# 304: If You Disagree with This Post, Read & Obey the New Testament

There has been an insidious situation concerning the majority of church-going Christians that has been around for so long that it is the norm. The main reason for this flaw is because the New Testament is not read daily by churchgoers searching for instructions/commandments as a safeguard, to see if their belief system will actually take them into the company of Jesus Christ.

Some of these Bible-reading slackers believe that when people regularly go to church, give their weekly tithe, and are good for the rest of the week, that is all that Jesus Christ requires from believers. Then there are some who believe that once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior, they are heaven-bound, and there is nothing more a person can do to improve/maintain their secure position.

They may not be aware that if Jesus Christ really is their LORD/boss, they must be obedient to all that He teaches. When someone does not do what is required on the job (disobeys), they will quickly be shown the door with a pink slip. It is no different in any situation when the supervisor’s (Christ’s) instructions are not followed.

I am certain there are several reasons why the majority of people believe this way, and for certain, the main reason is because they do not have an intimate knowledge of what the New Testament teaches; they believe it is too time-consuming and/or almost impossible to understand some sections. Another reason is that the clergy does not emphasize or teach the importance of knowing all that is required once a person is saved and becomes a Christian. Acts 17:11. “. . . for they [new believers] received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what [the apostle] Paul said was true.”

The reason the majority of church leaders are to blame for this deplorable situation is that many of Christ’s teachings are not pleasant to listen to, let alone obey. Therefore, most of these teachings are avoided. Not many people desire to hear sermons that have a negative connotation. Mark 12:24. “Jesus replied, ‘Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?’”

Another reason why some clergy are guilty of this lack of required Biblical knowledge concerning the laity is that humans in general love to hear upbeat sermons, and not subjects implying that they may not be doing and living the right way; and if they don’t change the way they believe and live, they may be in trouble. I am not certain if the clergy are aware that by neglecting to teach these disagreeable but extremely important verses, they are committing the most grievous sin possible: literally sending these naïve/unsuspecting parishioners to hell.

When people are being told the necessary hard truth in the weekly sermons, most likely some will move to other more pleasant churches, most likely a mega-church. The most well-known preacher of mega-churches who always preaches what the laity desire to hear is a person who looks and preaches as if he just came down from heaven, wings and all: Joel Osteen. 2nd Corinthians 11:14-15. “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.”

It is reprehensible and heart breaking—to me and to all Godly people who know what the New Testament really teaches—to listen to what these preachers are getting away with week after week, while thousands upon thousands are cheering them on. At the judgment, he and all those like him, if they don’t repent, will be sent into the deepest and hottest hell—if there is one—by Christ (the righteous judge), because the normal hell is not enough punishment for all the millions of people that may go to hell because of them.

Some may be thinking: “Who appointed this brash big mouth to be judge and jury of who is going to heaven or hell?” Believe it or not, it is not difficult for anyone who is familiar with what the New Testament teaches to spot religious con men/impostors, simply by examining what scriptures he or she doesn’t preach/teach/emphasize, and by being aware of the ear-tickling messages that are frequently preached. I could just hear multitudes exclaiming, “Our pastor/s is/are loving and Godly man/men, who wouldn’t think of doing such things.” Once these gullible people finish reading this post or the New Testament, they may not be so trusting of their angelic-looking and-sounding preachers. They are not only cheating the laity out of their weekly tithe, but also swindling them from God’s prize possession: to be in heaven with Him.

If nothing else, please remember this: Belief creates an individual’s reality. Whatever most people believe about religion or the New Testament, be it the truth, a half truth or an outright lie, not many are going to relinquish their reality, even if it disagrees with the New Testament or this post! Why? Believe me, I know how difficult—if not impossible—it is to change one’s belief system. Because living the way Christ/the New Testament requires would interfere with most people’s comfort zone. And who doesn’t desire to live a life of comfort? Only fools for Christ! 1st Corinthians 4:10. “We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ!” By not knowing/obeying all the difficult-to-obey verses Scripture teaches, many church people are allowing the heart of the gospel to be destroyed, along with cutting their own spiritual throats.

