “love for their enemies,” they—except for only a few who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior—will attempt to stymie the whole effort. By the way, those Christian converts have been banned from the households of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Technically, they are not Jews or Israelites anymore.

The reason the Jews got to where they are today is because they have been, and still are, the smartest/craftiest people on earth, especially when it comes to acquiring power and wealth; but they can’t outsmart Jesus Christ. Come hell or high water, nothing that Jesus Christ taught via the New Testament is going to change how the Jews believe. One of the reasons may be because the New Testament is adamantly against worldly power and personal wealth. Also, Israel expected—and still expects—their Messiah to form a worldly kingdom instead of a spiritual one.

Therefore, if this plan or one similar to it is not implemented, if/when things become explosive in the Middle East, we can blame the American Jews because they don’t—and won’t—love their enemies.

Now let me ask this poignant question: How can we be a Christian nation if we do not obey the commands of Jesus Christ, the founder and boss (Lord) of all who are Christians? We can’t continue to disobey God’s commands to love our enemies and expect things to go well with America. Also, this act of love would display to the world that we may actually be a Christian nation.

Mr. President, please don’t forget the crux of this e-mail: Equal strength creates peace, tranquility, and hopefully the love for our Lord.

And no, this author is not anti-Semitic. For years, I have personally wished I were a converted Jew.

This letter/post (post # 297) has been published on the Internet via http://blog.exposing-pseudo-christianity.org/

Verses taken from the New International Version of the New Testament.

# 296: The Worldwide Hoax of Epic Proportion, Part 1

This post will display beyond a shadow of a New Testament (NT) doubt that the Christian religion as it has been preached and taught for centuries—via its leaders—is not the complete gospel. There are multitudes of intricate verses and sections which are not popular to those who go to church (the laity); therefore, they are almost never, if ever, included in the sermons or in church teachings.

How far off-track many who claim to be disciples of Christ have gotten from living as the New Testament dictates. It really isn’t totally their fault. The religious leaders from the first century until now have been making it as easy as possible for all who claim Christianity.

Never forget this: The only genuine source of how Christianity must be lived is found nowhere else but in the NT of the Christian Bible. All who stray from the holy criteria either by the written/spoken word or deed are heretics.

That action automatically and without anyone’s knowledge makes the many promises of God’s love and eternal life, etc., invalid. This is a harsh judgment, but nevertheless true, as you will clearly see and understand. For anyone to change so that their lives and belief will conform to these so-called hidden verses will be extremely difficult, because that Godly teaching has turned the human value system upside-down.

This post will go through the 27 books of the NT in a comprehensive way never before attempted. It will only quote the many verses that are seemingly nonexistent. The personal comments will be placed into brackets so as not to confuse anyone.

The majority of the NT is a documentary of the Christian life in the first century and personal letters to certain churches, along with some addressed to specific individuals. The historical part will not be mentioned; only the verses that are pertinent and have been ignored by church leaders will be quoted. By negating these important verses, it made having genuine faith and love for God and Christ nonexistent, regardless of how many words of faith and love are spoken.

I can understand why people were ignorant of what Scripture taught before the 14th century; they had to rely on the spoken words from pulpits, since copies of the NT were not printed until the 14th/15th century, and only the extremely rich people could afford them. But now there are no excuses since bibles are to be had in every bookstore, etc.

The Apostle Paul gave all of us several warnings referring to people claiming to be Christians, having only a form of godliness but denying its power. These upcoming verses accurately describe our 21st century. 2nd Timothy 3:1-5. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves [this is displayed in women more than men], lovers of money [why do we need a “cost of living index” that must keep rising yearly to keep our country stable? Because we love money], boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy [very few know what the word “holy” means anymore. It means to be separate from unnecessary things that are ungodly], without love, unforgiving, slanderous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God [this has increased in the 20th century to a great degree, and has continued unabated in the 21st century], having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

Acts 20:29. “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on our guard!” [Are we on our guard for preachers who only want to entertain us?]

By the way, the majority of these upcoming verses have been mentioned throughout this blog, some multiple times. All verses will be taken from the New International Version of the New Testament.

Before I get to the verses, let’s tap into a likely conversation between Satan and Almighty God before the beginning of time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Satan: Even though you are an Almighty God, you can’t stop me from tricking many, hopefully all those who will claim to worship you.

