# 309: Exposing Most of Satan’s Deceptions

It is extremely important for all genuine Christians, including this author, to know exactly how Satan the devil operates so that his enticing schemes don’t ensnare us, without our knowledge, into a life that is pleasing to him.

Since the evil one has been around since the beginning of time, he knows all the tricks in the book when it comes to ways he can entice many people into doing what pleases him and offends God.

The desire, though most often silent, of many humans is to be successful in life (king of the hill). Everyone who desires to be in that category, which fits the majority of people in the world, may be treading on thin ice. Of course, this desire is never manifested in the vast majority of the human population. Some may be thinking, “Why is it so sinful to want to succeed at whatever one is good at?” The answer: Proverbs 16:18. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride comes with being number one at whatever one is good at, or even close to being number one. Also, the desire to be number one displays discontent and/or disbelief with the Salvation Jesus Christ offers. The devil knows that having pride (even silent pride) most often is the doorway to his kingdom, and the downfall of anyone who desires to please Jesus Christ.

One of the devil’s most secretive maneuvers is to entice a large population of the best and most upright people, along with those who are looked up to by the masses—who no one would ever suspect of being on the devil’s team—to unknowingly do a great deal of his work. Some may be thinking, “How can this be?” Well, the great deceiver easily gets this type of unbelievers to believe they are good and holy people; therefore, they feel certain that God’s love for them will bring them to heaven.

Just remember this: Satan is the father of lies. John 8:44. “When he lies [to inspire us through our thinking process], he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” He lies to us by satisfying our worldly desires. This is the ultimate goal of Satan: Revelation 12:9. “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the WHOLE WORLD ASTRAY. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” [emphasis added]. This verse is of great importance, since it tells us what his intentions are. How does he lead the whole world astray? For the tempter, this is easy. Whenever anyone from the complete human population does anything sinful, greedy, self-centered, dishonest, or lies or even exaggerates—any kind or wrongdoing, in fact anything that is contrary to New Testament (NT) teaching—he/she is promoting what pleases the devil. That is hard to believe and yet true. Repeating: That is how he has led—and continues to lead—the whole world astray.

Even more shocking is that the father of lies has led religious leaders worldwide astray by whispering this in their ears with human logic: “You must desire success in your preaching; then Jesus Christ will regard you as worthy men/women of God.” This sounds like a holy cause, to be successful in God’s work. But what has happened is they have put success—also for monetary reasons—before being totally honesty as to what God requires of the laity. This practice has had a devastating outcome, because some sections of Scripture are offensive as to what is required by all Christians, and for that reason they are swept under the rug, as it were.

Let me repeat: In order for this plan to work, the clergy were/are silently seduced by the liar to disregard or sugarcoat many important NT verses that are not in accord with the desires of our human nature, which we are all born with. Most, if not all, religious leaders are not aware that by secretly preaching a rather pleasing/acceptable gospel, they will be sending millions (along with themselves) into the conniving hands of the father of lies. The only thing is, come hell or high or water, no one will ever be able to convince the majority of religious leaders of this well-disguised, enjoyably satanic maneuver. The devil has them in a fine and lovely-sounding choke-hold.

2nd Corinthians 11:13-15. “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” This implies that anyone who does not comply with ALL that the NT commands/teaches (doing the will of God) is unknowingly a servant of the evil one. These are hard words that are not mentioned often enough (or ever) in many churches that have been around for many hundreds of years.

I believe this next challenge is the most difficult and the least practiced in our modern world: that is desiring to devote more time to spiritual matters by promoting the cause of Christ than worldly matters. Even though there is no verse that says exactly that, anyone who is actually attempting to obey our loving God with all his/her heart, soul, mind and strength and love their neighbor as themselves should realize that this holy and important command is next to impossible to fully accomplish. However, we must never give up and always make EVERY EFFORT in attempting to love as He commands. Then there is Matthew 5:48. “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This is a difficult verse: We all know that no one on earth is perfect, and yet perfection must be the desire and goal of every genuine Christian. Then there is John 12:25. “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” I believe the hating of one’s life could mean that we are not afraid of and are even looking forward to dying for the cause of Christ. The reason I say this is because these above commands seem difficult to comply with, but in reality it is a joy to know that we do them all for the glory of God.

I am at least trying to live a totally organic existence. For example: all my meals are organic and made from scratch. I never go to restaurants or eat anything processed. During the spring, summer and fall, I attempt to eat exclusively from my large organic garden—mostly vegetables and a few fruits—that takes up much time that I could be devoting to spiritual matters. I am an older person, and the older one is, the better care he/she must give to their body. For me to break out of this time-consuming life style seems almost impossible. That infers that caring for the health of my body is more important than my spiritual health. In other words, I am giving more attention to something physical (my body) than the spiritual part of me. I pray to God that He will give me insight into amending this potentially deadly situation. Even though I take great care of my physical body, better than most people, I do want to mention that at this time I desire and am ready to leave this Godless world. The main reason for caring for my health is mainly so I don’t lose my cognitive powers, because Alzheimer’s runs in my family history. Since I am attempting to rationalize my life situation, I must continue to ponder my way of life to be certain I am on the best course for promoting the work of Christ.

I do a few good deeds every day. I listen to the NT during the time I am obligated to do menial chores and attend to non-spiritual matters. I have been doing this for years, to the point that I may know the NT as well as most Biblical theologians. Another thing that will help in my situation is to continue to make more effort in my door-to-door solicitation in promoting the work that Christ and the apostles started. I also have been devoting much time to the work of publishing this blog for the last six years. All the above good deeds are worthless if I don’t continually devote PRIME TIME (making every effort) to promoting the works of Jesus Christ.

One of the verses I am attempting to obey is 1st John 2: 15-17, and many others that teach just about the same principle: “Do not love the world or ANYTHING in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

For sure, the tempter gets more joy from seeing many, many people who call themselves Christians, go to church on Sunday, listen to a “good” sermon, sing a few religious songs, pay their tithe, and then feel as if they have done their duty for the week as followers of Christ. Actually, the reason they believe this way is because the clergy never (or very seldom) mention that much more is commanded to fulfill our part that pleases Jesus Christ; instead, they give needed assurance to those who want to make certain their Salvation is for real and secure.

Another avenue to get Christians to sin is for the tricky one is to teach many “Christians” to wrongly quote 1st John 2:1. “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” This verse seems to teach that it is okay to sin whenever and we will be forgiven. That is a false assumption. Did you notice the little two-letter word “if” in the second sentence? Many Christians in their mind switch “if” into “when” and then believe that verse gives the go-ahead sign to sin; then just tell God that you repent and all will be okay. You see, “if”’ means it may be possible, but highly unlikely, and “when” means something is certain. The devil wins this one.

Another section of Scripture that is even a more seductive favorite of Satan is Romans chapter 7:14-20. “We know that the law is spiritual; but I [the apostle Paul] am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

What some Christians believe and what a Christian friend once said to my face years ago concerning this section of Scripture was: “If the great and holy Apostle Paul can sin as he admitted, am I to be any better and holier than him?” If anyone wants to learn what the Apostle Paul really means in this section of Scripture, click on post #248,. “The Knack of Making Sin Acceptable.” It brings up some Old Testament verses; therefore, some familiarity with the Old Testament will be helpful to understand this serious misunderstanding. This is one verse that Satan desires every Christian to know, but wants no one to understand what the true meaning is. Of the complete NT, this section is the seducer’s favorite.

