Disclaimer: This is NOT an attempt to bring glory to me or to stir up your emotions. This is solely for the Glory of Jesus Christ, the Son and God the Father. ALL Accounts are true, and while this was hard for me to do...I must do it because it will bring souls to Christ. THIS IS MY TESTIMONY
"And they have overcome (conquered ) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]." -Revelation 12:11
Hi, my name is Henry Louis McLean, and this is my testimony. Many people look at me, and read my statuses and tweets and think that I may have been saved since birth. However, this is NOT the case but as the famous quote says, "Every saint has a past and every sinner a future."
My life has always led to me question God. Since I can remember, I have always demanded answers from God about why he allowed my life to be like it is. It started when I was a baby, I was born premature, and you could hold me in the palm of your hand (literally). Then, I lost my right leg due to lack of blood circulation. As I grew older, I didnt care about having a fake leg, actually I used it to get girls (crazy right?) but when I hit middle school, that's when everything changed.
I had been baptized as a kid, and I witnessed to my best friend in lunch, I explained baptism, God, and a whole bunch of other stuff (and I was only 10). So I had some knowledge about God and while I didnt know what holiness was, I knew the difference between right and wrong. During this time, I didnt care that I had a fake leg, my thoughts were "God you made me this way and I accept it" and I did but around the time I got to middle school, I had fallen away from God, I had become like the prodigal son but my awareness also kicked in, and I realized that I had a fake leg, and was the ONLY kid in my whole grade that had 1 and then, my feeling changed from happiness to depression.
I became jealous of other people, because I had always wondered what life would be like for me if I had 2 "normal" legs, made of flesh instead of just 1. It angered me that my friends could just go swimming and that I had 2 take my leg off before I could swim, and that attracted unwanted attention and made me feel even more insecure about my "disability". Then, it only got worse when I wanted to wear shorts and 1 leg was darker than the other and people began to question on me on why it was like that and just like swimming, it brought unwanted attention and I began to hate myself for being this way and God for making me this way. I had allowed satan to influence me into thinking that God didnt want the best for me, and that I was better off alone.
I began to question God, and cry because I hated the way I was created. I hated that I had a fake leg, and that it took me 16 years to ride a bike when others learned at 5, and so I developed a love-hate relationship with God, I loved him only because I didnt wanna go to Hell (figures right?) but hated him for creating me this way. As the years passed, I stopped swimming, and I stopped wearing shorts to cover up my "flaw", my "disability". I not only began to hate myself but I hated those that had what I desperately wanted: 2 legs made of skin and bone. Now while I have all this hatred inside of me, I didnt show it. I knew that if I did, I'd attract attention and people would think I'm wierd so I just played it cool but inside I was dying.
My friends began to decrease because I didnt wanna keep answering questions like "why do you walk like that?" or "what's wrong with your leg?" Even in gym, people would stare and all I could think was "God, tell me why the &^&* did you make me this way?" and yes I did curse back then and I was angry, and when my mom left...I began to wonder if the fact that I had a fake leg was the reason why she had left. This caused me to slip into a depression that would not be lifted until 2011, and it caused me to rebel AGAINST God even though I knew I was wrong.
However, after years and years of questioning God, and hating Him for making me this way. God finally answered me, and told me why. I was 19 at the time, and I began to reflect over my life and all the hell I went through, and I wasnt saved at the time, and I said "God, why me?" and God replied, "why not you?" I was confused and angry. How dare the God of the Universe answer a question with a question?! But then God opened my eyes to see something. I was in ROTC in all 4 years of high school, and I had obtained the rank of Sergeant, scored over a 200 on my Physical Fitness Test (which is an elite score), and the people I had inspired. Even 3 years after graduation, people tell me that I inspired them to do their best, and it was humbling because I wasn't trying to inspire them in any way but then I realized God did that to show me that His Plan is always perfect, even when I'm not. People always say, "God won't put more on you than you can bear" but I think people use that as a cliche and miss the point of the quote, so let me explain.
God allowed my leg to take me to a point of depression, hate, and questions. Why? Because He knew that although I would be pushed to the edge, I would not jump off and die. During the years that I hated myself and God, I knew He had a reason for doing it and I knew that God always does what is right. He allowed me to see that if this burden had been placed on someone OTHER THAN ME, they would not have carried out His Plan, but probably would have committed suicide.
If you're someone struggling to accept how you are, know that God loves you and he created you and saw that you were good. God doesn't hate you, He loves you more than you could ever know. If you hate yourself, just know that the burden your carrying may be heavy but it wont break you. Yes, it hurts and no, you dont understand but trust me when I say that it is all for God's Glory, and to show you who you really are. I could have chosen to give up on myself because of my leg but I didnt, and it lead others to be inspired. When your depressed and you ask God "why did you create me this way?" His answer is found in His Word, and it reads:
"and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt." -Psalms 139:14
GOD CREATED YOU WITH LOVE AND CARE, HE LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Homosexuality and Christians: Where's The Love?
Disclaimer: I am NOT in any way endorsing,or encouraging homosexuality. My only goal is to state biblical truth and to bring souls into the knowledge of Christ
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, (10) nor thieves,nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is the most quoted scripture from a Christian concerning homosexuality. Now, by biblical standards, homosexuality IS A SIN because it defies the natural order of how God created us. In the Book of Genesis, God took the rib of a MAN and created WOMAN, not another man. However, this blog isn't about just homosexuals but about Christians as well.
