I am often asked the question, ''Can I listen to secular music as a Christian?" Then the dilemma spirals into what styles, or genres, are safe? Is only ''Christian'' music the safe choice? Is listening to any style of music joining with the world? I have talked at great lengths with believers about music. While there is no straightforward black and white answer, there is a ''test'' you can use in evaluating this for your life. Let's use seven areas to assess music in our life.
First, there is ''message''. I believe this to be the most important aspect to assessing if a song is okay for us. I need to address the idea that music is ''secular'' or ''christian''. Music in and of itself is neither, its the lyrics that determine this. In my pre-Christ days, I listened to satanic (actually about demonic and evil concepts)and hate-filled songs. Today such messages are literally physically nauseating and mentally troubling to hear. All words are theologically neutral, it's what is being said, the message that guides the appropriateness of a song. Pay attention to the message, if it is contrary to Scripture, the message is bad. I think something of importance ought to be stressed here. Christian family bookstores have declared a couple bands I enjoy to have a ''negative'' message. What is that message? The content has to be pretty bad to be banished from such a godly enterprise, right? Well, the first band deals with the books of Daniel and Revelation exclusively. The other band states Islam, Hollywood, homosexuality, even the current state of the church is morally and spiritually corrupt. Then, there are acts that are approved, because they encourage raising our handed to thee God of love who loves us no matter how we live, though the artist is mormon!
Second, ''purpose''. What purpose does the music/song serve in one's life? Why was the song written and, furthermore, what is it trying to promote or encourage? A song that speaks of ,for example, sexuaal immorality in a bad context has a good purpose whereby one portraying a lascivious lifestyle is obviously antibiblical and thus, bad for the believer.
Third, what does the music bring to the heart (mind) of the believer, what ''association'' does the song/music hold for thhe believer? I read a great example of this when researching the topic, using my least favorite style of music-rap. I may associate rap with being violent and degrading to women, while you might associate it with anger toward sin.
Memories. What does the music bring to us in terms of our past? If we have repented about something and the song brings us back then we may opt to iisten to something else. Never allow a song to take you back to a place in time when things were not so good. While memories rarely are completely eradicated from our mind, don't allow a song or band the opportunity to take you to a pre-repented of event in life. You see, there's a ''seccular'' band I listened to a lot, because the content spoke frequently of death of loved ones, past failures, etc. Sometimes, listening to the band takes me back, and I relive the painful experiences of that period in my life.then, there's another band that discusses life's bad luck. I like the stance, though. If I may, the band I'm referring to has a track entitled ''I was wrong'', in which the lyricist speaks of the bad luck, but thinks about his part in the way bad things came to be in his life. It makes me think f the terrible things I have experienced a and faced in my life, but from the perspective of, ''what part did I play in their coming to be?", ''what role did I play in the way thins played out, my behavior during the events and a a result of them?"
Next, does the music stir emotions I in negative or positive ways? While goth music may bring about depressing or ''dark'' feelings in you it might make me feel happy inside. It might touch upon things I feel or am experiencing and thus, bringing contentment inside me.
Understanding, or interpretation. Do I understand, door relate, to the style of music. While some may feel more at ease, or peaceful, listening to classical versus country, or rock versus blues. It is important to note that your dislike of a style should not be the criteria by which we determine whether the music is ''safe'' for other believers, as people often do. Remember, it is important to always judge a righteous judgment. This very important message read in Jn7:14 reminds us to use Yahweh's perfect Word to judge the world around us and not our imperfect, biased opinions.
Finally, is the music ''singable''? When I listen to a song, and find myself singing along, can I ''rejoice'' in the content? Going back to the band I referred to earlier, the song, ''Jesus Christ'' is a graphic portrait of a saviour who died a brutal death to redeem a lost sinner that I may one day have access to the throne of God. I sing along to this more comfortably than most hymns.
I recently got into a heated discussion with the daughter of a seminary professor over the damning result of rock music. The prof believes country and classical music to be ''safe'' as it is their music of choice. I reminded them the. Psalmist discusses various musical instruments. Nowhere does the bible state one genre is more holy than another. The hymns were written by men. It comes back to message, lyric over style of music. Anything else is purely legalistic.
I would love to hear from you. Who are your favorite artists? What is your genre of choice?
Pastor Aaron
Monday, December 30, 2013
Ministry In 2014!
Well, I am back! In the months since I posted last, much has happened. As y know, I had become sick in 2009. Though there's no explanation for what had caused it, I am at the end of the road, at last! I lost my right leg in June. I admit I was quite scared of going into that operating room, but I had a good prayer buddy with me, before and after the surgery. After the surgery, she was waiting to pray over me. My wife stayed with me, at my side, through the whole process. I've had infections, many hospitalizations, treatments, weekly trips to the wound center. It has been a grueling four years, to say the very least. I really struggled, though, after surgery. I believed my life would not be the same again, and not for the better. Well, .ife has changed, and drastically, but I am okay. The Lord has brought me through! I think a big part of my struggle had to do with my already being wheelchair dependent, since childhood. Ministry is a blessing and a challenge. Unfortunately, like every other part of life, image is important, yes even in the church! It was tough enough with two legs, now I look very different! As it was, I had been a tattooed, mohawked, jeans and tees kind of guy before entering the ministry.
All this being said, iI had a phenomenal church and counseling practice for the seven years before the illness began. I have been working with a woman for about a year, and active online in a ''web-pulpit''. I teach people in the building, those who contact me on line,people I meet in the community, etc. I receivers an inbox message in July from a girl I had been talking to in Nigeria. She said that when she had been contacting ministers in the U.S., they either blew her off or simply didn't respond at all. She told me that my kindness and honesty had brought her to a crucial, dangerous, blessed decision --she renounced Islam and accepted Christ! Amen, I led a devout Muslim to the Lord! Though I moved and much has changed in my life, it seems Yahweh has been using me all allong!
Things have been a challenge, but, things are moving in a mighty way! I have renewed my accreditation with the American Association of Christian Counselors, renewed my confirmation of communion with my licensing and ordaining body.. I will also be completing my last two and a half finals to earn my doctorate in theology, Biblical Counseling. I am going to be rebuilding the church in my community and reaching out to people as a counselor. There is so much work to be done, which leads me into a sort of ''deep'' area....
