The subject of Premillennialism is important to me and to many millions of other people, but for many different reasons. This is a doctrine that I used to believe and subscribe to, even being the reason that I first started becoming interested in the secrets and mystery of the Bible. Many people from all types of Christian denominations believe that the Rapture is fact, and the time of it happening is at hand. There have been countless books and movies on this subject, the most famous of which was the "Left Behind" series, which I have read and must admit was very entertaining, but after close study, completely false. Please, let me explain by using scripture, and then I absolutely would love to hear what your opinions, and or facts are. The length of this post will be longer than others, so I will put the chapter and verse numbers up, but not write out the verse, so I encourage you to read these verses as you go.
People believe in the doctrine of Premillennialism because it is what they have been taught by their ministers or priests, but have not done a good study on this subject. Remember, we are to study the Word for ourselves and not rely on just what someone tells us (2 Tim. 2:15), for we are responsible for our own salvation. If someone teaches us something false, we should know or at the very least study what we are told, to ensure the Truth of the God's Word. And, after a close study, this doctrine is not found in scripture, it has been mistranslated and twisted.
The term Premillennialism comes from Latin, meaning "before", "1,000 year", "doctrine", and was first written and used in the late 1800's openly. The belief really appeals to man's love of the unknown, his love of mystery and secrets, which many falsely believe the Bible is all about. Jesus tells us though, "We can know the truth, and the truth will set you free." There is no mystery in the Bible. God has revealed to us exactly what He intended to, and it is up to us to accept it or not. It has been said you can prove or disprove anything with the Bible, but this is only true if you take one verse here, and put it with another verse there to come up with something that you want. We don't do this with any other book, so why do we do it with God's Word? This is what has happened to Premillennialism, or the belief that Christ will one day return to earth and sit upon a physical throne in Jerusalem. Here are the basic claims of this system.
1) God did not fulfill all of the land promise to the Israelites as first given to Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob.
2) Christ came to establish literal, earthly kingdom in Jerusalem.
3) The Jews foolishly rejected Christ, which was not expected, so God had to change plans.
4) The church was the substitute plan, temporary until kingdom would be established.
5) Christ, at this time is not on David's throne.
6) When the Lord comes to earth again, then He will be enthroned for 1,000 years.
7) When this happens, then the prophecies will all be fulfilled.
If any of these claims are proven to be false, then it only stands to reason that the whole doctrine should be ruled false. Again, because it would take a lot of time, and even more room, we will look at a couple of items that I think will make someone who believes in this, take a harder look at the scriptures.
First, let's look at the claim that the Jews rejecting Christ, caught God by surprise. This must be false without even question! If we are to believe that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, how could He have not known this? God created the universe, He parted the Red Sea and brought the ten plagues upon Egypt, and was able to feed His people manna while they were in the wilderness. Jesus healed many people, raised Lazarus from the dead, and He himself arose from the dead. Yet are we to believe that He was blindsided by the rejection of the Jews, and could not do anything to ensure God's plan? What many don't seem to realize, and the scriptures back this up, that this was indeed a part of the plan, God's grand scheme.
The church, which could not have been established until Christ sacrificed Himself, was and is God's eternal plan to redeem man. The plan was in place before the foundation of the world and God could, and did see that in time, man would sin, and He loved us so much that He made provisions so we can be reconciled with Him. That provision was sending His only son to be sacrificed for us (Luke 19:10). Without Him and the shedding of His blood, there would be no remission of sins according to Hebrews 9:22.
Jesus said seven things while He was on the cross, one of which was "It is finished" (John 19:30). What was finished? He came to earth to do the will of God who sent Him (John 5:30). He completed His task, this is why He said "It is finished". To say otherwise is to say either Christ mislead us, or God mislead Him in order to mislead us! God's eternal purpose (Eph. 3:10-11) was to offer sinful man a chance to redeem himself through the church which Jesus purchased with his blood (Acts 20:28). We can read that the kingdom has been established already (Mark 1:14-15; Mark 9:1; Luke 24), and happened exactly as the Old Testament predicted that it would (Isa. 2:2-3; Dan. 2:44; Micah 4:1-3). The kingdom that is talked about in the Old Testament is clearly the same as the church. When Peter exclaims in Acts 2:14-16, "This is that which was spoken of by Joel" is the kingdom AND the church! Peter was saying that what Joel had prophesied about, had now come to fruition.
Paul writes also that the kingdom and the church are the same (Eph. 3:9-11). If the kingdom was not established, how were Christians "in" the kingdom in Colossians 1:13? John also says that he was in the kingdom in Revelation 1:9. The writer of Hebrews also speaks of a present kingdom in Hebrews 12:28, which Christ is the head of (Eph. 1:22; Col.1:18).
Nowhere in scripture does it say Christ will reign over an earthly kingdom. In fact, Jesus denied this (John 6:15). Why would He establish a physical reign today when He taught against it? We know that His kingdom is eternal (Isa. 9:6-7), which is not a physical kingdom, nor ever says so. There is also no verse found in the Bible where Jesus will ever step foot on the earth again. This is a false man-made belief. The truth of the Word says that on the last great day, the Day of Judgment, Christians who believe and obey, will meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:17). Revelation also speaks of meeting Christ "In the clouds".