I love twitter just as much as anyone, and there's this lady on there by the name of Reverend Sue and she's really respectful and from my conversations with her, full of love. I was talking with her and we were discussing homosexuality (which she supports) and she was talking about how Christians deny homosexuals the right to be married and about the hate we spread because of homosexuality. As I sat at my computer reading the tweet, I realized she was right. My response to her was that as a Christian, I oppose homosexuality because GOD opposes it and its unbiblical, but I went a little farther by saying that even though I do not approve of their lifestyle, I LOVE THEM AS PEOPLE. Now, if you look through the Gospels (Matthew-John), Jesus never spoke of homosexuality and the question becomes, "Why?" The answer is that Christ didn't need to point out specific people and say, "You're going to hell" Christ needed to show the Jews that He was the Messiah and that He was the Way back to God. How does this fit into what I'm saying? We cannot look at 1 Corinthians 6, and say "gays are going to Hell" and NOT read the rest. Yes, homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God BUT only if we do not show them the Love of Christ, and they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and live a holy lifestyle (Homosexual Christian is a contradiction and cannot happen)
You're probably reading this and saying, "Henry, your supporting their lifestyle." No, I do not condone it nor support it in ANY WAY. However, I will be held accountable for every single deed and word I've done so I want to speak love to them. One of my friends who I call my "sister" (she is not saved) is homosexual, and I told her that although I do not approve of her lifestyle, I still love her and we talked and she explained the reason behind her decision, and it broke my heart. We as Christians are spending too much time saying, "You're going to Hell" "Homosexuality is unbiblical" and all this other stuff that we forget the 1 thing that still matters: GOD STILL LOVES THEM, AND WANTS THEM TO BE SAVED! This is what Christ demonstrated, This is what Christ wants us to demonstrate to them. How can they accept Christ when we're not showing Him? I don't like homosexuality but I treat them with respect, love, and mercy because that could be the reason they change. Look at how Christ treated Matthew, who was a tax collector. Jesus never said, "Matthew, you're a sinner, a dirty cheat and you're going to Hell." Jesus showed him love and Matthew changed out of love, not by force. These churches saying "God Hates Fags" and this other stuff is NOT OF GOD. We are to be different from the World, so I expect the world to hate them but the Church should be saying, "Jesus will save you, and change your life no matter what you have done".
Now, let's be clear: We as Christians have a right to speak out against it, and as a true Disciple of Jesus Christ, I will not support homosexuality in any way because God didn't create us this way and you certainly were not "Born This Way". The Bible tells us that homosexuality among other sins are wrong, and because we believe the Bible to be the Word of God, we must follow the guidelines found in its pages. I hate homosexuality with a passion but the Holy Spirit is what allows me to be gentle, and kind towards them. We Christians should never hate anyone because they are God's Creation and we will face judgment. We as Christians must take God's side over any human right that defies God's Word because God is Pure, Just, Holy, and Righteous. God doesn't tolerate homosexuality and neither should we because we are his people. This doesn't mean that we should avoid them as if they're a deadly disease but we're not to approve of their lifestyle. I personally have friends and family that are gay, and I love them dearly but I can promise you that if I'm a preacher and they ask me to marry them, I will deny them because marriage is between a MAN and a WOMAN (and there are spiritual consequences to this as well but I'll cover that in another blog).
Homosexuality has been a hot topic in the Christian Community for years, and although homosexuality is a sin, so is lust, cheating, fornication, stealing, lying, backbiting, etc. We cannot forget that homosexuals are people too and God will hold us accountable on how we treat, not just them but all people. We are called to "hate the sin but love the sinner", and in case your confused, it's almost like hating the outside of the house but loving the rooms inside the house. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean we should bully, or say negative things about them and I'm not saying to hang out with them everyday because that spirit will transfer on you. If you know anyone gay, let them know that although you do not approve of their lifestyle, you still love them and maybe they will change. However, the time is coming where homosexuality will be normal and we as Christians will be hated. Yes, it will be hard but we must love each other but also speak the truth in love. If you're a Christian that has shown hate to a homosexual, apologize and ask for forgiveness because you were not demonstrating the Love of Christ and you may have damaged their view of Christ. It's hard enough getting people to come to church twice a week, don't be the reason someone turns away from Christ completely. Everything in this blog can be summed up as "Love God, Love People, Hate Sin". Be blessed.
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, (10) nor thieves,nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." -1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is the most quoted scripture from a Christian concerning homosexuality. Now, by biblical standards, homosexuality IS A SIN because it defies the natural order of how God created us. In the Book of Genesis, God took the rib of a MAN and created WOMAN, not another man. However, this blog isn't about just homosexuals but about Christians as well.
I love twitter just as much as anyone, and there's this lady on there by the name of Reverend Sue and she's really respectful and from my conversations with her, full of love. I was talking with her and we were discussing homosexuality (which she supports) and she was talking about how Christians deny homosexuals the right to be married and about the hate we spread because of homosexuality. As I sat at my computer reading the tweet, I realized she was right. My response to her was that as a Christian, I oppose homosexuality because GOD opposes it and its unbiblical, but I went a little farther by saying that even though I do not approve of their lifestyle, I LOVE THEM AS PEOPLE. Now, if you look through the Gospels (Matthew-John), Jesus never spoke of homosexuality and the question becomes, "Why?" The answer is that Christ didn't need to point out specific people and say, "You're going to hell" Christ needed to show the Jews that He was the Messiah and that He was the Way back to God. How does this fit into what I'm saying? We cannot look at 1 Corinthians 6, and say "gays are going to Hell" and NOT read the rest. Yes, homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God BUT only if we do not show them the Love of Christ, and they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and live a holy lifestyle (Homosexual Christian is a contradiction and cannot happen)
You're probably reading this and saying, "Henry, your supporting their lifestyle." No, I do not condone it nor support it in ANY WAY. However, I will be held accountable for every single deed and word I've done so I want to speak love to them. One of my friends who I call my "sister" (she is not saved) is homosexual, and I told her that although I do not approve of her lifestyle, I still love her and we talked and she explained the reason behind her decision, and it broke my heart. We as Christians are spending too much time saying, "You're going to Hell" "Homosexuality is unbiblical" and all this other stuff that we forget the 1 thing that still matters: GOD STILL LOVES THEM, AND WANTS THEM TO BE SAVED! This is what Christ demonstrated, This is what Christ wants us to demonstrate to them. How can they accept Christ when we're not showing Him? I don't like homosexuality but I treat them with respect, love, and mercy because that could be the reason they change. Look at how Christ treated Matthew, who was a tax collector. Jesus never said, "Matthew, you're a sinner, a dirty cheat and you're going to Hell." Jesus showed him love and Matthew changed out of love, not by force. These churches saying "God Hates Fags" and this other stuff is NOT OF GOD. We are to be different from the World, so I expect the world to hate them but the Church should be saying, "Jesus will save you, and change your life no matter what you have done".
