Category: Identifying and Countering Deception

Is God a Liar?

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It is not surprising that atheists claim that the Bible a fairy tale, but it is tragic that there are so many of us Christians who believe that the Creator lied to us! We Christians do not say this aloud, but we make it known in how we interpret some parts of the Bible. 

When we modify the obvious meaning of God’s Word because it contradicts the claims of accepted “science,” for all practical purposes, we call God a liar.

To add to the confusion, we also affirm our belief in the inerrancy of Scripture, citing such verses as the following.

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Numbers 23:19 (NASB95)

Satan’s deceptions are so subtle that sometimes we are not even aware that we question God’s integrity and knowledge. We cleverly formulate nuanced interpretations that we think will get us off the hook with God, but they do not. He sees right through our duplicity, just as he recognized and called out the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders of his day.

And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” Mark 7:13 (NLT)

A perfect modern example is when we twist Genesis Chapter One to try to make it conform to  heliocentrism. We look at the words of God, scratch our heads, and think, well, “It cannot mean what it says; so, I am free to interpret it poetically to fit what we “know” to be true according to science.” That sounds very reasonable to our human reasoning; however, the Bible nowhere informs us that we are permitted to interpret such passages phenomenologically. 

In effect, when we change God’s Word to conform to modern thought, we declare that the Creator is either a liar or does not understand what he made. Isaiah had some penetrating words relating to such a mindset.

Surely you have things turned around!...shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? Isaiah 29:16 (NKJV)

When we do not believe that the Bible means what it says or says what it means, we call God a liar.

...the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar... 1 John 5:10 (NASB95)

Adam and Eve did not vocalize that they believed that God lied to them, but their actions spoke loud and clear. They gave the serpent’s words more credence than God’s! Are we any different?

Every generation encounters the temptation to disbelieve God and his words.

Satan seeks to overwhelm us with deception to divorce us from God’s truth in every area. As Jesus said, the devil is the father of lies, and there is absolutely no truth in him. (John 8:44) Over the centuries, Satan has managed to deceive the whole world (Revelation 12:9), which has resulted in the entire world system being under his power (1 John 5:19).

In many places, Christians are facing stiff persecution and even death for confessing Christ is Lord.

In the West, it seems that currently our biggest test of allegiance to Christ may  be whether we will resolutely hold to the truth of God’s Word or surrender to the wisdom of men.

The only way to escape the devil’s web of enslaving lies is to turn to Christ and to make a decision to firmly believe every one of God’s words found in the Bible, even when we do not completely understand them.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

Jesus made it clear that we do not get to choose which of the words of the Bible are true and which are not (John 10:35).

We do not have the authority to declare that the Bible contains truth, but not every single word is true (Matthew 4:4).

Neither do we have any right to dilute the impact of God’s words or nullify them through reinterpretation to fit our own grid of understanding (Mark 7:13).

To be true to God, we must be willing to make a stand for his revealed truth, even if it means we must call some men liars, maybe even the majority of men. Truth is not established by what the majority believes.

May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.” Romans 3:4 (NASB95)

Satan mocked Eve for naively believing God’s words. The devil seeks to intimidate us because we do not understand everything. God requires us to trust him and be satisfied with what he reveals to us.

The supposed secrets of the universe that Satan offers that contradict the Bible must be rejected in favor of God’s truth. God is not a liar.

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Are We Smarter than Jesus?

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I feel sure that none of my Christian friends would ever claim to be smarter than Jesus; however, we sometimes act and speak as if we think so.

One of the greatest lies of our time is that the highest and most certain form of knowledge comes from the scientific realm.

Because we have probed some of the mysteries of biology and physics and have more advanced technologies, we may believe that we are smarter than our ancestors, some of whom we might describe as being “pre-scientific.” To our great loss, we may denigrate other forms of knowledge and wisdom given to us by God, even that found in the Bible.

Jesus taught that God’s Word is absolute truth, of which he is the embodiment.

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASB95)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6 (NASB95)

The Bible warns us to never add to or subtract from God’s Word. (Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:6, and Revelation 22:18-19)

Those who reject God’s Word in favor of some other source of knowledge or “truth” are guilty of suppressing God’s truth, which dishonors the Creator and hides his glory.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Romans 1:18–23 (NASB95)

God’s wrath in the form of a descent into lust and perversion always follows the suppression of truth about his creation and his person. I believe that is where we are today as a direct result of our suppressing God’s truth about creation. We have abandoned the Genesis Chapter One account of creation and cosmology in favor of modern atheistic astrophysics.

All creation testifies to the glory of God, if it is rightly understood. 

I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts. Psalm 119:99–100 (NASB95)

If we measure all other forms of supposed truth against the benchmark of God’s Word, we will have more understanding than those who abandon God’s Word because they think other sources of knowledge are more reliable.

As a result of elevating supposed scientific knowledge and men’s theories above God’s Word, many interpret the opening chapter of Genesis as a poetic phenomenological description of origins which God never intended for us to regard as factual. But has God authorized us to do that? Is there anywhere in the Bible that we are plainly told that we should interpret Genesis metaphorically?

These same Christian friends who feel compelled to interpret Genesis Chapter One phenomenologically would undoubtedly affirm that Jesus is the eternal Logos (Word) who became flesh through his miraculous conception in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit. They would also stand behind John’s claim that Jesus, as the pre-incarnate eternal Logos, created all things.  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:1–3 (NASB95)

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NASB95)

As the incarnate eternal Logos (Word) walking upon the earth, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure. He had more wisdom and understanding than any person who ever lived. Being the very embodiment of God’s Word of truth, he had and has the greatest understanding of its meaning. After all, the author of a book knows better what he intended to say than any reader. 

Now here is where it gets very interesting. When Jesus walked on the earth, he understood Genesis to be literally true.

In fact, he taught his disciples that God’s Word cannot be “broken.” (John 10:35) The Greek word “luo” means to loose, untie, or release. Bible scholars extend that meaning to include to annul, break, or destroy. In other words, we cannot release God’s words from the original meaning and interpret them any way we like. God’s Word carries the force of what it actually says, rather than what we might wish it said. 