As I look around both in my community and into the world, I see there is much to be done. The church is in trouble. Christ's return is near, very near, and the church neither speaks of it nnor warns unbelievers of this blessed event. The rapture (1Thess4:16-18) is about to happen and many, too many, are completely oblivious. I am going to press even harder the message of biblical pprophecy. Anyone who has been to my church services know very well where we (both the church and unbelievers alike) are in the prophetic timeline and what is to come. The message of love is awesome, as the apostle John tells us God is love. However, raising our hands while singing happy songs, hearing prosperity, ''I'm OK you're OK'' messages, in our fluffy pews is damning to the church. We exalt ''famous'' preachers so high that they become idols. We attack each other for the way we look, books we read, movies we watch, etc. and don't abide in the Word, teaching, correcting, guiding our lives and helping each other when we see others fall. The churchis in trouble and ''cChristians'' are to blame.
This is a personal post, but also a sort of ''letter of intent''. I'm going to get deeper in the Word in 2014, and lead others accordingly. I want the church and the world to know where we are on Gods timeline. I don't have all the answers on everything, but see where we, the church, has gone astray.
If you have questions, observations, etc. ask me anytimeanytime. I am at the pulpit 24/7, contact me.
Email : reverendamathews@yahoo.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/Aaron.mathews1
I'm back, healthy and ready to serve! May God bless you in 2014 as you serve Him and each other.
God be with you,
Pastor Aaron
All this being said, iI had a phenomenal church and counseling practice for the seven years before the illness began. I have been working with a woman for about a year, and active online in a ''web-pulpit''. I teach people in the building, those who contact me on line,people I meet in the community, etc. I receivers an inbox message in July from a girl I had been talking to in Nigeria. She said that when she had been contacting ministers in the U.S., they either blew her off or simply didn't respond at all. She told me that my kindness and honesty had brought her to a crucial, dangerous, blessed decision --she renounced Islam and accepted Christ! Amen, I led a devout Muslim to the Lord! Though I moved and much has changed in my life, it seems Yahweh has been using me all allong!
Things have been a challenge, but, things are moving in a mighty way! I have renewed my accreditation with the American Association of Christian Counselors, renewed my confirmation of communion with my licensing and ordaining body.. I will also be completing my last two and a half finals to earn my doctorate in theology, Biblical Counseling. I am going to be rebuilding the church in my community and reaching out to people as a counselor. There is so much work to be done, which leads me into a sort of ''deep'' area....
As I look around both in my community and into the world, I see there is much to be done. The church is in trouble. Christ's return is near, very near, and the church neither speaks of it nnor warns unbelievers of this blessed event. The rapture (1Thess4:16-18) is about to happen and many, too many, are completely oblivious. I am going to press even harder the message of biblical pprophecy. Anyone who has been to my church services know very well where we (both the church and unbelievers alike) are in the prophetic timeline and what is to come. The message of love is awesome, as the apostle John tells us God is love. However, raising our hands while singing happy songs, hearing prosperity, ''I'm OK you're OK'' messages, in our fluffy pews is damning to the church. We exalt ''famous'' preachers so high that they become idols. We attack each other for the way we look, books we read, movies we watch, etc. and don't abide in the Word, teaching, correcting, guiding our lives and helping each other when we see others fall. The churchis in trouble and ''cChristians'' are to blame.
This is a personal post, but also a sort of ''letter of intent''. I'm going to get deeper in the Word in 2014, and lead others accordingly. I want the church and the world to know where we are on Gods timeline. I don't have all the answers on everything, but see where we, the church, has gone astray.
If you have questions, observations, etc. ask me anytimeanytime. I am at the pulpit 24/7, contact me.
Email : reverendamathews@yahoo.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/Aaron.mathews1
I'm back, healthy and ready to serve! May God bless you in 2014 as you serve Him and each other.
God be with you,
Pastor Aaron
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Liberal vs. Conservative Christianity
Liberal vs.
Conservative Christianity
Rev. Aaron
M. Mathews, Th/M, D.D.
Pression; favorable to in accord with concepts of maximum
individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by
governmental protection of civil liberties.
“Conservative” is defined as being “disposed to preserve
existing conditions, institutions, etc. or to restore traditional ones and to
limit change traditional in style or manner , avoiding novelty or showiness.
As American Philosopher, Dallas Willard, states, “Toxic
faith such as this can eventually lead to chaos, cults, and all manner of abuse
and evil—destroying the redemptive message of Christ.” The extreme end of conservative Christianity
implements legalistic dictates and detracts from the free gift of grace. The result, then, is that Christians are
“controlled” through the obedience to rules and laws rather than acceptance and
living within God’s grace. This extreme
lends itself to dangerous theology, as can be seen in such members of the
pastorate as Fred Phelps, pastor of Westboro
Baptist Church
On the extreme end of liberal Christianity, believers often
rely on the automatic covering of grace and an avoidance of Biblical
truth. The danger in this end of the
spectrum is that Christians refuse to take a stand for anything. While grace is, in fact, truly sufficient for
each believer, there is such great emphasis on a relationship with Jesus and
“social justice”, the essential integration of repentance, obedience,
discipleship, and righteousness into Christian living is all too often
overlooked and merely unmentioned. As
warned against in Jude’s epistle, the absence of recognizing the absolute
authority of God’s Word (2Timothy 3:16) creates a complete “free for all”
approach to living in the faith. Some
refer to this as “cafeteria-style faith”.
Thus, “the resulting mindset is I am free to do and behave as I see fit
and understand the way of Jesus…and don’t you dare judge me!” Matthew 7:1 states, “ Judge not, that ye be
not judged“, which Christians remember and throw around frequently, I redirect
them to John 7:24, which I believe completes the concept in stating, “ Judge
not according to the appearance, but judge a righteous judgment“. Using judging in matters of outward
appearance, the inward heart, etc. are often misused rather making a judgment
call, then implementing correction [in love] via a good grasp of in depth,
solid Biblical teaching.
The key aspect of liberal Christianity is “Tolerance”. When tolerance becomes the rule, the
foundational tenets of the Christian faith are gradually (and sometimes
quickly) dissolved and abandoned. This,
then, leaves a “religion” based upon one’s own personal preference. Emotional “truths” replace Biblical truths
and sin is done away with.