Now, let's be clear: We as Christians have a right to speak out against it, and as a true Disciple of Jesus Christ, I will not support homosexuality in any way because God didn't create us this way and you certainly were not "Born This Way". The Bible tells us that homosexuality among other sins are wrong, and because we believe the Bible to be the Word of God, we must follow the guidelines found in its pages. I hate homosexuality with a passion but the Holy Spirit is what allows me to be gentle, and kind towards them. We Christians should never hate anyone because they are God's Creation and we will face judgment. We as Christians must take God's side over any human right that defies God's Word because God is Pure, Just, Holy, and Righteous. God doesn't tolerate homosexuality and neither should we because we are his people. This doesn't mean that we should avoid them as if they're a deadly disease but we're not to approve of their lifestyle. I personally have friends and family that are gay, and I love them dearly but I can promise you that if I'm a preacher and they ask me to marry them, I will deny them because marriage is between a MAN and a WOMAN (and there are spiritual consequences to this as well but I'll cover that in another blog).
Homosexuality has been a hot topic in the Christian Community for years, and although homosexuality is a sin, so is lust, cheating, fornication, stealing, lying, backbiting, etc. We cannot forget that homosexuals are people too and God will hold us accountable on how we treat, not just them but all people. We are called to "hate the sin but love the sinner", and in case your confused, it's almost like hating the outside of the house but loving the rooms inside the house. Just because someone is gay doesn't mean we should bully, or say negative things about them and I'm not saying to hang out with them everyday because that spirit will transfer on you. If you know anyone gay, let them know that although you do not approve of their lifestyle, you still love them and maybe they will change. However, the time is coming where homosexuality will be normal and we as Christians will be hated. Yes, it will be hard but we must love each other but also speak the truth in love. If you're a Christian that has shown hate to a homosexual, apologize and ask for forgiveness because you were not demonstrating the Love of Christ and you may have damaged their view of Christ. It's hard enough getting people to come to church twice a week, don't be the reason someone turns away from Christ completely. Everything in this blog can be summed up as "Love God, Love People, Hate Sin". Be blessed.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Counterfeit Christians
Disclaimer: I am not targeting anyone or trying to put people on blast. The reason for this blog is to bring souls to Christ through His Word and my testimony. If you get offended, I forgive you and remember that the truth is closer than it appears.
"For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them]." -2 Timothy 3:5 (AMP)
This is my least favorite scripture in all of the Bible...I don't hate it, I just do not like it because of 1 reason: it hit the heart with such an impact that I had to humble myself before God. I used to have a form of religion but I denied the power. We all know the routine: Holiness on Sunday, Live like Hell the other 6 days. However, this scripture highlights a very serious condition in the church: Counterfeit Christians.
Maybe you're reading this and like "Counterfeit Christians?"...Just call it Bootleg Christians, Fake Christians or better yet, Hypocrite. Now, to understand this scripture there are a couple questions we must ask: 1) How do you deny the power Paul is talking about? 2) How do you have a form of religion? 3) Why should we avoid these people? I'm glad you asked but first let's understand what is meant by Counterfeit Christians and why is this a serious matter.
You walk into a store, you see a guy selling tennis shoes (Jordan and Nike). You walk up to him and say "How much?" he answers, "$70" so you think and you say "Are they real?" and he responds "Yea". You ask to see the shoe and after inspecting it, you determine that the shoe is fake and decide to keep your money. Let's think about the situation I just described. How did you know they were fake? Most of the times you look at the trademark or the symbols to see if Jordan has a butt crack lol or the Nike sign is going reverse. In society, knock offs of the original is common. I've seen fake Blackberries, Ipods, Ipads, Jordans, Nikes, etc. but the reason you know the difference is because you've had the real thing at one time...so Counterfeit Christians look like the real thing but they just a knock off. Now, let's be clear some people buy knockoff because they're cheaper but what do you sacrifice? Quality, Durability, etc. When you become a Counterfeit Christian, you're robbing yourself of all the benefits God promised His Children (too many to name). I'm not saying God doesn't love you because He does but the only person you're fooling is yourself. Now, that I have explained Counterfeit Christians, let's get to the scripture.
This scripture says that Counterfeit Christians DENY the power and reject it. What is Paul talking about? Counterfeit Christians claim to be Christians (duh Henry) but they deny the power BY THEIR ACTIONS...Someone just got mad....was it me? no but anyway, Paul says these people claim Christ but live like sinners. What is the "power" mentioned here? None other than the third person of the Triune Godhead: The Holy Ghost. The mission or purpose of the Holy Spirit is to help guide you and keep you connected to God. Think of the Holy Ghost as the Offensive Coordinator of a football tea. He talks to the head coach and then gives the play to the quarterback. When they deny this power, they CANNOT live holy, and cannot please God or deny their own desires. Many people deny this power when they believe they are Christians because their parents, pastor, brother, sister, friend is one and they never accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior personally. Counterfeit Christians are very different from backsliders (that's another blog) and should NOT be confused. They play by the rules but don't love the game because they think they're fine as long as they're playing
The second question: How do you have a form of religion? I can answer this easily because I was one of these fake Christian. Can I put myself out there? I went to church on Sunday, read scripture, played an instrument and said "Lord, I do all these things so i'm going to Heaven." I loved God on Sunday and put on my "Christian" mask but on Monday, I was listening to Nicki Minaj, Wayne, Drake, watching porn, cussing, doing whatever I wanted. Anybody can have a form of religion. Look at Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, even Buddhists but they're missing THE POWER. It's easy to look religious because religion is based on works. Religion says to God, "I've done this and that so I know I'm saved and going to Heaven" A form of religion is very careful to make sure it's appearance is real. So you shout at church, speak in tongues, cry, snot, fall out, etc. EVEN DEMONS DO THAT....Satan even quoted scripture when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:6) so what does this tell you? Religion will not get you into Heaven and the only reason religion existed was to INTRODUCE you to a deity or a higher power. It cannot save you nor does God approve of you just because you appear "religious".
Why should we avoid such people? The answer is easy: They have fallen away from the faith and may tempt you to do the same. It's like when your friend sees the same guy that tried to get you to buy the sneakers, you say, "No, don't buy anything from that guy. He's a fake, the shoes are fake." You warn your friend because you know the consequences if he buys from him so you prevent it. Paul is doing the same thing, he's saying, "No, keep your distance. They not really saved, they just act like it. They might try to influence you or tempt you to sin. Do not associate with them." Now Paul is not saying, hate them and treat them bad but just guard your spirit when you do.