God: You don’t have to tell me that; I knew your schemes before I even created you. You know, I couldn’t stop you since I gave all living entities a free will. But know this: There will be a few whom you cannot fool; they are the ones who will believe and act upon all my detailed instruction in a book that I will give them.

Satan: I don’t believe that. I want and will have everyone to be with me forever. This is how I will do it: I will form many churches that bear your name. I will get that book and stealthily encourage my silver-tongued henchmen to teach and preach comfort/sugar-coated messages that don’t require much, if any, effort, while downplaying the challenging sections that require diligence and endurance. As if you don’t already know it, most people are unknowledgeable and gullible when it comes to religious matters.

Here is an interesting fact: All modern up-to-date Bibles address the Holy Spirit as the Counselor, Helper, Advocate, or Divine Helper. The only one that addresses Him as the Comforter is the King James, which was first written in the 16th century. That was because much older manuscripts were not yet discovered that reveal the true mission of the Holy Spirit, which is to counsel and instruct.

One of the most natural desires of all humans is to desire comfort. And the spiritual comfort we receive from becoming a Christian is to be loved by God and Jesus Christ along with the certainty of eternal life. But the comfort of making the Christian religion easy by remaining silent on hundreds of challenging verses is the diversion that made our holy religion a mockery.

The first book of Matthew 3:8. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” 3:10. “. . . and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 5:3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 5:11. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” [My question is this: Why or who would want to persecute Christians in America? The general public accepts Christians as good and honorable people. Atheists are the only ones who verbally attack us, which really doesn’t hurt.] 5:39. ‘“But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.” 5:42. “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” 5:44. “Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” 5:48. “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 6:19-21. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 6:24. “You cannot serve God and Money.” 7:6. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls before pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” [To be able to understand who are pigs and dogs and who are not, this verse requires verse 10:16. “be as shrewd a snakes and innocent as doves”]. 7:13. “Enter through the narrow gate.” [This verse implies that where the multitudes are going is not the straight and narrow. Only a few will make it]. 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will say to them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” [This verse dogmatically teaches that just because a person is doing great things in the name of Christ doesn’t mean he/she is automatically a genuine Christian. One must look at one’s life and teaching to see if it conforms with the scriptures that this post is bringing to the surface]. 10:8. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” [Why don’t we see any of these happening nowadays? When someone is doing great things for Christ, they must accept only minimal donations (just enough to get by) so that the person will remain humble. Money has the ability to puff up the holiest of people]. 10:22-23. “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another.” [Our government says, “No, we will not flee; we will be the greatest and strongest nation in the world.” Does that make America a Christian country as many claim?] 10:34. “I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be members of his own household.” 10:37-39. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” [Nothing must interfere with doing the Lord’s work, not even our dear love for family. The cross Jesus is talking about is not a wooden or ornamental cross; the cross was and still is a symbol of suffering, pain and death. They are the consequences of being a disciple of Jesus Christ, even in our country]. 11:25. “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” [Several places in Scripture, Jesus addresses his disciples as children, meaning uneducated and common people]. 12:8. “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” [Is He still Lord of the Sabbath? The Sabbath, the 4th commandment in the Old Testament, is Saturday, the 7th day of the week. Who changed it to Sunday, the 8th day of the week? Not the NT; it was most likely the religious leaders of the early centuries, as a way of separating their new religion from Jewish teachings. Check out post # 137: “Something To Remember.” 13:23. “What was sown among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” [Other than leading a pure and holy life, all Christians must bear Christian fruit/works. No fruit implies no Salvation]. 19:21. “If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”[Of course, except all the essentials necessary to keep our own families from going to the poor-house]. 19:23. “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” [This complete blog does an excellent job of explaining why it will be difficult for the wealthy to enter heaven]. 21:43. “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [religious leaders] and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” [Chapter 23 clearly tells how Jesus labeled, in no uncertain terms, the religious leader as the scum of the earth, as they really were. It is no wonder they had Him killed]. 24:4. “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ’ [I represent Christ] and will deceive many.” 24:10. “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many.” [How can a Christian tell when someone is a false prophet? Only one way: by comparing what is preached and practiced by the teachings and commands in the NT. And not so much by what they teach but by what they don’t teach, as this post will continue to openly display]. 24:13. “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” [Standing firm to all that is taught in the NT will sometimes not be easy and doesn’t happen automatically as some “Once-saved-always-saved” churches believe]. 28:19-20. “Therefore go make disciples of all nations . . .and teaching them [us] to obey everything I have commanded you.”