The Apostle Peter in 2nd Peter 3:16 says this about the Apostle Paul’s writing: “He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

If all church leaders were to encourage to the laity the importance of reading the NT daily (and not just a verse or two) so they could make sure they are fulfilling all the requirements commanded—and not be tricked by Satan to circumvent the ones that disagree with our human desires—Christianity would be quite different than it is today. Preachers won’t do just that; if they did, their lucrative couch-potato jobs would soon come to an end.

Here is another one of Satan’s deceptions: he wants all people to believe that there is no such thing as the devil, and that he is only make-believe; something like the bogeyman to scare children. Once someone believes the devil doesn’t exist, hell also becomes a fairytale. We all know that atheists don’t believe in God or Satan, but there are many people who don’t claim to be atheists and still believe there is no devil, since no one on earth has ever seen him to verify he really exists. However, there are many human facsimiles of this treacherous spirit.

This next deception is one that most secular people have no idea Satan is behind: He loves to promote all types of worldly charitable organizations, such as the United Way and hundreds of others like it. The only thing he insists on is that Jesus Christ never gets the credit; nor is He even mentioned. There are thousands of groups that have their own “do good” campaigns. Case in point, he is behind all the good that is done to help people and groups in times of need. You see, Satan desires his people to be generous and look good, without God or Christ getting the glory. This evil monster is so intelligent beyond our comprehension, and knows how stupidly naïve the vast majority of humans are when it comes to spiritual matters.

I am super surprised that God is allowing me to publish this very reviling post without Satan’s interference. I am certain this spiritual crook is as mad as hell—ha, ha—at me; I thank God at this critical time that I am under His superior protection.

One of Satan’s most damaging schemes is to tell people through their thought pattern, regardless of what type of lives they live, “You are good people, and for sure you all are going to heaven.” This is a self-test question: ask a few people who believe they are Christians, “When you die, are you going to heaven?” The vast majority will say yes.

The question remains, why is Satan evil, and what does he get out of his hatred? I have my own opinion, but first let me quote the book of Isaiah chapter 12:14 in “The Living Bible.” It becomes much clearer as to what he has been up to: “How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer [Satan], son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou have said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my thrown above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high.” This seems to dogmatically state that he wanted to be in God’s place, but that request was denied since his evil nature is totally contrary to God’s love nature.

Now, Lucifer knows how God made humans: through His own creation process—most know it as “Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.” The devil also knows that “survival of the fittest” is God’s way to end up with humans created in God’s image. Genesis 1:27. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

That creation of humanity in Genesis 1:27 does not necessarily mean one 24-hour earth day like most Christians believe. Each day could consist of a period when time didn’t/doesn’t exist. There are many verses that tell when the word “day” is mentioned, it does not mean a period of 24 hours. For example: Romans 10:21. “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” Since there is no time in eternity, like judgment day, there are many more verses when the word “day” means a period of timelessness. We must remember that time does not exist in the realm God lives in; therefore, He had no reason to be in a hurry—since the word “hurry” is not in His vocabulary—to create mankind here is a good example. 2nd Peter 3:8: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” The words “thousand years” could also be millions of years or even much, much more, since there is no time in God’s heaven.

Satan knew that our survival instinct—getting as much as we can of whatever—would be the perfect way to trick most humans into doing his will, and disregarding Almighty God’s commands. Why? What many don’t realize is that the more worldly things we have or desire, the more attached we are to this evil, selfish world.

In order for Satan to make a tight bond with as many humans as possible, he uses trickery, lies, and super- smooth deceit. He is the father of lies. Repeating: John 8:44. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Very few people, if anyone, want to be friends with a liar, and by not obeying all that is taught in the NT, many unknowingly become friends with the chief of liars.

He gets away with his lies to all who don’t really believe or know ALL that Jesus Christ teaches; then, he speaks to them through their thought process, and tells them what they want to hear according to their worldly desires. He also easily and more readily speaks to the majority of humans who actually don’t believe that there is a God. This large group is his ever-growing special piece of cake, as it were.

What does this invisible monster get out of getting all peoples to beckon to his mighty, insidious, evil call? Before we grapple with that answer, read Luke 4: 5-7. “The devil led him [Jesus Christ] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” [emphasis added].

The possible answer is that he wanted (and still wants) revenge against Almighty God for not giving him what he wanted before the beginning of time. He wanted the power of God. Also, misery loves company; the more misery from his human accomplices, the better/merrier, and then he feels great that he has done his very best—or rather, his very worst.

Now, with the power of all his deceit and trickery, he doesn’t want even one person to go to heaven, so he can have us all with him in the lake of fire (hell). You see, he knows his destiny. And this is how he is going to attempt to accomplish his goal of having almost everyone on earth in hell with him.

That great deceiver has all atheists in the palm of his hand, as it were. The ones he has to somehow get to go his way—if he hasn’t already—are the religious people who claim to be Christians. And he had, and still has, an ace up his sleeve. Don’t forget this: he must have the complete Bible memorized. Check Luke chapter 4:4-11, to see how Satan quotes the Old Testament correctly. The verses he ridicules are the ones that say we “must be obedient to all that is taught in the NT verses.” He knows without that complete OBEDIENCE, he has millions of “christians” in the palm of his hands.

We don’t want to forget how much God hates and Satan loves the most openly disobeyed command in America: that is the acceptance of homosexuality as normal, and Satan is behind it all. And now with gay marriage accepted by law in some states, and eventually all states will follow, that sin is even more grievous, if it were possible. That evil monster has been behind the open display of homosexuality since the time the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God with fire that came down from the sky. Could that happen to America? What is happening at this time in America tells me we are not a Christian country. This next verse comes from the Old Testament: Leviticus 20:13. “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” This next verse is in the NT: 1st Corinthians 6:9. “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” Romans 1:26-27. “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual 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 shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

The devil knows that faith in Christ, love for God, God’s love for us, grace, mercy, compassion, and all the other great and holy attributes genuine Christians possess are null and void, and all because most don’t know or care to know or obey many NT verses that are contrary to our human nature. The main commands that are disobeyed are the two greatest commands of all. Matthew 22:37-40. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The books of Luke and Mark have the same requirements. Yes, this is a requirement! The main, if not the only, way we display our love for God and our needy neighbor is by the above-mentioned obedience.

And because of the stringency of those two commands, the devil knows that he has all unknowingly disobedient “christians” in his pocket. The reason is because that all-important obedience is the main spiritual adhesive that PUTS US AND KEEPS US in God’s grace and mercy.

The words “obedience,” “obedient,” “obey,” “obeying,” “obeyed,” and “obeys” are in the NT dozens upon dozens of times. Even though obedience alone can save no one, we cannot casually negate obedience and believe we will be covered by God’s love, grace, mercy, and compassion. Also, for those who have a Bible concordance, look up the word “disobedience” and its associated words. Then one can see why the devil and his spiritual accomplices are laughing all the way to their upcoming hot house.