We are made in God's Image, and this is a very important fact. I know that most people do not like buying fake Coach, Jordan, Nike, or any other name band clothing or shoes. So my question is: If we do not like fake stuff, what makes us think God does? We get mad at God when things do not go our way or life gets us in a tight spot but have u lived Matthew 6:33? Are you seeking The King or the Bling? Counterfeit Christians serve two masters: god and themselves and unfortunately, they will be condemned on the day of Judgement. God weeps when he sees Counterfeit Christians because you do not experience Christ in His fullness. You cannot know God because His Wrath is on you. This is heartbreaking for me because I used to be one. I know it feels good serving your desires all the time and "pleasing God" on Sunday. The Bible says that sin pays us death but God has GIVEN us life through Christ (Romans 6:23).
However, it's not too late to start having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's only too late when you're laying in a box. God wants you to know Him, He wants you to love Him, He wants you to serve Him. You may be asking, "How do I know Christ? How can I experience this power Paul talks about?" The first thing is to realize that you're a sinner. You owe God a debt that you cannot pay, and God owes you punishment. The second thing is to believe that Jesus Christ came as God in the flesh and accepted your punishment on the cross when he died, and God raised Him from the dead through the power of the Holy Spirit on the third day. The third thing is to find a church that preaches the Word, and begin reading the Bible and praying. However, these are just the foundation of being saved but the main key is to keep your faith in Christ ALONE. Don't die a Counterfeit Christian and fall short of your true potential, which can only be unlocked when you give your life to Jesus Christ. If He could do it for me, I know he can do it for you. Be blessed
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Truth about Christianity: Jehovah Witnesses
Disclaimer: I am not in any way stating that Jehovah Witnesses are all demonic and they are going to Hell because they can be saved and open their eyes to the truth. I respect their beliefs, and I have friends who are JW's and we get along well. The purpose of this blog is to compare Jehovah Witnesses (who claim to be Christian) beliefs to what the Bible actually says. I am NOT favoring one religion over another, just simply stating biblical truth.
These are six beliefs of the Jehovah Witness religion, and the link for the first five beliefs are found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness3.htm while the last belief is found on the official Jehovah Witness website http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/article_07.htm
Belief #1: "Jesus Christ is believed to have originally existed in a pre-human state as the Archangel Michael."
This statement is basically saying that before Jesus came to earth in human form, he "existed in a pre-human state as the Archangel Michael", which implies that Jesus is actually an angel. This statement denies the divinity or His claim to be the Son of God. What does the Bible say about Jesus? Is Jesus really an angel? Let's take a look at what Hebrews 1:5-8 (CEV) states, "God has never said to any of the angels, 'You are my Son, because today I have become your Father!' Neither has God said to any of them, 'I will be his Father, and he will be my Son!' (6) When God brings his first-born Son into the world, he commands all of his angels to worship him. (7) And when God speaks about the angels, he says, 'I change my angels into wind and my servants into flaming fire' (8) But God says about his Son, 'You are God, and you will rule as King forever! Your royal power brings about justice." Jesus Christ was NOT, has not nor will ever be an angel according to this scripture. To say that Jesus existed originally in the form of Archangel Michael is an insult to God, and Jesus Christ. Angels are not to be worshiped and we see this repeatedly in scripture but Jesus accepted worship when the woman came to Him and poured oil on his feet and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
Belief #2: "They reject the traditional symbol of Christianity, the cross, because it is of pre-Christian, pagan origin. They believe that Jesus was executed by being nailed to a single upright wooden stake with no cross beam."
This belief is so demonic that I strongly suggest that even JW's research what I am about to say to see for themselves. The Holy Spirit ALONE revealed this to me, I did not come up with this on my own: By believing that Jesus was nailed to the stake, they are saying that Jesus Christ, the Son of The Living God is a witch!!!!! This is shocking revelation and I broke down and cried because they are denying Jesus's divinity and saying that he is demonic. However, I assume that JW's DO NOT know this because I'm sure if they did, they would leave the faith. What proof is there to this accusation? I'm glad you asked, check out this link http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/burning.html, which gives a history of burning witches at the stake. However, let me provide scripture that also denies this heresy. Acts 5:30 (AMP) says, "The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging on a tree (cross)." Of course, there are numerous scriptures mentioning the cross, but I can't name them all. However, when talking to a JW, I would prefer using the word "tree".
Belief #3: "Christ's Second Coming has actually happened. It was not a physical return to earth. It was an invisible event in 1914 in which Satan and Christ engaged in a heavenly battle."
Let's see what Jesus Christ Himself says about this supposed "Second Coming" in Mark 13:32 (AMP), "But of that day or that hour not a [single] person knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Jesus was talking about His Return and He clearly said that no one knows when He will return so where did the 1914 thing come from? Satan himself....this is a very serious problem because if Christ came back, why are we still preaching? why are we still trying to live holy if Jesus Christ came back already? If Jesus returned, then everything we're doing (JW's included) is useless. The truth is that Jesus Christ did NOT come in 1914, and we do not know the day or hour so this belief is clearly unbiblical and is false.
Belief #4: "Humans do not have an immortal soul that continues on after death. When they die, they cease to exist. With the exception of those who killed Jesus, have sinned against the Holy Spirit, and God has judged to receive eternal death."
This one is self-explanatory....I'm personally confused and I need only a Jehovah Witness to explain this because they do not believe that the soul lives after death but the only people with exceptions are the ones that killed Jesus, sinned against the Holy Spirit, and was judged by God to receive eternal death? I must say that I seriously do not understand this belief, and scripture says that "it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment." (Hebrews 9:27 AMP). I do not understand where this belief came from but this belief is unscriptural as far as Hebrews 9:27 is concerned.
Belief #5: "They totally deny the existence of the traditional view of Hell as a place of punishment and torture. Satan is regarded as having created the concept of Hellfire in order to turn people against God."