One additional topic is worth noting, that is a conservative
versus liberal approach to the reading and “interpretation” of scripture. I will do my best to keep this concise yet
definitive. Christians will take one of
two views of the Bible – literal or figurative.
If you hold the Bible in your hands, open it, and take what you read
literally, then you are on the conservative side. If you turn the pages and read, and take it
apart, interpreting it for yourself, then you hold a liberal approach It is
of great importance to state that the Bible does contain allegorical texts, but
Scripture interprets itself, thus, letting the reader know when it is doing
so.
A liberalist reader will hold a historical-critical, or Higher Criticism
method of interpretation. In short,
historical criticism sets out to ascertain the text’s original or primitive
meaning in it’s original historical context and its literal sense, or sensus
literalis historicus. Furthermore, it
seeks to establish a reconstruction of the historical situation of the author
and recipients of the text.
Biblical Literalism, Biblicism, or Biblical Fundamentalism
are terms for the interpretation or translation of the explicit and primary
sense of words in the Bible. These
terms describe the conservative method of Biblical interpretation often held by
fundamentalists and evangelicals.
Interestingly, a 2011 Gallup
The study of Biblical interpretation is, in itself, a topic
in which I could write an entire volume on, so I won’t do that to you here (you
may sigh in relief, it’s ok!)! You have
to know for yourself which method of interpretation you use in study and
sharing the Gospel. If you do, in fact,
hold a liberal view of Scripture, be very careful so as not to misinterpret or
mislead those who you will be responsible for teaching
I offer you a middle
of the road approach to living and approaching the faith. John best sums this up in the first chapter
of his gospel, in verse 14, where he states, Jesus is “full of grace and
truth” Jesus was loving, yet He acted
boldly and spoke directly and with authority.
He was compassionate and experienced a human range of feelings and
emotions, yet He was righteous and true, without sin. Recall when He saw the synagogue being used
by the moneychangers, He became angry and admonished them, and threw them out
with force. He said “my house is a house
of prayer and you have turned it into a den of thieves!” (Matt. 21:13I
paraphrased). Notice Jesus did not say, “You guys have
turned my house into a shamble, but that’s just my opinion…” He took a stand against evil with authority,
passion, and confidence. Jesus did not
turn a blind eye to the woman caught in the act of adultery, no He said get up,
go home, and sin no more (see John chapter 8). You see, we are to take a stand, be bold,
while exercising compassion and grace.
We, as believers, are called to be like Him. Christian means “Christ-Like”. If one is to truly be a Christian believer,
s/he is to become just that, Christ like.
Dr. Tim Clinton states, “Will we advocate for our beliefs and actively
influence others? Or are we doomed to
silence – to accept our Christian faith as a completely private matter that has
no impact on our lives in the public square?”
If you or I get wrapped up in going through life tiptoeing around so as
to not offend anyone, we embrace and present a weak and inaccurate, incomplete
Gospel.
In closing, I ask you, the reader, where are you on the spectrum? Once you answered this question, I further
inquire, are you comfortable in your position?
As believers, it is crucial that we be salt and light. Jesus tells us to share the Gospel and be
examples, bodily representations of Him on the Earth, just as He Himself was a
human representation of His Father (and ours), God.
For more information,
further discussion, or any reason at all, you may contact Pastor Aaron M.
Mathews at reverendamathews@yahoo.com
Beyond Biblical Literalism and Inerrancy: Conservative
Protestants and the Hermeneutic Interpretation of
Scripture, John Bartkowski, Sociology of Religion, 57, 1996.
conservative.
(n.d.). The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved April 30,
2013, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conservative
Elwell, Walter A (1984). Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids
King James Version, Genesis Bible Co.
liberal.
(n.d.). © Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Retrieved April 30, 2013,
from Dictionary.com website: ictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal
Willard,
Dallas. Early Writings in the Philosophy of Logic
and
Mathematics (Edmund Husserl Collected Works, Vol
5)
(Dordrecht/Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993) 548 pp.,
ISBN:
0792322622. Edited under the auspices of the Husserl-
Archives, Louvain , Belgium
Saturday, January 26, 2013
The Most Important Words You’ll Ever Hear
The Most Important Words You’ll
Ever Hear
The Bible tells us clearly and without mystery how we can be
reborn and assured of our etrnal home with Jesus! Jesus is the way the truth, and the life, no
man comes to the Father without going through Jesus, the Son (John 14:6). This is because there is no other name by
which we can possibly be saved (Acts 4:12)
So how are we to be reborn? Romans 10:9 10 and verse 13 says
exactly how to be born again. “That if
thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine
heart at God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved.
It is not through anything we can do. First, you have to believe that God, in fact,
exists, then that He has a Son who He sent to dwell among us. Then call on
Jesus to save you. We all have sinned,
done wrong, at some point in your life.
Tell Him you are aware of it and tell Him you are sorry (this is called
repentance). When you pray (talk to
Him), you have been reborn! Ask Jesus to
send you the Holy Spirit to guide your steps for the remainder of your
days.
Congratulations on your rebirth! You are a new creature in Christ, and have
been adopted into God’s family, whereby you are now a child of God and can cry
out, “Abba, Father, at anytime!
Next, get a Bible and read it often. Get into fellowship with other believers,
whether it be a Bible study group or a church.
While there are many denominations, versions of the Bible etc. you
should find one in which you feel comfortable.
I, personally prefer the King James Version and a house church
format. It is the type of church
mentioned often in the New Testament.
However, I find the King James Vrsion, New King James Version, or New
International Version to be the best and most accurate translations.
I recommend daily prayer time with your Father and regular
Scripture reading. I have daily readings
I post on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/His-Truth-Ministries/185597828134449?fref=ts
Contact me anytime for more “next steps in your new walk”!
May God bless you as you walk in the Kingdom! Again, congratulations on your decision to
follow Jesus and live for Him.