I believe Christian pastors and the related clergy are not aware of how INSIDIOUS this spiritually intelligent, evil entity really is. It could be understood if the innocent/naive laity were not aware of how the king of evil makes his conniving and deadly feel-good ways enjoyable, acceptable, and in some cases honorable for church-going people. But there is no excuse for the caretakers of the flocks to be so naive.

In conclusion: millions may go to a church building every Sunday morning and possibly listen to an ear-tickling message, which allows them to believe they have their mojo that gives them a free ticket to heaven. Please remember this: This evil people-pleaser does everything in his power to make certain that his disciples are not aware that they are following him. Without obedience, it is next to impossible to detect the workings of the evil king of this world. Who said it is easy to live the genuine Christian life? No, it is not easy to be obedient to the commands of Jesus Christ, because many important ones—not often mentioned—go against what our human nature desires, and seem impossible to obey. Still, let me end with this verse: Hebrews 5:9. “. . . he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

Bible verses except for one, are quoted from the New International Version 2011 edition.

# 308: The Enigma of Death

Although similar topics on death have previously been published in this blog, this post will give much more comprehensive information, which has seldom or never been presented before.

Death is the consequence of being born. We all know that, but due to not knowing what death will be/feel like, and the thought of missing all the good things physical life offers, most of us fear it, and for that reason, we do everything possible to postpone it. Other than Jesus Christ, no one has come back from the dead for an extended period of time to give us some information as to what death is like. This post with blood-honesty—my blood—will give complete and surprising Biblical information as to what to expect.

The vast majority of people worldwide—from all different forms of religious, and even some who have no religion—believe that at death, they will go directly either to heaven or hell; most, if not all, churches believe the same. If anyone were to diligently study this subject via the New Testament (NT) with no preconceived belief, they would soon discover that this is the biggest lie that has ever been perpetrated on most, if not all, religious people.

This post will unequivocally prove beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what is taught in the NT, and how this above- mentioned false belief got started, even though it will be somewhat of a shock to most religious people who say they believe the NT.

In the Old Testament, and even in the NT, it was believed by some Jews that the Lord God blesses Godly people with wealth. To some degree that was true, since King Solomon was blessed with more wealth than most men of that time. Abraham was also blessed to a great degree with all the possessions he acquired, because he believed and obeyed God, and I am certain there may have been a few other rich Godly people who were blessed with wealth in the Old Testament.

That was why the Pharisees and religious leaders, etc. at the time of Christ still believed the same, that wealth was God’s hallmark of holiness and acceptance. Well, when Jesus Christ came on the scene, He displayed with power that it is our untarnished faith, love, and obedience to Jesus Christ, along with accepting God’s love, grace, mercy, etc., that pleases God and not wealth. Jesus Christ had to somehow dispel that Old Testament belief; He did that by displaying over and over again via the NT that it was the poor, disabled, underprivileged, etc. whom God approved of, as those may be the ones who have the best chance of going to heaven.

By telling the following exaggerated parable, Jesus unequivocally showed that the rich are, most likely, greedy and selfish; therefore, chances are great that they would not be the ones going to heaven. Dictionary definition of the word “parable”: “A short simple story, usually of an occurrence of a familiar kind, from which a moral or religious lesson may be learned.”

Believe it or not, this upcoming parable was one of the main incentives, along with several other accounts, for the clergy of many early churches to teach that when anyone dies, they go directly to heaven or hell.

All Bible verses are taken from the “New International Version”—the latest edition (2011).

Luke 16:19-25. “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. [This type of opulent life style was thought to be a display of God’s approval.] At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. [Nowhere else does it teach that angels will carry anyone to Abraham’s side. In fact, according to the NT, Abraham was not associated in any way when it came to heaven, hell or the dead]. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades [hell], where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. So he called him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ [This teaching, of the people in hell being able to see those in heaven, also is not taught anywhere else in Scripture.] . . . But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received good things, while Lazarus received bad things [Just because a person receives bad things in life, does not automatically make him/her a recipient for heaven], but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.’ ” Nowhere in Scripture does it mention anything about Abraham taking part in the judgment. Jesus Christ is the righteous judge among His called and chosen few. Nowhere in Scripture does it mention that those in hell could communicate with anyone outside of hell. Read the whole story, and anyone can easily tell that this was nothing less or more than a potent parable to illustrate that the rich neither loved God nor their needy neighbor, and for that reason, they will end up in hell, regardless of how loud they shout “Praise the Lord” from the roof tops for supporting their churches.

Please remember that genuine Christianity’s most important precept—although all commands are important—is about loving God with one’s all, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Luke 10:27-28. “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’ ” Ouch!

Those who do not live that way can never enter the kingdom of heaven. Rich people like the man in this story, even with a possible show of required generosity, would not be rich if they were not secretly and silently greedy and possibly self-centered; for that reason they do not and could not obey God’s love commands. The definition for greed: “Desire for more than one needs or deserves.” Actually, the words “greed” and “greedy” are mentioned in a negative way sixteen times in the NT, and are mentioned only eight times in the Old Testament. That seems to indicate that greed was not so bad before the time of Christ. Of course, the Jews of the Old Testament were promised the land as their inheritance, and not heaven.

Another section of Scripture is in Revelation 6:10. “They [those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained] called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ ” This sounds like there were already people in heaven at the time the book of Revelation was on going. That is not true. The book of Revelation was to take place in the future, except for Revelation chapters 2-3, when Jesus Christ revealed the sins of the seven churches. Revelation 1:1. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”

This next short conversation took place between the thief on the cross and Jesus. Luke 23:42-43. “Then he [the thief] said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’ ” Now something is screwy: Listen to this verse in John 20:17: Jesus was speaking to Mary in front of the empty tomb right after His resurrection. Jesus said to Mary, “ ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father.’ ” If it is true the way it is universally accepted with the comma after the word “you,” that means the thief and others went to heaven before Jesus. Luke 24:51. “While he [Jesus] was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.” Colossians 1:15. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” and Colossians1:18. “. . . he [Jesus] is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead . . .” That undisputedly means that Jesus was the first to enter heaven. But if the comma was placed after the word “today” where it should have been, then it would read this way: “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise.” [in the future].

The problem that is unknown to many is that ancient/very early Biblical manuscripts had no punctuation marks between sentences or separations between words, even when absolutely necessary. In fact, there was no separation of verses or chapters. I really don’t know when separations and punctuation marks started to be used. The error was the result of the ill-informed scribes and possibly translators. I am surprised the newer Bibles or the clergy of the first century, even the present-day clergy, didn’t correct this extremely significant mistake. Even in the new 2011 edition of the “New International Version of the Bible,” it was not changed. That seems to indicate that the editors were not aware of the contradiction between the two verses, or that it was too dramatic of a change for them to make.