First, we must understand what is meant when it states "the traditional view of Hell as a place of punishment and torture." Ok, Christians believe that Hell are for those that deny Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and therefore are condemned to Hell forever. Now, where did this concept come from? Before I explain....lets understand something...we are not talking about purgatory, or any other place where souls get a second chance...I'm talking about Hell, where you get no second chance and burn forever. I know it sounds harsh but even Jesus Christ himself talked about Hell when he told the story of Lazarus and the Rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Although, Jesus was not making Hell the focal point of the story, we see that "a place of torment" does exist, and there are numerous scriptures that support Hell (2 Thes. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:14; Jude 1:7). Let's tackle part 2 of this which states, "Satan is regarded as having created the concept of hellfire in order to turn people against God." While it is clear that Satan wants to turn people away from God, hell is not an idea from Satan and would totally contradict Revelation 20:10 (NLT), which says, "Then the Devil, who betrayed them was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur..."
The Jehovah Witnesses are people who sincerely believe these doctrines, and I personally know some. My mission is NOT to endorse my "Christianity" or slander their name. However, it is my mission to show that when someone claims to be a part of Christianity, if their beliefs do not line up with the Word of God, I must say the Bible says about it. This is not my opinion or religious view but it is straight from The Word of God. If it doesn't match up with the Word, it is false. There are problems in modern Christianity that are not biblical but that's another blog in itself. Judgement begins with the House of God first, why? Because we claim to know the truth and we will be judged by it. I do endorse some of the practices that Jehovah Witnesses embrace such as holidays, and I admire their passion to evangelize. I pray that this has opened your eyes and I did this out of love, nothing else. However, please forgive me if I gave any other impression, it was not intentional. Be blessed
These are six beliefs of the Jehovah Witness religion, and the link for the first five beliefs are found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/witness3.htm while the last belief is found on the official Jehovah Witness website http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/article_07.htm
Belief #1: "Jesus Christ is believed to have originally existed in a pre-human state as the Archangel Michael."
This statement is basically saying that before Jesus came to earth in human form, he "existed in a pre-human state as the Archangel Michael", which implies that Jesus is actually an angel. This statement denies the divinity or His claim to be the Son of God. What does the Bible say about Jesus? Is Jesus really an angel? Let's take a look at what Hebrews 1:5-8 (CEV) states, "God has never said to any of the angels, 'You are my Son, because today I have become your Father!' Neither has God said to any of them, 'I will be his Father, and he will be my Son!' (6) When God brings his first-born Son into the world, he commands all of his angels to worship him. (7) And when God speaks about the angels, he says, 'I change my angels into wind and my servants into flaming fire' (8) But God says about his Son, 'You are God, and you will rule as King forever! Your royal power brings about justice." Jesus Christ was NOT, has not nor will ever be an angel according to this scripture. To say that Jesus existed originally in the form of Archangel Michael is an insult to God, and Jesus Christ. Angels are not to be worshiped and we see this repeatedly in scripture but Jesus accepted worship when the woman came to Him and poured oil on his feet and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.
Belief #2: "They reject the traditional symbol of Christianity, the cross, because it is of pre-Christian, pagan origin. They believe that Jesus was executed by being nailed to a single upright wooden stake with no cross beam."
This belief is so demonic that I strongly suggest that even JW's research what I am about to say to see for themselves. The Holy Spirit ALONE revealed this to me, I did not come up with this on my own: By believing that Jesus was nailed to the stake, they are saying that Jesus Christ, the Son of The Living God is a witch!!!!! This is shocking revelation and I broke down and cried because they are denying Jesus's divinity and saying that he is demonic. However, I assume that JW's DO NOT know this because I'm sure if they did, they would leave the faith. What proof is there to this accusation? I'm glad you asked, check out this link http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/burning.html, which gives a history of burning witches at the stake. However, let me provide scripture that also denies this heresy. Acts 5:30 (AMP) says, "The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging on a tree (cross)." Of course, there are numerous scriptures mentioning the cross, but I can't name them all. However, when talking to a JW, I would prefer using the word "tree".
Belief #3: "Christ's Second Coming has actually happened. It was not a physical return to earth. It was an invisible event in 1914 in which Satan and Christ engaged in a heavenly battle."
Let's see what Jesus Christ Himself says about this supposed "Second Coming" in Mark 13:32 (AMP), "But of that day or that hour not a [single] person knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Jesus was talking about His Return and He clearly said that no one knows when He will return so where did the 1914 thing come from? Satan himself....this is a very serious problem because if Christ came back, why are we still preaching? why are we still trying to live holy if Jesus Christ came back already? If Jesus returned, then everything we're doing (JW's included) is useless. The truth is that Jesus Christ did NOT come in 1914, and we do not know the day or hour so this belief is clearly unbiblical and is false.
Belief #4: "Humans do not have an immortal soul that continues on after death. When they die, they cease to exist. With the exception of those who killed Jesus, have sinned against the Holy Spirit, and God has judged to receive eternal death."
This one is self-explanatory....I'm personally confused and I need only a Jehovah Witness to explain this because they do not believe that the soul lives after death but the only people with exceptions are the ones that killed Jesus, sinned against the Holy Spirit, and was judged by God to receive eternal death? I must say that I seriously do not understand this belief, and scripture says that "it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment." (Hebrews 9:27 AMP). I do not understand where this belief came from but this belief is unscriptural as far as Hebrews 9:27 is concerned.
Belief #5: "They totally deny the existence of the traditional view of Hell as a place of punishment and torture. Satan is regarded as having created the concept of Hellfire in order to turn people against God."
First, we must understand what is meant when it states "the traditional view of Hell as a place of punishment and torture." Ok, Christians believe that Hell are for those that deny Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and therefore are condemned to Hell forever. Now, where did this concept come from? Before I explain....lets understand something...we are not talking about purgatory, or any other place where souls get a second chance...I'm talking about Hell, where you get no second chance and burn forever. I know it sounds harsh but even Jesus Christ himself talked about Hell when he told the story of Lazarus and the Rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Although, Jesus was not making Hell the focal point of the story, we see that "a place of torment" does exist, and there are numerous scriptures that support Hell (2 Thes. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:14; Jude 1:7). Let's tackle part 2 of this which states, "Satan is regarded as having created the concept of hellfire in order to turn people against God." While it is clear that Satan wants to turn people away from God, hell is not an idea from Satan and would totally contradict Revelation 20:10 (NLT), which says, "Then the Devil, who betrayed them was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur..."