[The book of Mark is very similar to Matthew’s gospel. Therefore, I will not quote the identical verses again]. 3:35. “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” [Are you and I doing ALL of God’s will?] 9:23. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” [Is that verse still valid today?] 9:42. “And if anyone causes one of these little ones [His followers] who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” [About whom might Jesus be talking if it wasn’t the religious leaders?] 10:15: “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” [The one thing that children lack is doubt; that is what makes their faith so special. How can we remove doubt from our lives?] [Even though the next two verses are well known, I will still quote them]. 10:24-25. “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” [Jesus is saying it is impossible for a camel to go through an eye of a needle. And it is impossible for a rich man to enter heaven.] 11:24. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer [If it is according to God’s will], believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” 12:30-31. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is like this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” [I have heard it said by several pastors that to obey them with all one’s ability is utterly impossible. What a lie. By believing that lie, the complete foundation of God’s plan of Salvation is corrupted]. 13:11. “Just say what is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” [Since the two most reliable early manuscripts do not have Mark 16:9-16:20, I will not quote from this section].

The book of Luke is the most detailed of all the four gospels. It reveals a treasure trove of pertinent information. 1:50. “His mercy extends to those who fear him.” 1:51. “he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.” 1:53. “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” 3:8-9. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. . . . and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. [Jesus is not concerned with edible fruit but people who claim to be Christians but do not produce good fruit/works]. [The devil speaking to Jesus] 4:6: “I will give all their authority and splendor, for it has been give to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” [The devil is still speaking] 4:10. “For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” [That verse comes from Psalms 91:11-12. That verse implies that the devil knows the complete Bible. This evil creature knows every trick in the book. Satan the devil most likely is the smartest entity in our world apart from our Almighty God. That is the reason he has the multitudes following him and many of them in the name of God and Christ. If anyone is not obeying and practicing what the NT commands, chances are it will be impossible to separate from his ironclad grip. Please don’t forget this: You are not fooling around with a pussycat but with the ingeniously persuasive god of all evil]. 4:13. “When the devil had finished all his tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” [The devil never gives up. Here is another bit of information: Satan has a harder time keeping his unbelievers (atheists) in his ranks than the religious, especially those belonging to organized religion who belong to him.] [The 6th chapter of Luke is similar in several ways to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. I will quote just a few verses. 6:20-21. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” 6:24. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” 6:25. “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.” [I am guilty of that one]. 6:26. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” [I wonder how Billy Graham thinks about this one, since just about everyone think he is a great man of God]. 6:27. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” 6:46. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” 8:3. “These women were helping to support them [the disciples] by their own means.” 9:62. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [dwells of all the worldly pleasures one has/will miss, or thinks they are permanently justified as they look back at all the good works they has done] is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” 11:27-28. “‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.’ He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”’ [To emphasize and demand obedience with punishment of excommunication has been nonexistent, to my knowledge, in all denominations except Jehovah’s Witnesses]. 2nd Corinthians 10:6. “And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” 12:1. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees [modern religious leaders], which is hypocrisy.” 12:12. “for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” [This verse is important enough to repeat. We don’t have to rely on the clergy to teach us since God’s Holy Spirit will teach us. A vast amount of material in this blog did not originate from this author. I write it down without any pre-knowledge of what to write. Since the majority is not in conflict with God’s Word, I assume it is the Holy Spirit speaking through me]. 12:15. “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” [How often have you heard a preacher warn against greed? Of course they now call it prosperity]. 12:19. “And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’” [Isn’t that the desired motto in America?] 12:32-34. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for the father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [How many religious leaders advocate/agree with these three verses?] 13:24. “Make EVERY EFFORT to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you will try to enter and will not be able to.” [Are you and I making every effort to enter through the narrow door? If not, what will happen to us?] 14:33. “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” [When was the last time you heard this verse being preached?] 14:15. “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” [To the unregenerate, this is the most stupid verse that Christ ever preached. My question to you is why are highly valued things detestable in God’s sight? Answer: because their enticing attraction keeps people away from Jesus Christ]. 18:8. “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” [Why would Jesus ask such a provoking question?] 21:15. “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