The three most disturbing verses in the complete NT are Matthew 27:51-53. “. . . The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.” This section raises more unanswerable questions and gives absolutely no answers to several pertinent questions: The reason I address this section is because when these holy people died, they didn’t go straight to heaven after their death, but as was correctly believed, they were asleep in their tombs. Questions: 1) Did they have physical bodies? 2) Why were they raised to life? 3) What happened to them, after their mission was accomplished, whatever it was? 4) Where did they go after they appeared to many people? 5) Who classified/judged them as “holy people”? Jesus was with His disciples for forty days after His resurrection [Acts 1:3. “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”] Did Jesus and His disciples make contact with these “raised from the dead” people? Many more unanswerable questions could be asked. Because this dubious section of Scripture was left out of the same account in the books of Mark 15:38, and Luke 23:44-45, I truly personally believe that these verses are an anomaly and may not belong in the NT.

Here is another interesting account that fits in with the notion that the “dead-in-Christ” sleep and do not go directly to heaven at death. It is found in the Old Testament:

1st Samuel 28:11-15. “Then the woman [the witch of Endor] asked, ‘Whom shall I bring up for you?’ ‘Bring up Samuel,’ he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!’ The king said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. What do you see?’ The woman said, ‘I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.’ ‘What does he look like?’ he asked. ‘An old man wearing a robe is coming up,’ she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’ ” Read the whole story; it is quite interesting.

According to the complete NT, the only people who are in heaven at this/that time besides Jesus are Moses, Elijah, Enoch, and possibly Abraham; and of course, the holy angels. Scripture doesn’t tell of anyone in heaven, not even Samuel, as holy and as great a prophet he was for the Lord.

The “sleep at death” verses that have been grossly overlooked or purposely ignored, tells that when a person dies, he/she will sleep until Judgment Day/the day of Christ. Even though the spirits of the dead do not occupy space, God’s chosen and called—which He knew before the beginning of time—would be sleeping in Christ’s protection until the judgment. 1st Thessalonians 4:14. “. . . For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” Therefore, it is fair to say that the remaining (the lost), even before the judgment, will also sleep until Judgment Day, but who knows where—possibly very close to hell?

By the way, the above word “day,” as mentioned several times in the NT, many times is not according to earth’s time, but in a dimension where time does not exist, since each individual that ever walked the earth will be judged individually and impartially.

The Apostle Paul mentioned the word “asleep,” referring to “the dead will sleep” in his epistles ten times,; knowing that when he died he would also sleep until the day of Christ. And yet, that was what he was looking forward to. Philippians 1:23. “I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

God knows all those He has chosen: Revelation 21:27. “ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Since God knows His own and what will take place, the judgment will not be for His benefit, but for atheists and those who called themselves Christians and believed they would be going to heaven. The reasons why they flunked life’s test to enter eternal life will be judged .

The following are 19 NT verses that will qualify the statement that the spirits of all the dead exist in a sleeping state, regardless of how they died, even those who were cremated.

Matthew 12:36. “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”

Luke 14:13. “Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

John 5:28-29. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

John 6:40. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:54. “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 11:11-12. “After he had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’ His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.”

John 11:23. “Jesus said to her [Martha], ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ ”

Acts 17:31. “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.”

Acts 23:6: “I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”

Acts 24:15. “and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.”

Romans 2:16. “This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”

1st Corinthians 1:8. “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1st Corinthians 11:30. “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”

1st Corinthians 15:17-18. “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.”

1st Corinthians 15:42. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead.”

2nd Corinthians 5:10. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, [on judgment day], so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Philippians 1:22-23. “Yet what shall I [the apostle Paul] choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” Compare this verse with the next one below.

Philippians 3:10-11. “I [the apostle Paul] want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” These two verses dogmatically teach that when the Apostle Paul dies, he believed he would sleep in Christ until the resurrection of all who sleep.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-17. This section is worth repeating. “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

2nd Timothy 4:8. “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [judgment] day.”

1st John 4:17. “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment.”

In conclusion: There is no legitimate/logical way to dispute what these verses are teaching us. Somehow, all Christians must know this truth. What can one poor man do to spread this news? I will ask all of you to make a copy/s of this post and share it with your pastor, if you have a regular church you go to. Give it to a friend. If one has influence and a little money and know-how, offer it on the 60 minutes television program on CBS—they are not afraid to shock the public; I will personally attempt to contact them. There are many ways we could spread this good news. Share this blog with as many friends as possible. My most powerful weapon is my continual prayer to God that He will somehow make this truth known to many people. Only thing is, many “Bible- believing people” will not believe it, especially the clergy. This teaching is relatively new—although it shouldn’t have been—and it might be necessary to be read this post several times for it to be fully understood.

It is no wonder why some atheists, etc. may already know, or learn from this post, this serious discrepancy: How Christians believe they will go to straight to heaven as soon as they die, and the remainder will be sent to hell. They also may know what the NT teaches concerning how the dead will sleep at death until the resurrection, and ridicule us as a bunch of dumbbells. Atheists believe that whatever good or bad anyone has done in life, there will be no punishment, reward or afterlife; they die just like animals. I am waiting for your comments on this unique post.

# 307: Christian Works and the Cross

In Christianity, all spiritual virtues must spring from a faith-filled life, which includes the love we have for God and receive from God, along with the love we have for the needy. And of utmost importance is our firm connection with God’s Holy Spirit/the Spirit of Christ, which we received and which lives in us. That Spirit is the supreme motivating power that inspires and enables all genuine Christians to live and do all that the Word of God (New Testament) teaches. This is not an option; it is mandatory. The above word “genuine” implies that not all people who call themselves Christians are real Christians; just because they belong to a certain denomination, or because their parents were Christians, or because they go to church regularly and pay their tithe, or believe that because they live in a “Christian” country, etc., does not automatically make them Christians.

In the New Testament, the words “fruit,” “works,” and “deeds,” which are almost one and the same, are what we do and how we live by continually promoting the works that Jesus Christ started. Only thing, the word “fruit” sometimes is tangible; it has been produced by our holy actions. Galatians 5:22. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control . . .” And much, much more. John 15:8: "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

The only thing is that some atheists could and do practice all these virtues. In fact, I believe there are many, many atheists who have been pretending to be Christians all their lives, and some may know the New Testament as well as any Biblical scholar. Then there are atheists like Joel Osteen who are silver-tongued preachers who customize the holy gospel message to fit snugly into our modern affluent society. The reason I say that is that virtues do not and cannot make us Christians, but are a result of our connection and obedience to Jesus Christ.

Now the universal question that has silently plagued the Christian church for centuries, is what must a Christian do, other than living a holy life, to be doing what is required in the New Testament?

The overall answer is this: As Christ’s disciples, we are taught to continually promote the Holy works that Jesus Christ started. The key word is “promote.” It means to help bring about or further the growth of the Christian cause. That is the job (works) of every real Christian. That is just one way God, our peers, and the world will know who the real Christians are.

One of the most important works/deeds we can and must do is to share our faith in whatever way is best for us and fits our situation in life. Philemon 1:8. “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full knowledge of every good thing we have in Christ. Some will say, “Everyone has a right to believe as they do, right or wrong, without our interference.” I say, that is the belief of an unloving, lazy dodo. That statement is evidence that something is radically wrong/missing in the lives of many professed Christians who don’t have a need or desire to share their faith. If one’s Christian life is what it is supposed to be—something unbelievably wonderful—a pack of wild horses couldn’t stop them from sharing it with the world.