The Jehovah Witnesses are people who sincerely believe these doctrines, and I personally know some. My mission is NOT to endorse my "Christianity" or slander their name. However, it is my mission to show that when someone claims to be a part of Christianity, if their beliefs do not line up with the Word of God, I must say the Bible says about it. This is not my opinion or religious view but it is straight from The Word of God. If it doesn't match up with the Word, it is false. There are problems in modern Christianity that are not biblical but that's another blog in itself. Judgement begins with the House of God first, why? Because we claim to know the truth and we will be judged by it. I do endorse some of the practices that Jehovah Witnesses embrace such as holidays, and I admire their passion to evangelize. I pray that this has opened your eyes and I did this out of love, nothing else. However, please forgive me if I gave any other impression, it was not intentional. Be blessed
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Ultimate Sacrifice
"They stripped off Jesus' clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. (29) They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, 'Hey, you king of the Jews!' (30) Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it." -Matthew 27:28-30
Imagine being stripped of your clothes and given a scarlet robe, and imagine having a crown of thorns shoved on your head...This is what Jesus had to endure. Verse 29 says, "They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, 'Hey, you king of the Jews!' ". In case you have never touched a thorn, it is razor sharp and can cut through flesh very easy. I can imagine that when they placed the crown of thorns on His head, it cut through his flesh and blood is rushing down his face, and the thorns may have been an 6 inches or longer so they run deep in his flesh...Can you imagine enduring that kind of pain? How would you feel having sharp thorns piercing your skin, blood running down your face? The soldiers torturing him pretends to worship him or in other words, they tease him and call him names...Think about how you would feel if someone called you names and insulted you repeatedly...However, it gets worse....
Verse 30 states, "Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it." This is probably the most disgusting thing you can do to a human being..They spit on Jesus, no doubt that it was probably multiple people doing it...How would you feel if you were being spit on? What would be your reaction? Anger? Revenge? This is what Jesus endured, this is what Jesus put up with. The second part of the scripture states that they beat him on the head with a stick...Now, please let's be real about this...the stick they are talking about is NOT a twig, I imagine it was heavy, and apparently big enough to support his weight (something like Moses carried) but they take the stick and beat him on the head with it....Imagine being pounded on the head, possibly 40 times non stop with full strength...you're already losing blood with the crown of thorns and you're covered in spit....How do you feel? Would you fight back? Cuss them out? Cry? They also forced Jesus to carry His Cross on his back, possibly weighing 100+ pounds but let's not forget that He's been beat on the head, had a crown of thorn shoved on his head, and spit on....Would you be able to carry the cross Jesus carried but it became so heavy that He needed help carrying it (Mark 15:21)?
Jesus has been whipped, spit, and beat on, and suffering harshly....so what was Christs' response to His unjust suffering? The Bible tells us in Luke 23:34, "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing." Ok, STOP THE PRESSES....Did Jesus just say what I think He said?? Is Jesus asking God to forgive the people who's beating him and spitting on him? Am I crazy? Is He crazy?? The answer is No. Jesus is not crazy but showing the most powerful demonstration of LOVE ever shown. He's asking God to forgive them because they really do not know what they're doing...They do not know that Jesus is fulfilling prophecy or that His Death is vital to His Mission.
So why did Jesus allow them to beat him and kill him? The answer is YOU. Jesus took the beating and spitting because He took our place and accepted the punishment of God upon Himself. Henry, what are you talking about? After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, a curse fell upon the earth known as "sin". Since God is holy and perfect, He cannot tolerate sin so we were disconnected to Him. Jesus was sent to reconnect us because Jesus was GOD in the flesh. Sin was our debt to God, and the only way to pay Him was through death. However, Jesus never sinned which made him the perfect candidate to pay God back and the only way He could do this was to die. Think about it like this: You borrow money, and can't pay it back so they order a hit out on you, but you hear that someone else has taken the punishment you were supposed to receive. This is what Christ did, He paid the price with His Blood because it was pure and was the only thing God would accept as payment. Romans 5:8 (CEV), states, "But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful."
Now, please understand that Christ did not have to die, He could have called angels to destroy everyone or He could have chosen to get down off the cross to prove himself to the people. However, Jesus was thinking about you when He chose to stay up on the cross. He would rather lose His Life temporarily than to lose you permanently. Who would do that? Who would love you so much that they would sacrifice their own life for you so that you do not have to be punished? God has shown His Love by having Christ pay the price for sin. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is what Christianity is truly about: The story of how we owed God because we were sinners, and could not afford to pay God, so God sent Jesus, who was God in the flesh and never sinned, to pay our debt by dying on the Cross and it was paid ONLY THROUGH HIS BLOOD. The only thing we must do is accept His payment and follow Christ because of what He has done. It's the same as if someone paid off a large debt...you would want to know what can you do to repay Him, the same is with Christ...If we want to show our appreciation for what He has done, we must accept His payment and obey the Father. We must understand that we did not do ANYTHING to pay off our debt, and we could not because the price was too high. Jesus Loved you so much that He died for you, accept Salvation, a gift given to you by God through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23), and obey the Father. Be blessed
P.S. Please double check EVERY scripture reference and if I have misquoted or even left one letter, please let me know and please forgive me because it was not intentional.
Imagine being stripped of your clothes and given a scarlet robe, and imagine having a crown of thorns shoved on your head...This is what Jesus had to endure. Verse 29 says, "They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, 'Hey, you king of the Jews!' ". In case you have never touched a thorn, it is razor sharp and can cut through flesh very easy. I can imagine that when they placed the crown of thorns on His head, it cut through his flesh and blood is rushing down his face, and the thorns may have been an 6 inches or longer so they run deep in his flesh...Can you imagine enduring that kind of pain? How would you feel having sharp thorns piercing your skin, blood running down your face? The soldiers torturing him pretends to worship him or in other words, they tease him and call him names...Think about how you would feel if someone called you names and insulted you repeatedly...However, it gets worse....