Then there are verses that seem to be trivial and can easily be overlooked, which may lead to trouble. And there are those verses that are the foundation of Christianity—perfection to the smallest detail—that pertain to the love for God, love for Christ, love for our needy neighbors and even love for our enemies. These love commands are not easy to live by, and the only way God will know we love Him as He required is if we obey all New Testament teachings. The reason obedience to Christ’s requirements is unpleasant is because they are contrary to the ways of the world (the rules, regulations, traditions and habits that humans have established). To put it another way: Jesus Christ turned ALL the world’s values upside down. If you don’t believe it, read or listen to the New Testament.

John 15:9. “ If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remained in his love.”

1st John 5:3. “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God has overcome the world” [all the pleasurable things this sophisticated culture offers].

Another subject many church leaders are guilty of is not teaching the importance of producing fruit/works/deeds (the three are one and the same). The main reason they are necessary is because that is the best form of outreach, besides showing ourselves as Christ’s disciples; also, it is valid evidence to God, man and the holy angels that we are real Christians. No, works will never save anyone, but without them a person is as dead as a doornail. If you don’t believe it, listen to or read the New Testament.

John 15:8. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

John 15:16. “You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”

Acts 26:20. “I [the apostle Paul] preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

Ephesians 2:10. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared for us to do.”

There are dozens of other verses that also tell the vital importance of producing fruit, works or deeds. When was the last time you heard a sermon on this subject, and the vital importance for all genuine Christians to bear much fruit? Something to remember: Every person who claims to be a Christian is either a good role model or a lazy/fake role model for other Christians to emulate. 1st Peter 4:18. “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinner?” It is not an easy job to bear much fruit.

The very best advice that anyone can give to those who desire to be extra certain (a safeguard) that they are in line with all that the New Testament teaches is this: read the New Testament every day; better yet, listen to it any time you can while doing other things that are monotonous, like while in the bathroom in the morning, preparing meals, eating, and while driving. There are endless things we have to do during the day; these are opportune times to listen to the Bible. This New Testament reading/listening will/should become a lifetime habit as a safeguard. It has been my safeguard for many years. One more suggestion: Except for the first three chapters, it might be wise not to read the book of Revelation every time the New Testament is read, because it is highly symbolic, and therefore difficult, if not impossible, to correctly understand many sections.

Another excellent thing to get into the habit of doing is to have the New Testament in front of you as you are listening, and when a verse comes up that you didn’t know or forgot about, highlight it; better yet, make a list of such verses, so if/when you desire to know where a certain verse is, you will know exactly where it is. For those who are more meticulous, buy a concordance in conjunction with the Bible you are using; that way all you need to remember is just one word of any verse you are searching for; look up that word in the concordance, and it will show you right where it is.

Here is the reason it is extremely important to know and obey all that is required: Often, all of the commands/teachings are obeyed except one or two, like having a relationship without marriage, which is so prevalent. Therefore, neglecting any command/s could be evidence that one’s faith is weak or nonexistent, especially if it concerns the command to love our neighbors as ourselves. James 2:10. “Whoever keeps the whole law [that gives freedom—see verse 2:12] and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Just a reminder: This love command is the second greatest of all other commands. This is serious business we are talking about. No excuses will do, such as, “Our pastor never told us that.”

If every person who claims to be a Christian in America was to take just one poor person or family, if they could afford it, and vow to help him or her in whatever way is necessary, we would have no poverty in this country. Shame on our Christian religion. It is no wonder atheists mock people who say they are Christian.

Galatians 5:12. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

The Christian religion is not so much going to church or not committing sins and all the others activities and requirements. The complete Christian religion is based on love. If we are not engaged in actively practicing love for the needy, etc. when we have the ability, most likely we are not saved Christians. Galatians 4:10. “Is Christ formed in you?” [Paraphrased]. Of course, to make sure we are not being scammed, we have to “… be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” with our giving. Matthew 10:16. Along with that, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.” Matthew 7:6. “Because there are always certain unscrupulous people who are looking for soft-touch Christians.” If you don’t agree with this paragraph, read/listen to and obey the New Testament.

If you say no thanks to the above statements, I hope the God of grace will have mercy on you. The only thing is, God cannot break His own rules and still be a God of compassion and love. The grace God gives us and the mercy He has for us are what we do not have the ability to achieve ourselves.

There is a big variety of Christian Bibles available; make sure you buy a modern one and not an old one like the King James. The reason is that after the King James was first printed in 1611, or even newer versions of it, several older Biblical manuscripts have been discovered that were not available in 1611, that shed new light on many verses; they are more accurate and easier to understand, plus they use modern English. Although I consult several Bibles, I quote and read the New International Version, NIV.