Now to expand on the above-cited question: Are we real or incomplete/immature Christians? If we are real, let us give praise and glory to God. If we are not, we first have to personally acknowledge where we are at, and then realize it will require a lot of work as we venture into a dynamic, blessed, and mature life change.

We must be bold in spreading the truth in personal contacts, which has been avoided for so long by those who claim Christianity; they are not aware that they are neglecting some very important New Testament commands, which most will deny. This will take a lot of guts and the outcome may be that we have become enemies or are ignored by those who once were our dear friends. Whatever the outcome, we are/will be doing the works/deeds that will further the cause of Christ; that is, if we don’t quit. This is an extremely difficult and important type of Christian work.

It is a shame to say that at least two Christian denominations—if they could be called that—are vigorously doing door-to-door work to solicit their beliefs. That is the type of work that most, if not all, genuine Christians should be doing. Why are the vast majority of church-going Christians not doing that sort of soliciting? Answer: They can’t be doing that type of work if they don’t know the whole truth or don’t have any spiritually controversial subjects to discuss. And believe me, most could not discuss the whole gospel, including the avoided sections that are very contentious and controversial—the parts not practiced in many churches because most have been obscured and they don’t dare or care to discuss. This blog continually brings those topics to the surface.

Don’t let this statement shock you. The only way any Christian can avoid these above- mentioned requirements is to disregard the New Testament. Once a person does that, it is erroneous to call oneself a Christian. The name “Christian” belongs only to those who are actually saved by faith, love God, actively love his/her neighbor, and obey all pertinent commands and teachings in the New Testament.

I don’t think anyone in the world would enjoy any type of suffering. There is physical suffering, and then there is mental suffering. As anyone leaves traditional-type Christianity, and gets into complete New Testament Christianity—there is a world of difference—we will expose ourselves to much mental and possibly physical suffering from church-going people, etc. because of our new Bible-based beliefs. Hebrews 12:7. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” Revelation 3:19: “Those whom I (the resurrected Christ) love I rebuke and discipline.” This type of adversity will produce much inward strength; that is, if we don’t give up. But never forget this: With this suffering we will also be experiencing lasting, Godly joy, the type that this world can never duplicate. This is a guarantee.

We will be hated—although most often silently—by dedicated church people, because we will expose their beliefs as non-Biblical. John 7:7. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me (Jesus Christ) because I testify that what it does is evil.” No one likes to be hated, but we will be hated.

Matthew 10:22. “All men will hate you because of me.” This verse that genuine modern-day disciples will be hated is not mentioned in most traditional churches. Or they say that type of hatred was only for the early Christians. Regardless, it is mentioned in a verbatim fashion four times in the gospels. Being hated quite often is an important part and a result of living and preaching (works) from the complete gospel message. Acts 5:20. “‘Go, stand in the temple courts,’ he (an angel of the Lord) said, ‘and tell the people the full message of this new life.’”

One of the biggest and most shocking misconceptions of all Biblical teachings by most, if not all, churches and religious people is the word “cross.” The word “cross” has twenty different meanings according to Webster’s dictionary. 1) “an upright post with a cross bar across it near to the top.” Listen to this one: 7) “any trouble or affliction that one has to bear.” Luke 14:27. “And anyone who does not carry [take up] his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” This verse with different variations of words—but with the same meaning—is mentioned five times in three gospels. Let me give the five verses for anyone who may think I am making this up: 1) Matthew 10:38. 2) Matthew 16:24. 3) Mark 8:34. 4) Luke 9:23, and the above-mentioned 5) Luke 14:27. This repetition strongly indicates that this verse is of great importance. And it must be heeded.

To give these above-mentioned five verses more teeth and to be extra-certain we are not taking the meaning of the cross out of context, every one of these five verses is surrounded with a verse/s that tells that the cross will not be easy to bear. Let me give the verses that are either before or after these five verses that will convince anyone who doubts what is being taught about the cross:

Matthew 10:37. “Anyone who loves his father or his mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Verse 39: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Matthew 16:25. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

Mark 8:35. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

Luke 9:24. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

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.”

When the cross was mentioned in these five verses, none of His disciples or anyone else knew at that time that Jesus was going to be crucified on a wooden cross, or they would have questioned Him concerning what He was talking about. They instinctively knew the cross meant hardships and possible death. That seems to indicate that His disciples understood that He was teaching them that they would have much trouble as they continued the work that He started, and would possibly be killed. The words “trouble/d” and “hardship/s” are mentioned no less than twenty- one times in the New Testament concerning how tough life would be for His disciples. I will mention one: Acts 14:22. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” These troubles and hardships (the cross) are one of the works that Christians will have to bear.

I am compelled to say that the cross Jesus was talking about is/was not a wooden cross, but a life filled with affliction and hardships. Could you see His followers or modern Christians carrying wooden crosses, no matter where they went, in order to obey the command of taking up/carrying the cross of Christ, or they cannot be His disciples? That is stupidity on the highest Christian level. What would stop a person from carrying a cross who is just pretending to be a Christian? You see, the wooden cross/crucifix is the wrong symbol for Christianity.

The reason those verses were said the way they were is because the cross of hardship was meant to be an intricate 24-7 part in the lives of Christ’s disciples. I am certain these words are foreign to American Christians. And the reason today’s Christians don’t experience this holy affliction in their lives is because most Christians love to go with the flow of their entertaining worldly church. The reason they love this world, they say: It is the only world we know. Poor excuse! 1st John 2:15. “Do not love the world or anything in the world [which includes worldly churches]. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Also, James 4:4. “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

Nowadays, many people who claim to be Christians wear a cross around their neck, or display it on their walls and in their statues, etc. In other words, since being a Christian is now an honorable undertaking in America, they want to tell the world that they are the good guys/gals with the white hats.

Then there is another unbiblical practice that many churches have implemented, and that is that anyone can be a Christian, a believer or a brother, and not be a disciple. Please, anyone, show me one verse that even implies that Christians, disciples or believers, etc. are different classes of followers of Christ? I believe this type of teaching got a foothold to relieve many weak/new “believers” from many hard-to-implement commands that mentioned disciples, like the one about the cross. Even though there were/are immature Christians who are new to the faith, and seasoned Christians, they all are equal in every aspect as to the sacred and holy position they are in. They are all holy children of God.

The word “disciple” is the only accurate word to describe what a Christian consists of, because the phrase “disciples of Christ” means anyone disciplined in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Let me put it this way: Of all the people in the world who for whatever reason claim to be Christians, how many would truly classify themselves as disciples of Christ?

Our cross (affiliation) was/is the trademark for all Christ’s disciples, and the actual wooden cross was the Roman symbol of punishment for wrong-doers/criminals.

In the epistles, the word “cross” was mentioned five times when it referred to a wooden cross, and nine times when it was referring to the cross of trouble and hardship and possible death. There is a difference between the two when one studies the context of these thirteen verses carefully.

Also, at other times in the Roman Empire, real Christians who would not deny Christ verbally as their Savior were sentenced to death along with criminals; they were stripped naked and taken into the coliseum/arena to be eaten by lions for the joy and excitement of blood-thirsty spectators. Of course, wealthy “Christians” most likely will miss out on being eaten by lions because they have too much to lose. (At times, a little satire is needed to make a point).