In His Service,
Pastor Aaron Mathews
(315)520-3152
Monday, July 30, 2012
Biblical Christianity: Why ALL Religions Don't Equate
There are many "religions" who claim to be Christian; Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, and even some equate Islam to Christianity. Why? The main rationale is "Well, we all worship basically the same God." But do we? Furthermore, do we worship the same way? Let's look at this issue a bit closer today. Keep in mind that I have good friends who come from these religions I have mentioned, so I am simply going to show why Biblical Christianity is the truth and the ONLY way to Heaven and God. I will not get ino name calling, etc. just dispelling some light on what seems to be a foggy subject.The Christian Bible is an accurate portrayal of what happened to real people in real places, carrying out real events, in history. But why is history so important in Christianity? Why is it so important that the facts in the Bible really happened? The answer is, that is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions and their sacred books. The other religions are based on rituals, superstitions, philosophical principles, the teachings of men who never claimed to know the truth, myths and legends. By contrast, Christianity is based on real historical events involving real people. It is not how much faith we have in something that is important but the integrity of the object we are placing our faith on.
"Sola Scriptura" means Scripture alone. Christians believe the Bible is the only authority to guide the believer in his faith and life. Roman Catholics rely more on the Catechism and the traditions of the Church, placing it on equal to greater authority to the Bible.
Jehovah's Witnesses came to be in 1872 by their founder, Charles aze Russell. Russell claimed that the Bible could be only understood according to his interpretation. Jehovah's Witnesses (JW'S) rely on the teachings of the Watchtower Bible and Tact Society to guide them. In addition, the JW's use the New World Translation of the Bible. Because they do not believe in the trinity, all wording regarding Father, Son, and Holy Spiritis changed. In fact, The Jehovah's Witnesses vehemently portray the doctrine of the Trinity as pagan in origin and that Christendom, as a whole, has bought the lie of the devil. Along with denying the Trinity is an equally strong denial of the deity of Christ, the deity of the Holy Spirit, the belief in hell, and eternal conscious punishment in hell. The JW's say God has no son, as Jesus and Michael (the arch angel) are the sme. "Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man," (The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New World, 284.) Further beliefs regarding Jesus, "Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh," (Reasoning from the Scriptures,). "Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake," (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 89-90. 1985, p. 306.)
Other teachings of JW's include, "Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God," (The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197.) "They claim to be the only channel of God's truth," (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19.) "Only their church members will be saved," (The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30.) "Good works are necessary for salvation," (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, p. 150, 152.) "The soul ceases to exist after death," (Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67.) "There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished," (Let God be True, p. 79, 80.) "Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven," (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121.) "Only the 144,000 Jehovah's Witness are born again." (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681.
"Only the 144,000 may take communion." "The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used", (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 90-92.)
Mormons
How it began...
Joseph Smith Jr. stated that he was disturbed by all the different denominations of Christianity and wondered which was true. In 1820, when he was 14, he went into the woods to pray concerning this and allegedly God the Father and Jesus appeared to him and told him not to join any of the denominational churches.
Three years later, on Sept. 21, 1823, when he was 17 years old, an angel called Moroni, who was supposed to be the son of Mormon, the leader of the people called the Nephites who had lived in the Americas, appeared to him and told him that he had been chosen to translate the book of Mormon which was compiled by Moroni's father around the 4th century. The book was written on golden plates hidden near where Joseph was then living in Palmyra, New York. Joseph Smith said that on Sept. 22, 1827 he received the plates and the angel Moroni instructed him to begin the translation process. The translation was finally published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Joseph claimed that during this translation process, John the Baptist appeared to him and ordained him to accomplish the divine work of restoring the true church by preaching the true gospel which, allegedly, had been lost from the earth.
The Book of Mormon is supposed to be the account of people who came from the Middle-East to the Americas. It covers the period of about 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. It tells of the Jaredites, people from the Tower of Babel who came to central America but perished because of their own immorality. It also describes some Jews who fled persecution in Jerusalem and came to America led by a man called Nephi. The Jews divided into two groups known as the Nephites and Lamanites who fought each other. The Nephites were defeated in 428 A.D. The Lamanites continued and are known as the American Indians. The Book of Mormon is the account of the Nephite leader, Mormon, concerning their culture, civilization, and appearance of Jesus to the Americas.
After the publication of the Book of Mormon, Mormonism began to grow.
According to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible (History of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461).
Do Mormons (or LDS) believe in thetrinity? No. The beliefs are pretty straightforward, here is what LDS' believe, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, known as the Mormons, teaches that God the father used to be a man on another planet, that he became a God by following the laws and ordinances of that God on that planet and came to this world with his wife (she became a goddess), and that they produce a spirit offspring in heaven. These spirit offspring, which includes Jesus, the devil, and you and me, are all brothers and sisters born in the preexistence. The preexistence spirits come down and inhabit babies at the time of birth and their memories of the preexistence are lost at the time. Furthermore, faithful Mormons, who pay a full 10% tithe of their income to the Mormon church through Mormon temples, have the potential of becoming gods of their own planets and are then able to start the procedure over again."
Also, "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation," (Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206). "A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the father but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god," (Mormon Doctrine, p. 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 8).
"Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions)," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, 1856, p. 247). "Good works are necessary for salvation" (Articles of Faith, p. 92). "There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God". (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 188).
Roman Catholicism
I don't need to spend a lot of time here, as I blogged on this already. Here is a little on RC's. As far as Sola Scriptura, RC's believe "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God . . ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 97.)
In a nutshell, [according to Slick, M.] "Being a Christian does not mean being a member of the Roman Catholic Church. It means being a member of the body of Christ which is accomplished by faith and trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins. It means that you do not add your works to His work. Sincerity doesn't forgive sins. Membership in a church doesn't forgive sins. Doing works of penance doesn't forgive sins. Praying to Mary doesn't forgive sins. Forgiveness is received in the faithful trust and acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. You must trust Jesus, God in flesh, for the forgiveness of sins, not a man made ritual and certainly not the catholic saints. Even though Roman Catholic Church affirms the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and His physical resurrection, it greatly errors in its doctrine of salvation by adding works to salvation.". The RC's also do away with the second commandment so as t allow for the worship of saints, Mary, the Pope, statues, etc. (thus they split the tenth into two separate commandments, allowing for ten).
Islam
As far as Sola Scriptura, muslims believe the Qur'an (Koran, Quran) is the Holy Book of Islam and the religion's most sacred writing. Muslims consider it the actual word of Allah and not the word of Muhammad to whom it was given. Muslim tradition states that the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad and gave him the words directly from Allah. These words were Allah's words of wisdom, truth, and commandments to His creation. The Qur'an (which means recitation) was revealed in the Arabic dialect used by the Quraish tribe of Mecca of that time. This dialect became the formal Arabic of the Islamic nations due to the distribution of Qur'anic scriptures throughout the Islamic empire. In the Arabic the Qur'an is poetic in style with rhymes, meter, and shifts in line lengths. Those who speak the language say it is a beautiful work.