[The gospel of John is unique in several ways. We will tap into a few of them]. 3:36. “Whoever believes in the Son of God has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” 4:25. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.” [How does one worship in spirit and truth?] 6:28-29. “What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” 6:45. “They will all be taught by God.” 6:40. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” [How come the majority of churches believe that as soon as believers die, they go straight to heaven?] 6:66. “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” [Are these disciples that left Jesus still going to heaven, as the “once-saved-always-saved” believe?] 7:7. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” [As disciples of Christ, He is our only role model; that means we should be doing the same as He did: testifying that what the people of the world do is evil; then they will have reason to hate us also]. 8:31. “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” 10:28-29. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” [This is one of the verses used to substantiate “eternal security.” Only thing; disobedience to NT commands by any Christian would make this verse non-effective.] 12:48. “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.” 14:15. “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” [To obey not only the commands that make one feel comfortable, but also the commands that this post is bringing to light that seem impossible to implement in this me-first world.] 14:21. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” 14:23-24. “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching . . . He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” [It could not be any clearer than that]. 15:2-4. “I am the vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. . . . Remain in me and I will remain in you.” [Are you and I bearing fruit, and what is the quality and quantity of that fruit?] 15:8. “This is to my father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” [The only way God, others and we will know for certain if we really belong to Christ is if we are bearing MUCH fruit. Let’s stop fooling ourselves in hoping that God’s grace and mercy will take up the slack; it can’t happen. Nothing can take the place of bearing fruit, because the fruit is what keeps the Christian ball moving.] 15:16. “You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” 15:20. “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” [Why don’t we see persecution in America at this time?] 16:13. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” [We, who can read, don’t need church leaders to teach us how to live and believe any more than we need a hole in our heads]. 16:33. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.” [The reason we don’t have trouble is because the majority of Christians blend in very well with how the world lives.] 17:20. “My payer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me [us] through their message. . .”

The book of Acts is basically the history of the early Christian church. 5:32. “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” [If anyone claims to be indwelled with the Holy Spirit but doesn’t start to obey these partially hidden verses that are being presented in this post, forget it; you must have the wrong spirit]. 5:42. “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” [How come we are not doing the same thing?] 14:22. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” [Are we excluded from hardships or is something radically wrong?] 16:13. “On the Sabbath [Saturday, not Sunday] we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.” 19:11. “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” [Why don’t we see this type of healing nowadays?] 20:35. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [This verse is referring to helping the weak and the needy, not rich churches]. 26:20. “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” [Again, it is our deeds that are conclusive proof that our repentance and conversion are real].

Some sections of the book of Romans are the most difficult to fully understand, especially the 7th chapter. I will do my best to help in its understanding. 1:5. “to the obedience that comes from faith.” [To those who profess Christianity but don’t obey the verses that are not easily implemented without some sort of sacrifice, their faith is weak or nonexistent]. 1:17. “a righteousness that is by [active] faith from start to last. . .” 2:6-7. “God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” 6:11. “In the same way, count yourselves as dead to sin but alive to Christ Jesus.” [Believe that your desire to sin has been destroyed]. [The 7th chapter of Romans, as it is understood by many who claim to be Christians, has done more damage to the gospel message than any other section of the NT. I have gone to great lengths to explain what the Apostle Paul was saying. Click on post # 248: “The Knack of Making Sin Acceptable.” It is lengthy and may have to be read several times to be fully understood.] 8:9. “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” 8:17. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory.” 12:2. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” [This is a tough call that is repeated through the NT]. 12:14,17, 20. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” “Do not repay evil for evil.” “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” 13:8. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another. . .” [Debt is the most deceptive type of poverty; making yourself and others believe that you have plenty]. 16:26. “so that the nations might believe and obey him—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