Therefore, are we not guilty of “breaking” God’s Word if we interpret Genesis Chapter One as less than factually true? 

In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus taught that Adam and Eve were created male and female “at the beginning” , a direct quote from Genesis 1:27.

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? Matthew 19:4–5 (NKJV)

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them...God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.Genesis 1:27, 31 (NKJV)

Jesus believed and knew Adam and Eve were and are real people whom God (he) created on the sixth day of creation. Mark 10:6 also puts their creation at the “beginning,” thus eliminating old earth accommodations to evolutionary dogma and affirming the six-days of creation. Jesus also believed that Abel was an historical figure. The same is true of Noah, Moses, and Jonah. Jesus does not allow us to relegate any of them to allegory or myth.

Neither do we have permission to relegate the six days of creation to mere poetry that is not scientifically and factually true.

The only reason people began to do this is because we fell for the lie that scientific knowledge is more accurate and reliable than God’s Word. We believed the ungodly occult theory that the earth rotates and revolves around the sun. We accepted anti-biblical theories of evolution and the Big Bang that are required if we accept heliocentrism. Now, after 500 years, the heliocentric lie and Newtonian astrophysics seem more reasonable than the truth of God’s Word. We are victims of the greatest indoctrination scheme of all time, which is designed to hide the truth about creation and obscure God’s glory.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

Should we not heed the warning of John Calvin, who was Copernicus’ contemporary?

copernicus quote

Is it not time for the church to repent of idolizing men’s words above God’s and to admit that we are not smarter than Jesus?

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The Bible Is Our Benchmark for Truth

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It astounds me that many who profess to believe that the Bible is God’s Word have so little faith in its accuracy when it comes to creation, the heavens, and the earth on which we live. Those same people agree that it is our benchmark for truth in moral and spiritual matters, but cede authority to those who call themselves scientists when it comes to many practical things.

We have accepted the credo that “science” is proven objective truth that is capable of standing on its own quite independently from God or his Word.

This is the false hope upon which the scientific revolution began its ignoble quest to liberate itself from God and the Bible. But God has so designed creation that we cannot unravel its mysteries with out his help and the information contained in God’s Word.

We can emphatically say that anytime what is called science contradicts what is revealed in the Bible, it is in error.

Trying to gain knowledge outside of what God had revealed was exactly what got Adam and Eve in trouble. Modern science, especially theoretical astrophysics, has become a religion that postulates untestable theories that morph into unchallenged dogma which must be believed by the faithful, usually at the expense of God’s revealed truth in the Bible.

We were created to believe. We will believe in something, whether it is God’s truth or something else.

planck quote

The most powerful “god” in the modern West today is probably what we call “science.” This was never more evident than during the manufactured Covid crisis when we were told to “Trust the Science,” even though now we know that the “science” was fraudulent. Science was never meant to be simply trusted. That is reserved for God alone. Trusting “science” can only be done by those who accept that it is a modern religion complete with its priests, temples, and dogma. True science has always depended on being tested and verified before acceptance. 

The high priests of “science” today, however, ask us to bow down without giving any scrutiny.

Anyone who refuses to do so is castigated, called a “science denier,”  and sometimes ostracized or punished in other ways, such as the loss of employment. This took place during Covid, with avid “science worshipers” giving their full support to the punishment of the “science denying” heretics, who we now know had the truth and the moral high ground. For me this compares to the episode in Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar constructed a golden image of himself and required everyone to worship it (Daniel 3). Anthony Fauci claimed that he personally represented “science” and therefore should be obeyed! What amazing arrogance!

What is even more disconcerting is how so-called “science” has pushed the Bible out of its position as the highest arbiter of truth.

This is nowhere more evident than in how people who say they believe the Bible interpret the Genesis account of creation. Instead of taking the Bible as an accurate account, as did the Reformers, many Christians today have fully accepted the pagan heliocentric theory along with the globe model (idol?) of the earth. This is a wholesale accommodation of the Scriptures to the claims of theoretical science and is the equivalent of bowing the knee to a science idol.

Both Luther and Calvin decried Copernicus’ teachings as heresy. These men actually believed that the Bible is completely trustworthy in all matters. It is our benchmark by which we measure every other pretender to the throne.

The fact that we have abandoned Sola Scriptura without a whimper testifies to the insidious creeping nature of deception. It is time for us to renounce Sciencia Prima and return to Sola Scriptura.

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The Link between Sorcery and Deception

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Perhaps most people would not think a link exists between deception and sorcery, but the Bible affirms that there is. Concerning mystery Babylon in the Book of Revelation, John wrote:

The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries. Revelation 18:23 (NLT)

Nahum corroborates these words when describing another powerful city of his time, Nineveh.

All because of the many harlotries of the harlot, The charming one, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations by her harlotries And families by her sorceries. Nahum 3:4 (NASB95) 

In another verse, the Bible says that Satan has deceives the entire world (Revelation 12:9). It only stands to reason that he uses sorcery to do it.

Those who take the Bible seriously and know that every word is God’s truth realize that God is telling us that governmental and other types of power in this world are often connected to the satanic and demonic realm. This includes the power to deceive, which is wielded through sorcery.

Consider the power of the satanic lie to seduce Adam and Eve into doing what brought death and destruction. Do we think that the serpent in the garden merely used a logical argument against them, or was something far more powerful and sinister at work? I can almost see the glittering eyes of the serpent as he unleashed the poison of his sorcery against them.

The Book of Enoch, which is non-canonical but is quoted in our New Testament, has some interesting things to say about the occult. It relates that evil angels instructed humans in the wicked knowledge of sorcery. The following is from Book 9.

Thou hast seen what Azazyel has done, how he as taught every species of iniquity upon earth, and has disclosed to the world all the secret things which are done in the heavens. 6. Samyaza also has taught sorcery, to whom thou hast given authority over those who are associated with him. They have gone together to the daughters of men; have lain with them; have become polluted;

I do not ascribe scriptural authority to these verses, but they seem to add detail regarding what is recorded in the first few chapters of Genesis. Whether these words are indeed true, we know that people must gain their knowledge of the occult realm from the devil. Where else would they obtain it?