You can download the entire Bible for free at http://librivox.org/ and listen to it on your computer or audio player. Or, if you prefer to listen to CDs, you can purchase Bible CD's at http://www.amazon.com/NIV-Audio-Bible-Voice-Only/dp/0310920485/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297098797&sr=8-1 for $55.12.

One of the primary safeguards we have in the New Testament is avoiding worldly/earthly things, activities and attitudes that have nothing to do with promoting and defending the cause that Christ started. Those are strong words. Let us give just a few of those verses that make this teaching an absolute. If you disagree with this hard-to-obey requirement, read or listen to the New Testament.

1st John 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. For everything in the world—the craving of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has or does comes not from the Father but from the world. Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

Luke 14:14. “. . . they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures.” The two other synoptic gospels have this same teaching.

James 4:4. “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

Philippians 3:19. “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”

2nd Peter 3:17. “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men [some of the clergy who are greedy and number-hungry] and fall from your secure position.” There are at least another half a dozen verses that essentially teach the same theme. If you don’t believe it, read or listen to the New Testament.

There are dozens upon dozens of activities that church-going “Christians” engage in that are outlawed by Holy Scripture—evidence that people who may believe they are Christian are actually disobeying many New Testament verses. For example: engaging in worldly entertainment of all sorts, such as sports—both spectators and sportsmen—and movies, along with all things that secular people are fond of. If you think that God is asking too much of genuine Christians, read or listen to the New Testament.

The reason many Christians do not read the Bible is because our culture has made the majority of us lazy: We would rather go to a church building and let the preacher entertain us. Or, all we have to do is to just click onto the Internet and get all that our deceitful hearts desire. Jeremiah 17:9. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”

If anyone decides to change churches or start going to church, make certain to choose one where not too many influential or wealthy people are members. The reason is that the pastor/s most likely knows these people, and therefore will avoid most verses that bad-mouth rich people. And, believe me, there are many such verses. Rich people put much more in the basket than normal people. What religious fool wants to lose them as members?

I received an interesting comment several days ago. “Why does it bother me because I teach that a large number of people are being tricked into believing they are saved, when they may not be?” My answer is/was that a person has to know what the New Testament teaches, then live accordingly in order to positively know they are saved. That explanation did not suffice.

If I may say so, all true believers are members of one family: the family of God. Though I don’t know them, I have great compassion and empathy for them—more than anyone should have. I even have empathy for those who are not family members. To simplify that answer, I don’t like anyone to be tricked, especially by impostors who pretend to be representing Jesus Christ, thus, sending many good, credulous people into a “glorious” hell. These people will be shocked at the resurrection, thinking they are heaven-bound, only to find out that they were tricked. That is the main reason this blog has been on the Internet for almost six years.

There are several Biblical books in the New Testament that must be taken with the consideration of the audience for whom the author was writing. There are seven New Testament personal letters that were written to single individuals. One that is of particular importance is the gospel of Luke. Luke was an intelligent physician. His first letter was written to a man Luke addressed as: “Most excellent Theophilus.” Luke also wrote the book of Acts addressing the same person. His title “Most excellent Theophilus” tells us that he was a ruler, elder, and most certainly a man of nobility and wealth.

You would think that Luke wouldn’t mention anything that would discourage him from becoming a believer, if he wasn’t one already. Instead, he over-emphasized several verses concerning giving away most of one’s wealth to those in need. Many have ridiculed the way he put it. Now, let us attempt to put these verses into proper perspective. These are the verses:

Luke 12:33. “Sell your possessions and give to the poor . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This verse (and several others) doesn’t mean to give everything to the poor and then become in need yourself. The right thing to do is this: When we see someone or a family in need, help him or her out with the extra money we may have. But we must always verbally give Jesus Christ the glory and credit, and not take the credit ourselves for the gift. And we must never tell anyone that we have given. Matthew 6:2-4. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do . . . so that your giving may be in secret.” That type of teaching is not often practiced by the wealthy. The shameful thing about wealth is that it is never satisfied. It always wants just a little more, leaving the poor in the cold, as it were.