Verse 30 states, "Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it." This is probably the most disgusting thing you can do to a human being..They spit on Jesus, no doubt that it was probably multiple people doing it...How would you feel if you were being spit on? What would be your reaction? Anger? Revenge? This is what Jesus endured, this is what Jesus put up with. The second part of the scripture states that they beat him on the head with a stick...Now, please let's be real about this...the stick they are talking about is NOT a twig, I imagine it was heavy, and apparently big enough to support his weight (something like Moses carried) but they take the stick and beat him on the head with it....Imagine being pounded on the head, possibly 40 times non stop with full strength...you're already losing blood with the crown of thorns and you're covered in spit....How do you feel? Would you fight back? Cuss them out? Cry? They also forced Jesus to carry His Cross on his back, possibly weighing 100+ pounds but let's not forget that He's been beat on the head, had a crown of thorn shoved on his head, and spit on....Would you be able to carry the cross Jesus carried but it became so heavy that He needed help carrying it (Mark 15:21)?
Jesus has been whipped, spit, and beat on, and suffering harshly....so what was Christs' response to His unjust suffering? The Bible tells us in Luke 23:34, "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing." Ok, STOP THE PRESSES....Did Jesus just say what I think He said?? Is Jesus asking God to forgive the people who's beating him and spitting on him? Am I crazy? Is He crazy?? The answer is No. Jesus is not crazy but showing the most powerful demonstration of LOVE ever shown. He's asking God to forgive them because they really do not know what they're doing...They do not know that Jesus is fulfilling prophecy or that His Death is vital to His Mission.
So why did Jesus allow them to beat him and kill him? The answer is YOU. Jesus took the beating and spitting because He took our place and accepted the punishment of God upon Himself. Henry, what are you talking about? After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, a curse fell upon the earth known as "sin". Since God is holy and perfect, He cannot tolerate sin so we were disconnected to Him. Jesus was sent to reconnect us because Jesus was GOD in the flesh. Sin was our debt to God, and the only way to pay Him was through death. However, Jesus never sinned which made him the perfect candidate to pay God back and the only way He could do this was to die. Think about it like this: You borrow money, and can't pay it back so they order a hit out on you, but you hear that someone else has taken the punishment you were supposed to receive. This is what Christ did, He paid the price with His Blood because it was pure and was the only thing God would accept as payment. Romans 5:8 (CEV), states, "But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful."
Now, please understand that Christ did not have to die, He could have called angels to destroy everyone or He could have chosen to get down off the cross to prove himself to the people. However, Jesus was thinking about you when He chose to stay up on the cross. He would rather lose His Life temporarily than to lose you permanently. Who would do that? Who would love you so much that they would sacrifice their own life for you so that you do not have to be punished? God has shown His Love by having Christ pay the price for sin. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, this is what Christianity is truly about: The story of how we owed God because we were sinners, and could not afford to pay God, so God sent Jesus, who was God in the flesh and never sinned, to pay our debt by dying on the Cross and it was paid ONLY THROUGH HIS BLOOD. The only thing we must do is accept His payment and follow Christ because of what He has done. It's the same as if someone paid off a large debt...you would want to know what can you do to repay Him, the same is with Christ...If we want to show our appreciation for what He has done, we must accept His payment and obey the Father. We must understand that we did not do ANYTHING to pay off our debt, and we could not because the price was too high. Jesus Loved you so much that He died for you, accept Salvation, a gift given to you by God through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23), and obey the Father. Be blessed
P.S. Please double check EVERY scripture reference and if I have misquoted or even left one letter, please let me know and please forgive me because it was not intentional.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Man Up and Make War
A special blog about what Christian men need to do, and making war against sin. The first 2 videos are about manning up and what that phrase means. The 3rd video is from John Piper about making war against sin. Enjoy and I pray it blesses you.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Prosperity Gospel
*All scripture is from the Amplified Bible unless otherwise noted
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed ( anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!" -Galatians 1:8
The Prosperity Gospel.....what is it? It is a message that says God wants us to be rich, healthy, and successful. Now, who wouldn't want to be rich? I would buy into the Prosperity Gospel but there's just 1 huge problem: The Prosperity Gospel is NOT the true Gospel and is demonic. "Henry, stop being jealous of rich people and hating on the preachers with million dollar houses, you just wish it was you" is what you're probably thinking and that is not true...I will show you what Galatians 1:8 says and other scripture that exposes this "Prosperity Gospel" as heresy or fake teaching.
First, the Prosperity Gospel teaches that God wants us to be rich, healthy, and live the "abundant life" Jesus came to die for. Jesus did not come to die so that we could drive BMW's, live in mansions, and be wealthy, this is NOT what scripture teaches. So why did Jesus come? Let's see what Matthew 1:21 (KJV) says, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Let me repeat the last part in case you missed it "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." This scripture clearly states that Jesus Christ came to DIE FOR OUR SINS, not so we could be rich and live a wealthy lifestyle. Maybe you still don't believe me, take a look at Galatians 1:3-4 which says, "Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and [soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), (4) Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us]...." This scripture compliments Matthew 1:21 so it is a known fact that Jesus came to die for our sins, NOT for health, wealth, and a rich lifestyle.
Second, the Prosperity Gospel teaches that God wants us to be rich.........This is demonic, and comes straight from Satan himself. There are many scriptures that clearly shows that being wealthy comes with problems, and that God does NOT want us to be rich. I want to clarify that God does not hate rich people, He does not favor poor people over rich people...Let's take a look at Luke 9:25 "For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?" Jesus himself is saying that it is useless to be RICH and still go to Hell!!!!!! The Prosperity Gospel defies Christ and His work on the cross by saying "God wants us to be rich, and live an abundant life" but this is heresy, this is demonic, and I hate this gospel with every ounce of my being and I know it is an abomination to God. Matthew 6:19,21 says, "Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." What was Jesus saying? He was saying that when we begin to store "treasure" (cars, houses, money, jewelry, etc.) on earth, we begin to put our heart in those things and we have committed idolatry because we have valued the created things over the Creator when God has already said that everything in the Earth is HIS (Psalm 24:1).