1st Corinthians is an instruction manual to a newly formed church in Corinth. 1:27. “But God chose the foolish things of world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of world to shame the strong.” [That sounds like me: foolish and weak]. 2:16. “But we have the mind of Christ.” [Do you and I have the mind of Christ?] 4:16. “Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” [The apostle Paul, the most saintly man in the NT except for Jesus Christ]. 4:20. “For the kingdom of God of not a matter of talk but of [Christ-like] power.” 7:19. “Keeping God’s commands is what counts.” [That is exactly what church people are not taught to do, because of the silence of the clergy.] 7:35. “but that you might live in undivided devotion to the Lord.” 10:12. “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” [If you are a Baptist, you don’t have to be concerned; you have “eternal security”: “Once saved, always saved.” Sure! 10:24. “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” 11:1. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 14:34: “Women must remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak.” 15:2. “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Again, the Baptists, etc., don’t have to believe this verse. I am being facetious]. 15:58. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” [Has anyone ever heard that verse preached from the pulpit and enforced?] 16:22. “If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on Him.”

# 295: The Worldwide Hoax of Epic Proportion, Part 2

2nd Corinthians 2:11. “. . . in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2:17. “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.” [For modern church leaders, “profit” is the name of the game]. 4:2. “we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, we set forth the truth plainly.” [That is exactly what this blog has been attempting to do for almost five years]. 4:4. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” [Make sure your belief is coated with Christ-like action; otherwise it might be unbelief]. 5:15. “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 5:20. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” [Are we living as ambassadors of God?] 6:10. “poor, yet making many rich [spiritually]; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” [of real value]. 8:9. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” [Spiritually]. 9:7. “for God loves a cheerful giver.” [This verse is quoted by the clergy more than any other verse in the complete NT. And any fool can see why]. 10:6. “And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” [The reason I repeat this verse is because if punishment were administered in modern Christianity for infringements to Scripture, our religion would be a whole new ballgame]. 11:13-15. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is no surprise, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” [Expert con men/women find it easy to play the confidence game with gullible religious people and make it their lifetime career. Don’t let this shock you. The ones that seem the most lovable and considerate, especially those who are handsome/beautiful like Joel Osteen and his wife, are the best in their field. All they want is your money so that they can continue with their easy and respected life. They are not fools; they will continue to tell you exactly what you desire to hear. The only way you can find out what their true colors are is to ask why they don’t teach the verses that this post is bringing to the surface]. 13:2. “On my return I will not spare those who have sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.” 13:8. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” [The criteria for that test must be all the instructions in the complete NT]. 13:11. “Aim for perfection.” [Sure; who is perfect?]

Galatians is a troubling church for the Apostle Paul. 1:8 “But if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.” 1:10. “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” [Pastors who are trying to please people are not servants of God.] 2:20. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” [Can you and I say the same thing?] 4:19-20. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you.” [Is Christ formed in you yet? If not, why not?] 5:6. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” [If there is no obedience, there is no love. If there is no love, there is no faith]. 5:16. “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” 6:9. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Ephesians is Paul’s most optimistic letter. 1:19. “. . . and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” 2:1-2. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.” 2:10. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.” [Are church-going Christians doing what is commanded in this verse?] 2:22. “And in him [Christ Jesus] you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” [Are we a dwelling in which God can live?] 4:23: “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” 5:1. “Be imitators of God.” [I can hear some saying, “You must be kidding”]. 5:6-7. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.,”

Philippians 1:6 is a very popular verse with slackers, who thinking this verse can override their lack of obedience to these unpopular verses. 1:6. “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 2:3-5. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” 2:12. “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” [How many are trembling with fear while they continue to work out their salvation?] 3:15. “And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.”

Colossians 1:10. “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work.” 1:23. “if you continue in your faith. . .” 3:5. “. . . and greed, which is idolatry.” 3:24. “. . . since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” [Our reward is the promised inheritance].

1st Thessalonians 2: 4. “We are not trying to please men but God who tests our heart.” [We can’t hide anything from God]. 4:9. “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourself have been taught by God.” [God is the Teacher]. 5:16. “Be joyful always; pray continually [How can anyone pray continually?]; give thanks in all circumstances [especially when bad things happen to you], for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

2nd Thessalonians 1:8. “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord. They will be punished with everlasting destruction.” 2:9. “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved.” [Do you love the truth or try to ignore it?] 3:6. “In the name of the Lord Jesus, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.” 3:14. “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” [Is this the way it goes in your church?]