Let me quote several more verses where this same principle must be practiced: These next two verses could be the most despised verses in the New Testament. Luke 16:13. “You cannot serve both God and money.” Let me elaborate/clarify: accept only what God can do for you, or accept what money can do for you. It is impossible to do/have what God desires for us, and at the same time have money, when money only gives us our deceitful heart’s desires; the two are incompatible.

Luke 16:15. “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” It is difficult, if not impossible, for anyone to squirm his or her way out of this one. Many American Christians just turn a blind eye and pretend it does not exist, and continue to make the American dream (prosperity) their goal.

Luke 18:22. “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Again, Luke is not implying that one should become destitute, but to give out of our excess when we know of people in need; of course, there always are people in need. Doesn’t that make good holy sense?

2nd Corinthians 8:13-14. “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.”

1st Timothy 6:17. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our [spiritual] enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” By the way, this is the only time the word “enjoyment” is used in the New Testament. This verse allows many to believe that Scripture gives the okay sign to any form of enjoyment, because God is providing it. BIG LIE.

In fact, if only a few wealthy Christians were to practice the above giving criteria, they would be valuable assets for God as holy examples to other rich people.

Although not openly mentioned in the New Testament, it is implied in Acts 5:32-35, that when wealthy people share their wealth with the less fortunate, they also should sell their large expensive homes for much smaller ones, and share the proceeds when the needs arise (and sell their expensive motor vehicles for much less expensive ones). This is so they will not only be sincere but also look totally honest about their equality in the Christian community. I am certain that most, if not all, wealthy people will disagree with that, and think I am a religious lunatic. Regardless, crazy or not, still-generous Christians will be role models for other wealthy Christians.

Years ago as a young man, I was a wealthy housebuilding contractor. I went through that process of downgrading my entire life when I realized it was necessary; although it didn’t happen over night, it did occur with the help of the Holy Spirit.

At this time I have little to nothing monetarily. I live on a small pension, drive an 18-year-old automobile, and still have money to help people who are in need. I now am extremely frugal for my personal needs—they now call it “living green”—and generous in my giving to further the cause of Christ. I waste nothing. I buy my clothing at thrift stores. I now live in a small rented house. With that said, I am one of the most contented and blessed individual in this world. This goes to display that wealth and comfort do not guarantee the important thing in life, which is being loved by God and loving God.

Since I encourage Bible reading, I must mention that there is a windfall that few may know about, besides being fluent in New Testament knowledge. As we continue to read it, what will/may happen is that the New Testament takes on a life of its own as if we are right there. I am not sure if I am explaining it correctly. Something this unique is hard to describe. When this does start to happen, it will be much easier to obey many verses that may seem absurd to beginners. Praise God through our Lord Jesus Christ!

One thing we should never do is to think Luke and other writers meant for us to give 10% of our wages to our church, and then they can help the poor. Sure! Just to let you know, there is not one verse in the New Testament that mentions the word “tithe” (10%)—commanding or even implying that we give 10% to the church. That duty was law in the Old Testament, of which we are not under. That rigid sort of giving was concocted by: guess who? Religious leaders. There is no greater euphoric emotion than to personally be involved in being generous to the needy. I personally can testify to that firsthand. That is a spiritual joy that church giving is cheating parishioners out of.

For people who are not personally familiar with the New Testament, I presented a long, long list of New Testament verses in 2005 that will substantiate to a greater degree what has been written in this post. There is repetition of some verses already quoted.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

# 2: Hard-edged Bible Verses

The following, taken from the New International Version of the New Testament, is a seemingly secluded list which vividly displays a number of Bible verses that demand action. They make up only a few of the rules that govern the unpopular second part; therefore, it is most often ignored, explained away or watered down by organized Christianity. True Christians have a solemn responsibility to obey these commands without leaning on modern-day alibis.

The following is a test to determine if someone or an organization is a genuine Bible-believer. These Bible verses are the ones that are most frequently negated by a majority of religions. Are church-going people and others being tricked? This is a good section to copy. Taken verbatim from the New International Version Bible:

2nd Corinthians 13:5. "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith: test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”

Luke 14:33. "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."

1 Corinthians 10:24. "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."

Matthew 5:44. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Luke 6:35. “But love your enemies, do good to them. . ."

1 Corinthians 11:1. (The apostle Paul speaking) "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Matthew 5:24. "Be perfect."

Matthew 19:23. ". . . I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven."