So what about Jesus sitting on the throne of David? The Bible tells us this is now the case, not something to take place in the distant future (Acts 2:29-33, Eph. 1, Rev. 1:5-6, Heb. 1:3-13, Joshua 21:43-45, Zech. 6:13, 1 Chronicles 29:23). With all of this combined, we can see how Christ is king of kings (1 Tim. 6:15), He gives us the Law (James 4:12), all authority was given to Him (Matthew 28:18, Eph. 1:22) and He will reign over His kingdom until death is destroyed (1 Cor. 15:24).
Those who teach the Premillennialist theory, rely on Revelation 20:1-3 as the basis of their belief, and as we have already seen, this is mistranslated to fit their doctrine. But let's look at the 1,000 year reign, as seen in this passage. We are expected to believe that literally, but not the other parts of that passage such as the bottomless pit, or the great chain. Why? I have not been able to find a good answer to that. Notice in this passage, nothing is said about Jesus' return, His physical rule in Jerusalem, an earthly kingdom, a literal throne, or a 1,000 year reign. And the Bible speaks of the great rapture and Christ's return to earth exactly zero times. Not once. Why? Because it is man-made and first introduced 1,800 years after the Bible was written.
So why is this doctrine so dangerous to believe? Because it is not from God, and in fact at times belittles God, and takes away the importance of Christ's sacrifice upon the cross. Anything that people claim is from God but isn't, is a doctrine of the devil, and must be avoided, as well as teachers who teach this. We can tell who is trying to mislead us by studying the Word, and trying what fallible men have told us. There will be a judgment day, and we will be judged by what we do and believe while we are here. But if we are waiting and teaching about the rapture, Satan is surely encouraging us to continue to do so. Follow God, and put your trust in His Word. Grace be with you.
A Christian Blog that uses the Bible as it's only source of doctrine.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
Scriptures on Marriage
The subject of marriage is one that many preachers and ministers try to stay away from because so many today think it is ok to divorce, and many in their congregation have even been divorced. Chances are, you probably even know someone who has had a failed marriage, and probably for any reason that they thought was right. According to the Pew Research Center, for those who even choose to get married, the majority of marriages (60%) now end in divorce. Not surprisingly, those numbers drop dramatically for couples who belong and are active in their church. The numbers are higher for more liberal churches than conservative, but still lower than those who do not attend church at all. Of course, scriptures are not silent when it comes to marriage, in fact God has a lot to say on this subject, and if we follow Him, as we should, marriage would be treasured and not just thrown away.
First off, let's clear up the topic of same sex marriage. Supporters of this like to claim that the Bible says nothing about homosexuality and same sex marriage. Well, the word homosexuality is not in scriptures, but there is plenty about sexual deviancy, man laying with man, etc. that there is no need to speak of that here. We also know that in Old Testament times that God accepted marriage, and under Mosaic Law, one could divorce for any and all reasons. This changed however with the coming of Christ and the New Law. God still accepted marriage, as we read in John chapter 2 where Christ performed His first miracle at a wedding in Canna. But later on His ministry, we read in Matthew chapter 19, the Pharisees challenged Him on reasons for divorce. Christ, as always, does not hold back, and tells them what God expects. Chapter 19: 8-9 "He saith unto them, 'Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery."
We can clearly see that even during Moses' day, divorce was tolerated by God due to the hardness of the people's hearts, but He didn't accept it. Now, however, the only acceptable reason for divorce, is when one party cheats on another. In verse 12 of the same chapter, the disciples asked Christ if it were best if men didn't marry, but Jesus answers in the negative, saying "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Through Christ's own words, it is good to find someone to share your life with, someone to have children with, someone to help you find heaven. But marriage is and should be for life, with only adultery being a Godly reason for divorce. Even with adultery though, it doesn't mean you must get a divorce, it is simply allowed by God. The symbolism of marriage can be used when reading about the Jewish people in the times of the Old Testament.
In Jeremiah 3:14, God is pleading with His "bride", the Jews, to come back to Him and turn away from idolatry. They were cheating on God, yet He asked them to come back. "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family; and I will bring you to Zion." The point being made here is what I stated earlier, you don't have to divorce, but if you forgive, you must do so with all forgiveness, not holding the actions of your spouse over their head forever. If you can't do that, it might be best to divorce from them, but remember that to be a Christian, we must be able to forgive those who have trespassed against us. God was able to forgive the Israelites for their adultery for a time, but now Christ has come and we can only have forgiveness if we truly repent.
Marriage should not be taken lightly. God is, according to His own words, not pleased when we throw away our marriages for any reason. When we take those vows, we make them with God as well, and He expects us to uphold them. According to Him, we need to know that if we remarry after an unscriptural divorce, we are not married in His eyes. This is why it is so important that we truly know the person that we are to marry. Will they make a good mother or father to our children, will they follow God and do as He commands and help us achieve our goals? Too many of us marry too quickly without getting to know that person. Usually, we will be able to see the person's character after spending more time with them. It may not always be the case, which sometimes raises problems.