1st Timothy 2:12. “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” [Is this true in your church?] 4:1. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” [And still call themselves Christians]. 5:15. “Some [widows] have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.” [Do they know they are following Satan or are they following their own sensual desires?] 5:20. “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning.” [This will never happen as our modern churches are set up. They don’t want to scare other sinners away from their churches.] 6:8. “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” [My, how far have we strayed from how the Christian life should be]. 6:10. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” [It is not that they love money, but what money can buy and what it can do for them]. 6:20. “Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.”

2nd Timothy 2:3-4. “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.” [This verse says that real Christians must not get involved in civil or even government affairs because they are contrary and infringe into Godly affairs]. 3:7. “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.” 3:12. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 4:3. “Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

Titus 1:16. “They claim to know God but by their actions they deny him.” [Boy, if that isn’t true nowadays]. 3:10. “Warn a divisive person once, and warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.”

Philemon 1:6. “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you may have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” [No sharing, no understanding].

Hebrews was written to a Jewish audience, and still we can get some vital instruction from it. 2:1. “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we heard, so that we will not drift away.” 3:6. “But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” 3:14. “We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first.” 3:18-19. “And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” [This verse clearly teaches that disobedience and unbelief are one and the same thing]. 5:9. “He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” [Disobedience is the most grievous action that separates us from God’s promises]. 5:14. “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” [Are you a mature Christian? If not, chances are great that you cannot distinguish good from evil]. 6:12. “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.” [This next verse could be one of the most used and abused verses in the NT; anyone can see why]. 10:25. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit if doing.” 10:26. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” [If anyone thinks they can deliberately sin and then somehow believe they will be forgiven, you better think again]. 11:6. “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who EARNESTLY seek him.” [emphasis added]. 12:14. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” [Are you and I making every effort to be holy?].

[James is one of the toughest books on genuine faith when it is not combined with Christian works/deeds]. James 1:12. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” 2:5. “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eye of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” [It sounds like this verse excludes all other classes of people from being rich in faith. The poor have good reason to love him, and from that love springs a rich amount of faith]. 2:18. “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” 4:4. “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” [The word “world” refers to the activities, etc. that unbelievers engage in].

1st Peter 1:16. “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1:22. “Now that you have purified yourself by obedience to the truth.” [Continued obedience to the gospel allows us live up to the purity we by grace received from God]. 2:16. “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.” [Evil in God’s sight is doing things that the people of the world engage in]. 2:21. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 3:9. “Do not repay evil for evil or insult for insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 4:18. “And, ‘if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinner?’”

2nd Peter 1:5. [Paraphrased] “For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. They will keep you from being effective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1:10. “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things you will never fall.” [Some say, “Why do we have to be concerned about verses like this if we have eternal security?” This is an ongoing disaster; some people who think they are “christians” really believe they can never lose their salvation, even if they deliberately disobey NT commands]. 2:14. “they are experts in greed.” [Read the paragraph that precedes this short verse in 2nd Peter]. 3:14. “Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” [With at least half a dozen “make every effort” verses in the NT, living the Christian life is not going to be a “walk in the park” as some church leaders who preach a sugar-coated gospel insist]. 3:17-18. “Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.” [Even though genuine Christians have a secure position, we still can fall into the arms of Satan].

[The book of 1st John repeats over and over again the deadly harm from being a friend of the world and disobedient to Christ’s commands]. 2:3. “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” 2:6. “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” 2:15. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 2:27. “You don’t need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing [The Holy Spirit] teaches you about all things. . .” 3:6. “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.” 3:8-9. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin.” 3:24. “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.” 4:16. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 5:3. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” [The apostle John makes his point, even though he is very repetitive].

2nd John 1:6. “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.”

3rd John: Nothing of interest.

Jude 1:16. “They follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.”

Revelation: [Regarding the seven churches, those who overcome all the evil in the world will be rewarded with eternal life.] 14:12. “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” 20:12. “The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” [To verify that their faith and love were genuine]. 22:12. “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”

Now that you know the whole truth, it will set you free, but only if you put into practice this new found truth. If not, you will continue to be a slave to your sins of omission. John 8:32. Paraphrased.