For more in depth study on the Moon Cult of Islam, see CARM http://carm.org/religious-movements/islam/what-islam
Jesus is very clear on His being God's Son, a member of the trinity, and the ONLY means by which one is saved and going to have access to Heaven (read John 3, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-10, 13....) Biblical Christianity holds that salvation is accessible by ALL people, equally, through belief in Jesus Christ and study of and obedience to the Scriptures. It is not by works, lest any man should boast. Christ paid our debt on the cross, that was the final work of atonement. We, as God's creation, need only believe on Him, be baptized and walk in faith! It is not always easy, we will face trials and troubles in this life, but by faith that we are saved, God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit (which is received and indwells the new believer once one accepts Christ as Saviour). The greatest differences among all the others from Biblical Christianity is we believe, read, and accep the Bible only as our source for truth, guidance, instruction, and knowledge of God.
In closing, no, not all religions are simiar, equal, or ending one in Heaven. It is important to understand ths, as if you are seeking eternal life in Heaven Biblical Christianity is the one you want to study. Jesus, the Son of God, is THE way, THE truth, and THE life, no man comes to the Father except through Him (Jn 14:6). No other religion believes or teaches this, though many claim to know of Jesus. No matter wh you are, where you're from, what religion you belong to, or what you have done in your past, Jesus is available to you right now. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins (this is called repentance, cts 2:38) you will receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit! Ask Him to guide you the rest of your life, and help to lead you in righteousness. Get a Bible and get to a church or fellowship with believers. I can help you get a Bible and am available anytime to help you grow in your walk.
God Bless You,
Pastor Aaron
(315)520-3152
reverendamathews@yahoo.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/His-Truth-Ministries/185597828134449?ref=ts
"Sola Scriptura" means Scripture alone. Christians believe the Bible is the only authority to guide the believer in his faith and life. Roman Catholics rely more on the Catechism and the traditions of the Church, placing it on equal to greater authority to the Bible.
Jehovah's Witnesses came to be in 1872 by their founder, Charles aze Russell. Russell claimed that the Bible could be only understood according to his interpretation. Jehovah's Witnesses (JW'S) rely on the teachings of the Watchtower Bible and Tact Society to guide them. In addition, the JW's use the New World Translation of the Bible. Because they do not believe in the trinity, all wording regarding Father, Son, and Holy Spiritis changed. In fact, The Jehovah's Witnesses vehemently portray the doctrine of the Trinity as pagan in origin and that Christendom, as a whole, has bought the lie of the devil. Along with denying the Trinity is an equally strong denial of the deity of Christ, the deity of the Holy Spirit, the belief in hell, and eternal conscious punishment in hell. The JW's say God has no son, as Jesus and Michael (the arch angel) are the sme. "Jesus was Michael the archangel who became a man," (The Watchtower, May 15, 1963, p. 307; The New World, 284.) Further beliefs regarding Jesus, "Jesus was only a perfect man, not God in flesh," (Reasoning from the Scriptures,). "Jesus did not die on a cross but on a stake," (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 89-90. 1985, p. 306.)
Other teachings of JW's include, "Their church is the self-proclaimed prophet of God," (The Watchtower, April 1, 1972, p. 197.) "They claim to be the only channel of God's truth," (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19.) "Only their church members will be saved," (The Watchtower, Feb, 15, 1979, p. 30.) "Good works are necessary for salvation," (Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, p. 150, 152.) "The soul ceases to exist after death," (Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67.) "There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished," (Let God be True, p. 79, 80.) "Only 144,000 Jehovah's Witness go to heaven," (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, pp. 166-167, 361; Let God be True, p. 121.) "Only the 144,000 Jehovah's Witness are born again." (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 76.; Watchtower 11/15/54, p. 681.
"Only the 144,000 may take communion." "The Cross is a pagan symbol and should not be used", (Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1985, p. 90-92.)
Mormons
How it began...
Joseph Smith Jr. stated that he was disturbed by all the different denominations of Christianity and wondered which was true. In 1820, when he was 14, he went into the woods to pray concerning this and allegedly God the Father and Jesus appeared to him and told him not to join any of the denominational churches.
Three years later, on Sept. 21, 1823, when he was 17 years old, an angel called Moroni, who was supposed to be the son of Mormon, the leader of the people called the Nephites who had lived in the Americas, appeared to him and told him that he had been chosen to translate the book of Mormon which was compiled by Moroni's father around the 4th century. The book was written on golden plates hidden near where Joseph was then living in Palmyra, New York. Joseph Smith said that on Sept. 22, 1827 he received the plates and the angel Moroni instructed him to begin the translation process. The translation was finally published in 1830 as the Book of Mormon. Joseph claimed that during this translation process, John the Baptist appeared to him and ordained him to accomplish the divine work of restoring the true church by preaching the true gospel which, allegedly, had been lost from the earth.
The Book of Mormon is supposed to be the account of people who came from the Middle-East to the Americas. It covers the period of about 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. It tells of the Jaredites, people from the Tower of Babel who came to central America but perished because of their own immorality. It also describes some Jews who fled persecution in Jerusalem and came to America led by a man called Nephi. The Jews divided into two groups known as the Nephites and Lamanites who fought each other. The Nephites were defeated in 428 A.D. The Lamanites continued and are known as the American Indians. The Book of Mormon is the account of the Nephite leader, Mormon, concerning their culture, civilization, and appearance of Jesus to the Americas.
After the publication of the Book of Mormon, Mormonism began to grow.
According to Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible (History of the Church, Vol. 4, page 461).
Do Mormons (or LDS) believe in thetrinity? No. The beliefs are pretty straightforward, here is what LDS' believe, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, known as the Mormons, teaches that God the father used to be a man on another planet, that he became a God by following the laws and ordinances of that God on that planet and came to this world with his wife (she became a goddess), and that they produce a spirit offspring in heaven. These spirit offspring, which includes Jesus, the devil, and you and me, are all brothers and sisters born in the preexistence. The preexistence spirits come down and inhabit babies at the time of birth and their memories of the preexistence are lost at the time. Furthermore, faithful Mormons, who pay a full 10% tithe of their income to the Mormon church through Mormon temples, have the potential of becoming gods of their own planets and are then able to start the procedure over again."
