False Prophets, Teachers and Leaders In the Laodicean Age

False Prophets, Teachers and Leaders In the Laodicean Age

By Lynette Schaefer

It is evident that we are living in times when absolute truth is no longer regarded as the basis for a statement or a lifestyle. Truth is no longer an absolute; it is now a relative term used to suit the whims of many people and their personal opinions, lifestyles or private interpretations. It is no longer, "this is a fact that comes from the Bible; therefore, we need to live by it". It is now, "you have your beliefs and I have mine, so what is good for you is your own truth, but I have mine".

Biblical Truth used to be a revered, respected, authoritative foundation that churches and society in general would base their lives on as to what was acceptable or not; people didn't have trouble knowing right from wrong because there were absolutes society lived by instead of a worldview where "truth" is whatever happens to be your own reality. Thus, we have been reduced to an unhealthy society that is experiencing so many family problems, violence, immorality, sickness, laxity, materialism, and so on. Of course, there have always been problems in society to some degree; but why does it seem that now, in this day and age, we are dealing with so much chaos in our world?

Why are so many churches in our world declining in attendance? Standards have relaxed with regard to many Christians becoming worldly and engaging in worldly activities; marriage and divorce are rampant amongst Christians; there is less reverence for or desire to study the Bible; less or no time with God. The quality of family life has become less important as family members are too busy making money, pursuing materialism and other pursuits than being centered on their relationship with God. Let me assure you that God cannot be pleased with any of this. The result of this type of decline is a society that calls evil good and good evil. Not only that, we now have churches that are preaching falsehoods, watered-down gospels, non-offensive messages that appeal to the lost instead of convicting them, ecumenism and the desire to be all-inclusive with non-believers. Assorted cults that are on the rise and we now have all sorts of entertainment that has replaced expository preaching, which often features "Christian Rock" type of music that is sensual to the flesh and tickles the ears instead of glorifying our wonderful God.

Churches are now resorting to these schemes in order to fill their church pews and bring in more money. More and more churches are guilty of not properly feeding their flocks, and, because of this, their people are ignorant, undiscerning, worldly, misled, deceived, and not Christ-like. The rest of society could care less about the Bible, church, or worshipping God. It is sadly apparent that the Bible is no longer respected and regarded as authoritative and life-giving for one's life, but whatever is relative or according to what the current culture will tolerate.

America, as a nation, used to be governed by Christian principles. Since then, we have strayed far from obeying God by tolerating and accepting a worldview that is God-dishonouring. We now accept homosexuality and same-sex marriage as OK as well as homosexual church leadership into some denominations (that has caused many problems), when this practice was once shunned by decent people and it was never questioned as being sinful. We have relaxed our standards considerably regarding dress standards, music, television and the way we talk, to the extent we are no longer viewed by surrounding communities as holy people who are special to God, but just like them. We have also catered to the demands of atheists, Islamics, the ACLU, abortionists, feminists, and all sorts of ungodly practices and opinions. Yet there is intolerance for anything Christian and true.

Blood-bought Christians are targeted as hateful people and mocked as ignorant, bigoted, hypocrites or worse. The Bible has also been taken out of government and schools, being banned as "hate literature", resulting in an ungodly system with multiple problems in decision-making or bad behavior.

It is a tragedy that America, in particular, has gotten so far away from God because its leaders and PREACHERS have allowed this breakdown in society and relaxed its standards through the "feel good", counterfeit, social gospel and other dangerous doctrines or practices that are being so widely accepted.

What passes for Christianity in today's post-modern world has been reduced to a phoney, personal success/prosperity trip with numerous man-made programs and schemes employed to "grow a church". By contrast, the true purpose of the Christian Church is the following: 1) the assembling of ourselves with like-minded believers to encourage each other in our Christian Walk (Heb. 10:25; Acts 20:32); 2) Corporate worship of God in Spirit and in Truth (that means knowing Him through a right heart attitude) (John 4:23-24); and 3) being properly equipped by preaching and teaching to carry out the Great Commission to share the Biblical Gospel and make disciples (2Tim. 3:16-17; Mark 16:15). It is high time to call the Apostate Church to repentance and back to her first love for Jesus before its too late. (John 8:32)

Those in leadership positions, whether in government, schools, churches, business, or wherever, are responsible and set the tone for everything and everybody under them. When they mess up, everyone else messes up. (Ezek. 34:2) God will have His final say to these people on Judgment Day. There are many reports of well-known Evangelical leaders who have connections to Freemasonry (which has occultic roots), the Illuminati (also occultic) and Rev. Sun Myung Moon (a cult leader). They are the very ones who are leading unsuspecting Christians down the wrong path. Many Christians or those seeking God have flocked to stadiums, TV stations or the radio, eager to hear these "wonderful preachers" preach what looks like a true evangelistic message, but is really a subtlety of lies and falsehood that can KILL A SOUL! These preachers, who have a lot of influence on their followers, are actually leading unsuspecting people right into the New World Order of the Antichrist. When the Antichrist does appear on the scene, the whole world will be prepared and ready to accept him! We need to watch out! Jesus said "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). It is not my intention here to condemn any individuals, as that is God's authority, but rather the poisonous messages and doctrines they support or have come to support. Here are examples of what they are teaching:

The New Evangelicalism

The History of New Evangelicalism. Here is a brief synopsis of the history of New Evangelicalism:

The Fundamentalist-modernist controversy set the stage for New Evangelicalism. This goes back two centuries in Europe, particularly Germany. In the dawn of the "scientific era", anti-Christian thinkers such as Darwin, Hegel, and Marx led the movement to dethrone God and replace Him with man. Many unregenerate "Christian" professors in European universities had already rejected the Word of God, so they gladly accepted the humanistic thinking of the day regarding evolution and the Bible. The result was really tragic: the Bible was considered only a human book devised by uninspired human writers, and was put on the same par as Shakespeare. Jesus Christ was also considered a mere man and not deity, the Second Person of the Trinity. So Modernism spread quickly.
Many conservative church leaders went against theological modernism who were called "fundamentalists". Although the term is used by unbelievers in a derogatory fashion, fundamentalism actually grew from the doctrinal controversies that embroiled American churches at the beginning of the 20th century when modernism was starting to grow. The battle that ensued was the result of those who defended the Bible as true against those who distorted it. In order to clearly set forth the position of fundamentalism, a series of books were published that were written by a number of conservative authors declaring the fundamentals according to the Bible vs. the heresies of modernism. Among those authors was Thomas Spurgeon, son of Charles Haddon.
New Evangelicalism became popular as a rejection of fundamentalism. Amazingly, although it's not surprising, the founders of New Evangelicalism grew up in fundamentalist homes, and in the first half of the twentieth century, evangelicalism in America was largely synonymous with fundamentalism. C.H. Spurgeon was a living example of what the term "evangelical" is supposed to be from generations past: his ministry was characterized by faithfulness to the truth, a holy life, a pure gospel of grace, and bold exposure to and separation from error. (2Cor. 6:17) Spurgeon also stood very strongly against Romanism. BRAVO!! Every Evangelical should be like that compared to what we see today!
New Evangelicalism: its influence:

Popularized through charismatic personalities and broadcast through various media.
It is a large part of large interdenominational and Para church organizations such as the National Association of Evangelicals, National Religious Broadcasters, and several others.
It has become very popular and taught in seminaries as part of the curriculum.
Published in magazines and books.
Promoted by national and international organizations, such as National Association of Evangelicals
Promoted through international conferences
Because of the tremendous influence of these men and organizations, NE has become globally accepted. Old-line evangelicals, such as those of Spurgeon, are really rare in today's society, and they have either aligned with the fundamentalists or have adopted NE.

There are several characteristics of New Evangelicalism that define it as apostate. They are:

Repudiation of separation;
Replacing separation with dialogue;
Love for positivism; a judge-not philosophy by a dislike of doctrinal controversy;
Exalting love and unity over doctrine;
Pragmatic approach to ministry;
Desire for intellectual respectability, by pride of scholarship;
Attitude of anti-fundamentalism;
Contradictory;
Division of Biblical truth into categories of important and unimportant;
Exalting social-political activity to the same level as the Great Commission;
Mood of softness; a neutrality toward spirit warfare.

Space does not allow me to elaborate further on any of the characteristics at this time. If you, the reader, would like clarification on any of the above, feel free to write to me and ask.

New Evangelicalism: its fruits in doctrinal apostasy.

Biblical infallibility is in question (John 10:35; 2Tim. 3:16; 2Pet. 1:21);
Ecumenism (Evangelicals joining with other groups that are not Christian);
Apostasy is seen in Christian living (the world spirit of the present age);
Acceptance of heretics.

New Evangelicalism is a theological and moral compromise of the deadliest sort. It is an insidious attack upon the Word of God�The New Evangelicalism advocates a toleration of error, which follows the accommodation to error, cooperation with error, contamination by error, and capitulation to error (Charles Woodbridge, The New Evangelicalism, 1969, p.15).

In essence, New Evangelicalism has replaced the Bible's specific instructions for living and relating to God with shallow, loose, soul-damning concepts that have moved away from the Bible and have united with the world. This is why the Church as an institution has lost its salt and light that has become powerless and silent in the current culture where it once stood as a pillar of right and wrong.

The Emergent Church

This movement is appealing to mainly the younger people, but is not confined to those in a younger age group. Brian McClaren's emerging church philosophy is based on mystical experiences and a re-invention of Christianity in order to provide meaning for the younger generation. The problem with this is the authority of the Word of God is being undermined in favour of man-made schemes or methods of relating to God. So what happens is that images and sensual experiences are being promoted as the key to experiencing and knowing God, rather than adhering to what the Holy Bible says in its teachings about who God really is. These EC experiences include things like staring at Icons, praying in front of candles or prayer stations, using incense as a means of creating a spiritual mood, the use of liturgy to make the church more dynamic, contemplative prayer as a means of getting in "touch with God", understanding the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of the Eucharist when Jesus shows up on the altar and can be worshipped and adored. Sound like Roman Catholicism? See the section below on Roman Catholicism and the Eucharist. The Emergent Church seeks to bridge with Rome in its practices and doctrines. Also, the EC does not study or promote Bible prophecy as part of its doctrinal philosophy; in fact, they believe prophecy will only hinder the great revival that is already underway. Is this scriptural? Well, no: the Bible states that before Christ's return, there would be a great "falling away" from the faith (2Thess. 2:3-11); and that many who once held to "the faith" based on the Holy Bible would come to embrace a false faith that contradicts God's Word. It was predicted in Scripture that Christianity would be re-invented when people fall away and embrace "doctrines of demons" (1Tim. 4:1). Important, essential Biblical teachings on sin would be replaced by psychological self-help and self-empowerment programs that promote loving oneself rather than devotion to God and glorifying Him as our Creator, Savior, and author of our Faith (2Tim. 3:1-5). It was also predicted that some Bible-believing Christians would be seduced by doctrines of demons and embrace man-made philosophies that are antichristian (2Tim. 2:23-26). This all can only lead to a counterfeit body set up for a counterfeit "Christ"; that is, the Antichrist. Another result is that so many people, because of rampant deception, are completely unprepared for the future and have no idea what the Bible really says about those who follow false systems and false doctrines. Many people are scoffers about the return of Christ (2Pet. 3:3-4), and regard those who are standing on the truth of Scripture as crackpots, troublemakers or worse. (2Tim.3:12).

The Emerging Church movement is another post-modern heretical cult that is gaining in popularity and prominence in today's culture. While it appeals to the "modern" cultural views, it is damning to one's eternal life because it is another man-made organization that's an offshoot of Rome and the Church Growth philosophy. You would have a very hard time knowing who the real Christ is if you are involved in this type of church. Stay away from it as it is heretical and dishonors Christ by contradicting the Scriptures.

Purpose-Driven Churches/Church Growth Movement

The following was found as a posting by "Linda" on the Rapture News discussion forum on Rick Warren that says it all, at least to me. I have made only minor corrections in spelling and have added two bolded phrases below:

Rick Warren's doctrine is not rooted soundly in the scriptures; it is a combination of scripture mixed with Jungian Psychology and business success strategy as taught by Napoleon Hill and Andrew Carnage 100 years ago and made famous by Peter Drucker in this time.

The Scripture teaches that we are not to lean on our own understanding, but on the WORD of God and that our doctrines should come from the scripture. (Prov. 3:5-6)

Warren's mixture of the scripture with the wisdom of men leads him to a faulty view of man and of God. Warren would assert that if you are good at and like art then your purpose in life must be to use art to serve God. When in reality the scriptures show that when God chooses to use man for HIS purpose, he often chooses a man that could not possibly do what God would have him do except that God made it possible. Moses, who could not speak well, God used to speak to Pharaoh and to lead the people out of Egypt, is but one example.