I have been asked a few times, what if the wife is living in a violent relationship? Usually, someone who is abusive becomes abusive while they are dating. Of course, if this happens, do not marry that person. But if they become abusive after marriage, is the woman commanded to stay? In searching scripture, there is nothing that states you must stay when a man is beating you. You should be allowed to protect yourself and your children by getting away from that person, but unfortunately, the rules for divorce still apply. Most times, if a man is coward enough to beat on a woman, he doesn't have enough morals to stop himself from cheating as well. Again though, this is why it is so important to know, truly know, everything about the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
As I said, this is not always a very popular subject to write or speak about, but it is very important to know what God expects out of us. He wants us to love our spouse just as Christ loved the church, and treat them just as we should treat God. Marriage is so much more than a piece of legal paper, it is a vow with each other and with God that we should uphold at all times. Many churches have either split over this subject, or have lost many members because they have been divorced and are now remarried for unscriptural reasons, and they believe that this should be allowed. However, God makes it clear what is and isn't allowed, and we can't change His laws to suit our needs, no matter what the law is. I have been blessed with being married to my wife for 19 wonderful years, and pray for many, many more. As always, I am more than happy to discuss with anyone this or any other issues that you might have. Grace be with you.
First off, let's clear up the topic of same sex marriage. Supporters of this like to claim that the Bible says nothing about homosexuality and same sex marriage. Well, the word homosexuality is not in scriptures, but there is plenty about sexual deviancy, man laying with man, etc. that there is no need to speak of that here. We also know that in Old Testament times that God accepted marriage, and under Mosaic Law, one could divorce for any and all reasons. This changed however with the coming of Christ and the New Law. God still accepted marriage, as we read in John chapter 2 where Christ performed His first miracle at a wedding in Canna. But later on His ministry, we read in Matthew chapter 19, the Pharisees challenged Him on reasons for divorce. Christ, as always, does not hold back, and tells them what God expects. Chapter 19: 8-9 "He saith unto them, 'Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery."
We can clearly see that even during Moses' day, divorce was tolerated by God due to the hardness of the people's hearts, but He didn't accept it. Now, however, the only acceptable reason for divorce, is when one party cheats on another. In verse 12 of the same chapter, the disciples asked Christ if it were best if men didn't marry, but Jesus answers in the negative, saying "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Through Christ's own words, it is good to find someone to share your life with, someone to have children with, someone to help you find heaven. But marriage is and should be for life, with only adultery being a Godly reason for divorce. Even with adultery though, it doesn't mean you must get a divorce, it is simply allowed by God. The symbolism of marriage can be used when reading about the Jewish people in the times of the Old Testament.
In Jeremiah 3:14, God is pleading with His "bride", the Jews, to come back to Him and turn away from idolatry. They were cheating on God, yet He asked them to come back. "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family; and I will bring you to Zion." The point being made here is what I stated earlier, you don't have to divorce, but if you forgive, you must do so with all forgiveness, not holding the actions of your spouse over their head forever. If you can't do that, it might be best to divorce from them, but remember that to be a Christian, we must be able to forgive those who have trespassed against us. God was able to forgive the Israelites for their adultery for a time, but now Christ has come and we can only have forgiveness if we truly repent.
Marriage should not be taken lightly. God is, according to His own words, not pleased when we throw away our marriages for any reason. When we take those vows, we make them with God as well, and He expects us to uphold them. According to Him, we need to know that if we remarry after an unscriptural divorce, we are not married in His eyes. This is why it is so important that we truly know the person that we are to marry. Will they make a good mother or father to our children, will they follow God and do as He commands and help us achieve our goals? Too many of us marry too quickly without getting to know that person. Usually, we will be able to see the person's character after spending more time with them. It may not always be the case, which sometimes raises problems.
I have been asked a few times, what if the wife is living in a violent relationship? Usually, someone who is abusive becomes abusive while they are dating. Of course, if this happens, do not marry that person. But if they become abusive after marriage, is the woman commanded to stay? In searching scripture, there is nothing that states you must stay when a man is beating you. You should be allowed to protect yourself and your children by getting away from that person, but unfortunately, the rules for divorce still apply. Most times, if a man is coward enough to beat on a woman, he doesn't have enough morals to stop himself from cheating as well. Again though, this is why it is so important to know, truly know, everything about the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.
As I said, this is not always a very popular subject to write or speak about, but it is very important to know what God expects out of us. He wants us to love our spouse just as Christ loved the church, and treat them just as we should treat God. Marriage is so much more than a piece of legal paper, it is a vow with each other and with God that we should uphold at all times. Many churches have either split over this subject, or have lost many members because they have been divorced and are now remarried for unscriptural reasons, and they believe that this should be allowed. However, God makes it clear what is and isn't allowed, and we can't change His laws to suit our needs, no matter what the law is. I have been blessed with being married to my wife for 19 wonderful years, and pray for many, many more. As always, I am more than happy to discuss with anyone this or any other issues that you might have. Grace be with you.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Is Anger a Sin?