But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Revelation 2:24 (NASB95)

Just as the deep things of God can only be learned from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10), the deep things of Satan come by spiritual interaction as well.

There are only two sides in this cosmic battle between good and evil, God and Satan. There is only one Lord, Jesus, and one pretender to the throne, Satan. It is important for us to grasp that the entire world system is steeped in deception and that the only way of escape is via the truth found in the Bible as revealed by the Spirit of truth. It is also important to know what we are up against – evil people allied with Satan who have access to “the deep things of Satan.” The power of evil is formidable, but no match for the power of the Lord.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:4–6 (NASB95)

I believe we should understand that there is more deception in the world than we think based on what Jesus said in Revelation 12:9. Governments employ deception on a unimaginable scale through such agencies as the CIA. In an age when the “deep fake” can be easily carried out by modern technology, we must be on guard.

Every other testimony, whether it be scientific, medical, or so-called  “experts”, should be weighed against the testimony of the Bible. When there is disagreement, we must lean toward the Scriptures. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Like the Protestant reformers, we should adopt the motto, “Sola Scriptura” – “only the scripture.” We ought to repent from trusting science or any other human testimony more than God’s Word. This is the only way we will thrive in a world drowning in deception.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB95)
Prayer

Holy Spirit, we ask you to deliver us from the rampant deception that has enveloped the world. Open our eyes to more and more truth from your Word. If we have been duped by the devil’s sorcery and lies, we ask you to set us free in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Click her to see more articles like this.
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The Prophetic Significance of the Stoning of Stephen for Israel

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IsraelThe stoning of Stephen had tremendous prophetic significance concerning the nation of Israel. Stephen began his final speech to the Jews by giving a short account of Israel’s history with God. Suddenly, he switched gears to pronounce a scathing judgment upon the Jews.

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” Acts 7:51–53 (NKJV)

We must assume that the Holy Spirit prompted him to pronounce this indictment. His death, witnessed by Saul, who later became the apostle Paul, fulfilled the timing found in one of the prophet Daniel’s visions.

Stephen’s wording was exact. He did not use hyperbole when he said the Israelites always resist the Holy Spirit and never kept the Law. Yes, there were significant men and women during her history who walked with God, but the nation as a whole was steeped in idolatry and did not submit to God. We now know that it was impossible for them to do so and still is, apart from being reborn in the Spirit, for no one is able to keep the Law.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:21–24 (NKJV)

The window of opportunity for the entire nation of Israel to repent and confess that Jesus is Lord came to a close when the Jews killed Stephen.

The more complete outworking of that judgment was fulfilled years later when the Roman army sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple in 70 AD, thereby ending the sacrificial system forever. 

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13 (NASB95)
 
Daniel’s Vision

I wrote another article about the partial preterist interpretation of Daniel’s seventy weeks, which you can read, if you like, by clicking on the link above. I believe this interpretation better agrees with scripture and history. You can click here to read more about my position regarding dispensational theology. Below I will summarize a section of my article on Daniel’s vision. 

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. 25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” Daniel 9:24–27 (NKJV)

A generally accepted convention for interpreting prophecy is making a day into a year. Below is a breakdown of how the partial preterist position interprets the 70 weeks.

  • 7 weeks (49 years) – 457 BC (the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem) to 408 BC, during which time were the ministries of Ezra (rebuilding the temple) and Nehemiah (rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem).
  • 62 weeks (434 years ) – 408 BC to the baptism of Jesus in AD 27 (The anointing of the Holy One.) He was baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit to carry out the work of the ministry.
  • 1 week (7 years)
    • AD 27 to AD 31: 3.5 years – The time from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry until his crucifixion. He was the the Anointed One who was cut off. The Messiah will be cut off, but not for himself, ending the need for any more animal sacrifices. He, the Messiah, shall confirm a covenant – the New Covenant.
    • 31 AD to 34 AD: 3.5 years from the crucifixion to the stoning of Stephen, after which the door was officially opened to the Gentiles and a door of opportunity shut for the Jews as a nation. Paul was called and commissioned shortly thereafter.
  • 70 AD: the destruction of the Temple by Titus and the Roman army (the people of the prince), effectively ending all animal sacrifices.

The partial preterist view does not put a 2000-year gap between the 69th and 70th week, as does dispensational theology. Therefore, Daniel 9 does not predict what will happen at the very end of time just prior to the Second Coming. If we accept the partial preterist interpretation, it is quite understandable why Daniel was so upset by the vision. God showed him that Israel would reject and murder their Messiah and Jerusalem and the temple destroyed!

Jesus’ Prophetic Warning to Israel

Jesus also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6, Luke 21:20, Luke 19:43-44), which signified the end of God’s purpose for Israel.

Israel had the glorious role of stewarding God’s promises and the scriptures as well as providing the human pedigree for the Messiah. However, just as John the Baptist’s role was concluded when he introduced Jesus to the nation, Israel’s role sadly reached its end when it fulfilled the scriptures by crucifying the Messiah! 

In Acts chapter two, on Pentecost, the apostle Peter offered those present in Jerusalem for the great feast an opportunity to repent of this great evil, and 3000 did! Unfortunately, the preponderance of the people and leaders continued to resist the Holy Spirit, just as Stephen said in his last sermon.

Jesus prophesied that all this would happen and that the kingdom of God would be given to another people, one that would embrace him as Lord.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. Matthew 21:43–45 (NASB95)

This new people was later revealed to be the Church, the “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15) composed of elect Jews and Gentiles who are born again by the Holy Spirit, a new nation and people springing forth from the second or last Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

God’s Plan All Along

The surprising emergence of the church had been God’s intention all along, contrary to the claims of dispensationalism. The church was not a “plan B,” but was God’s original intent as revealed in several places in Scripture.