I wonder how many penitentiaries and churches would be thriving in America if all hardened criminals and genuine Christians were sentenced to death in modern coliseums to be eaten by lions? The most likely answer: Conventional churches would eventually be empty, and our prisons would be near-empty. What I am saying is that the vast majority of modern American Christians don’t want to be eaten by lions; guess why? Most would say or do anything to avoid the lions. Only those who would be willing to be eaten by lions would be the genuine Christians. They are willing to die a horrific death because they have a much, much better place waiting for them. Where would you and I stand if we had to make that choice? The answer to this question would candidly reveal more about the geniuses of one’s Salvation/faith than thousands of beautiful, holy and religious words, regardless of how many good works one could have done in a lifetime. Philippians 1:23. “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.”

Actually, knowing the frugality of the “waste-nothing” attitude of the Roman Empire, some believe as I do, that Jesus was hung on a tree without the cross bar—because of the extra work, time and material it would take to install the cross bars. That is why the words “on the tree” or “on a tree” (concerning Jesus’ crucifixion) are mentioned five times in Scripture. Acts 5:30, Acts 10:39, Acts 13:29, Galatians 3:13, and 1st Peter 2:24.

Rome didn’t bother or execute Christians regardless of what their religious beliefs were unless they broke (crossed) Roman law. It was the Jewish leaders and the die-hard circumcision group who made it difficult for the disciples, and persecuted them whenever and wherever the opportunity arose.

In conclusion: Living a Holy life in obedience to New Testament Scripture is not an effortless undertaking. It is the most important and challenging work we must continually be engaged in. If, by some chance, a few Christian bloggers don’t give this post credence, I pray that God will have mercy on them.

Nowhere in Scripture does it even give a hint that living the Christian life will be easy, even though it will be a joyful life, as Scripture reiterated over and over again. Why? Just about everything taught in the New Testament about how we must live and love is contrary to what our sinful human nature dictates (the way Satan’s enticing but evil world operates).

If anyone can demonstrate, via the New Testament, that any part of this post is in error—give the name of the book, chapter and verse/s—concerning Christian works or the real meaning of the cross, please leave a comment. I will respond to all noteworthy comments.

Let me make this perfectly clear: Even though I am the author of this post, I take very little, if any, credit for disclosing many of the New Testament’s spiritual and holy concepts. It was the Spirit of Christ who dictated/inspired most, if not all, of the content. And still, by telling the truth in this blog for six years, I may be the most hated man in this country by religious people. jc

# 306: The Attributes of Wealth

The attributes of wealth mentioned in this post are mostly silent and tightly held secrets. Wealth, riches and prosperity (the three are basically one and the same) are the most highly valued possessions in all of America, and even the world. Yet, do Christians know that material wealth/prosperity could be detestable in the sight of God? Luke 16:15. “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” Is it really?

If this is so, why is affluence something most humans would dearly love to acquire, and at the same time, Scripture claims is detestable in God’s sight? Let us examine New Testament Scripture in detail and in a comprehensive way, in an attempt to understand if wealth is contrary to many Christian principles and commands, and one of God’s most imposing adversaries.

Riches can shelter from trouble and detrimental worldly circumstance. But what do the New Testament Scriptures teach? John 16:33. “In this world you [genuine Christians] will have trouble.” However, in the midst of those troubles, we will have divine peace and joy. There are another half a dozen verses or so that virtually teach us the same principle, that trouble will/may be our destiny if we don't go along with the happy-go-lucky flow of the world.

One of the sneaky tricks about wealth is that it is deceitful; it can give what a person desires, but it cannot give what a person may unknowing need: It cannot bear much fruit of righteousness. Mark 4:19: “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things, making it unfruitful.”

Wealth makes a person feel superior. A person that feels superior destroys all chances of producing true Bible-based humility. There are at least a dozen verses that praise genuine, Godly humility. Here is one: Ephesians 4:2. “Be completely humble and gentle . . .”

Wealth makes a person egotistical. John 12:25. “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” In other words, Philippians 2:3-4. “. . . but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Also, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Wealth’s most favorite goodies are all sorts of greed, even though wealthy people will deny that accusation. Of course, it is not called greed anymore in America; it has hijacked a positive euphemism: “being successful/prosperous.” Can anyone believe that there are 23 verses in the New Testament alone that condemn greed? Colossians 3:5. “. . . and greed, which is idolatry.” Some may ask this question: “Why is being greedy such a bad thing to God?” It certainly is not a bad thing for the majority of people. But for those who claim to be Christians, greed earns a reserved ticket to hell. Why? Because the whole Christian religion is based on a holy love for God and our needy neighbors. Christians cannot have more than they need and not be generous (love is not love until one gives it away) to those without. Christianity is not genuine Christianity without active love.

Wealth is never satisfied: It always wants just a little more.

Wealth allows a person to create his/her personal, secure heaven right here on earth, while silently saving God’s promise of heaven on the back burner for a needy day that may never arrive. Therefore, with their opulent lifestyles, they have no immediate need or desire for God’s heaven and all of its eternal wonders.

Rich people, which including Christians, spend more on all types of commodities and are the most wasteful of all categories of people. John 6:12. “Gather the pieces [of bread and fish] that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”

Wealthy people need to be admired by those who are not rich, because rich people are without valuable possessions of intrinsic value, although they may deny that accusation. That is another reason why they need wealth: to make up for the spiritual void in their lives.

Wealthy people believe they have the right to be arrogant. Money speaks louder than almost anything.

But there is one quality in rich people who claim to be Christians which is most prevalent: being proud of their accomplishments. James 4:6 and 1st Peter 5:5. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Of course, as previously mentioned, most often pride is silent. Can a person actually destroy pride? I doubt it.

Here is one Godly attitude that most rich people are void of: James 4:17. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do [and could do] and doesn’t do it, sins.” This command goes mostly for those who are rich and have plenty of everything. Could anyone imagine the great Godly role models they would become for the remainder of rich Christians? There are so many needs in the world that are not attended to. Most wealthy Christians believe it is not their responsibility/duty to tend to these needs. If they did, they would not be rich for long.

Another attribute of rich Christians (and even those who are not so rich) is to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord (absolute boss) and Savior, and then believe they can do no more of anything to build on their holy standing in Christ. They also do not need to be assured of their Salvation. As important as it is to make Christ their Lord, it is no more than the first baby step in living the Christian life. It must be followed by a life of love for God and for the needy. That divine love is the best evidence, if not the only, of belief and obedience to God’s Word in Scripture. Although obedience can save no one, it is a vital component in God’s plan of Salvation. This is where the vast majority of the wealthy are in trouble. They cannot obey all the teachings in the New Testament, because there are too many verses teaching that wealth is the forbidden fruit for all who claim Jesus Christ as their Lord. They cannot circumvent these verses, and still believe they have accepted Christ as their heavenly Savior. This is something many denominations turn a blind eye to. As previously mentioned, it would not be in church leaders’ financial interest.

The book of Luke was written to a man called “most excellent Theophilus”—most likely a wealthy nobleman, etc. Therefore, this letter (the book of Luke) is aimed, to some degree, at the rich. The following are several verses that rich people have not had a difficult time worming their way out of. Of course, with the help of the clergy, they are looked on as shining stars.