Many people say one of the biggest problems with the nature of man, is his anger. There are countless books on the subject, therapists and psychologists make a very good living dealing with people with anger issues, and many churches have begun teaching that anger in itself is a sin. They teach that a good Christian does not get angry because he has nothing but love in his heart. However, this is not even a logical argument because it is in human nature, and okay to become angry, but it is how you deal with that anger that effects you spiritually. Even Christ Himself wasn't above getting angry, as we read in John chapter 2. In reading this incident though, we can see the example that Jesus gives us as to why He was angry, but also how we should handle it.
In John chapter 2, Jesus has entered Jerusalem to observe Passover, and upon arriving at the temple, he finds what can be best described as a market that is set up on the grounds. Verse 15ff: "And he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and oxen; and he poured out the changers money, and overthrew their tables." He then tells them in verse 16, "Take these things hence; and make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." Jesus was angry over what they were doing, but His actions were not sinful, because we know that He was sinless (Heb. 4:15). What He did, however, was stand up for what He believed, and stood for God. He does this many times in His ministry, standing for what is right, and showing those that were in error how they were wrong.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath". It is okay and natural to get angry, especially when someone mocks you for believing in God or standing for scripture, but he warns us to not let that anger smolder and build up. We are expected to stand up for what is right, even when it's unpopular, like the Bible is and always has been. But if we don't fight for God, and just let the argument alone, can we say we truly care for that other person's soul if we don't try to show them the truth? Ephesians 5:11 says that we should stay away from evil, and reprove those who spread it. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us we are to stand fast in the faith. How can we do that if we don't have a discussion when someone attacks God? And when they do, and they will, you might become angry, but be slow to anger, and use the Bible as your weapon. Not to hit someone with of course, but by using the scripture that God gave us to defend Him, and save souls.
There are those out there that seem to be angry all the time, those that are looking for a fight and just love to argue, even when they're wrong. I used to be that type of person, but upon study of the Bible, I have learned not to argue out of anger, but with truth. And there comes a time when we must walk away from those who will not hear or reason, for a discussion will easily lead to an argument, but we must also be good stewards of our time. If we spend all of our time arguing with one who won't listen, how many have we lost in the process? I'm not saying we should ever give up, but probably approaching them later, after the seed has been planted, might be a better idea. We should also note what the Bible says about those who are angry all the time as well. Proverbs 14:17 Tells us to control our anger and not be foolish, and Proverbs 22:24 and 29:22 warns us to stay away from foolish anger.
The reason why I wrote on this subject, is because it has become common place for those who don't love God or are not willing to listen to the Word, want to accuse Christians of being pushy, or just let all believe they want and leave well enough alone. In fact, the men at the temple that day asked Jesus what right did He have to do this. God has given us the right to stand fast in the faith, and fight for Him. What a wonderful present we are giving to Satan when we don't, because he doesn't need us to worship him, he just needs us to remain silent, and not spread the Word of God. Losing our temper is a tool of Satan's, but going the opposite is useful to him as well, but using our heads, speaking from our hearts and scripture is the last thing he wants. Fight the good fight of faith, and stand on the promises of God. Grace be with you.
In John chapter 2, Jesus has entered Jerusalem to observe Passover, and upon arriving at the temple, he finds what can be best described as a market that is set up on the grounds. Verse 15ff: "And he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and oxen; and he poured out the changers money, and overthrew their tables." He then tells them in verse 16, "Take these things hence; and make not my Father's house a house of merchandise." Jesus was angry over what they were doing, but His actions were not sinful, because we know that He was sinless (Heb. 4:15). What He did, however, was stand up for what He believed, and stood for God. He does this many times in His ministry, standing for what is right, and showing those that were in error how they were wrong.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath". It is okay and natural to get angry, especially when someone mocks you for believing in God or standing for scripture, but he warns us to not let that anger smolder and build up. We are expected to stand up for what is right, even when it's unpopular, like the Bible is and always has been. But if we don't fight for God, and just let the argument alone, can we say we truly care for that other person's soul if we don't try to show them the truth? Ephesians 5:11 says that we should stay away from evil, and reprove those who spread it. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us we are to stand fast in the faith. How can we do that if we don't have a discussion when someone attacks God? And when they do, and they will, you might become angry, but be slow to anger, and use the Bible as your weapon. Not to hit someone with of course, but by using the scripture that God gave us to defend Him, and save souls.
There are those out there that seem to be angry all the time, those that are looking for a fight and just love to argue, even when they're wrong. I used to be that type of person, but upon study of the Bible, I have learned not to argue out of anger, but with truth. And there comes a time when we must walk away from those who will not hear or reason, for a discussion will easily lead to an argument, but we must also be good stewards of our time. If we spend all of our time arguing with one who won't listen, how many have we lost in the process? I'm not saying we should ever give up, but probably approaching them later, after the seed has been planted, might be a better idea. We should also note what the Bible says about those who are angry all the time as well. Proverbs 14:17 Tells us to control our anger and not be foolish, and Proverbs 22:24 and 29:22 warns us to stay away from foolish anger.