...to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Ephesians 3:10–13 (NKJV)

From the beginning of Israel’s history, God revealed that he would eventually destroy that nation for its blatant rebellion and raise up another people who would fulfill his will.

The first example was at Mount Sinai. Moses ascended to mountain to receive the ten commandments. Upon his return, he found that the people had quickly abandoned their devotion to God and made an idol for themselves to worship. Here is God’s pronouncement of judgment.

The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:9–10 (NASB95)

Why did God say this? Did he have a “short fuse” which made him prone to utter rash words in anger? Of course not! God knew that the nation of Israel, like all fallen humans, had zero ability to keep his commandments and remain devoted to him.

In the passage above God prophetically foreshadowed his plan to raise up another prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) from whom he would bring forth another people capable of serving him wholeheartedly. This new people would be the New Covenant church, who would be indwelled and empowered by God’s own Spirit. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Again, when the Israelites rebelled against God in the wilderness on their way to the promised land, God pronounced a judgment that revealed his future plan to raise up the church through Christ.

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12 “I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.” Numbers 14:11–12 (NASB95)

When Israel came to edge of the Promised Land the first time, once again they rebelled against God’s command to enter the land and conquer the inhabitants. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith in God’s promises. The rest were sentenced to die in the wilderness over the next forty years of wandering. Only Joshua, Caleb, and the new generation were able to eventually obtain the promises of God.

The principle is simple, the old fallen fleshly order cannot inherit the promises of God. Only those born of the Spirit can enter by faith.

Interestingly, once Israel heard God’s pronouncement of his rejection of their generation, they rebelled once again and decided they would after all enter and conquer the Canaanites. But it was too late. The door had been shut. Their attempt to enter in their own strength did not have God’s support or blessing. It was doomed to failure. (Numbers 14:39-45)

I believe that the nation of Israel today is like that group of rebels. Until the people of Israel submit to Jesus as Lord, they will not succeed. 

When it came time for Moses to die, he again warned the Israelites of what was to come.

Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you. 27 “For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death? Deuteronomy 31:26–27 (NASB95)

Once again, God pointed out that Israel was incapable of pleasing him because that nation was of the flesh, born of Adam, and part of the old fallen order. No flesh can inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50), but only that which is born of God by the Spirit. (John 3:5).

Neither the nation of Israel nor any other human institution or people is capable of pleasing God or inheriting his kingdom outside of the New Covenant transformation caused by the new birth.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB95)

Those whom God so transforms from within are part of God’s elect, the church, the Israel of God. (Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:29, Galatians 6:16, Romans 2:29, Romans 9:6, Philippians 3:3)

When Joshua was near death, he, too, warned Israel that it was impossible for them to be faithful to God, to which they objected, as we all do before God shows us how hopelessly lost we are without Christ.

Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. 20 “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.” 21 The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.” 22 Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” Joshua 24:19–22 (NASB95)

The Jews who reject Christ will be judged by the Law, as will we all. (John 5:45)

The law’s purpose is to reveal how hopelessly lost we are. It was never a viable means for us to save ourselves through obedience to it. It only showed how badly we need a Savior.

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:22–29 (NASB95)

It is so difficult for us to admit that we cannot save ourselves, but until we come to the end of thinking we can, we are not ready to receive God’s offer of eternal life through his Son. If we reject the Son, we do not have the Father either. (1 John 2:23) Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that, rather than being children of God, they were offspring of the devil. (John 8:44) Later in Revelation, he calls them the “synagogue of Satan” in two different places.

I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2:9 (NASB95) 

Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9 (NASB95)

These are not my words, but our Lord’s. He was not antisemitic, and neither am I. Jesus spoke the truth, and I attempt to follow in his steps.

The nation of Israel today claims to be God’s chosen people, but they are not. God has only one chosen people, the elect, who are known by their faith and allegiance to Christ.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants...11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, Romans 9:6–8, 11 (NASB95)

For us to believe that the nation of Israel is God’s chosen people is to misunderstand the New Covenant.

We cannot have it both ways. There are not two tracks for salvation, one that pertains only to Israel after the flesh and another that pertains to all other humans through God’s Spirit. God has only one way to be saved, which is through the new birth by faith in Christ’s resurrection and by declaring allegiance to him. (Romans 10:9-10)

To back Israel now as God’s chosen people is akin to when the northern tribes backed Absalom against God’s chosen king.

Those tribes were deceived into supporting a rebel and pretender to the throne. It did not end well. Many died in a vain rebellion against God’s true king. We dare not fall into that trap today by supporting the nation of Israel as it attempts to regain what God stripped from them in 70 AD. They will not succeed.

God will be glorified in Christ and his church through all eternity, not in the nation of Israel. 

Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:21 (NLT)

Only those descendants of Abraham who acknowledge that Christ is Lord will be included in what is called the Israel of God.

When all the elect Jews and Gentiles are finally born again into the church, the end will come and all Israel (the true Israel of God) will be saved. (Romans 11:26)

The stoning of Stephen was a prophetic marker that closed the door to the nation of Israel. Thereafter, the true born again Israel of God would be assembled from every nation under heaven.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:9–10 (NASB95) 
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Cognitive Dissonance – Gateway to Repentance

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Cognitive dissonance describes the unease we feel when we are confronted with new information that opposes what we have always thought to be true. It forces us to decide either to embrace the new truth or reject it in favor of what we previously thought. Repentance is the English word that translates the Greek metanoeo, which means to change the mind. It is easy to see that cognitive dissonance often precedes repentance.

Jesus called Satan the “father of lies” in whom there is no truth at all. (John 8:44) Since the Garden of Eden, his master plan for humanity is to deceive us into joining him in his rebellion against God and thereby destroy us. He cannot directly curse us, but he can trick us into sinning and bringing upon ourselves God’s righteous judgment. 

The Bible says that Satan deceives the entire world or inhabited earth (Revelation 12:9); so, we should not imagine we are immune to his lies. The Bible goes on to say that the entire world or cosmos lies in Satan’s power. (1 John 5:19) His lies extend to every area of human thought and activity, not just the religious realm. Morality, science, education, medicine, government, the media, and all human relations also are impacted by the breadth and depth of Satan’s deception. 