Also, "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation," (Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206). "A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the father but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god," (Mormon Doctrine, p. 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 8).
"Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions)," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, 1856, p. 247). "Good works are necessary for salvation" (Articles of Faith, p. 92). "There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God". (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 188).
Roman Catholicism
I don't need to spend a lot of time here, as I blogged on this already. Here is a little on RC's. As far as Sola Scriptura, RC's believe "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God . . ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 97.)
In a nutshell, [according to Slick, M.] "Being a Christian does not mean being a member of the Roman Catholic Church. It means being a member of the body of Christ which is accomplished by faith and trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins. It means that you do not add your works to His work. Sincerity doesn't forgive sins. Membership in a church doesn't forgive sins. Doing works of penance doesn't forgive sins. Praying to Mary doesn't forgive sins. Forgiveness is received in the faithful trust and acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. You must trust Jesus, God in flesh, for the forgiveness of sins, not a man made ritual and certainly not the catholic saints. Even though Roman Catholic Church affirms the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and His physical resurrection, it greatly errors in its doctrine of salvation by adding works to salvation.". The RC's also do away with the second commandment so as t allow for the worship of saints, Mary, the Pope, statues, etc. (thus they split the tenth into two separate commandments, allowing for ten).
Islam
Began in 610 ad, when Mohammad heard fom the angel Gabriel, sent by allah, ina cave. Muslims do not believe in the trinity, rather the quran states, "There is only one God" (5:73; 112:1-4). "God is called Allah by Muslims" (5:73). Salvation is ONLY for muslims, "Allah will judge all people on the day of judgment". (3:30; 35:33-37; 99:6-8). "If your good deeds exceed your bad deeds, and you believe in Allah, and sincerely repent of sins, you may go to heaven (3:135; 7:8-9; 21:47; 49:14; 66:8-9).
"There is an eternal hell for those who are not Muslims, not practicing Islam, and not of the truth faith" (3:77). "Jesus was a great prophet but not the son of God (9:30), is not divine (5:17, 75), was not crucified" (4:157). As far as Sola Scriptura, muslims believe the Qur'an (Koran, Quran) is the Holy Book of Islam and the religion's most sacred writing. Muslims consider it the actual word of Allah and not the word of Muhammad to whom it was given. Muslim tradition states that the angel Gabriel visited Muhammad and gave him the words directly from Allah. These words were Allah's words of wisdom, truth, and commandments to His creation. The Qur'an (which means recitation) was revealed in the Arabic dialect used by the Quraish tribe of Mecca of that time. This dialect became the formal Arabic of the Islamic nations due to the distribution of Qur'anic scriptures throughout the Islamic empire. In the Arabic the Qur'an is poetic in style with rhymes, meter, and shifts in line lengths. Those who speak the language say it is a beautiful work.
For more in depth study on the Moon Cult of Islam, see CARM http://carm.org/religious-movements/islam/what-islam
Jesus is very clear on His being God's Son, a member of the trinity, and the ONLY means by which one is saved and going to have access to Heaven (read John 3, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-10, 13....) Biblical Christianity holds that salvation is accessible by ALL people, equally, through belief in Jesus Christ and study of and obedience to the Scriptures. It is not by works, lest any man should boast. Christ paid our debt on the cross, that was the final work of atonement. We, as God's creation, need only believe on Him, be baptized and walk in faith! It is not always easy, we will face trials and troubles in this life, but by faith that we are saved, God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit (which is received and indwells the new believer once one accepts Christ as Saviour). The greatest differences among all the others from Biblical Christianity is we believe, read, and accep the Bible only as our source for truth, guidance, instruction, and knowledge of God.
In closing, no, not all religions are simiar, equal, or ending one in Heaven. It is important to understand ths, as if you are seeking eternal life in Heaven Biblical Christianity is the one you want to study. Jesus, the Son of God, is THE way, THE truth, and THE life, no man comes to the Father except through Him (Jn 14:6). No other religion believes or teaches this, though many claim to know of Jesus. No matter wh you are, where you're from, what religion you belong to, or what you have done in your past, Jesus is available to you right now. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins (this is called repentance, cts 2:38) you will receive forgiveness and the Holy Spirit! Ask Him to guide you the rest of your life, and help to lead you in righteousness. Get a Bible and get to a church or fellowship with believers. I can help you get a Bible and am available anytime to help you grow in your walk.
God Bless You,
Pastor Aaron
(315)520-3152
reverendamathews@yahoo.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/His-Truth-Ministries/185597828134449?ref=ts
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Israel or Palestine....?
There is a great deal of hatred toward the nation of Israel and the apple of God's own eye - the Jews. There are a couple of very wrong and dangerous views toward the nation and her people; first, you have replacement theology and, second, the Palestinians have the right to even a square inch of land in Israel. Replacement theology is a belief held by some that the New Testament church has replaced Israel, and all Old Testament covenants between God and His people no longer apply to them, but to the New Testament church.
I need to begin clearly boldly and standing firmly on the Word of God. There is neither a Palestine in Scripture, nor do the people have any right to the land of Israel- Not today, Not ever. "Palestine" means in the Hebrew, "Land of the Phillistines". If you have read Scripture, you will note the Phillistines are both the enemies of Israelites/Canaanites and they are Arabs. The only reference that could even be viewed is in regard to the Phillistines, who lingered in the Southern tip of Israel. So, then, how did Palestine come to be?
First, it is important to start at Genesis - THE VERY BEGINNING! According to the Book of Genesis, the land was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac, and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob. God handed the patriarchs and their seed the title deed to the land of Israel. Also worthy to note, Israel was also known as Canaan. We read in Genesis 15:6-11,"5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away."