The reason why I wrote on this subject, is because it has become common place for those who don't love God or are not willing to listen to the Word, want to accuse Christians of being pushy, or just let all believe they want and leave well enough alone. In fact, the men at the temple that day asked Jesus what right did He have to do this. God has given us the right to stand fast in the faith, and fight for Him. What a wonderful present we are giving to Satan when we don't, because he doesn't need us to worship him, he just needs us to remain silent, and not spread the Word of God. Losing our temper is a tool of Satan's, but going the opposite is useful to him as well, but using our heads, speaking from our hearts and scripture is the last thing he wants. Fight the good fight of faith, and stand on the promises of God. Grace be with you.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Is War Ever Righteous?
More to the point, is joining the army of your country, ok with God? This is a question that has been debated in just about every denomination, non-denomination, and religion in the world. Even in the Muslim world, there are some who live to fight, and others who claim killing is wrong. I live in the United States (some who read this live in Africa and India), and other than a questionable reasoning with the Indian wars of the 1800's, the U.S. has used it's military for the defense of our country or for defense of friends. I always believed this to be righteous, and after reading scripture, I still do. But what if the country you live in, starts wars for the reason of land, money, oil or any reason other than defense? What if it starts a war for defense of Christ? The scriptures are not silent on this subject, and history has shown us men will start wars for any reason.
Romans chapter 13 tells us that we are to respect our government. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosever resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." 2 Peter 2:13-14 might explain it better, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto the governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well" Now this tells us that we should obey the laws of our respected governments, as long as they obey God's, which should always come first, but says nothing of military. It has been argued that you have an obligation to defend your government as part of this obeying, but unless it is a law, such as a draft, I don't see this in scripture. It has also been argued by preachers in every belief, that we should not join or take an oath to anyone other than God. However, there is little or no evidence of this in scripture either. In the United States, the argument became a major one in the 1850's until the end of the great Civil War.
Of course few Americans had brought this up until the Civil War, but when they saw that a war would break out that pitted brother against brother, and men from every Christian belief would be fighting against each other, and both sides believed God was on their side. It can be argued that the North was fighting for the end of slavery and keeping the Union intact, while the South could argue they were living under submission of aggressive administration impeding on their rights. Was God with either side? It is truly hard to say, and no answer will be found searching scriptures. When American military began fighting against the Indians for land, this is not something I believe God would be in favor of, yet soldiers had to follow orders and do as they were commanded.
England however, considered another Christian nation, has a somewhat darker history. In the late 1600's through the early 1900's, Britain was putting soldiers on the ground for the purpose of spreading their empire. There was no reason for defense or defense of their allies. Is this the proper actions of Christians who teach to love one another and respect governments?
During the Middle-Ages, the nations of Europe under the leadership of the Catholic Pope, joined together in the Crusades and fought for the Holy Land under the banner of God. I don't believe these actions are by any stretch authorized in scriptures. God does not care about land, He only cares about the souls of men. Yes, there was a time when God commanded men like Joshua and the judges of Israel to conquer and destroy lands in the Old Testament, but that was for the establishment of the Promised Land where our savior was to come from. But does God hold accountable the soldiers that fought for evil leaders? The only thing I can say for sure, is that God holds each of us accountable for our own actions, and we don't have to join the military if we so choose. If you live in a country where you must join by law, then you must follow the commands as set forth in Romans and 1 Peter.
In closing, we should remember the example of the conversion of the house of Cornelius in the Book of Acts. Cornelius was a centurion, a Roman commander who served under Caesar who was not exactly friendly to Christians. After Peter baptized Cornelius, nothing was said about his resigning from the army before he was baptized, or resigning after. We have to assume that Cornelius went on being a soldier for Rome, but now as a Christian. I believe what we can come away with in the end is that God wants us to be with Him, and if we decide to join the military, He still expects us to walk with Him and do what is right. We must pray for our world leaders, even if we don't agree with their policies, that they use their armies for reasons of defense only, and to allow all to worship freely. The veterans of this country, such as members of my family like my father, uncle, grandfather, cousin, should be honored and thanked for their service. For without them and those like them, we would not be free to worship God, and live in a free society.
If all nations of this world believed one belief, and worshipped in unity, we would have no reason to have militaries and worry about oppressive governments. Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul pleads with us to do this, but of course he knew as God did, that this could never be. So, yes, armies are needed in my opinion, but are only righteous when protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Grace be with you.
Romans chapter 13 tells us that we are to respect our government. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosever resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." 2 Peter 2:13-14 might explain it better, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto the governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well" Now this tells us that we should obey the laws of our respected governments, as long as they obey God's, which should always come first, but says nothing of military. It has been argued that you have an obligation to defend your government as part of this obeying, but unless it is a law, such as a draft, I don't see this in scripture. It has also been argued by preachers in every belief, that we should not join or take an oath to anyone other than God. However, there is little or no evidence of this in scripture either. In the United States, the argument became a major one in the 1850's until the end of the great Civil War.