God does not desire us to be purpose driven, but Spirit led.

God does not desire us to be self sufficient but self weak and God strong.

God does not seek men who will work for God, but men who will die (to themselves) and let God work through them. (Rom. 6:1-2)

We are not here to find our purpose in this life...we are here to surrender to HIS purpose for our lives, which have become HIS life.

Rick Warren teaches that deeds are more important than creeds or doctrines; that the works of men are the solution to society's ills, that the purpose of the church on earth is to work in the name of God; and that all men come together and can do the work of God regardless of their creeds.

The Bible teaches that those who are Christ's have ceased from our own works; that sound doctrine is essential and we should have no fellowship with those who will not endure sound doctrine; the scripture teaches that Christ's return alone will solve Society's ills and that the purpose of the church is worship, that when Christ is lifted up in worship HE is not man, but HE will draw men to HIM. The scripture also teaches that God is served not with the flesh, but with the mind and is worshipped not in deeds but in Spirit.

Rick Warren teaches the forsaking of doctrine for the goal of ecumenism; the scripture teaches us to be separate from those who hold doctrine that is contrary to the scripture. (Rom. 16:17-18)

Rick Warren teaches that the spiritual success of a church is measured in the number of people that sit in its pews on any given Sunday.

The Scripture teaches that the spiritual success of a church is measured in its faithful obedience to God and its demonstrating HIS will and exhibiting HIS fruit. God measures success in terms of quality and not quantity.

Rick Warren teaches tithing and requires written pledge as a condition of church membership.

The Bible teaches that the Levitical Priesthood to whom tithes were paid has been changed and Christ is of the priesthood of Melchizedek.

Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek out of his goods and the people that belonged to the King of Salem (Jerusalem). The tithes that are due Christ from the church are tithes of souls and their goods brought out of the kingdom of the world and its darkness and into the body of Christ through the Gospel. When the sinner is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of heaven he brings with him his goods out of the world and they are then used in the body to facilitate the establishment of God's covenant.

All that we have is Christ's; as Christ is our life; the gifts we give are the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifice which is our reasonable service. (Rom.12:1)

Those are the things that come first and foremost to my mind in summary; maybe there is something helpful there.

Word-of-Faith Teachers

The WOF movement is rooted in greed, emotionalism, humanistic psychology and fantasy. They look at Jesus as a cosmic vending machine or a Santa Claus; they seek many "signs and wonders", lots of money, supernatural healings, tongues, and the like. In truth, this system of belief is pure apostasy and New Age, and it's based on lies, pride and deception rather than the Bible. Their programs, which they claim are of the Holy Spirit, are often characterized by pandemonium and outrageous claims that are completely unbiblical. Instead of order and decency (which is truly of the Holy Spirit), there is complete chaos and sometimes people are totally out of control. It is often an emotionally charged, circus atmosphere. They are taught to despise the fundamentalism of Scripture and accept a half-baked gospel that only promotes the "positive" aspects while rejecting the essential elements that make up the whole Gospel. WOF groups are seen on networks such as TBN. These churches are largely ecumenical, and new or marginal Christians end up duped and deceived by them both spiritually and economically. Those who preach and promote WOF are false teachers who secretly bring in destructive heresies. (2Pet. 2:1-3) Much of what characterizes the leaders of these churches is steeped in an arrogant, ambitious, haughty and controlling personality that is looking for high esteem from others. They are a predominantly ruthless, greedy, selfish, power-hungry hierarchy that rules these churches and the people in them! Some of these leaders are also 33rd Degree Freemasons, which mark them as demonic. Contrast this with the humble servant spirit like Jesus who is not looking to exalt self through personal power and ambition, but is concerned with the health of the Body of Christ and the worship of God in spirit and truth through the exaltation of Jesus Christ. This is a church that is far more healthy and desirable for a Christian to be a part of and one that is based on Biblical principles.

Liberal Christian Denominations

There are several denominations that have become or have been liberal and apostate besides the ones already sited. What has happened is some of them are voting practicing homosexuals into their leadership and performing "gay" weddings, or questioning the Trinity and other core Christian beliefs, practicing infant baptism, Catholic-like liturgy and practices, accepting women into the Pastorate, are no longer allied with the support of Israel; and they also follow the current trend of Replacement Theology, which is a heretical eschatological belief. They also have a distorted, watered-down view of who Jesus is and what the Atonement is. Most liberal churches view the Bible as an errant book that is not relevant for today. The liberal churches have to some extent replaced doctrine, the Bible, and hymns with entertainment that appeals to the flesh and the senses. The church has become a social club that exalts self instead of an assembly where we come together to properly glorify and honour God. This can only lead to worldly Christians who lack discernment, because many in their leaderships seem to be lacking in a firm foundation in the Bible which is why they are making unbiblical and poor decisions in governing their respective churches and making false statements from the pulpit. It clearly does not pay to be ignorant of the Bible. We are instructed to rightly divide the word of truth (2Tim. 2:15) so we will not fall prey to error. Churches that are falling away and relaxing their adherence to Biblical doctrines are in serious trouble with apostasy, and God will certainly judge every one of them for their apostasy when they should have known better and guided their flocks. This apostasy ultimately permeates and reaches down into the soul and spirit of each family and person, causing them all sorts of serious problems in their lives. We must endeavor to obey God and keep His commandments, for they are not grievous (Ecc. 12:13; John 14:15). When we choose to surrender our will to follow God's way and eschew man's carnal agenda, there is blessing and peace within (even if we are being persecuted for it). There is the broad way and the narrow way. (Matt. 7:13-14) If you find yourself in one of these God-dishonoring churches, my advice is to get out! In God's eyes, you are better off to remove yourself from a church like this than to stay in it for any reason.