The purpose of the devil’s lies is to keep us from seeing and embracing God and his truth, which has the power to save and liberate us. (John 8:31-32) 

In the church and the world, false teachers feed us lies to set us up to see or understand things incorrectly so that when we encounter truth it seems wrong to us. This was certainly true regarding Jesus’ first coming. False teachers taught the Jewish people to expect a Messiah who would restore Israel to its former prominence and glory, overthrow Roman oppression, and be God’s instrument to rule and bless the world. When the real Messiah showed up, those false expectations kept most people from recognizing him. The cognitive dissonance created by Jesus’ not being what they expected from the Messiah required that:

  1. They repent from their false belief and embrace God’s truth, or,
  2. They reject the true Messiah in favor of a false version of reality.

The Bible gives us clear examples of each. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who was steeped in the pride of being part of the ruling religious elite and who had been indoctrinated to see things from a narrow legal perspective regarding all things spiritual. Nevertheless, when he was confronted by the obvious truth that God was behind the miracles Jesus performed (John 3:2), he was open to changing his mind. He decided to talk one-on-one with the Lord, which apparently led to his conversion (John 19:39). In his case, cognitive dissonance prompted him to further investigate the claims that stood in opposition to his former thinking. This is how cognitive dissonance can become a gateway to repentance.

On the other side, we have many examples of those who experienced cognitive dissonance in Jesus’ presence but chose to reject his claims and hang on to their old way of thinking rather than repent. One of the clearest examples is when Jesus healed the blind man in John Chapter 9. When confronted by the obvious miracle, the Pharisees refused to acknowledge God’s hand in it. The man who had been healed called them out.

We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32 “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out. John 9:31–34 (NASB95)

The previously blind man could clearly see that Jesus was from God, but those who were educated in the Bible refused to acknowledge the obvious. How ironic. And because they refused to embrace truth when confronted with it, their judgment was sealed.

And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. John 9:39–41 (NASB95)

Cognitive dissonance either opens our hearts to repent and accept the truth or it welds shut the gates of our self-imposed prison of lies. What we do when we are confronted with the truth of God’s Word greatly affects our destinies.

This principle holds for all areas of truth. We are tested in our allegiance to God’s Word above all things. When God’s truth confronts long held false beliefs, we are faced with a choice – repent or worship the false idol represented by the lie. May God grant us repentance and a willingness to let go of everything that contradicts God’s Word.

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Are We Being Loyal to the Truth of God’s Word?

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Every day, when we look upon creation, God intends for us to be profoundly impacted by the truth it reveals about him. What God made reflects who he is. This is called general revelation. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

What do we know about the heavens by observing them? Has God given us a way to penetrate its mysteries? Are we left to our own devices, or has God revealed in his Word what we need to know?

Since the Scientific Revolution, modern man for the most part has rejected the Bible as the ultimate source of truth regarding the creation.

Most of modern astrophysics contradicts what scripture says about the earth and heavens. If we naively accept what Bible-rejecting scientists tell us about creation, we are not being loyal to God’s truth as revealed in the Bible.

The Scripture commands us to affirm that God’s Word is true, even if it means we must call every man a liar. (Romans 3:4)

Our meditations on the general revelation of creation will point us to the Creator only if these thoughts agree with Scripture. How can a lie possibly testify to the glory of God? In a similar fashion, our journey to know God better as a disciple of Christ will only be successful if our path adheres to the truth revealed in the Bible. 

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NASB95)

Most people, even Christians, it seems, have yet to come to terms with how much the world system in which we live lies to us.

We imagine that our government, education system, and scientists routinely tell us the truth, which contradicts what our Lord told us about the world system in the Bible.

We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:19–20 (NASB95)

Since Satan is the master deceiver in whom there is no truth at all (John 8:44), it should not surprise us that the world system he rules consistently lies to us.

The truth testifies to God; therefore, Satan hides truth in every possible way about everything important.

God has been opening many people’s eyes over the last few decades to the scope and depth of our own government’s commitment to deception. We are at the point now predicted by a former head of the CIA.

casey quoteI am of the opinion that our government now mockingly shows its hand by making its lies look as ridiculous as possible to test just how gullible and compliant the public has become. We are tested to see if we will embrace that which we know is false, such as the lie that there are more than two genders. Sadly, a huge proportion of the people around the world bought this lie, despite its obvious falsehood.

When we accept the declarations of so-called experts over our own common sense and observations, we become willing slaves to deception.

Once we grasp that those in power routinely lie to us about almost everything, especially the really important things, we must decide who and what we will believe. Is there a source of information that is always true upon which we can completely rely? The Bible is exactly that; yet, so many today distrust the Bible and throw it overboard in deference to what scientists tell us.

I am convinced that God is allowing us to be tested regarding our loyalty to the truth of his Word.

Will we join the Reformers by insisting that God’s Word is the ultimate source of truth (Sola Scriptura), or will we cave to the Scientific Revolution and agree that science trumps the Bible (Sciencia Prima)?

Please keep in mind the warning delivered by our Lord.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NASB95)

This is our time to shine by declaring allegiance to Christ and to his Word, which invariably pits us against the lying world system. Do we have ears to hear and a heart to understand, or have we been seduced by the devil to agree with him and call God a liar? God forbid!

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Have We Betrayed Our Reformation Heritage?

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Protestant Christians received an valuable heritage from the courageous men and women of the Reformation, which can be summarized by the Latin Sola Scriptura. These words simply mean “by scripture alone.” That world altering revolution against the tyranny of Roman Catholicism began when daring men, often at the expense of their lives, translated the scriptures into the language of the common man. Before that, the Roman church veiled the Bible in the Latin tongue, insisting that the average person had no business reading or interpreting its meaning. Ignorance of the Bible allowed the Roman Church to enslave the masses with the chains of church tradition and papal authority, which often contradicted the Bible’s teachings and obscured the gospel. By putting the Bible into the hands of the common man and insisting that it alone was the supreme authority in our lives, the Reformation effectively wrested power away from the Roman Church, at least for those who believed the gospel.

