A widely celebrated Christian author has written :
"Faith in a lie will not have a sanctifying influence upon the life or character.
No error is truth, or can be made truth by repetition, or by faith in it. Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences of believing an error.
Without sincerity there is no true religion, but sincerity in a false religion will never save a man. I may be perfectly sincere in following a wrong road, but that will not make it the right road, or bring me to the place I wished to reach.
The Lord does not want us to have a blind credulity, and call that the faith that sanctifies. The truth is the principle that sanctifies, and therefore it becomes us to know what is truth. We must compare spiritual things with spiritual. We must prove all things, but hold fast only that which is good, that which bears the divine credentials, which lays before us the true motives and principles which should prompt us to action."
Does the post modernist and 'politically correct' way of saying: "whatver is truth for you...", or "if that 'truth' is what you believe then that is fine with me but it is not what I believe", or "anyone can believe in whatever they like just as long as it makes them happy and doesn't encroach on anyone else's lifestyle or belief system"; actually benefit anyone genuinely wanting to know 'The Truth'? Truth can be hard-hitting and it may not be what an individual wants to hear. It may shake a foundational belief or it could rock a whole worldview or even create a backlash of anger and violence! Could people, willing to admit that they are 'searching for Truth', actually be willing to engage in a genuine dialogue of investigation or will their preconceptions and life-experiences steer their thoughts and opinionated direction? How can they recognise 'The Real Truth' when they come across it?
Is there 'Truth' and is there 'error' ? Do we have 'black and white' areas even within Christianity that seperates 'Truth' from 'error', or should we (Christian and non-Christian societies) be more accepting / tolerant of the 'grey areas' in the way that people interpret and express their 'beliefs'?
Is the author correct to state the above that 'Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences of believing an error ' or is life on this earth and how humanity relates to each other here and now more important?
I see this as the difference between following heavenly counsel and the tainted wisdom of humanity floating out from the UN. How far should humanity go to protect the right to the knowledge of 'all Truth'? Why, in a world of UN sponsored 'free speech and tolerance' is the Christian voice like the author above, not heard, accepted or tolerated?
Over to your comments ...
Wednesday, 5 August 2009
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Absolutely Must See (if not watched already) !!!
Please watch this exciting presentation on Biblical prophetic truth ...
Do you believe in the 'rapture' (secret or otherwise)? Do you believe in life after death, going straight to heaven or hell, that heaven will be on the earth someday very soon, or that Jesus will return to restore His Kingdom here on the earth ?
This video will give Biblical truth on the reality of what IS to come very soon!
Do you believe in the 'rapture' (secret or otherwise)? Do you believe in life after death, going straight to heaven or hell, that heaven will be on the earth someday very soon, or that Jesus will return to restore His Kingdom here on the earth ?
This video will give Biblical truth on the reality of what IS to come very soon!
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Walking in the Light: Keeping His Commandments
Courtesy of Doug Batchelor and Amazing Facts, I hope that you enjoy this study at looking into the Epistles of John and in particular how Christians are challenged to keep the Commandments out of love and not as legalism.
Comments on this study welcomed ... (10 mins of welcome and hymns - then into the study itself)
Comments on this study welcomed ... (10 mins of welcome and hymns - then into the study itself)
Thursday, 12 March 2009
“Blessed are the cheesemakers ……?”
I can all too easily and sadly remember a vulgar, crass and irreverent movie watched with very open eyes during some time of my mis-spent youth; depicting the Sermon on the Mount with the camera moving back some distance to the imagined fringe of the crowd that had gathered to listen.
One character turns to another and asks when one of the Beatitudes is mis-heard : “Blessed are the cheesemakers .....? - What’s so special about the cheesemakers ?”
A mountain environment could have created a natural amphitheatre for many people to have heard a single man speaking. Yet here was a Man who performed the very will of God, as His Son upon the earth. Could He not have made Himself heard clearly in all locations with these precious words had He really wanted to, all to the glory of His Father?
The Sermon on the Mount is one of the passages of scripture that is all too easily glossed over. The “Blessed’s” make for common and easy reading, but it is only when we try to remember them in sequence or which trait and characteristic goes with which reward, that we realise just how difficult they can be to retain them accurately in our minds. Are the mourners going to be called the children of God ? Or are the persecuted going to inherit the earth ? More than likely ‘yes’ is the answer to both questions, but this is not really as Jesus described it to us !