Roman Catholicism

This religion is steeped in "Christianized" paganism (which stems from the Babylonian goddess Ishtar), man-made traditions, Mariolatry, purgatory, confession, saint-worship, prayers for the dead, priestly absolution, and spurious sacraments. Doctrine of the Mass denies the all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ and His finished work on the Cross -- the Atonement, which is totally opposite of what the Scriptures teach. The Eucharist is celebrated as a sacrifice that is performed over and over, in which the true elements of Communion that was instituted by Jesus as a remembrance of His atonement, are distorted and treated as a Transubstantiation of Christ's body and blood. This is rank heresy and belief in this doctrine can only damn a soul as it waters down Christ's atonement for our sin and is cause for such confusion when Jesus says things like "I am the bread of life". (John 6:35, 48) Does this mean He is a literal loaf of bread from heaven?! I should think not! No more than He is literally a vine. But this is the confusion that is the result of Transubstantiation doctrine. Catholic doctrine and the Eucharist imply that Christ's atonement was not sufficient and that other "works" are needed. A Catholic follower has no assurance of his or her salvation, and so the doctrine of purgatory is a man-made, corrupt invention as a "place" to send Catholic souls after death and with which the Catholic Church has profited tremendously. The Mass tells of Christ's sacrifice to the extreme but nothing about His resurrection. This is a huge defect, because 1Cor. 15:17 says, "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins." Catholics are indoctrinated to put the Eucharist in place of Christ, which is wrong. The Eucharist as a ritual cannot possibly save. Romans 6:10 says, "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God." Therefore, a man-made ritual like the Eucharist that emphasizes the sacrifice over and over through the doctrine of transubstantiation violates and adulterates the atonement of Christ, which was declared as "finished" when Jesus breathed his last breath, three days before He was resurrected. (John 19:30) It is therefore unbiblical and should have no place in the Christian's worship.

The other fatal flaw in Catholicism is the doctrine of Mariolatry. The whole church is set up so that Mary is the one people idolize for salvation instead of Christ. Mary is regarded as a perpetual virgin, (wrong, she had other children subsequent to Christ, (Matt. 12:46, 47). She is treated as a co-redemptrix, which is total blasphemy because only Jesus Himself has the power to save a sinner, not a sinner who needed saving herself! So the whole system of Catholicism is flawed from the inside out, and it is dangerous to follow these empty traditions

The Catholic Church has a long history of immense wickedness, from extremely corrupt popes and priests to a whole system of superstition, intimidation and deception. It holds those who are devotees in bondage and it is an institution of tremendous wealth and extraordinary materialism. All the pomp and circumstance surrounding the rituals of this church are really empty, man-made traditions that are spiritually bankrupt and have little or no basis in the Living Word of God. We were told by the Apostle John in 2 John 9-11, "Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, has not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

Therefore, when "New Evangelicals" speak praises and support regarding popes or the false doctrines of Catholicism and call it "Christian", it makes me second-guess what they say and shake my head in disbelief. Folks, it doesn't matter if the Catholic Church has been around for centuries, it's a dangerous cult and probably the largest. According to Revelation Chapter 17, the Catholic Church is considered the Whore who rides the scarlet Beast (vs. 3), and the whole false Catholic system will be destroyed at that time, along with the False Prophet (the Pope). Revelation 17 is really the history of the Catholic Church with all its many abominations. Therefore, no discerning Christian and Evangelical should have any part in supporting it in an ecumenical fashion. Instead, we need to be armed with the TRUTH of the Word of God and be able to witness the true Gospel of Jesus to any Catholic we cross paths with. That is responding to them with love and with truth.

Islam

The fact that this religion is an aggressive and violent group whose sole purpose is to annihilate Israel and persecute or murder anyone outside its own group should be quite enough to tell us it is very dangerous and of the devil. Yet, there are some who would be so naive as to say it is a religion of peace and that we all worship the same God! Wow! Where on earth do people get this notion? Not only that, the Muslims deny Jesus as God and Saviour. They believe a person called the "Mahdi" or "Twelfth Imam", who they identify as their "messiah", will return in two years to make a seven year peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians! (Dan. 9:27) Does this description remind you of anyone? Hint: maybe it's describing the Antichrist that we know. This is what will lead the whole world into accepting the Antichrist and the New World Order. Of course, genuine Christians will have been removed off the earth and into heaven by then so we won't be dealing with that. But imagine being caught in that kind of world of evil and wickedness! If you're not prepared, however, you will be. We must follow the Lord in truth and know Him personally in order to be prepared for the future. And the Church must repent of its Replacement Theology influenced propensity to oppose Israel's right to live in peace in the land that the God they claim to worship, promised to Abraham. (Gen. 12:1; Gen. 17:8)

Other Cults

All of the above are cultish in their own ways. In this section, we will discuss other kinds of cults that pervert the true Gospel and are deceptive in their practices; and there are many cults in existence today. They all have their own special doctrines and/or cultural leanings that they follow, which depends in large part what each of their founders claimed to be their "truth". Many of them started up in the 1800's, and at that time many of the doctrines that each claimed as "unique" were in fact, borrowed from each other to one degree or another. But aside from that, the most common beliefs that many of them share are:

Charismatic leadership - the founder and leadership has a convincing, magnetic personality to attract followers.
Do not question - Don't question the origin of the doctrines or the leadership; do as you're told and you won't get in trouble.
Deny deity of Christ - Jesus was just a man; a created being.
Deny work and office of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit is simply an impersonal force and not the third Person of the Trinity.
Works salvation - baptismal regeneration, salvation by doing good works, penances, confessions, and no assurance.
Belief in Satan may or may not be taken as mythical.
Contempt for Orthodox Christianity.
Gospel is added to or subtracted from in the core, essential doctrines of the Faith.
Follow a system of beliefs set up by a founder, rather than a Person of the Bible.
Legalistic in organization.
Annihilationism vs. preservation of the soul is preached.
Univeralism, the belief that everyone who has ever lived will be saved in the end.

There are probably other areas of beliefs that many of them share in common. But suffice it to say, that these items are enough to bring eternal damnation on a person's soul because the cults miss the whole meaning of the atonement, the Deity of Christ and His mission to save sinners, among other things. They are clearly out of sync with orthodoxy and are "trendy" in their beliefs. Instead of seeking to line up with the Biblical authority as being 100% true, they want to add to or subtract from the Biblical account and dilute the true Gospel into a man-made system of doctrines which they use to control and indoctrinate their followers. They may even use the Bible, preach a certain portion of the Gospel, and incorporate prayer into their religious activities; but underneath the veneer of truth is the huge trap of error through deceit. That is, either by deceiving others or being deceived themselves. Some of these followers of cults may be very sincere in their belief, but they are, unfortunately, very sincerely wrong because they distort the true message to fit their own a-priori. Each one is different and yet they all claim "truth". I know from experience because I used to be in one.