The Roman Catholic Counter Reformation began in 1540, some 23 years after Luther posted his 95 theses, and was led by Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. One of Loyola’s strategies was to win people back to Catholicism by focusing on education. If Roman tradition and papal authority could not overcome people’s new reliance upon the authority of the Bible, perhaps education could.

If we recognize that our spiritual battle is not primarily against people, I believe we can see Satan’s hand in this.

The devil has always insisted that education is more important than naive reliance upon what God says.

In fact, in Loyola’s lifetime, what is called the High Renaissance was flowering. It was a return to classic (pagan) roots of civilization, emphasizing literature, learning, and art derived from the Romans and Greeks.

At the same time that God was turning people to the scriptures, the devil was reviving paganism with a brand new twist – the Scientific Revolution.

Interestingly, this revolution is commonly believed to have begun in 1543 with the publication of Copernicus’ book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres). Copernicus derived some of his thinking from the pagan sun worshiper, Tresmegistus. Here is a quote:

copernicus quote

The introduction of the heliocentric theory of the “solar system” was every bit as transformational as the Protestant Revolution, perhaps even more so as far as the world is concerned, not in the least because it set in motion the abandonment of Sola Scriptura by the church. 

The Scientific Revolution led to breakthroughs in many areas and established science as an autonomous discipline set free from the “shackles” or limitations previously imposed on it by the Bible.

Since the temptation in the garden of Eden, Satan has pushed mankind to abandon God’s Word in a quest of for independent knowledge. He set up Eve to see God’s restriction from eating from the one tree in the garden as a much larger prohibition against enjoying fruit from any tree.

That evil spirit always wants us to view God as the Great Restrictor, keeping humanity back from reaching its potential.

This is exactly how those who embraced the Scientific Revolution came to see the Bible. Since that time, it has been largely viewed as an anachronism, perhaps a sort of fairy tale, sadly wanting in scientific accuracy. 

The early reformers, such as Luther and Calvin, rejected Copernicus’ heliocentric theory because they still adhered to Sola Scriptura. Luther used one verse of the Bible to reject Copernicus – Joshua 10:13.

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Joshua 10:13 (NASB95)

luther flat earthWhen I bring up this argument against the heliocentric theory, my Christian friends usually counter with “God can do anything.” That, in my opinion, is a flimsy excuse for contradicting the plain meaning of the Bible.

Calvin wrote that Copernicus’ teaching originated from the demonic realm.

copernicus quote

 

But those adherents to the authority of Scripture over all other authorities died out, and the education system spearheaded by the Jesuits taught the heliocentric model to succeeding generations, insisting that Copernicus’ theory is a scientific fact, and so it is thought today by those who reject the supreme authority of the Bible.

Satan gained a significant victory over our heritage from the Reformation, Sola Scriptura, by convincing most Christians that we dare not resist the Goliath of modern science. Instead of Sola Scriptura, we now have Sciencia Prima – Science First. Having been intimidated by scientific theories proclaimed as facts, many Christians now find it obligatory to view such science defying passages as Genesis Chapter One through the lens of heliocentrism.

When we take the plain meaning of the Bible and deform it to agree with science falsely so called, it is a betrayal of the heritage we received from the Reformation and proclaims that we think God is a liar.

I believe this makes us like Saul after his battle against the Amalekites. Samuel told him to kill every living thing, but he spared king Agag and best of the livestock. When Samuel challenged him regarding his disobedience, he remonstrated, that he did obey the Lord. Samuel retorted, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears?” (1 Samuel 15:14) God likewise asks us who claim to believe every word of the Bible, “What then is this pagan heliocentrism?” We cannot have it both ways.

And just as Saul’s disobedience, according to Samuel, was as the sin of witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23); so, our departure from the authority of God’s Word has allowed a bewitching spell to be cast over the entire earth, blinding us to God’s truth regarding the world in which we live and the existence of the creator.

We cannot say that we believe the authority of the scripture is supreme when we make the Bible bow the knee to scientific theories.

I have talked to enough Christians who believe in heliocentrism to know that they believe that they still adhere to Sola Scriptura. They see no contradiction in believing Copernicus’ view of the heavens and earth and holding to the authority and truthfulness of Genesis Chapter One. However, they do not believe Genesis is literally accurate. They think that it contains truth but is not the truth and must be interpreted so that it somehow agrees with Copernicus. But this is not how the authors of the Old Testament saw things, and one of the fundamental rules of interpretation is that the scriptures must at least mean what the authors intended them to mean. They believed that Genesis is the literal truth.

Modern Christians who adhere to Sciencia Prima do not realize that Satan effectively undermined the validity of the entire Bible by convincing even Christians that Genesis Chapter One is not scientifically accurate.

Do we really think that unbelievers will be convinced that Christ rose from the dead when they find out we do not even believe that the Bible is literally true about something so fundamental as creation? Yet, we go about preaching the resurrection of Christ, the creation of humans (as opposed to Evolution), and the Noahic flood as being totally believable, while at the same time rejecting Genesis Chapter One. I find this odd.

It seems we have been so divorced from our Reformation heritage that many Christians today are embarrassed when someone stands up to say he or she believes those verses about creation and the earth and heavens are literally true!

Perhaps the biggest test we Christians in the West face today is whether we will be loyal to God’s word. Jesus reminded us that he expects for us to be unashamed of him and his words. (Luke 9:26) John the Revelator was exiled to the island of Patmos for his allegiance both to Jesus and God’s Word. (Revelation 1:9) It is time for us to embrace the Word and scorn the shame that will be heaped upon us by a disbelieving world and church.

Modern astrophysics stands against the Bible like a Goliath, daring anyone to have the courage to defy him publicly. Up to this point, most Christians have cowered in fear, but God is raising up a band of Davids who will take the challenge, disregard our fears of disapproval and persecution, and boldly reaffirm Sola Scriptura.