Of course few Americans had brought this up until the Civil War, but when they saw that a war would break out that pitted brother against brother, and men from every Christian belief would be fighting against each other, and both sides believed God was on their side. It can be argued that the North was fighting for the end of slavery and keeping the Union intact, while the South could argue they were living under submission of aggressive administration impeding on their rights. Was God with either side? It is truly hard to say, and no answer will be found searching scriptures. When American military began fighting against the Indians for land, this is not something I believe God would be in favor of, yet soldiers had to follow orders and do as they were commanded.
England however, considered another Christian nation, has a somewhat darker history. In the late 1600's through the early 1900's, Britain was putting soldiers on the ground for the purpose of spreading their empire. There was no reason for defense or defense of their allies. Is this the proper actions of Christians who teach to love one another and respect governments?
During the Middle-Ages, the nations of Europe under the leadership of the Catholic Pope, joined together in the Crusades and fought for the Holy Land under the banner of God. I don't believe these actions are by any stretch authorized in scriptures. God does not care about land, He only cares about the souls of men. Yes, there was a time when God commanded men like Joshua and the judges of Israel to conquer and destroy lands in the Old Testament, but that was for the establishment of the Promised Land where our savior was to come from. But does God hold accountable the soldiers that fought for evil leaders? The only thing I can say for sure, is that God holds each of us accountable for our own actions, and we don't have to join the military if we so choose. If you live in a country where you must join by law, then you must follow the commands as set forth in Romans and 1 Peter.
In closing, we should remember the example of the conversion of the house of Cornelius in the Book of Acts. Cornelius was a centurion, a Roman commander who served under Caesar who was not exactly friendly to Christians. After Peter baptized Cornelius, nothing was said about his resigning from the army before he was baptized, or resigning after. We have to assume that Cornelius went on being a soldier for Rome, but now as a Christian. I believe what we can come away with in the end is that God wants us to be with Him, and if we decide to join the military, He still expects us to walk with Him and do what is right. We must pray for our world leaders, even if we don't agree with their policies, that they use their armies for reasons of defense only, and to allow all to worship freely. The veterans of this country, such as members of my family like my father, uncle, grandfather, cousin, should be honored and thanked for their service. For without them and those like them, we would not be free to worship God, and live in a free society.
If all nations of this world believed one belief, and worshipped in unity, we would have no reason to have militaries and worry about oppressive governments. Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul pleads with us to do this, but of course he knew as God did, that this could never be. So, yes, armies are needed in my opinion, but are only righteous when protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Grace be with you.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
A Father's Love Letter
I'm not sure who originally put this together, but I loved it and wanted to share it with everyone.
A FATHER'S LOVE LETTER
My Child....
You may not know, but I know everything about you...Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up...Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways...Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered...Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image...Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being...Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring...Acts 17:28
I knew you before you were even conceived...Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation...Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book...Psalms 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live...Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made...Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb...Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born...Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me...John 8:41-44
I am the complete expression of love...1 John 4:16
And I rejoice over you with singing...Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you...Jeremiah 32:40
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you...1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father...1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could...Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect Father...Matthew 5:38
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand...James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs...Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope...Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love...Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore...Psalms 139:17-18
For you are my treasured possession...Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul...Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things...Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me...Deuteronomy...4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart...Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires...Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine...Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager...2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles...2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are broken hearted, I am close to you...Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart...Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eye...Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth...Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son Jesus...John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed...John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being...Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you...Romans 8:31
And to tell you I am not counting your sins...2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled...2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you...1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love...Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me...1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again...Romans 8:38-39
I have always been Father, and will always be Father...Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is...will you be my child?...John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you...Luke 15:11-32
LOVE, YOUR FATHER, ALMIGHTY GOD
A FATHER'S LOVE LETTER
My Child....
You may not know, but I know everything about you...Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up...Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways...Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered...Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image...Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being...Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring...Acts 17:28
I knew you before you were even conceived...Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation...Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book...Psalms 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live...Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made...Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb...Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born...Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me...John 8:41-44
I am the complete expression of love...1 John 4:16
And I rejoice over you with singing...Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you...Jeremiah 32:40
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you...1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father...1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could...Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect Father...Matthew 5:38
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand...James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs...Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope...Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love...Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore...Psalms 139:17-18
For you are my treasured possession...Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul...Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things...Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me...Deuteronomy...4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart...Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires...Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine...Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager...2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles...2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are broken hearted, I am close to you...Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart...Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eye...Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth...Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son Jesus...John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed...John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being...Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you...Romans 8:31
And to tell you I am not counting your sins...2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled...2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you...1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love...Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me...1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again...Romans 8:38-39
I have always been Father, and will always be Father...Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is...will you be my child?...John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you...Luke 15:11-32
LOVE, YOUR FATHER, ALMIGHTY GOD
Monday, November 24, 2014
Army of Christ
There seems to be a major misconception in the world today that we as Christians should simply build our buildings, hire a preacher, open the doors, and people will show up. Of course, if you have a dynamic speaker that makes people feel good, or gets them fired up, by word of mouth more people will come in, and the more people you have, the more faithful and good your church is. There is no or very little work outside of the church building. Oh, there may be missions where members go to different parts of the world and build schools and possibly hand out Bibles and give a sermon or two, but no real outreach to teach people the Word of God. Why? I think the biggest reason is we are afraid to offend anyone or their beliefs. We must respect their beliefs and walk away quietly if there are those who don't believe. And in doing so, we are showing them that we love them for who they are. Is this the right thing to do however? Does God want us to move around the world quietly and allow unbelievers to speak louder and with more authority that His followers? Paul often mentions Christians as being part of an army, and to "fight the good fight" (1 Tim. 6:12), "war a good warfare" (1 Tim. 1:18), and Jude wrote in Jude 3 to defend for the faith. What does this mean, and how are we to do it? Have no fear, scripture tells us exactly how and why.