Jehovah's Witnesses (Charles Taze Russell)

This group was started in the 1800's by Charles Taze Russell who came up with its various doctrines, probably patterned after the Seventh Day Adventists and the Christadelphians, among others. It is governed by the "Watchtower" organization comprised of the production of their magazine and literature, a monthly quota and other legalistic rules the members have to rigidly follow. Any so-called "infractions" of misconduct can lead to a high level of mental anguish and even banishment by the group. They follow their own "bible" where a committee of unlearned, unscholarly men got together some years back and COMPLETELY RE-WROTE THE CANONIZED BIBLE, drastically distorting the Word of God (adding to and subtracting from)!! They deny the Trinity, Jesus' physical resurrection, and His Deity while supporting the notion of annihilationism or soul sleep and salvation by a system of fleshly, man-made works. Like the Christadelphians and the Seventh Day Adventists, they emphasize eschatology very heavily; and yet, with all their study and talk of the end times, they only understand a fraction of the real message, making it null and void. These people are definitely not true Christians and they are NOT from God! Stay away from them! It's okay to witness what the Bible reveals if they come to your door, but beyond that, don't go to them and become ensnared.

Mormons (Joseph Smith)

Like the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons were started in the 1800's by a young lad by the name of Joseph Smith, who claimed to have found some tablets containing the "truth" of the Bible. Their basic system of beliefs is based on unbiblical fantasies; they are pantheistic and other cults, like the Christadelphians, have borrowed many of these concepts to some degree (although they will deny it). Really weird and twisted beliefs, one of which they teach that man has potential to become a god through some evolutionary process. They use a lot of extra-biblical materials that have little or no resemblance to Biblical truth but instead, are full of their own imaginative concepts. Don't fall for it when they come to your door no matter how they appear!

Moonies (Unification Church) (Sun Myung Moon)

The following on the Unification Church is taken from carm.org:

Moon has proclaimed himself as the Messiah. And his wife is the Holy Spirit! Now there's a false proclamation if there ever was one! He and his wife, called The True Parents where he is the True Father and his wife the True Mother, are the first couple to be able to bring forth children with no original sin. "The cross is the symbol of the defeat of Christianity." The Bible is considered scripture along with Moon�s work "Divine Principles." Sin is genetically based. It is not a moral issue. The thieves on the cross represent political movements. The thief on the right side of Jesus represents democracy. The thief on the left of Jesus is communism. Adam and Eve fell because of sexual sin. Eve had sexual relations with Satan. Jesus is a �true person� though not God in flesh. The Holy Spirit is �the True Mother,� or �the Second Eve." The church denies the doctrine of the Trinity.

Nature is dualistic: male and female, positive and negative, external and internal. God has an external and internal aspect called the Universal Prime Energy. It creates, develops, and sustains the cosmos. God's internal aspect of has to do with personhood - motivation, purpose and identity.

People determine their own future place in the spirit world after death through what they do here on earth.

Notes: Has over 300 financial institutions all over the world including publishers, jewelers, and clothing stores. Moon has spent time in a US prison for tax evasion. Moon claims to receive revelations from God. He has been involved in s�ances and other occult practices like clairvoyance, trances, etc.

Publications: Divine Principles, a 536 page work by Moon. It is considered divinely inspired and scripture.

Comments: Moon uses an anti-communism stance, many legitimate businesses, and philanthropic endeavors all over the world to garner support and influence for his one world religious system. Through his political social outreaches he has deceived a great many people into believing his self-exalting and self-serving theology. It is a dangerous group.

There is an infamous New Evangelical preacher who has teamed up with the Moonies. Aside from his long history of joining hands with apostates and his ecumenical position, he and his wife have associated for many years with Moonie front groups and have lent their support rather than preach the Gospel to this blasphemous cult. This preacher has also received substantial contributions from Moon's organization over the years.

Now, would I go so far as to declare him to be unsaved? No!�absolutely not as only God can judge his heart; however, using discernment, I would highly suspect him to be very deceived by a false person and a false system as well as caving in to compromise. Therefore, I have to weigh what he says very carefully against Biblical truth and not accept anything that is compromising or dishonoring to the Lord. Please note that many of these leaders and preachers have probably started out well and were faithful to the Word; but slowly over time through compromise with false people and teaching, traded in the pure Gospel for something counterfeit. That is most unfortunate, but it is a sign of the end times we are living in.

In summary, many of the various claims that the cults and false religions make are unsubstantiated and unproven based on Biblical, scholarly, peer-review support of the true message of God from the Word that goes all the way back to the earliest days of Jesus, the Disciples and the Apostles. These various cult founders were and are all dilettante wannabe preachers with enormous egos and personal ambitions who deceive their followers into a web of false leading and teaching. They have had the audacity to show up 1800 to 2000 years after the founding of the Christian Church's orthodoxy was firmly established even at the beginning, each with a so-called "rediscovered truth" of their own devising and declare everyone else who believed and preached orthodox theology that stemmed directly from Jesus, to be wrong! Some of these cults have even tried to predict the exact date of Jesus' return to the earth�with dismal results, of course; and they have been foolishly trying to predict ever since! (Matt. 25:13) Each time, however, their predictions are wrong so they have to set a new date. When that doesn't come true, then they cover it up. Whew! What false prophets who base their "knowledge" on the wind instead of trusting in God and learning what the Bible really says about the future! I can't trust their whole package of false doctrines any farther than I can throw an elephant.

Bible-Believing, Fundamental Churches - genuine followers of Jesus Christ

Despite the fact that, in the current times we are living in, that there are unfortunately so few good churches in existence that follow Jesus wholeheartedly and adhere to Biblical principles, thankfully there are some still around. It's a sign of the end-times and apostasy of the church is in full bloom. The compromise and abandonment of Jesus and the Word has spiraled downward, leading to more and more unbelief in the secular world, more cults being created, more immorality, unbiblical political agendas such as homosexuality, liberalism, and so forth. This is a darkened, sinful world we find ourselves in and Satan's army is hard at work in this end-times age going up and down in the earth causing sin and creating spiritual havoc, so it has become very difficult if not impossible for Bible believers to stem this tide. They are getting falsely accused of all kinds of horrible things by the liberals and tares. Case in point is the latest "Left Behind: Eternal Forces", a violent game where Fundamental Christians are depicted as resorting to terror tactics to convert people! Unbelievable, and totally NOT TRUE!! Also, the "DaVinci Code" that is popular now, is being used to launch a direct attack on true Christianity and Christ Himself by twisting the Bible into a half-message or a Gnostic, fictional account by denying basic, core doctrines as found in the Scriptures. People are flocking to these in droves and many accept the false claims.