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Are These the Days of Elijah?

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A popular Christian song a few years ago was titled “Days of Elijah.” It focused on the coming of the Lord, a worthy and relevant topic. However, if these are indeed the days of Elijah, God is calling us to do what Elijah did – to boldly confront idolatry and challenge people to choose between serving God and the devil.

Baal worship was prevalent in Elijah’s day and still exists, but an even bigger and more ubiquitous idol confronting the church in our time is the false god of science.

In Daniel’s day, king Nebuchadnezzar erected a giant image of himself and commanded all his idol of nebuchadnezzarsubjects to worship it in a grand display of devotion, unity, pomp, and ceremony. Any who refused was condemned to death. We know the story of three brave young men who chose to endure the king’s wrath rather than betray the one true God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego courageously stood against enormous peer pressure and the threat of imminent death.

We are faced with a similar situation today, but now the golden idol is called science. Let us consider how we Christians have prostrated ourselves to this idol, perhaps unwittingly.

I think most of my Christian readers will agree that God’s Word in the Bible is true. If we are evangelicals, Sola Scriptura is a motto from the Reformation with which we are familiar. We believe that the scriptures are infallibly accurate and true as found in the original autographs and are authoritative regarding faith and practice. Jesus taught that God’s Word cannot be broken. (John 10:35)

What the Bible says should not be contradicted or changed. It stands against all competitors claiming to be the truth. 

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for altering the Word of God to suit their purposes.

He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. Mark 7:9 (NASB95)

Altering the clear meaning of God’s Word to make it compatible with an external version of truth is a favorite trick of religious people who do not take God’s words seriously. Here Jesus made it plain that changing the meaning of a text is the equivalent of invalidating or rejecting it. 

Whenever we reinterpret God’s Word to make it conform to a tradition or some other standard of truth, even if it is “scientific,” we are in error.

We now call the time when the Old and New Testaments were written as pre-scientific. Science emerged as a false god in the Renaissance when man determined that he is the measure of all things, not God and certainly not the Bible.

Highly esteemed scientists embarked on the scintillating quest of discovering the truths of the universe without being limited by what the Bible says.

This may have seemed like a new idea, but it is as old as humanity. This quest is the same one that Adam and Eve set out on in the garden. They likewise did not want to rely on God for information. They wanted to figure out things for themselves. This desire to gain knowledge without God’s help is rooted in pride and extremely appealing to us. It is the lure of Satan that has taken down multitudes and still deceives the nations, even those who proclaim allegiance to Jesus.

Any time we choose to dismiss the obvious meaning of Scripture in order to accommodate it to the claims of science, we have bowed the knee to a false god.

Here is a relevant example. Genesis Chapter One gives us God’s explanation of how he created the heavens and earth. In this section of the Bible we are told the sequence of creation and how long it took. The authors of the Bible believed this to be literally true, and God’s people thought the same for millennia. But when Renaissance scientists proclaimed that the Bible is not true after all, a gradual transition began to occur. Heliocentrism met with strong resistance at first from such notables as Luther and Calvin, but over time, as these defenders of orthodoxy died out and as the new theories were taught to the young, this new way of viewing the universe ascended to being considered true, not just a theory. This put the church into a crisis of faith.

Would God’s people hold to the traditional and obvious meaning of Genesis Chapter One, or would we reinterpret those verses to accommodate to a new standard of truth called science. I think you know the answer.

For the last five hundred years or so the Word of God regarding the creation and shape of the earth and heavens has been held captive by the false god of science. In a cunning stroke of evil genius, Satan attacked the foundation of truth, the Scriptures, by undermining our faith in the very first chapter.

It is no wonder that so many have chosen to reject God altogether because he cannot be found in the Big Bang universe. Only the true version of things gives glory to God.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

Today God is peeling back layers of deception and restoring people’s confidence that Genesis Chapter One is literally true and accurate.

Today people are standing up to the monolithic giant in the land called science, just as Elijah stood against the prophets of Baal.

It takes courage to make a stand for God’s truth just as it did for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. May God make us bold to proclaim our loyalty both to Jesus and his words, which includes Genesis Chapter One!

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NASB95)
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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 12 – Conclusion

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My conclusion of this series on why I am no longer a Roman Catholic will attempt to summarize the key points. My motivation for writing is witnessing of late some people I know expressing interest in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Understanding the errors of RCC theology, I find this to be puzzling and disturbing.

I can only conclude that some who grew up in the evangelical church do not understand how far the RCC has digressed from biblical truth.

My purpose in writing this series is to make plain these errors and compare them to what the Bible actually teaches. The more I wrote, the more I realized needed to be addressed. The twelve articles in this series certainly do not cover everything, but they do address what I consider to be the core issues.

I began this series with my own testimony, describing how God pursued and revealed Christ to me in a way that transformed me from being a skeptic to a believer. My spiritual rebirth changed everything in my life. From that time forward, my focus was on serving the Lord. My wife Martha and I have been in some form of ministry for most of our adult lives.

When all this took place on the Duke University campus in 1971, I realized that it had absolutely nothing to do with the RCC or any other church organization. I was told the real gospel for the first time by my wife-to-be, decided Jesus was worth a try, and invited him, if he were real, to come into my life and reveal himself to me. When our Lord actually did this a short time later, it was the most amazing, joyful, and transformative thing that ever happened to me. The RCC never even told me that I could know God in this way or have any assurance at all of salvation. They only focused on my relationship with God through the church, not one-on-one.

Instead of preaching the gospel, the RCC puts itself forward as the means to be saved.

My second article illustrates that the RCC is a legalistic treadmill of false doctrine and rules that must be kept in order to work towards heaven, without any real assurance of arriving one day.

The true grace of God provides eternal salvation as a gift purchased by our Lord Jesus when he died on the cross and rose again.

Paul warned us that anyone who preaches anything other than the true gospel will be accursed and under God’s judgment.