Since the Bible refers Christians to soldiers, God makes it clear that we should compare ourselves to them. So what are the characteristics of a good soldier? First, a soldier obviously must be part of an army, not a vigilante who fights for his/her own cause, or a mercenary who will fight for anyone's cause for the right price. We see many televangelists today who used to be members of one belief, but now have their "own" church with thousands in their congregation and millions following on the T.V. Soldiers of Christ must fight together, for His cause, which means being in His army. Anything else, will mean being in the much larger but weaker army of Satan. There is no in-between. To be a great soldier, you must also wear the proper uniform to distinguish yourself from your enemies. Christians should not just be Christians in worship, but should be a good example outside of the building and show the world the love and compassion, yet strength and courage we are about. To be a great soldier we must also be properly trained in the work that we do. Of course for Christians, this means to do all that Christ has commanded us (Matt. 28:19-20). Note that Christ didn't say to do what we thought was right, but to do as He commanded. And to be a great soldier, we must be prepared to go into battle, not just a "parade ground" soldier, one who puts on a good show and looks impressive, but one who will fight for the faith such as Paul, Philip, and Stephen. What great army on earth does not follow the commands of their commanding officer? What soldier hears a command, then says "Well, I know what you said, but I think we should do it this way?" That kind of army will not last long and is easily defeated.
So what makes a great army? What is it's characteristics? Firstly, a great army must have a great commander in chief. What would the world look like today if we did not have leaders such as Winston Churchill, FDR, or Abraham Lincoln? The army of God has the greatest of all commanders in Christ. During times of war, commanders will have to change their strategy as battles are won or lost and positions change. However, when we read and study the Bible, the strategy has remained the same and was written thousands of years ago, and is perfect, never having to change. God does not have to change, and in fact said He never would (Mal. 3:6). For those who want to change the marching orders that we have been given, they are saying the original orders were not perfect because times and situations change. God warns us NOT to do that. A great army must have great fighters who will fight and defend for the faith. These are the preachers that are willing to stand behind the pulpit, and preach the truth of the Word and nothing else. They are not afraid of being ridiculed and or persecuted for their beliefs and teachings. And of course, what would a great army be without the rank and file soldiers who go out and do battle each and every day. These are the members of the church, who are to go out and spread the Word to all who are within earshot. This is our job, our mission, to teach to all who would listen, and contend for the faith (Jude 3). When someone begins preaching something other than the truth, should we defend God or be silent to not offend others? What would the church look like today if Paul, Philip, Stephen had not fought for Christ? This is why Paul, in his farewell letter to Timothy wrote that he had "fought the good fight" (2 Tim. 4:7), in the war against Satan (1 Tim. 1:18).
We must go out into the world to spread the gospel message, because just building a building will not bring true believers to God. It is unfortunate that people today are offended by His Word, but this has always been the case and always will be, and God expects us to fight for Him. After all, don't we owe it to Him for the sacrifice He gave for each and every one of us? Be proud to be a member of the Army of Christ, and fight for Him to save lost souls. It is not about disrespecting someone for their beliefs, but it is because we love them and care about their souls as to why we are to talk and not remain quiet in our beliefs. Always remember, if we stay silent because we might offend someone, we are offending God, and telling Him we are not good strong soldiers in His wonderful army.
Since the Bible refers Christians to soldiers, God makes it clear that we should compare ourselves to them. So what are the characteristics of a good soldier? First, a soldier obviously must be part of an army, not a vigilante who fights for his/her own cause, or a mercenary who will fight for anyone's cause for the right price. We see many televangelists today who used to be members of one belief, but now have their "own" church with thousands in their congregation and millions following on the T.V. Soldiers of Christ must fight together, for His cause, which means being in His army. Anything else, will mean being in the much larger but weaker army of Satan. There is no in-between. To be a great soldier, you must also wear the proper uniform to distinguish yourself from your enemies. Christians should not just be Christians in worship, but should be a good example outside of the building and show the world the love and compassion, yet strength and courage we are about. To be a great soldier we must also be properly trained in the work that we do. Of course for Christians, this means to do all that Christ has commanded us (Matt. 28:19-20). Note that Christ didn't say to do what we thought was right, but to do as He commanded. And to be a great soldier, we must be prepared to go into battle, not just a "parade ground" soldier, one who puts on a good show and looks impressive, but one who will fight for the faith such as Paul, Philip, and Stephen. What great army on earth does not follow the commands of their commanding officer? What soldier hears a command, then says "Well, I know what you said, but I think we should do it this way?" That kind of army will not last long and is easily defeated.