Bible-believing Christians, as you can tell, fully accept each and every word contained in the Bible as inspired and coming from God Himself to which nothing is added or taken away. On what basis should I make such a claim? Well, for a number of reasons:

� Prophecies that have been fulfilled. Over one hundred (100) prophecies about Jesus' First Coming made in the Old Testament ALONE have all come true to the letter. These prophecies were uttered over thousands of years by many different people from all walks of life. But they all had the same message. What ordinary book can make this claim? And what are the odds of that happening in ordinary circumstances without God's directing the players? I'd say it is nil that that would happen.

Archaeology. Archaeological finds have unearthed many places that have been referenced in the Bible, so the Biblical accounts can be substantiated. A magazine called the "Biblical Archaeology Review" (BAR) will give you a complete, detailed description of all the archaeological sites that have been unearthed and discoveries of many artifacts connected with the Bible. There are many that have been discovered.
Science. The Bible is not simply a book of faith; it is also a book of science, even though evolutionists and skeptics would deny it. For example, the account of Noah and the Flood can be substantiated as being a global event that covered the whole earth, and that it happened four thousand years ago. We now have a news report from a team of experts who went to Ararat in Iran (not Turkey) and actually discovered parts of what is believed to be Noah's Ark, exactly as described in the Bible, and they brought back pictures of what appeared to be parts of rooms, doors, and other components made of gopher wood!
The Bible Speaks for Itself. It is a message that is not based on private interpretation or that is loose; it is definitely divine and the Scripture as well says that "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and training in righteousness." (2 Tim. 3:16) The key is not to abuse it by taking it out of context or redefining what it actually says to suit our own purposes.
Answered prayer. Those who have truly trusted in God for the atonement of Jesus can go to His throne room and get their prayers answered. He responds to us by working in our life through trials, tribulations, victories, successes, etc. He shows Himself faithful and awesome when we are at our weakest. And He also can show Himself through supernatural and miraculous intervention, such as something big you desperately need and pray for (such as a car) showing up inexplicably the next day or shortly thereafter; but something like this can only be explained by God's supernatural intervention as it is almost always humanly impossible to produce it on our own. We've all heard stories like this. God is a wonderful Provider, and He always has been!

Therefore, all the secular humanists, agnostics and atheists who would argue that the Bible is nothing but a bunch of made up fairy tales pushed on us by scam artists (preachers who are called by God!), are total fabrication and blasphemy. The Bible is the Living Word given to us by a Living God, the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth! The Word is God's Love Letter to us and the message contained therein is all about a special Person who came to be our Savior who is alive and is on the Throne! He is Jesus Christ, God's precious and wonderful Gift to us. We, who are sinners, no less, who do not deserve anything but death! But what we need to do is to come to Him in faith so He can forgive us of our sins. There is more on that below. As Bible-believing Christians, this is the basic tenet of why we believe and follow Christ: we love Him because He first loved us, we want to shine for Him and share Him with others so they can be forgiven of their sins and be assured of eternal life. This is a message of love, not hate. So when unbelievers come along and attack us with all kinds of mockery and false accusations, looking to smear our name as Christians and to blaspheme our LORD, it just saddens us to encounter such darkened hearts that are both spiritually and morally bankrupt.

What Will Happen to Them?

Well, since all the above listed are unbelievers and cults of one form or another with the exception of Bible-Believing, Born-Again Christians, unfortunately, they have doom awaiting them because they have chosen to preach and teach diluted false gospels that deceive people and kills their souls and/or to follow the vain philosophies of men. The biggest problem with all of these movements is that they don't properly address sin and the need for repentance. That is a serious thing! The Lord never intended for man to take His pure Word and twist it into a garble of assorted dead theologies conjured up by man. His Word has always been the absolute truth and always will be. We need to respect that Word by adhering to it and its absolute truths for our lives instead of reducing it to what our own itching ears want to hear. (2Tim. 4:3) God knows what He is doing; He knows what is best for us and has set down the instructions for us to follow.

I want to state for the record that there are probably true, born-again Christians who continue to fellowship in some of these false churches and maybe some were even saved in them. However, I also wonder why they would choose to stay in them and not want to get out. Why? Because in each of these post-modern churches, there is a Satanic/Antichrist spirit that resides there, and many false Christian tares make up the populace of these churches which makes them unhealthy for a Christian's Walk in the Lord. (Matt. 3:12; Matt. 13:30) So if you find yourself fitting into this category, I would OBEY GOD and seek to leave these types of churches post-haste; as they are only going to compromise your faith walk with God and confuse you on many issues that you shouldn't be confused about. Your social circle or family ties within these churches is a secondary issue and should not be the reason you continue to fellowship there if it is a false church.

The following is a graphic description of what will happen to those who preach as well as follow a false, watered-down gospel that cannot save a soul as well as those who would rather follow worldly philosophies and vain deceits.

Destination: Hell and Damnation

We have gotten so far removed from the concept of a Biblical hell (which is a core, fundamental Christian doctrine) that it has led too many people right down that very path. The concept of hell is now considered "too negative" to believe in by the typical modern church; so it has been swept under the rug and substituted with Universalism, Annihilationism, or some other humanistic philosophy that is untrue. Well, whether a person chooses to believe in hell or not does not change the FACT of its existence and destination for all unbelievers at the end of their life. No one slips into heaven without Christ; no one is annihilated, or goes to a place called Purgatory. None of those beliefs are Biblical but they all come from the traditions of men. (Matt. 15:6) Lastly, God never sends anyone to hell; rather, people of their own choosing elect to go there, because they don't believe in the true Son of God or that they really need God's help.