1 Corinthians 15:58. ". . . Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. . . ."

Luke 16:15. "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."

1 Corinthians 15:2. ". . . hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."

1 Corinthians 16:22. "If anyone does not love the Lord [displayed by obedience to all that He commands] a curse be on him." [emphasis added].

Luke 6:20. ". . . Blessed are you who are poor . . ."

Luke 6:27. ". . . Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you . . ."

Luke 12:33. "Sell your possessions and give to the poor."

2 Corinthians 13:11. "Aim for perfection . . ."

Luke 9:23. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself . . ."

Luke 14:26. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple."

Galatians 5:14. "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Ephesians 5:1. "Be imitators of God . . ."

Philippians 2:3. ". . . consider others better than yourselves."

Philippians 2:5. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus . . ."

Colossians 3:2. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

1 Thessalonians 2:4. "We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our heart."

1 Thessalonians 5:17. ". . . pray continually . . ."

Luke 11:23. "He who is not with me is against me . . ."

Luke 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. . . ."

James 4:4. ". . . Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

1 Peter 1:14. "Be holy, because I am holy."

1 Peter 2:21. ". . . Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."

1 John 3:9. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin . . ."

If there is an active desire to live in obedience to the preceding commands, which are not suggestions, the result will be mixed blessings, among other things that are described in the following verses.

John 3:36. "Whoever rejects the son [as displayed by the way one lives] will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." [emphasis added].

Ephesians 5:1. "Be imitators of God. . ."

Philippians 2:3. ". . . consider others better than yourselves."

Matthew 10:36. "A man's enemies will be the members of his own household."

Mark13:13. "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."

James 2:5. ". . . 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?"

2 Timothy 3:12. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

Luke 6:24. "But woe to you who are rich." Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition. The meaning of rich: 1) having more than enough of material possessions. There are many other verses in the New Testament where God never has a good word to say about the rich, but always bad-mouths them.

1 Corinthians 15:19. "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." What should Christians be doing that would make people pity them? Definitely not what they are doing in this modern culture. Do you personally know any Christians that you pity?

Luke 19:27. (Christ speaking) "But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." Well, excuse me! I thought you loved everyone—am I being factitious?

John 16:33. "In this world you will have trouble."

Luke 12:51. "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."

2 Corinthians 5:17. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." [a superhuman spiritual being].

Luke 6:26. "Woe when all men speak well of you."

Matthew 17:20. ". . . if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Luke 18:8. "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" The answer is clear; since we don't see any mountains being moved or other such thing being done by so-called Christians, the answer is no. Most likely, Christ will not find much, if any, faith on earth. Oh, but you may say, "I am saved, born again and filled with the Spirit." You think so? Does the above test prove it?

Luke 12:19. "And I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.' but God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. . . ." Sounds like America.

Luke 18-22. "A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? . . .’ Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." As one can plainly see, there are prerequisites to eternal life, but only to confirm faith.

# 303: A Mental Revision That Has Long Been Overdue

Two to four thousand years ago, even as little as six hundred years ago, very little was known of what we now know about the enormity of our solar system, let alone the vastness and endlessness of our universe. Along with that, consider all the information modern science has compiled about how and why many things in nature function the way they do, and even why we as humans do what we do.

For anyone, or even any group of people, to staunchly deny the above-mentioned achievements of what we have learned in the past six hundred years or less, he/she could be a candidate for the funny farm.

It is hard to believe that there are millions of people who fit that category of denial concerning this vast treasure-trove of knowledge. They are people who wholeheartedly still believe—or most likely pretend to believe, to appease the powers-that-be (who may also silently be pretending)—that our universe came into existence about six thousand years ago, according to Genesis, chapter one.

Yet, out of loyalty to the teachings of their denominations, they will “stick” to the archaic beliefs set two to six thousand years ago. The main reason these religious leaders can’t change their credo is that they may believe—or pretend to believe—that the complete Christian Bible is inerrant, as they may have been taught in seminary school or elsewhere. If, by some chance, they were to admit that there are flaws in the Bible because of the lack of up-to-date knowledge, they could not reconcile those changes accordingly with their present teachings. To put it another way, as for one, they can’t admit that they have been wrong as to the time-frame found in the first four chapters of Genesis.

Another question: Since many were taught to believe that the Bible is inerrant, do they still believe that the earth is flat and has 4 corners, according to Revelation 7:1. and Revelation 20:8? I will just quote one: “After that I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth . . .”

