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Will the true Jesus please stand up?
If God is loving, why does he allow suffering in the world?
If God is a loving God why is homosexuality so wrong?
Why does God allow innocent children to die and suffer?
Why does a loving God allow wars to destroy his handiwork?
I am attempting to undertake this because there is so much confusion out there about Christ. The obvious teachers of error are found quite easily. They are the Jim Jones’ and the David Koresh’s of the world. The more subtle falsehoods are those found in everyday teachings and mainstream denominations. I read news articles and men who claim to represent Christ are filling peoples minds with horrible untruth’s and half truth’s. One of the more notable heretics is the so called Bishop Spong. The things he teaches puts a chill on my very soul as I read them. Do we keep silent and let these men spew their poison in our communities and to our children or do we make a defense of the Gospel, as the Apostle Paul?
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
I will try and take these questions one at a time. I will post each question as I complete it. I am going to try and answer these questions so a person does not have to be a theologian to comprehend them. There is no way I could address these questions in totality because then it would be a book. I am doing this because it seems like the robe loving, praise of men loving, pushy job in the clergy loving, media camera loving ministers are running from them. A lot of ministers are not going to address some things that may be deemed as socially touchy because they are fearful of stirring up their congregations against them and they do not want to be out of work. Does a minister work for men or God? Sometimes the pressure for a minister to preach “Politically Correct” messages is because the church is full of devils who want to control him and are so worldly and liberal they will oppose anything Godly. Sometimes it is simply because they are wolves in sheep's clothing. They are looking out for their own career's rather than looking out for the things of god. I was going to put some scripture from the book of Jude here but it is only one chapter. Read it. I can tell you now that this will not be a short article but I will try my best to give scripturally sound and clear answers.
Will the true Jesus please stand up?
There can be no doubt that the face of the United States has changed into a cultural debacle of religious diversity and this great diversity seems to spend more time wanting to get along with the world than it does with God.
Jam 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
If we as Christians were half as concerned with reflecting Christ and his love in our lives as they are about getting along with the world we would be in the throes of a great revival right now. Whatever you want to believe you can find a church somewhere that backs up your belief but is this good? Is God so short sighted that true Christianity is a mish-mash of widely differing beliefs? In short answer, God is not short sighted but Satan is quick to fill the gap with confusion so as to try and undermine God's redemptive plan. The Bible even tells us that God is not the author of confusion;
1 Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
I am going to give you scriptural answers straight from the Bible. The problem is that you can choose to believe them or not. It is your prerogative. From the beginning of Christianity men have tried to change God's word into man's word. It began with the gnostic writings in the first century and continues today with translation after translation which are nothing but paraphrases and attempts to make God's word say what it doesn't say. A true biblical answer is one that is backed up by the “whole counsel” of God. That is to say it is taught throughout the Bible and not by a single verse which can so easily be taken out of context. I can take a verse out of context by saying the Bible says there is no God. Psalms 14:1 says this but the true reading is
Psalms 14:1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
How easy it is to twist scripture to man's will! It is the same with teachings of this man Jesus. The 1800's brought on a lot of cults where people actually sold their possessions and went and sat down on a hill waiting for the immediate return of Jesus. Many of these have changed some of their teachings over the years and have continued today as mainstream so called denominations but are they? One of the quickest ways to identify a cult is to ask the question, Who is Jesus? The short answer is that he is the Son Of God.
Acts 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
He is much more than this however. Jesus is the Word Of God.
John 1:1,2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
By this we also see that Jesus is God. This is backed up throughout the Bible but I will only include here what Jesus said.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?.
Jesus also said in John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
This word became flesh; John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
We see from these short scriptures which are truth's that are taught again and again throughout the Bible that Jesus which is called Christ is the Son Of God. He is also the Word Of God. He also became flesh and lived among us. We know him as Jesus Christ. This same Jesus is also our high priest before God. He is our path to forgiveness from God;
Heb 7:24-27 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
Not only is Jesus Christ our high priest before God but he is our mediator also.
1 Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Since Jesus Christ is our only mediator we must go through him to get to God;
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
He is our sin bearer.
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
He became sin for us even though he was sinless
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We see so far that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the Word of God. He is God. He came in the flesh. He bore our sins in his own body. He became sin for us . He is our high priest before God. He is our mediator before God. He is Christ.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Jesus is Immanuel (God with us), Isa 7:14. He is the bright and morning star, Rev. 22:16. Jesus is Alpha and Omega
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Jesus is the personification of love. He is the agape love that we are to follow after of 1 Cor. Chapter 13. Jesus is true sacrificial love. To know the love of God that is in Christ Jesus is to know the love that led God to send his son to die on that old rugged cross and shed his blood for our sakes
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
To know the love of God that is in Jesus Christ is to know that the Old Testament Scriptures that speak of God's Christ are leading you to Jesus.