This is what one can expect if they find themselves in hell at their death:

A place of blackness forever. (2Pet. 2:17)
A constant stench that permeates everything. (Is. 34:3)
Dismal scenes of unending sorrow. (Psalm 78:66)
Fire that is never quenched. (Mark 9:43)
Abandoned to the love of sin. (John 3:36)
The living dead: unending, excruciating pain. (Rev. 14:10)
Lost to the presence of God forever. (Matt. 7:23)
Loss of heaven. (Jud. 1:6)
Loss of all pity. (Ezek. 8:18)
Unspeakable torment. (Luke 16:28)
Simultaneous torment (all parts of the body are tormented at the same time) (Jer. 8:21)
Extreme torment. (Luke 16:24)
Perpetual torment that never ends. (Mark 9:43; Rev. 14:11)
Everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:41)
Place of torment: dungeon, prison, bottomless pit, furnace of fire. (Matt. 13:42)
Tormentors are cruel. (Prov. 17:11)
There is greater torment for false witnesses and false preachers. (2Pet. 2:1)

On the other hand, this is what awaits the true Christian, who is part of the blood-bought Church:

Beautiful beyond imagination. (1Cor.2:9)
Desires fulfilled. (Psalm 37:4)
In the company of Saints. (Heb. 12:23)
In the presence of the Lamb. (Rev. 13:8)
We behold His Glory. (Song 5:16)
We receive His welcome. (Matt. 25:21)
Jesus makes it heaven. (Acts 5:41; Is. 53:5)
We share the Master's joy. (Matt. 25:21)
We see friends and family who had died in the faith. (John 14:2)
We know the Saints who went before us. (Matt. 22:30)
There is perfect unity. (Heb. 12:23)
There is perfect love. (Psalm. 16:3; John 17:22-23)
Perfect friendship. (Song 5:11)
United praise. (Psalm 35:28; Psalm 22:23)
The mysteries of Scripture are revealed. (1Cor. 2:10)
Fellowship with God. (1Cor. 1:9)
Perfect happiness. (Rom. 14:17)
Joy of the blessed is ever fresh. (Is. 35:10)
Joy of the blessed is immeasurable. (Col. 3:4; Psalm 36:8)
Earthly relationships are perfected and experienced in their fullness. (Matt. 22:30; Matt. 25:6-10)
God's faithful promises fulfilled. (2Pet. 1:4)
Martyred glorify God. (Rev. 7:10, 12)
Praising, worshipping, serving and glorifying God. (Rev. 4:10)
Providence of God revealed. (Eph. 4:1,6)

Conclusion
When we mix the truth in with error, we end up with error and not truth. It doesn't matter if it contains 99.9% truth and .1% error, it is ERROR. I'm talking about the essential, life-saving, core beliefs which are contained in orthodox Christian doctrines that have come down since Christ and the Apostles. That's how important it is to know and adhere to the Biblical truth. Here's an example of what I mean. Say you go to a high-quality restaurant to have a meal. You order something that looks really good, and the waiter or waitress brings it to you. It looks great and smells wonderful, and your mouth is watering in anticipation of the pleasant taste. You dig in and take a bite, but unfortunately, you find a foreign object in your wonderful dinner! You spit it out and discover it is a piece of gravel (or worse). You recoil at the sight of what you see and your stomach starts turning. What do you do? Do you proceed to eat the meal?! No, most likely by now you've lost your appetite and the only thing you want to do is to send it back and perhaps not even frequent the restaurant again. You don't trust it anymore. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to any of us that when it comes to essential spiritual things like the Gospel and eternal life, that nothing but the best should do; and it is what we should expect from the divine book called the Bible as well as those who preach from the pulpit. They need to be trustworthy, both in what they preach and how they live. However, in this Post Modern age, we have been conditioned to accept all kinds of ecumenism, compromise, false doctrines, and extra biblical nonsense as okay. Just as long as the pews are filled with tithing "patrons", then compromising feel-good messages that appeal to the lost and don't deal with sin are acceptable. According to God, NOT SO! God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. (Heb. 13:8) He does not change with the times or to suit anybody's personal tastes, not EVER! And, it's a good thing, too; because He is God and not a man who changes with the wind! Many churches, sadly, that were once good and sound are now compromising by adopting these post-modern philosophies handed down by popular men who really don't believe the whole Bible, or their lives and morals are one of compromise. The bottom line is: don't follow men, follow God and Him alone as revealed to us from His Word!

We are living on the edge and deception is everywhere. A pure Bible and a faithful church to that Word are our only guide and hope. Be a radical Christian and cling to truth with abandonment. The coming of our Lord can be expected at any moment and we want to be prepared to meet Him!

Where Do YOU Stand With Christ Right Now?

According to the current timeline in history, we are living in what Jesus called "the days of Noah" (Matt. 24:37-39), or the End Times according to prophecy. Jesus declared in Luke 21:29-32 that when the budding of the fig tree took place (or when Israel became a nation once again), that this generation should not pass away until all these things are fulfilled. Wow! Since Israel was reborn as a nation after 2500 years in 1948, the duration of a generation is typically 70 years, and Jesus declared that this generation would see all these things fulfilled, that we are that final generation who will see the return of Jesus! If my calculations are correct, this being the year 2006, we are now in the 58th year since Israel became a nation. So that means the church age as we know it, can come to a close at any time when God gathers to heaven all those who are the true Body of believers, not counterfeits! Then all hell will break loose here on earth called the rise of the Antichrist and the Tribulation; and all those who are left here will have to endure horrific judgments and wrath from God. Why is that? Because God hates sin, and mankind of his own choosing has been on a downward spiral into sin to a point when God will not let it go on any longer. The earth is at a point in time when it needs to be scoured and cleansed of its sin. There are now huge mega evidences of the Lord's soon call of His body to gather them to heaven; i.e., conflict in the Middle East with missiles being launched from the Gaza area and North Korea (Ezek. 38-39); the threat of disease and pandemics like Bird Flu; threats of numerous mega disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis; rampant and full-blown apostasy, such as what is being described here; gross immorality, the political situation in the European Union, chip implants, etc. The list goes on. Ironically, many people who call themselves Christians also choose to stick their heads in the sand and ignore these very obvious trends that are happening. Well, that approach is not Biblical when the Bible itself declares that these things would occur in the last days and we are commanded to watch for the Lord and love His appearing (2Tim. 4:8; Mark 13:32-37). We are clearly living in the "Days of Noah" (Matt. 24:37).

Knowing this, if you do not yet know the Lord personally, you need to act now so you will not be caught unprepared. If you already know Him but have been lax in your faith walk for any reason, you need to repent of that sin and rededicate yourself to Him to walk in a manner that is pleasing to God. That means forsaking the world and its ways; or a weak, compromising church and its worldly ways, which can only leave you spiritually bankrupt. Start spending daily time in prayer and Bible study to help you grow in the Lord as you become focused on Him.