Let's look at the Biblical borders of the land God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will quote the Bible to minimize error or bias, ok? Genesis 15:18 says, "18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." Exodus 23:31-32, "31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee." ("The River" is the Euphrates.) In Numbers 34:1- And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:) 3 Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward: 4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon: 5 And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea. 6 And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: 8 From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad: 9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.10 And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham: 11 And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the order shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward: 12 And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about. 13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the Lord commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:" Duteronomy 1, "
6 The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them."
While Israel was dormant for about 2,000 years after the Babylonian captivity, it rebirthed as a nation May 1948. There was another struggle, the Arab-Israeli or 6 day war, which occurred from June 5-10, 1967. It was fought between Egypt, Jordan, Syria (known at the time as the United Arab Republic), and Israel. This resulted in Israel becoming under it's own leadership and governance.
Palestine was never even a nation, so how did it become so prevalent in the news today?
"Many authorities have addressed the misconceptions surrounding the word Palestine. The name derived from "other migrants from the northwest, the Philistines. Though the latest arrivals, and though they only exercised control over the whole country for a few uncertain decades, they had been the cause of its name of Palestine. These Philistines were an Aegean people, driven out of Greece and Aegean islands around about 1300 B.C.E. They moved southward along the Asiatic coast and in about 1200 attempted to invade Egypt. Turned back, they settled in the maritime plain of southern 'Palestine', where they founded a series of city-states."
"In other words, it appears that Palestine never was an independent nation and the Arabs never named the land to which they now claim rights. Most Arabs do not admit so candidly that "Palestinian identity" is a maneuver "only for political reasons" as did Zuheir Muhsin. But the Arab world, until recently, itself frequently negated the validity of any claim of an "age-old Palestinian Arab" identity." (The Palestine Myth)
"The PLO was formed in Egypt, supported by the Arab League as an umbrella organization for anti-Israel militant groups. In 1968, Arafat’s Fatah joined the PLO and eventually dominated it. Over the decades, the PLO carried out thousands of attacks against Israelis and others around the world, including the first airplane hijackings." (The Israel E-Book)
The name "Palestine" is summed up to be a slap in the face of Israel. It was so named by Roman emperor Hadrian, in 135 ad, to incite rage in the Israeli people. Palestinians, One of the first Christian uses of the term Palestine is found in the works of the Church historian Eusebius, who lived in Caesarea. He wrote around 300 A.D., as the Roman persecution of Christians was ending and the Emperor Constantine began to accept Christianity as legal. Eusebius did not accept Hadrian’s designation of Jerusalem as Aelia Capitalina, but he did use Hadrian’s term Palestine. Eusebius considered himself to be one of the bishops of Palestine. Thus, the anti-Israel, anti-Christian name of Palestine was assimilated into the Church’s vocabulary as the Byzantine Empire was being established.Arabs in the area coined "Palestine" are nothing more than squatters, and the worldfront, through bogus "peace treaties" are giving the squatters more and more rights. These squatters are violent, calculating, and refuse to stop invading Israel's borders until they take the land over. Today, the leader of Egypt plans to take Jerusalem as it's capital. The divying up of Israel has got to stop. The Lord Jesus Christ is not coming to rule and reign from Palestine, but Jerusalem. The use of the term "Palestine" today is merely for propoganda tactics by the liberal media.
The Bible tells us "Whoever blesses Israel shall be blessed and whooever curses Israel shall be cursed." (Genesis 12:3).
I could write a book on this! If you are interested in this topic, contact me anytime and we can discuss it more....
God Bless,
Pastor Aaron
reverendamathews@yahoo.com
I need to begin clearly boldly and standing firmly on the Word of God. There is neither a Palestine in Scripture, nor do the people have any right to the land of Israel- Not today, Not ever. "Palestine" means in the Hebrew, "Land of the Phillistines". If you have read Scripture, you will note the Phillistines are both the enemies of Israelites/Canaanites and they are Arabs. The only reference that could even be viewed is in regard to the Phillistines, who lingered in the Southern tip of Israel. So, then, how did Palestine come to be?
First, it is important to start at Genesis - THE VERY BEGINNING! According to the Book of Genesis, the land was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac, and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob. God handed the patriarchs and their seed the title deed to the land of Israel. Also worthy to note, Israel was also known as Canaan. We read in Genesis 15:6-11,"5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away."
Let's look at the Biblical borders of the land God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will quote the Bible to minimize error or bias, ok? Genesis 15:18 says, "18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." Exodus 23:31-32, "31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee." ("The River" is the Euphrates.) In Numbers 34:1- And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:) 3 Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward: 4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon: 5 And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea. 6 And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
7 And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor: 8 From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zedad: 9 And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.10 And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham: 11 And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the order shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward: 12 And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about. 13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the Lord commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:" Duteronomy 1, "
6 The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them."
While Israel was dormant for about 2,000 years after the Babylonian captivity, it rebirthed as a nation May 1948. There was another struggle, the Arab-Israeli or 6 day war, which occurred from June 5-10, 1967. It was fought between Egypt, Jordan, Syria (known at the time as the United Arab Republic), and Israel. This resulted in Israel becoming under it's own leadership and governance.
Palestine was never even a nation, so how did it become so prevalent in the news today?
"Many authorities have addressed the misconceptions surrounding the word Palestine. The name derived from "other migrants from the northwest, the Philistines. Though the latest arrivals, and though they only exercised control over the whole country for a few uncertain decades, they had been the cause of its name of Palestine. These Philistines were an Aegean people, driven out of Greece and Aegean islands around about 1300 B.C.E. They moved southward along the Asiatic coast and in about 1200 attempted to invade Egypt. Turned back, they settled in the maritime plain of southern 'Palestine', where they founded a series of city-states."