Isa 9:6,7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
To know the love of God that is in Jesus Christ is to know that the love of God can reach through any sin and any situation to save the sinner from a hell made for the devil and his angels. To know Jesus Christ is to know that when He comes into the heart it is a life changing event. Old things are passed away and all things are new;
II Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
When a person comes to Christ in faith with a humble spirit they find total and unfeigned forgiveness. They find a new heart. They find a new life. They find hope. They find love.
If the Jesus you have been taught is not reflective of the Jesus who is both Christ and Lord as taught by the Bible, you have been taught the wrong Jesus.
If God is loving, why does he allow suffering in the world?
This is one of the most asked questions in anyone’s ministry. People who have not known a living, walking relationship with God have such a hard time with it. There is one truth about God that seems to be universal. He does not force himself into anyone’s life or situation. There is another truth that works in the natural world and without God's loving intervention, rules over all.
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Good things happen to the good and the bad. The sun shines on both and warms their faces. They both enjoy the benefits of this great earth. Rain falls on the crops of both. Bad things happen to both also. When sin entered the world it entered into the lives of all of humanity. When the result of sin came into people lives it came into the lives of all people. I remember once when I was in computer school in Dayton Ohio I met a guy from Montana. Since we both claimed Christ, we hung out together. We were driving through Dayton one afternoon and he made a statement I had never heard before. He asked me to look at all of the nice houses and then said it was hard for him to believe there were so many Christians back East. I asked him what he meant and he said that God was not going to bless non Christians with such abundance so they had to be Christians. I was amazed at that kind of ignorance. Gathering the abundance of the world has nothing to do with being a Christian. Actually, it is usually just the opposite. It usually shows a great love for the world in a persons life although God can bless someone with great wealth for the purpose God has for them. It is the same with disease. Although God can and does sometimes keep pestilence from a godly man's life, it is not always the case. Look at Job. He was righteous in all of his ways yet he suffered greatly for the glory of God. The earthly lives of his children was lost to him in one tremendous storm but they were not lost. God did not share with Job his plan to test Job's faith. Like Job, it is up to us simply to trust God, not question his ways or his motives. After Job's trials were over, God blessed him with double everything he had before his trial except for one thing; his children. God gave him the same amount as before. I believe this is because they were not lost to him. They were with God. Job still had his children. Even David when he was judged for his great sin did not lose the baby which was the direct result of his sin. When God let the baby die to David, David knew in his grief that he would one day go to his child even though his child could not come back to him in this life. A lot of Christians have children who have disabling injuries or are born with sometimes horrible defects. Is it because they have sinned? God forbid! I have personally seen entire churches moved to great revival because of some disabled child or afflicted adult who was used mightily by God. You may be saying that this does not answer why such suffering exist as it does in Africa or in other war torn countries. No one can answer for God's ways or his reasons but I know that a lot of suffering in nations comes because of the choices of those people. Romans, chapter one tells us of such nations. In nations where war is tearing the fabric of society to shreds, is it God that is causing the suffering, hunger and death? No! It is the result of men who wield power for malicious reasons. The result of men’s sins can have far reaching effects, even to the point of affecting entire nations. Look at Romans, Chapter One. If you read this you will see that was men who influenced entire nations to ungodliness thereby bringing great grief on many people,
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
There is so much I could go into with these scriptures but it is for the next article and I do not want to get off on a rabbit track so to speak. It is amazing that ungodliness can have such a domino effect. It starts out as a small almost insignificant thing and ends up like a ground shattering earthquake. It can effect entire generations of people. Look at Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. For seventy years they directly paid the price of their rulers ungodliness because it was their rulers who let ungodliness get out of hand in the land. For twenty five hundred years they wandered the earth, a people without a land to call their own. Oh, the cost of ungodliness upon a people. I had a man once ask me that if God was so loving, why did he tell the Israelites to destroy everyone, even children in the lands they conquered when they were brought out of Egypt? God himself told them that these people were horribly evil and they would corrupt their families away from God. These people’s had made their choice to follow evil. This evil had saturated even their children. Even worldly psychologist today will tell you that a child's character is established by the time they are five years old. They did not listen and that is exactly what happened. Because they did not listen to God you can read about the travails that came upon them during the time of the Judges. These people were a bane to Israel from then even until now. Look at modern day nations like Africa. Is it God's fault there is hunger and starvation in those lands. No! It is despots who through force of arms bring so much misery and suffering upon their own peoples. You may say that a loving God would step in and stop it. Who is to say he won't. There is a day of judgment set but it is not by man’s reckoning. Like Daniel crying out to God for the sins of his people, I wonder how many are crying out to God for these peoples. Are you? Am I? How many who cry out in anger and indignation against God and call him unjust have raised a hand in prayer for them or done anything to alleviate the suffering of these people. You may give to a charity but this is not really helping these people. The food is taken and given to these despots soldiers while the people starve. It will take national intervention to stop this and mighty cries to heaven for God to help them. Unfortunately, we use the United Nations as a scape goat to hide from the fact that we do not really care about these people and yet we want to get angry with God in some sort of self righteous indignation when it is we ourselves who are failing. One thing about God is that he seldom steps in where he is not invited whether it is an individual life or a nations. It has nothing to do with the fact that God does not love you or these people. It is simply that we are free moral agents. We make choices that effect our own lives and nations make choices that affect entire peoples. One way to keep God out of a situation is for good men and women to do nothing.