Luke 10:25-28. “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’. . . He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’; and, ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.’” [emphasis added]. I now ask in all honesty, how many rich people are living as these commands require? The only way God will know that they love Him as He requires is if they obey all His Holy teachings, and love their needy neighbors, which the New Testament repeats over and over again; this blog does the exact same thing. This implies that most, if not all, wealthy people will not pass the tests required to enter eternal life. Luke 18:24. “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Wealth, with the help of many preachers, does a great job of disguising the deadly harm that riches do in the Christian life, because the rich make money into an invisible idol—without their knowledge—of a Satanic god that can give just about anything in this physical world that the empty/wanton human heart desires.

Can any genuine Christians accept what the Baptist church teaches—that once they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, that sacred position is good for life? They call it “Once saved, always saved,” regardless of what they do or don’t do; rich or poor, they cannot lose their Salvation. (Bill Graham was prolific in furthering this belief). There are dozens upon dozens of verses teaching that Salvation is conditional by how one believes, lives, loves and obeys. It is hard to believe how many intelligent, Bible-believing, hell-bound people claim to know what the New Testament contains, and yet believe such an ungodly/unbiblical teaching. This is an extremely serious flaw; if not corrected, millions of good and sincere (but Biblically ignorant) people will end up in hell.

The wealthy silently believe they are privileged characters, even though they may not openly show it, and therefore do everything in their power not to associate with (or display love or friendship to) the lower class (just ordinary people). This is a serious strike against them.

It is the solemn duty of all genuine Christians to somehow elevate and make the lives of others better in whatever way they can. I repeat… Philippians 2:3. “but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

All the above attitudes are contrary to the teachings in the New Testament. And that is the reason why there are over a dozen verses that bad-mouth wealth/riches throughout the New Testament, and not one verse that speaks harshly of the downtrodden poor.

The wealthy are the only class of people who can lavish themselves with the aesthetics of life, which is egotistic and ungodly.

The only positive command which mentions the rich is found in 1st Timothy 6:17-18. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain . . . Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” Repeating, this verse implies that genuine Christians who are rich will/should not be rich for very long if they keep being generous. It is a shame that today’s wealthy “Christians” don’t follow this command. Repeating, what an impact this would make in the lives of millions of poor people.

The only sticky thing is this: Wealthy Christians must keep giving/loving continually, to the point that all these negative attitudes mentioned in this post will no longer be a part of their lives. Personally, I don’t know if this is possible in this modern, money-driven world, but all things are possible with God.

One thing every person in the world emits is vibration. There are only two basic types of vibes: positive vibes and negative vibes, though there are countless numbers of different kinds of vibes in each category. Vibrations are also given off in different strengths, and received most loudly by those who are sensitive to the vibes of others. And there are those who are dull, and therefore do not have the ability to receive vibes loud and clear. One thing about vibrations is that they cannot/do not lie. Animals, especially dogs, are extra-sensitive to the vibes of humans and other dogs. Years ago, their lives depended on receiving the vibes of other dogs, and to a degree still do. Mob violence is a perfect example of how contagious vibes can be. I am not certain at what distance vibes can be received, but the closer, the clearer. (I published a post, #289 on October 29, 2009, that gives a dramatic example of how powerful vibes can be). As Scripture mentioned, Jesus Christ was an expert at receiving people’s vibes and even their thoughts—although the word “vibes” is not used in the Bible.

Vibes are something that the wealthy cannot hide. And guess what type of vibes their hearts give off loud and clear? Negative ones: me, me, and me. They may be smiling and saying all types of nice things, and be prim and proper in all their ways, but anyone who is sensitive to vibes will know what is in the hearts of the wealthy. Vibrations are a by-product of the heart. Some believe that “thought-sharing” is a kissing cousin to vibes.

A person who is filled with God-type love, which is given by the Holy Spirit, will never desire wealth, but will seek humility and the lowest position in the Christian life, while wealth makes a person conceited. Now, no one will have to wonder anymore why God via the New Testament speaks harshly just about every time the wealthy are mentioned.

Our modern Christianity in America, as a whole, has been an insult to God and Christ. Being a genuine Christian means we will/must be living supernatural lives, because we will have the supernatural Spirit of God living within us. Our active divine love for God, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, is the most needed, valuable, precious, and important commodity in the Christian life. Without God’s Spirit, we are nothing. And again, we won’t have love until we give it away to the needy, which will display our love for God. Also, we will know we have His Spirit if we love God; proof of our love for God is obedience to Holy Scripture. In John, chapter 14, it teaches that obedience to Christ’s commands is proof of our love for God and Christ; it is repeated four times in chapter 14. Read it for yourself. No ifs, ands, or buts. Don’t let any rich, slick-mouthed religious leaders tell you otherwise.

What is the “American dream”? Answer! “The good life” that is lined with prosperity, which is the forbidden fruit for all genuine Christians. That dream of prosperity is the desire that is in the forefront of most American lives. I don’t know where the belief came from that America is a Christian country. Even though we have 300 thousand pulpits (and growing), we are a pagan country that is beautifully dressed in “holy garb.” That is not to say that there are no genuine Christians living here; there are, but they are few and far between.

I’ll borrow a line from Debbie Boone’s 1977 hit song, “You Light Up My Life” to describe in a more vivid way wealth’s attributes: “How can it [wealth] be wrong when it feels so right?” Our natural feelings, most often, are not in accordance with New Testament Scripture.

I want to make this question absolutely clear: How could such a Holy Biblical tenant so openly displayed as sacrilegious and sinful (being materially prosperous), which has now been openly accepted, be the standard in most traditional Christian churches in America? I personally blame the clergy for not exposing it. Why should they? Since their bottom line is of great importance to them, they would just be cutting their own financial throats, as it were, because rich people put much more in the basket than average people. It is no wonder why mega-churches cater to the wealthy, giving/telling them with holy words, all that their spoiled and ungodly hearts desire.

In conclusion, you see, I truly consider myself a nobody, a nothing, and I will stay that way. I have no reputation to guard or display, and no collections to make, because I don’t want anyone’s money. That is the reason I can tell it like the New Testament commands, with no fear of any human retribution, etc. That is why this blog is one of the most despised by wealthy and not-so-wealthy religious people on the Internet. The truth hurts, and if one desires, it can also heal. Amen and Amen.

If this post is even partially true, and it is much more than that, it is no wonder that God via the New Testament has a legitimate and deadly grudge against the wealthy, and even those who have an active desire to become wealthy. Repeating, the desire for wealth that is secretly inspired by (Ephesians 6:12) “. . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” is by all means God’s and Christ’s most formidable competitor. Guess who is winning the most recruits?

# 305: The Infinite God of Love

The human mind, with even the stretching of our imagination, will never be able to comprehend all the abilities of an infinite/limitless God. And yet, this post will attempt to explore that unknown.

Our God, the God of our planet and solar system, is also the one God of other forms of intelligent life of planets in our own galaxy, along with an infinite number of those in the universe that already have acquired intelligence, are getting closer to becoming intelligent, and planets on which God has already accomplished His purpose. Some of these distant planets no doubt have more advanced forms of intelligent communication than us humans, such as mental telepathy, vibrations, etc., with which we are not very familiar.