The third article addressed the RCC’s departure from sticking to the Bible as its source of truth in favor of church tradition and the “magisterium,” or official pronouncements of the Pope when he writes or speaks “ex cathedra,” or “from the chair” of papal authority. Isaiah wrote that unless we follow God’s truth in the Bible, we descend into darkness.

Any person or group who rejects the absolute authority of God’s written word will always veer into error, which is exactly what happened with the RCC.

My fourth article addressed the abominable heresy that Christ is re-sacrificed each time the Mass is offered. This doctrine is opposed to the Bible’s clear teaching that our Lord died “once for all.” This is a clear example of syncretism, the practice of blending two or more religions together, in this case the Old Covenant with the New, producing a hybrid that is not faithful to either. This supposed re-sacrifice of Christ is overseen by a new class of priests not authorized by God. The only person sufficient to conduct the sacrifice of God’s only Son was the Son himself, who is the apostle and high priest of the New Covenant (Hebrews 3:1).

The Mass denigrates Christ’s sacrifice and elevates the church to the sacrilegious position of overseeing Christ’s re-crucifixion.

The fifth article addressed the sinful exaltation and veneration that is given to Mary, Jesus’ mother. The Bible never encourages us to venerate anyone, something that can easily slide into adoration among ignorant people. The false doctrines associated with Mary position her as “Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven,” which are both non-biblical. In fact, queen of heaven is a title of several pagan goddesses. Shrines have been erected in her honor, and the church is encouraged to pray to her, teaching that she is a mediator between them and Jesus, which is also false.

There is only one mediator, our Lord Jesus, who taught us to pray directly to the Father.

My sixth article addresses the RCC doctrines regarding the saints. Before a person is recognized as a saint, miracles must be proven to come from praying to these persons after they are dead. Nowhere in the Bible are we ever encouraged to pray to the dead. Neither are we supposed to turn to anyone else to mediate on our behalf with God.

The Bible teaches that all believers are saints, the word meaning set apart unto God.

The seventh article examines the RCC priesthood in light of the Scriptures.

The priesthood is another syncretistic blending of the Old and New Covenants.

God did away with the Old Covenant sacrificial system after our Lord offered himself as the Lamb of God at Calvary. Those Old Covenant sacrifices foreshadowed Christ’s once for all giving of himself on our behalf. Once the reality came, the shadow disappeared. All believers are now priests unto God, but we offer spiritual sacrifices that are enumerated in the Bible – ourselves, giving, hospitality, and praise. The RCC’s new order of non-biblical priests is heretical.

The eighth article is about the papacy, which is an outgrowth of the error associated with the priesthood that there is a divide between common people (the laity) and a clerical order of priests, bishops, and the Pope. The Pope’s words are supposed to be infallible when he speaks officially or “ex cathedra.” Many ex cathedra pronouncements have been heretical because the diverge from biblical truth. He is supposed to be Christ’s representative on earth, the Vicar of Christ, but the Bible teaches that we are all Christ’s ambassadors or representatives. The Bible also teaches that authority in the local church is vested in a presbytery or eldership. Usually one of the elders in a local assembly has a leadership gift and is part of the five-fold ministry mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher.

Nowhere in the Bible is any one man or woman given supreme authority over the entire church except for Christ himself.

This heresy arose after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the empire, and the church began to fashion itself more like an earthly kingdom, complete with a king or Pope.

The ninth article shows how the non-biblical and false doctrine of Purgatory detracts from the finished work of Christ by claiming we must expiate our own sins by suffering prior to being pure enough to enter heaven.

The biblical doctrine of justification shows how God gives to us Christ’s perfect righteousness and relationship with God. He became sin so that we are now endowed with God’s own righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The tenth article addresses the error behind indulgences which are supposed to remove the need to suffer in Purgatory either in part or completely. The Pope is supposed to control what is called the treasury of merit by which he can commute suffering in Purgatory. At the time of the Reformation, indulgences were being sold to ignorant people who believed their offering could free a loved one from suffering. This was one of the errors addressed by Martin Luther. Christ’s once for all sacrifice provided complete forgiveness, justification, and reconciliation to God. Nothing more can be added to it.

The only treasury of merit comes from Christ’s shed blood, which is freely bestowed on those who believe.

The eleventh article examines the RCC doctrine concerning water baptism which conflates justification with water baptism, which is our public proclamation of allegiance to Christ.

Only the blood of Christ can purify a soul and wash away our sins, not H20. 

In this article I outlined the three baptisms listed in the New Testament: baptism into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit which takes place at the new birth, baptism in water when we publicly identify with Christ, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit which equips and empowers us to be witnesses for Christ. I show that water baptism should follow conversion, not be done prior as with infant baptism. Infant baptism is a syncretistic blending of Old Covenant circumcision with New Covenant believer’s baptism, resulting in error.

The last article examines the RCC’s non-biblical elevation of the Lord’s Supper into something that closely resembles, or perhaps is, idolatry.

Their doctrine of transubstantiation claims that the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ. People are supposed to regard a piece of bread as if it were God himself, a very strange misconstruing of Jesus’ use of the metaphor of bread and wine to illustrate partaking of him and the benefits of his sacrificial death by faith. It is sad that in the one instance in which the RCC chooses to take Jesus’ words literally, they should be understood metaphorically.

The Roman Catholic Church has not slightly veered off course. It actually teaches a different gospel, which is not good news at all.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! Galatians 1:6–8 (NASB95)

Those who read their Bibles will understand how the RCC is incompatible with the scriptures in many areas.

Even though there are genuine followers of Christ in the RCC, their presence is not grounds for overlooking the church’s egregious departure from truth or make it alright to be a Catholic. Instead it is somewhat of an enigma how Bible believing disciples can remain in a church that teaches and practices so much error. I do not believe it is a good idea to remain in it in an attempt to reform it from within. It did not work for Martin Luther, and it will not work for us. My conclusion is that we should pray that God will turn more and more Catholics to the truth, but those Catholics who know the truth already should seriously consider if God wants them to be part of something that is under his judgment for preaching another gospel.

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