Here they are taken from Matthew 5 again for you to digest :
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
A Bible Commentary has this to say :
The mountain on which Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount has been called the “Sinai of the New Testament,” inasmuch as it holds the same relationship to the Christian church as Mt. Sinai did to the Jewish nation. It was on Sinai that God proclaimed the divine law. It was on the unknown mountain of Galilee that Jesus reaffirmed the divine law, explaining its true meaning in greater detail and applying its precepts to the problems of daily life.
The law that Jesus referred to is the divine law, the royal law that James discusses in his epistle (chapter 2, verse 8) or as otherwise recognised, by each surrounding reference as the 10 Commandment Law. This law is the very transcript of the character of Jesus Christ, so it is no wonder that He wanted to make it as plain as possible for everyone to understand.
The divine law is re-interpreted not as ‘Thou shalt’s...’ and ‘Thou shalt not’s...’ , but as an invigorating reminder, for all those at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder of that particular occupied, down-trodden, but 'chosen' society. Jesus did not kick his captive audience when He knew that they were down; He gave them aspirations, unpacking the original divine law by delivering pure Inspiration, and later in His sermon, He delivers timely reminders as to how they (and we) are expected to behave as potential citizens for His Kingdom. Would the cheesemakers be just as welcome ? Only through their faith and if they can demonstrate the traits and characteristics of the only truly spoken “Blessed’s” !
One character turns to another and asks when one of the Beatitudes is mis-heard : “Blessed are the cheesemakers .....? - What’s so special about the cheesemakers ?”
A mountain environment could have created a natural amphitheatre for many people to have heard a single man speaking. Yet here was a Man who performed the very will of God, as His Son upon the earth. Could He not have made Himself heard clearly in all locations with these precious words had He really wanted to, all to the glory of His Father?
The Sermon on the Mount is one of the passages of scripture that is all too easily glossed over. The “Blessed’s” make for common and easy reading, but it is only when we try to remember them in sequence or which trait and characteristic goes with which reward, that we realise just how difficult they can be to retain them accurately in our minds. Are the mourners going to be called the children of God ? Or are the persecuted going to inherit the earth ? More than likely ‘yes’ is the answer to both questions, but this is not really as Jesus described it to us !
Here they are taken from Matthew 5 again for you to digest :
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
A Bible Commentary has this to say :
The mountain on which Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount has been called the “Sinai of the New Testament,” inasmuch as it holds the same relationship to the Christian church as Mt. Sinai did to the Jewish nation. It was on Sinai that God proclaimed the divine law. It was on the unknown mountain of Galilee that Jesus reaffirmed the divine law, explaining its true meaning in greater detail and applying its precepts to the problems of daily life.
The law that Jesus referred to is the divine law, the royal law that James discusses in his epistle (chapter 2, verse 8) or as otherwise recognised, by each surrounding reference as the 10 Commandment Law. This law is the very transcript of the character of Jesus Christ, so it is no wonder that He wanted to make it as plain as possible for everyone to understand.
The divine law is re-interpreted not as ‘Thou shalt’s...’ and ‘Thou shalt not’s...’ , but as an invigorating reminder, for all those at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder of that particular occupied, down-trodden, but 'chosen' society. Jesus did not kick his captive audience when He knew that they were down; He gave them aspirations, unpacking the original divine law by delivering pure Inspiration, and later in His sermon, He delivers timely reminders as to how they (and we) are expected to behave as potential citizens for His Kingdom. Would the cheesemakers be just as welcome ? Only through their faith and if they can demonstrate the traits and characteristics of the only truly spoken “Blessed’s” !
Friday, 20 February 2009
The Lion, the Corpse and the Donkey ...
If you have never read this Bible passage in 1 Kings 13, I suggest that you take a read when you can find the suitable time to sit down and digest it. It is a most captivating passage of scripture that modern folklore, legends and fairytales can not even come close to in it's captivating hold, the drama, it's moral lesson or for purity of reading. Most of all and so unlike any similar fictional literature, this is a true record of actual events!