Here is a mind-boggling attribute of the God that controls the complete universe: He is one God, and yet He can have His attention on an endless number of different topics according to whichever planets He is working on. On each planet that has an environment conducive to physical life, He is there guiding the natural process of a few that will/might eventually mature into beings that will eventually become part of His fold.

I am totally convinced that there are such planets in our Milky Way Galaxy. The most convincing evidence is in what we have been calling “flying saucers.” I wrote about an experience I had about fifteen years ago in a post, but I forgot what post it is in. It is worthy of repeating.

My master bedroom had a covered balcony. One night before I went to bed, I went out to get a breath of fresh air, and to gaze at the countless stars. As I was looking in the southwest sky, I saw two objects going in small circles rather quickly. I knew there was something different about these circles because they were going in a complete circle every few seconds. Lo and behold, they merged into one circle. I think I lost track of them for a few minutes until I saw a lighted object fairly close to the ground—I would guess a thousand feet or so—as it passed just west over my house. I lost track of it as it went out of my sight because my roof was in the way. I ran down stairs to see if I could still see it, but I couldn’t find it.

In the morning, I called the police station to find out if anyone else saw it. I was disappointed that no one else reported seeing it.

I have been an ardent organic gardener the majority of my life. I had a gigantic garden with a large pumpkin patch. It must have been late summer or early fall, because some of the pumpkins were orange. The next morning, as I was going about my usual early-morning weed patrol, I was surprised to see one small pumpkin close to my balcony. It was about 6 or 7 inches in diameter, and wasn’t totally orange yet; half of it was missing. It had a perfectly straight cut, not jagged or crooked. I said to myself, there are no kids in the neighborhood who would have stolen only half of a small pumpkin that wasn’t even ripe yet, when there were many that were fully ripe and much bigger.

I had my youngest daughter still living with me. I told her what I saw that night and told her about the half of a missing pumpkin. I told her it must have been aliens. That was the first time in my life I have ever seen her frightened. When she came home that evening, I mentioned to her again about what I saw and about the pumpkin again. She got the frightened look again and said, “Please, Dad; don’t talk about it.” Years later, I mentioned the same topic. “Dad, please; I don’t want to hear it.” It must have been very frightening for her, and for good reason. She never told me, but I guessed she must have thought that with aliens so close, she could have been abducted.

This experience convinced me that there are other intelligent beings most certainly living in our galaxy, which are extremely advanced in their technology. That half of a pumpkin is the first hardcore physical evidence—to my knowledge—that we have distant neighbors who may be interested in us (our planet). I want to mention again that what got me thinking it was someone/something outside this planet was the precision of the cut, and that it happened the same/next day that I saw the strange flying objects.

The questions I now ask myself are these: Were the occupants of that flying object friendly or dangerous? Did they have knowledge of a Supreme Being (God)? What were they looking for? What type of fuel did they use to travel such a great distance? Did they take that half of a pumpkin to see what type of food we earthlings eat? Did they take only half of the pumpkin and not a bigger one that was ripe, because they may have been concerned about extra weight for their craft? Did they take the seeds from that pumpkin and plant them to see if they would grow in their environment? How long did it take for them to acquire the knowledge to enter into other solar systems? Is our planet in danger of an invasion from intelligent beings that are losing their ability to remain on their planet because of their dimming suns, or from the pollution they released in their environment, or other detrimental scenarios? One thing I am certain of is this: They are not examining planet earth just for a pleasurable joyride.

A frightening thought is this: What advanced cognitive and mind-altering abilities do aliens have? Do they have the technology to take over our planet without our knowledge by entering mind- altering “whatever” to negate the thought process of certain healthy, robust individuals, and thus take over their complete cognitive functions? At this time, there may already be a few powerful individuals on earth who have had this sort of mind-altering cognitive transplant without even knowing it.

Although this may seem like some sort of comic book fiction, when dealing with advanced civilizations, our threat of demise, or benevolent transformation of our “out-of-control greed” may come from aliens. When college students—my daughter was one—are studying cognitive neuroscience, they and their instructors would be the ones who may be aware of the almost limitless possibilities (good or bad) because of the plasticity and intricateness of the human brain, which advanced civilizations may have already mastered.

Getting back to our great God whose works are beyond human comprehension, the question that must be silently asked by many is this: What is the fundamental reason for the existence of our gigantic—to say the least—universe, which was created by the workings of Almighty God’s mind?

This is a good place to slip in a poignant question for all atheists or Christians who have atheist friends: Ask them to please give a logical answer as to where the physical material, regardless how large or small it was, came from—since matter can’t create itself out of nothing—that they believe formed our gigantic universe. If they don’t have a creditable/rational answer, they better start investigating the Christian God. When physicist Stephen Hawking was asked that question, he responded, “ At that point in time, that is where our law of physics breaks down.” Although his answer was correct and honest, it still is an extremely poor theory for science to embrace.

Since our God is eternal, He had to have an eternal mission, which is to display His love and goodness to all living beings who desire to join Him in this eternal task. Love and goodness are the main attributes that completely satisfy all living beings who have attached themselves to Him.

However, of all the celestial planets and whatever else may be in the universe, the bulk of them will never have an environment conducive of supporting physical life. Therefore, they are there only as useless debris that may eventually disintegrate, and then coalesce to become more habitable planets.

Repeating: The moral of this eternal, universal process is that the only thing God is interested in is to keep producing intelligent beings who live only for uncompromising, selfless love and God-type goodness. That fact implies that the only goal of everlasting values in our universe is intelligent beings of spiritual substance who have attached themselves to Almighty God.

A thought/fact that not many think of is that our physical universe is not everlasting/eternal. Our sun will end its life in about 7 billion years, possibly as a supernova. This infers that eventually, ALL the heavenly bodies we can see because of the light emitted by the billions upon billions of suns/stars will also succumb to the same fate as our sun. Then the universe will be but a mass of useless debris, which most likely will return from whence it came: to the mind of Almighty God.

As time does not exist in God’s abode, space is also not needed, because spirit beings take up no space. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for physical beings like you and me to visualize this concept. Heavenly beings will not need food, sleep or any of the commodities that we needed and were/are so accustomed to on earth. God Himself will be our light and the source of all our other needs. Revelation 21:23. “The city [anywhere in heaven] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light . . .” Revelation 22:5. “There will be no more night. They [heavenly occupants] will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” Also, the celestial body called “the new earth” mentioned in Revelation 21:1 will also be made up of spiritual substance.

God and all His offspring will dominate the complete universe for all eternity. All the bad memories of what existed before will be no more. It is difficult for physical humans to contemplate a love that is not self-seeking or envious in any way, because all our needs—whatever they may be—will be satisfied by all the Godly love that we will be surrounded by forever.

In conclusion: I am certain many Christians have asked this question: What will we be doing that will keep us occupied for all eternity? My inspired insight/intuition indicates that we will never get tired of being in the company of Almighty God. That would include continually being exposed to all His wonders for all eternity. But one thing is for certain, if I am not correct; there will never be a dull moment—if moments exist—for the infinite number of heaven’s occupants. Matthew 29:30: “. . . they [we] will be like the angels in heaven.”

# 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.