If God is a loving God why is homosexuality so wrong?
At the very start I am going to say that all sin is grievous before God and we are none of us without sin (Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;) so in that respect we cannot throw stones as if one person is better than another. There is a difference between personal sin though and a national acceptance of it as an acceptable way of life. There are personal skeletons of one sort or another in all of our closets and if we were to have a spring closet cleaning, Oh! What a mess we would find, so the purpose of this is not to condemn any individual for the sin that may be haunting their soul. It is to show that the lifestyle of sodomy is unacceptable in God's holy nature. God told the children of Israel when he brought them out of Egypt that they were not to live the sinful lifestyle of the Egyptians or those of the land of Canaan where they were going.
Lev 18:3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
God then proceeded to give Moses specific things that were to be unacceptable. If you look down to Leviticus 18:22. you will find what God says about sodomy. It is right between two particularly ugly sins.
Lev 18:21 - 25 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
The bold is mine for emphasis. God is talking about some pretty nasty stuff here. He talks about the horror of burning your children in fire to the false god Molech which is an interesting study in itself. Then he tells them not to lie with mankind as with womankind. He then instructs them to not lie carnally with beast. How can sodomy be acceptable in any land when God himself places it between killing your children by burning them alive in awful sacrifices to false gods and having sex with animals? These things is why God cast out the inhabitants of the land before Israel and gave Israel the land. God even says that the land itself is vomiting these people out. God said the act of sodomy is an abomination to him. An abomination is something that is abhorred and detestable. That is very strong language. Those who try to say that it is an acceptable lifestyle before God are clearly ignoring what God says throughout scripture in both the old and new testaments.
If you go forward to Sodom's day you see a judgment of God upon the land because of these horrible lifestyles.
Gen 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Gen 18:20, 21 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Gen 19:4 - 25 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides a son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters? and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
We see here that the men of the city were exceedingly wicked and sinful. God had already told Abraham that if he found so much as ten righteous living in Sodom that he would not destroy it for these ten peoples sake. God told Abraham that their sin was very grievous. This is not idle words coming from God. This is extremely strong language. When the Angel's went into Sodom they were seen by the men of the city. Before they could go to bed in Lot's house, the men of the city from everywhere in Sodom, both rich and poor were gathered outside of Lot's house to take the men (Angel's) and know them carnally. Lot offered his virgin daughters to them and they got angry and told Lot it was going to go very bad for him because he was refusing their demand. The end result of this sodomite city was that God destroyed it in a fiery judgment. It is a true case showing that sin will not only destroy a person's life but abominable sin will destroy a people. Sin will truly take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you far more than you want to pay. It is the same with a nation.
Look what the Apostle Paul is saying about sodomy in Romans, Chapter One.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Rom 1:18-32)
We see here that the people whom Paul is talking about professed themselves to be wise and in their conceit they became fools. They could plainly see the creation of God and knew the glory belonged to God but they did not want to give God the glory and changed that which belonged to God into a lie and gave the glory to an image made like unto man, birds, four footed beast and creeping things. Every time I read this I cannot help but think what America has done with our four most holy days. Have we not taken the birth of Christ which sings a song of great love (Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will toward man) to all of creation and given this glory to an image of a man and called him Santa Clause? Have we not done the same thing with Easter which is a day of celebration for the greatest gift mankind could have, the gift of eternal life through the sacrificial death of God's own son? Have we not did the same thing with Thanksgiving which is a time of giving thanks to God for his many blessings and it has been turned into a turkey day? Have we not did the same thing with the fall harvest when we should be celebrating the bountiful blessings of God on our land and instead we have turned it in a day of celebrating creeping things? The Bible tells us that because these people did this, God gave them up to vile affections described as sodomy and lesbianism. It further states that God also let them be turned over to all unrighteousness. As you read the above description, does it not speak to you of where America is today? Our nation is being destroyed by a zeal for everything ungodly and sinful. We are turning into a truly wicked people. Sin is when someone does something wrong. Wicked is when we have a lust for wrongdoing. Children are being slain in the most vicious ways. Sodomy is manifest across the land. Our politicians (Whom we voted into office) are fighting with all of their might to turn America away from God. It almost appears like our land is being given to another with all of the illegal aliens who are coming in unchallenged upon us.
Sodomy is the bane of a people. It is the vilest of sins. It is wickedness run amock. It is an abomination before man and God.
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