Third, the Prosperity Gospel is an itching ears doctrine and will lead millions to Hell. Why? Because the Prosperity Gospel teachers have denied Christ and followed their own desires. This is a very serious matter, and should be addressed. How would you feel if you went to the doctor and you had a disease and the doctor says, "You're fine" and you get serious sick...How would you feel? Mad? Angry? However, every Sunday in hundreds of churches, a preacher is saying that God wants us to be rich, and they are liars. 2 Peter 3:9 says that "....He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance." This scripture says that God wants us to repent or turn from sin, and follow Christ..That my friends is the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The real gospel teaches that we must take up our cross and follow Jesus, not that life will be rich and full of pleasure when we accept Christ. The real gospel teaches that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh who came down to Earth to die for our sins in order to reconnect us with God, not that Jesus came so that we could live a life of "earthly abundance"....They have twisted scripture and formed a false gospel and this is a serious offense to God and Jesus Christ.
The Prosperity Gospel is heresy, not because I said so but because the Word of God has proved that it is false. It is my earnest prayer that the Body of Christ wakes up, and begins discerning when the preacher starts preaching because even Satan pretends to be an angel of light. I am not going to name preachers who preach this abomination because that would be useless and there are too many to name, but we need to pray for these false teachers that their eyes be opened and that we as Christians preach ONLY the true Gospel unless we be accursed and punished. The word "gospel" means good news and while being prosperous is good news, it does not point anyone toward holiness, it does not point anyone to trust in Christ for deliverance from sin, it displays Christ as a prostitute...you give your life, Christ will give you pleasure that comes from being wealthy but this is false. When you give your life to Christ, He gives you the Holy Spirit who will guide you in all truth. Christ is not a product being sold but a Savior who the world needs to know. Galatians 1:8 says that anyone who preaches a false gospel will be accursed. This is serious business. God will NOT tolerate being pimped and let them get away with it, people need to know truth and Jesus Christ himself said "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Do not be fooled, there are other gospels just like the prosperity gospel so how do you know if it's false? The main point is that if they do not preach that Jesus Christ was God in human form that came to die for OUR SINS then it is false. I pray I shed some light and informed you on this heresy. Be blessed.
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed ( anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!" -Galatians 1:8
The Prosperity Gospel.....what is it? It is a message that says God wants us to be rich, healthy, and successful. Now, who wouldn't want to be rich? I would buy into the Prosperity Gospel but there's just 1 huge problem: The Prosperity Gospel is NOT the true Gospel and is demonic. "Henry, stop being jealous of rich people and hating on the preachers with million dollar houses, you just wish it was you" is what you're probably thinking and that is not true...I will show you what Galatians 1:8 says and other scripture that exposes this "Prosperity Gospel" as heresy or fake teaching.
First, the Prosperity Gospel teaches that God wants us to be rich, healthy, and live the "abundant life" Jesus came to die for. Jesus did not come to die so that we could drive BMW's, live in mansions, and be wealthy, this is NOT what scripture teaches. So why did Jesus come? Let's see what Matthew 1:21 (KJV) says, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Let me repeat the last part in case you missed it "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." This scripture clearly states that Jesus Christ came to DIE FOR OUR SINS, not so we could be rich and live a wealthy lifestyle. Maybe you still don't believe me, take a look at Galatians 1:3-4 which says, "Grace and spiritual blessing be to you and [soul] peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), (4) Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us]...." This scripture compliments Matthew 1:21 so it is a known fact that Jesus came to die for our sins, NOT for health, wealth, and a rich lifestyle.
Second, the Prosperity Gospel teaches that God wants us to be rich.........This is demonic, and comes straight from Satan himself. There are many scriptures that clearly shows that being wealthy comes with problems, and that God does NOT want us to be rich. I want to clarify that God does not hate rich people, He does not favor poor people over rich people...Let's take a look at Luke 9:25 "For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?" Jesus himself is saying that it is useless to be RICH and still go to Hell!!!!!! The Prosperity Gospel defies Christ and His work on the cross by saying "God wants us to be rich, and live an abundant life" but this is heresy, this is demonic, and I hate this gospel with every ounce of my being and I know it is an abomination to God. Matthew 6:19,21 says, "Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." What was Jesus saying? He was saying that when we begin to store "treasure" (cars, houses, money, jewelry, etc.) on earth, we begin to put our heart in those things and we have committed idolatry because we have valued the created things over the Creator when God has already said that everything in the Earth is HIS (Psalm 24:1).
Third, the Prosperity Gospel is an itching ears doctrine and will lead millions to Hell. Why? Because the Prosperity Gospel teachers have denied Christ and followed their own desires. This is a very serious matter, and should be addressed. How would you feel if you went to the doctor and you had a disease and the doctor says, "You're fine" and you get serious sick...How would you feel? Mad? Angry? However, every Sunday in hundreds of churches, a preacher is saying that God wants us to be rich, and they are liars. 2 Peter 3:9 says that "....He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance." This scripture says that God wants us to repent or turn from sin, and follow Christ..That my friends is the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The real gospel teaches that we must take up our cross and follow Jesus, not that life will be rich and full of pleasure when we accept Christ. The real gospel teaches that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh who came down to Earth to die for our sins in order to reconnect us with God, not that Jesus came so that we could live a life of "earthly abundance"....They have twisted scripture and formed a false gospel and this is a serious offense to God and Jesus Christ.
The Prosperity Gospel is heresy, not because I said so but because the Word of God has proved that it is false. It is my earnest prayer that the Body of Christ wakes up, and begins discerning when the preacher starts preaching because even Satan pretends to be an angel of light. I am not going to name preachers who preach this abomination because that would be useless and there are too many to name, but we need to pray for these false teachers that their eyes be opened and that we as Christians preach ONLY the true Gospel unless we be accursed and punished. The word "gospel" means good news and while being prosperous is good news, it does not point anyone toward holiness, it does not point anyone to trust in Christ for deliverance from sin, it displays Christ as a prostitute...you give your life, Christ will give you pleasure that comes from being wealthy but this is false. When you give your life to Christ, He gives you the Holy Spirit who will guide you in all truth. Christ is not a product being sold but a Savior who the world needs to know. Galatians 1:8 says that anyone who preaches a false gospel will be accursed. This is serious business. God will NOT tolerate being pimped and let them get away with it, people need to know truth and Jesus Christ himself said "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Do not be fooled, there are other gospels just like the prosperity gospel so how do you know if it's false? The main point is that if they do not preach that Jesus Christ was God in human form that came to die for OUR SINS then it is false. I pray I shed some light and informed you on this heresy. Be blessed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)