"In other words, it appears that Palestine never was an independent nation and the Arabs never named the land to which they now claim rights. Most Arabs do not admit so candidly that "Palestinian identity" is a maneuver "only for political reasons" as did Zuheir Muhsin. But the Arab world, until recently, itself frequently negated the validity of any claim of an "age-old Palestinian Arab" identity." (The Palestine Myth)
"The PLO was formed in Egypt, supported by the Arab League as an umbrella organization for anti-Israel militant groups. In 1968, Arafat’s Fatah joined the PLO and eventually dominated it. Over the decades, the PLO carried out thousands of attacks against Israelis and others around the world, including the first airplane hijackings." (The Israel E-Book)
The name "Palestine" is summed up to be a slap in the face of Israel. It was so named by Roman emperor Hadrian, in 135 ad, to incite rage in the Israeli people. Palestinians, One of the first Christian uses of the term Palestine is found in the works of the Church historian Eusebius, who lived in Caesarea. He wrote around 300 A.D., as the Roman persecution of Christians was ending and the Emperor Constantine began to accept Christianity as legal. Eusebius did not accept Hadrian’s designation of Jerusalem as Aelia Capitalina, but he did use Hadrian’s term Palestine. Eusebius considered himself to be one of the bishops of Palestine. Thus, the anti-Israel, anti-Christian name of Palestine was assimilated into the Church’s vocabulary as the Byzantine Empire was being established.Arabs in the area coined "Palestine" are nothing more than squatters, and the worldfront, through bogus "peace treaties" are giving the squatters more and more rights. These squatters are violent, calculating, and refuse to stop invading Israel's borders until they take the land over. Today, the leader of Egypt plans to take Jerusalem as it's capital. The divying up of Israel has got to stop. The Lord Jesus Christ is not coming to rule and reign from Palestine, but Jerusalem. The use of the term "Palestine" today is merely for propoganda tactics by the liberal media.
The Bible tells us "Whoever blesses Israel shall be blessed and whooever curses Israel shall be cursed." (Genesis 12:3).
I could write a book on this! If you are interested in this topic, contact me anytime and we can discuss it more....
God Bless,
Pastor Aaron
reverendamathews@yahoo.com
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
A Suitable Mate
What does it mean to have a "righteous relationship"? The Bible discusses every aspect of the human, emotional, and interactive experience. God also made sure to let men and woman know exactly what He views as right and wrong.
What is the proper relationship we are to have with others? What is a "suitable mate"?
Genesis records in the second chapter,
"24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
See, the three verses prior further describe the nature of the relationship between the husband and wife, namely as a couple,
"21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
Before I progress on the topic at hand, look for a moment at verses 21 and 22 with me. Did you ever stop to think why God chose to use a "rib"? Might I suggest a theory? I have held for years that He chose the rib out of consideration of equality. Not to say a liberal ideology of equality, but that ALL men are created equal. If He chose a bone from Adam's head, it might imply that he was above the woman - a dominant position. If God placed in the woman a bone from man's foot, it might place Adam at the subordinate level to woman. Recall, we are to submit to each other, husbands to wives and vice versa.
Coming back to our discussion, Jesus reiterates to the Pharisees in the nineteenth chapter of Matthew,
"3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
So, then what is not considered a suitable mate or relationship?
1 Corinthians 6:9,18-20,
"9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Leviticus 18:22,
"22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
Leviticus 20:13,
"13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
Romans 1:24-32,
"24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 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: 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 recompence of their error which was meet. 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; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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."
Romans 8 further states,
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of ighteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Fornication, Adultery, Sexual Immortality
Adultery
Sexual immorality is rampant in our culture as morality is being loosely defined (and redefined), encouraging many to engage in sinful behavior. This makes a clear definition difficult to pinpoint. This, thanks to the liberal agenda, now includes pornography, homosexuality, bisexuality, group sex, sexting, bestiality, the list is endless.
Today, there are stories in my local news where older men were pleasuring themselves in a public space at a ritzy golf club. Another series of stories over the past 24 months have innumerable accounts of kids, as young as 8, having sexual relations in the classroom while peers watch. It's not right, nor is it permitted by God.
There is hope for people who engage in homosexuality, adultery, fornication, sexual immorality, or any other perversion. As with any sin, one needs to repent. This is to stop the sin, turn away, and seek God's forgiveness. We need to be honest about all of our thoughts, feelings, and actions before a Holy and Just God.
Because immoral society or the liberal agenda defines something as "ok" or"normal" doesn't mean it is. We need to look to the Bible for all of life's issues, it is our moral compass, our owner's manual.
2 Timothy 3:16-17,
"16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
God Bless,
Pastor Aaron Mathews
What is the proper relationship we are to have with others? What is a "suitable mate"?
Genesis records in the second chapter,
"24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
See, the three verses prior further describe the nature of the relationship between the husband and wife, namely as a couple,
"21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
Before I progress on the topic at hand, look for a moment at verses 21 and 22 with me. Did you ever stop to think why God chose to use a "rib"? Might I suggest a theory? I have held for years that He chose the rib out of consideration of equality. Not to say a liberal ideology of equality, but that ALL men are created equal. If He chose a bone from Adam's head, it might imply that he was above the woman - a dominant position. If God placed in the woman a bone from man's foot, it might place Adam at the subordinate level to woman. Recall, we are to submit to each other, husbands to wives and vice versa.
Coming back to our discussion, Jesus reiterates to the Pharisees in the nineteenth chapter of Matthew,
"3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
So, then what is not considered a suitable mate or relationship?
1 Corinthians 6:9,18-20,
"9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
Leviticus 18:22,
"22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."
Leviticus 20:13,
"13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
Romans 1:24-32,
"24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 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: 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 recompence of their error which was meet. 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; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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."
Romans 8 further states,
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of ighteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Fornication, Adultery, Sexual Immortality
Adultery
Illicit intimate sex between one man and one woman whereby the offender (the Adulterer) is currently Married.
Fornication
Illicit intimate sex between one man and one woman whereby the offender (the Fornicator) is currently NOT married.
Sexual ImmoralitySexual immorality is rampant in our culture as morality is being loosely defined (and redefined), encouraging many to engage in sinful behavior. This makes a clear definition difficult to pinpoint. This, thanks to the liberal agenda, now includes pornography, homosexuality, bisexuality, group sex, sexting, bestiality, the list is endless.
Today, there are stories in my local news where older men were pleasuring themselves in a public space at a ritzy golf club. Another series of stories over the past 24 months have innumerable accounts of kids, as young as 8, having sexual relations in the classroom while peers watch. It's not right, nor is it permitted by God.
There is hope for people who engage in homosexuality, adultery, fornication, sexual immorality, or any other perversion. As with any sin, one needs to repent. This is to stop the sin, turn away, and seek God's forgiveness. We need to be honest about all of our thoughts, feelings, and actions before a Holy and Just God.
Because immoral society or the liberal agenda defines something as "ok" or"normal" doesn't mean it is. We need to look to the Bible for all of life's issues, it is our moral compass, our owner's manual.
2 Timothy 3:16-17,
"16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
God Bless,
Pastor Aaron Mathews
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