We must always remember that even though Almighty God inspires the writing of the Bible, the holy people who wrote it were fallible, including this author, and could only write according to their/my knowledge, as it was/is known at that time.

One unmovable fact is that any science is not valid without empirical evidence (relying solely on experiment and observation rather than theory) to substantiate its validity. Why can’t many religious people believe that axiom? Biblical facts like the stars in the sky, were believed to be small-lighted objects that would fall from the sky in the end times. Matthew 24:29. “. . . the stars will fall from the sky, . . .” Matthew and others were not aware that stars are either planets in our solar system or other giant solar systems in our Milky Way Galaxy.

Is the clergy not aware of the age of dinosaurs that became extinct 65 million years ago? Or all the hundreds of thousands of fossils that have been found of our prehistoric ancestors that go back thousands of years?

Time, especially earth’s time, does not exist in the realm of eternity or God. Those six days—when God created the earth and everything in it—could have been millions or even billions of years each. The reason that most likely is true is that 2nd Peter 3:8 teaches, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” Since that is the case, those thousand years mentioned in 2nd Peter could just as well have been millions of years each, because time does not exist to the Lord God. By the way, the word “billion” was not mentioned in the Bible and was possibly not known as a number two thousand years ago.

The clergy teaches that Christians must believe the first four chapters of Genesis in a verbatim fashion, and to also believe all New Testament teachings. That has become an embarrassment since several sections of the Bible are in conflict with modern science and added-on church teachings.

For example, the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) is the day the Lord God instituted as His holy day. Exodus 20:8-10. “Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. Six days you should labor and do all your work but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work . . . Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Are we to obey only nine of the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses and skip the fourth that tells us to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy? Check your calendar; Sunday is the first day of the week.

Are there any Sunday-morning-church-going Christians who would believe that the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath Day had never been terminated, and Sunday was never established as the Lord’s Day anywhere in the New Testament? There are only two scriptures in the complete New Testament that vaguely mention the first day of the week (Sunday); one is in Acts 20:7. “On the first day of the week (Sunday) we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people on that day, because he intended to leave the next day, and kept on talking until midnight.” Now everyday logic teaches that if he didn’t intend to leave the next day—most likely to take a ship that was leaving on Saturday—he would have preached on the Sabbath, as he did on many other occasions. Acts 16:13. “On the Sabbath we (Paul and his companions) went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer.” There are another half-dozen Scriptures where Paul met with others to worship on the Sabbath.

The other verse that uses the words “first day of the week” is in 1st Corinthians 16:2. “On the first day of every week [most likely payday], each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up [most likely at home], so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” One does not set aside a sum of money while in a House Church, but at home. That collection was to be sent to Jerusalem as a gift to the poor, and not as wages for Paul. This verse does not imply in any way that Sunday has/should become the Christians’ day of worship. Most laborers were compelled to work seven days a week. I am not certain if the Jews and early Jewish Christians were exempt.

Another verse is taken completely out of context concerning Sunday being used by early Christians as their holy day: this was written by the apostle John, in Revelation 1:10. “On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit . . .” This thinking is that since Jesus Christ was raised on a Sunday, that should be the day that all Christians should worship. The only thing is that the Lord’s Day and the Lord’s Sabbath (Saturday) are one and the same.

Now the tantalizing question remains: Where, how and when did Sunday become the Christian holy day of worship? Several years ago, I searched much of the early church history to see if I could find evidence anywhere as to when and how Sunday became the Christian holy day. My search was in vain. My assumption is that the early Christian church wanted to noticeably separate themselves from the Jewish religion that rigidly observed Saturday as their Sabbath. Now my question is this: What right/authority did the early church leaders have to disobey (change) the New Testament Scriptures and firmly implement Sunday as their holy day?

If they could change a holy decree to fit their misguided intentions, why can’t they believe the logic of the first several chapters of Genesis—without actually changing any of those verses—to conform with volumes of scientific evidence teaching the approximate age of the earth, which is about 4 billion years old, give or take a few years? Along with that, why can’t they accept all the evidence of the fossils of prehistoric man, dating back hundreds of thousands of years?