Take king Jeroboam for example. An apostate king coming out of the reign of Solomon's splendour. Wanting to go his own way, do his own thing.... pride comes easily before a fall. It took a frozen arm over which he had no control to plead for mercy to the Living God. Why did it take such a drastic measure for the young prophet to have to influence the king with the message that he reported? If a king was asking you to go to his place of rest, could you resist ? God had given this young prophet a divine purpose and the young prophet was determined to see it through as requested.
The rest of the passage is dealing with firstly the importance of obedience, and then secondly with the Spirit of Discernment. We have two prophets, one senior in years, yet willing to spin a yarn and the young prophet who had already overcome one tempting alternative to his instruction.
Question : should we follow the teaching of a prophet just because of seniority? How should we test the prophet to see if there is any Truth in him / her ? After all, in this instance the older prophet claimed to be speaking the words of the Lord as given by an angel. But the text tells us that he lied about this. In the young prophet's situation how would we fare ? Are there prophets at work today spinning the same yarns about messages as provided to them by angels. Could they be telling the truth, yet the angels have provided the lie ? Can angels lie ?
We learn about the young prophet's fate. The introduction of Truth comes into action. The prophet who lied then cries out in woe to the man of God, that he had disobeyed the commandment that had been given to him. This commandment was not a general one for all people as are the 10 commandments, but was as a personal instruction expected to be obeyed by the prophets, from God. Such is the responsibility and attention to detail required.
Picture the result : a lion, the young prophet's uneaten dead corpse and the donkey that he was riding, all side by side in the road for all walking past to see. What would you think ? What are your thoughts now ?
Finally to Jeroboam, a knee-jerk repentance at the first sign of human frailty when examined under God's righteousness. Yet when the dust of judgment seemed to have settled he soon fell into his previous evil ways and one can see from the account that his repentance was extremely short-lived. Once saved, always saved ? - I don't think so ! Is your prophet a representative of the Living God ? Who is your prophet ? How does he / she measure up to the discernment of the Spirit? How do you test the messages? Who does your prophet point to and what message have you responded to ? Does one need a prophet to provide a message in order to respond to God's will and for one's life ?
Take king Jeroboam for example. An apostate king coming out of the reign of Solomon's splendour. Wanting to go his own way, do his own thing.... pride comes easily before a fall. It took a frozen arm over which he had no control to plead for mercy to the Living God. Why did it take such a drastic measure for the young prophet to have to influence the king with the message that he reported? If a king was asking you to go to his place of rest, could you resist ? God had given this young prophet a divine purpose and the young prophet was determined to see it through as requested.
The rest of the passage is dealing with firstly the importance of obedience, and then secondly with the Spirit of Discernment. We have two prophets, one senior in years, yet willing to spin a yarn and the young prophet who had already overcome one tempting alternative to his instruction.
Question : should we follow the teaching of a prophet just because of seniority? How should we test the prophet to see if there is any Truth in him / her ? After all, in this instance the older prophet claimed to be speaking the words of the Lord as given by an angel. But the text tells us that he lied about this. In the young prophet's situation how would we fare ? Are there prophets at work today spinning the same yarns about messages as provided to them by angels. Could they be telling the truth, yet the angels have provided the lie ? Can angels lie ?
We learn about the young prophet's fate. The introduction of Truth comes into action. The prophet who lied then cries out in woe to the man of God, that he had disobeyed the commandment that had been given to him. This commandment was not a general one for all people as are the 10 commandments, but was as a personal instruction expected to be obeyed by the prophets, from God. Such is the responsibility and attention to detail required.
Picture the result : a lion, the young prophet's uneaten dead corpse and the donkey that he was riding, all side by side in the road for all walking past to see. What would you think ? What are your thoughts now ?
Finally to Jeroboam, a knee-jerk repentance at the first sign of human frailty when examined under God's righteousness. Yet when the dust of judgment seemed to have settled he soon fell into his previous evil ways and one can see from the account that his repentance was extremely short-lived. Once saved, always saved ? - I don't think so ! Is your prophet a representative of the Living God ? Who is your prophet ? How does he / she measure up to the discernment of the Spirit? How do you test the messages? Who does your prophet point to and what message have you responded to ? Does one need a prophet to provide a message in order to respond to God's will and for one's life ?
Friday, 6 February 2009
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