The nature of God is one of infinite love and mercy. It is also one of absolute purity and holiness. So how does a mere mortal man reconcile himself with a holy God? It is only through Jesus, because Jesus is the only One qualified to be a proper mediator between sinful man and a holy God. (Rom. 3:25; 1John 2:2) He is the only means by which separation can be bridged and the gap can be closed. Why is coming to God so exclusive in nature, and that no other means can be allowed? Isn't that a hateful thing to exclude people who try to be reconciled to God through their own efforts? Well, it's like the example I gave above about the restaurant: we expect the best when we go to a business establishment as a customer. When we don't get it, it is not acceptable. This is only on human terms in our own experiences. Well, imagine how a holy God must feel when we come to Him by another means than the best, and the way He designed for us, which is His Precious Son whom He chose to provide for us so we can be reconciled to Him. It's very simple. God is offering us something as fantastic as eternal life with Him through Jesus, that when we turn it down because of our own sinful selfishness or arrogance, it is highly insulting to God. It is then that God has no choice but to give us over to our own self will and we are then subject to the consequences of His judgment both in this life and much more, in the afterlife. He cannot tolerate sin in His presence in any way, shape, or form. He doesn't ever force us to do things His way, but He delights when we do because we respond properly to His love. Once we become reconciled to Him through Jesus, our sins are literally washed away and now there is a new, living relationship by the power of the Holy Spirit. So this is the message of love, that God does not want any person that He has lovingly created and knows everything about, to end up eternally separated from Him by their own choosing. He gives much warning in the Scriptures about that, so we would be very wise to heed and respect what it says about eternity as well as how we're to live our lives on this earth. Because all of us, whether we personally want to face it or not, will spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. That's the reality. (Matt. 7:13, 14)

Okay, then, so what is the proper spirit in which we can approach a holy God? Here are the simple steps you need to take:

Recognize and admit with your whole heart that you are a SINNER. Your SIN is what caused you to be separated from God in the first place. (Is. 59:2) Only true repentance from sin (turning from) and the willingness to surrender and change will allow God to come near you and be willing to work with you to help you to develop the character of Christ. No "feel good", compromising gospel message can make you acceptable to God or bring you close to Him as it simply serves the flesh. Remember, only the best will do for God! Here is a simple test using the Ten Commandments you can take to prove that you are indeed, separated from God because of your sin. Answer them honestly. Have you ever lied in your life? In God's eyes, then you are a liar. Have you ever stolen anything, even a paper clip? Then in God's eyes, you are a thief. Have you ever looked with lust on somebody? Then in God's eyes, you are an adulterer. If you've honestly answered "yes" to any of these questions, (and all of us have), then you are doomed on Judgment Day because God will not and cannot permit any kind of sin in His presence and in His heaven. Multiply even three sins a day (which is very minimal) times the total number of days you have lived. This amounts to a huge number of sins you will have to answer to God for on Judgment Day if you do not have Jesus as your Savior! For me, if I was without Christ, it would amount to a minimum of 61,320 sins (and probably a whole lot more) if I were to die right now! But because I have the covering of Jesus as my substitute and High Priest, I am completely washed of sin according to God (even though I presently still have that sin nature), and now I am able to stand clean before God. (1Cor. 6:11; Eph. 5:27) God would have no choice as our Righteous Judge but consign you to Hell forever because you refused His covering when you had a choice. So there's no excuse. Period. Jesus is our only hope of escape from certain doom. (John 14:6)
Ask to be forgiven of your sins. You can only be cleansed of your sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ through faith alone. This means recognizing that He died on the Cross, as the perfect, sinless Lamb of God who came down from heaven as the Second Person of the Trinity who died in our place as our substitute. (Titus 2:14; John 1:1-4,14) Then three days later He rose to life again by the power of the Resurrection, and ascended to God the Father in heaven forty days after that, where he continues to make intercession for us as our High Priest and mediator. (Rom. 8:34) You need to identify with the sacrifice of Jesus in your place and apply His perfect atonement to your heart in order to be washed. (Rom. 5:8; John 1:29)
Ask Him to help you take up your cross daily and follow Him. That means learn to live a surrendered life where you live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. It means developing a Christ-like attitude towards others. It's developing a fruitful faith walk that honours the Lord. It's a desire to be eager to serve and to give your life over to prayer. It's a life that's given over to evangelism and sharing your faith with others. (Mark 16:15) Finally, it is also to love His appearing and to watch for Him from heaven to take us home with Him.(2Tim. 4:8; Mark 13:32-37)

Understand that it is the miraculous and divine work of the Holy Spirit that convicts and regenerates us into new creatures in Christ. It cannot be done by our own strength. As soon as you have sincerely trusted Jesus as your Savior, He is yours and you are His forever. You are sealed forever by the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13) He will never leave you nor forsake you, and your name will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life. (Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:3) Alleluia! The angels sing whenever a sinner repents and comes to God. It is a gift of God through grace. No other method will get you to God other than what is prescribed according to the Word. God only wrote one book, the Holy Bible; so the way that is prescribed is the only way. (2Pet. 1:21; John 14:6) Only the blood of Christ is sufficient to save when we have the faith that is necessary. The blood of Christ does not need anything supplemental for salvation, such as water baptism, sacraments, and confessions to a priest or other man-made traditions. Water baptism should occur as an outward symbol of what has already taken place on the inside; but it is not part of the salvation process itself. (Rom. 6:1-7) Anyone can go down a dry sinner and come up a wet sinner. So it's the divine blood of Christ, not water that actually saves. Those who claim that "it is baptism that now saves you" (1Pet. 3:21), meaning water baptism is a part of the salvation process, misinterpret the passage. That passage was given as a comfort to those who were already saved, that baptism was a symbol of the salvation that had already occurred. If it was true that water baptism actually saves, then why did Jesus die like that on a cruel cross? What, as some sort of an example or a representative? NO! He died because of OUR SIN who KNEW NO SIN in order to be our personal Saviour, because the fact of the matter is we are helpless and completely lost without Him. That's why we need to be reconciled to God in the prescribed manner and that nothing else is acceptable.

Reader, you need to understand this: the true message of Christianity and of almighty God is that it is not one of hate but of love. Love for your soul because God loves you and wants you to be reconciled to Him and to have a personal relationship with Him forever. But because He is also holy, we need to understand and follow the only prescribed way in God's book, the Holy Bible. So please don't allow man's various propaganda messages to distort your thinking about who God is, who Christians are, that the Bible is an errant and outdated book that is not relevant, or accept anything less than the full Biblical message of the Gospel; because as we have seen above, there are many wolves among us who speak what is untrue. (Matt. 7:15).

Questions or comments? Contact the author at: lynettem@sprynet.com