Using the cyclotron, carbon–14 dating could be used for objects as old as 100,000 years, while samples containing radioactive beryllium could be dated as far back as 10–30 million years. A newer method of radioactive tracing involves the use of a new clock, based on the radioactive decay of 235uranium to 231protactinium.

Along with that, there is no guesswork or assumptions when it comes to counting the rings on the ice cores. They have counted 60 glacial advances and retrets during the last 2 million years.

I just heard on the news today (1/11/2011) that the Hubble telescope reached out 650 million light years away, to see two very large galaxies colliding and breaking up into smaller galaxies. To me, this ability of Hubble to capture these images is totally incredible. And then I laugh when religious people blurt out that we humans are the only intelligent life in the universe. If that were true, what was the reason God created the remainder of the universe? Just for the hell of it?

To the contrary, it seems only logical that since God is eternal and omnipresent, it must be true that the universe is also endless, with an endless number of planets that have the capability of harboring intelligent life. Just because I can write this down does not mean it is possible for us humans to actually envision an endless universe. And it is not preposterous to say that many of God’s celestial bodies will be totally governed by God-type love and goodness.

That seems to suggest that humans, the earth, and everything in it as we now know it, came about by a God-guided process of creation and not by chance, because God knew the end result: that some intelligent beings throughout the universe eventually could/would believe that there is a God, etc. (Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”). Only thing is, the Lord God did not give any specific details on how/why He took only from morning to evening on the fifth day to create Adam.

Repeating: It is only common-sense logic that the Lord God created all humans through His own finely tuned, timeless process of creation—which Darwin partially explained, and then claimed as his own, naming it evolution. God was in no hurry, since hurry does not exist in God’s eternal and timeless realm. It would be totally out of character for God to make the universe and mankind in six twenty-four hour days, which is contrary to the way eternity and nature work. Again, please answer: Why the hurry?

Attempt to answer these questions: a) Give one valid reason why the Lord God would fully form a man in just one twenty-four hour day. b) Did Adam have any knowledge of how the world and life worked? c) In other words, knowledge could not have been endowed; as we know, “knowledge” comes from experience. d) What experience did Adam have on his first day on earth? None. It just doesn’t make any sense. I am ashamed to say that believing the literal six-day creation period makes the Bible seem as if a grade-school student—who didn’t understand God or modern science—wrote it.

Since Moses, the author of the book of Genesis, was confined to earth’s time, and did not understand that the Lord God lived in a timeless realm, the Lord God had to speak to Moses in terms of what he knew and understood. Now that we understand much more about how the earth and humans came to be, it is our place to verbally share God’s creation process with all church people who adamantly believe it all happened in six twenty-four-hour days.

Conventional Sunday-morning-church-going Christians and the clergy cannot continue to keep their heads stuck in the sand and deny what empirical science has proven over and over again. In this class-action belief of ignorance, they are not only making fools of themselves, but by proxy, are also condemning thousands, even millions, of potential “wannabe” Christians to hell, who won’t humiliate themselves to join the ranks of those Biblically uneducated naïve people who believe that the first four chapters of the Old testament actually occurred in six earth-’s time twenty-four-hour days.

I am in no way inferring to physically change that section or any section of Scripture to conform to modern science, but to mentally understand why it says what it says without belittling the remainder of the Old Testament, or the Bible itself.

The best evidence yet—that has not yet been mentioned—to validate what is being taught in this post, lies in the following Biblical excerpts (Cane speaking to the Lord after he killed Able in Genesis 4:14-15): “I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. But the Lord said to him, ‘Not so: if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven time over.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.” Where did these other people come from? Also see Genesis 4:17. “Cain lay with his wife . . .” Where did Cain’s wife come from? This is undisputable evidence that there were other people (possibly our prehistoric ancestors) on earth at or before the time of Adam.

It has been a deception—better yet a disaster—of untold dimensions what religion has created by not accepting logical truth; and truth is not truth without logic. The logic I am referring to is the explanation this post gives by updating antiquated Biblical beliefs into common-sense truth.

In closing: Any section/s of the Bible that does not coincide with the modern sciences of anthropology, archaeology, astronomy and other pertinent well-established sciences, needs to be mentally and verbally updated as new Biblical teachings.

Anyone who is an ardent student of the New Testament will find many errors, besides what is mentioned in this post, that cannot accurately be explained, except as being holy unintentional errors. Check post # 110, “Contradictions and Uncertainties.”

# 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!