So what makes a great army? What is it's characteristics? Firstly, a great army must have a great commander in chief. What would the world look like today if we did not have leaders such as Winston Churchill, FDR, or Abraham Lincoln? The army of God has the greatest of all commanders in Christ. During times of war, commanders will have to change their strategy as battles are won or lost and positions change. However, when we read and study the Bible, the strategy has remained the same and was written thousands of years ago, and is perfect, never having to change. God does not have to change, and in fact said He never would (Mal. 3:6). For those who want to change the marching orders that we have been given, they are saying the original orders were not perfect because times and situations change. God warns us NOT to do that. A great army must have great fighters who will fight and defend for the faith. These are the preachers that are willing to stand behind the pulpit, and preach the truth of the Word and nothing else. They are not afraid of being ridiculed and or persecuted for their beliefs and teachings. And of course, what would a great army be without the rank and file soldiers who go out and do battle each and every day. These are the members of the church, who are to go out and spread the Word to all who are within earshot. This is our job, our mission, to teach to all who would listen, and contend for the faith (Jude 3). When someone begins preaching something other than the truth, should we defend God or be silent to not offend others? What would the church look like today if Paul, Philip, Stephen had not fought for Christ? This is why Paul, in his farewell letter to Timothy wrote that he had "fought the good fight" (2 Tim. 4:7), in the war against Satan (1 Tim. 1:18).
We must go out into the world to spread the gospel message, because just building a building will not bring true believers to God. It is unfortunate that people today are offended by His Word, but this has always been the case and always will be, and God expects us to fight for Him. After all, don't we owe it to Him for the sacrifice He gave for each and every one of us? Be proud to be a member of the Army of Christ, and fight for Him to save lost souls. It is not about disrespecting someone for their beliefs, but it is because we love them and care about their souls as to why we are to talk and not remain quiet in our beliefs. Always remember, if we stay silent because we might offend someone, we are offending God, and telling Him we are not good strong soldiers in His wonderful army.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The Scriptures on Baptism
Baptism has been the source of much debate between many different denominations and beliefs in Christianity for many years now. The differences range from if baptism is needed or commanded by God, the technique, if any we should use, and who, if any, can be baptized. Unfortunately, fallible men are leaving these decisions to themselves to make, when in truth, God, through the scriptures, has given us all we need to know about this subject. Now, I want to be clear on this point, I am not trying to attack any particular church or belief, but I am only interested in showing what God says. So many times people think that I only want to put down certain beliefs or poke fun at denominations, but I truthfully am not trying to do that at all. I am only asking that you take the time to study for yourself what the Bible says, for I believe if we do exactly as God says, we can't go wrong. If you do study this and choose to things a different way, well, that is up to you. I only ask that you consider for a few minutes what I'm about to relay.
First of all, is baptism even needed? If we read the New Testament, we can find many verses that confirm we must be baptized to be saved. After all, it is commanded in Mark 16:16, and there are numerous examples of disciples being baptized, such as John 4:1, Saul in Acts chapter 8, the eunuch in Acts chapter 7, Cornelius and his household in Acts chapter 10, and even Jesus himself was baptized. In Mark 16:16 though, "He who believes and is baptized..." should be ample proof that we must do this, just believing is not enough for remember, even the devil believes. Yet there are some who say this is not the case. Calvinists believe that God chooses who is to be saved, so therefore it doesn't matter what you do, and many mainstream denominational leaders tell their followers that they are saved by the grace of God, which is true, but not grace only. The leadership of the United Methodist Church, which I once was a proud member of, told me through an e-mail recently that baptism is only a symbol of your loyalty to Christ and not absolutely needed. However, if you ask most Methodists if baptism is needed, they will tell you of course it is. They do not know what their own bishops believe, which goes against not only the Bible, but what the founder of the Methodist church John Wesley, believed as well.
So now we can see that the Bible says we must be baptized, but why? When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:13ff, Jesus says it is to be done for righteousness sake. Yes, it is a symbol of our faith, but it is also for the remission of our sins, to be born again, and walk upright with the Lord. When Peter was speaking to the Jews in Acts chapter 2, he let's them know that it was they who had known who Jesus was, and yet they killed him anyway. When they heard this, they were heartbroken and asked if anything could be done to repair the damage, and Peter told them they must repent and be baptized. The same goes for Cornelius and the eunuch, who though did not know everything about Jesus, but still had to be baptized.
Which brings us to the next point, who can be baptized? Well, from the examples above, it is clear the scriptures tell us that any (Jews and Gentiles) who believe AND have sin. The baptism itself is for the washing away of sin, and since we all have sin, we must wash away the filth of sin. However, many practice the baptism of infants. This is not scriptural in the slightest, for children have no sin, they are innocent until they reach an age when they do understand. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus tells us that children are like the kingdom of God, perfect in every way. We can not be born with sin, as some modern day translation try to deceive us with, as in Psalms 51:5. The original scripts say that David was born through the sin of his mother, but modern translations have changed that verse to say he was born in sin. Beware of this, because God did not create anything evil, and we can be deceived by someone else changing a few simple words. If you were baptized as a child and believe that you are saved, I beg you to study this closely, for nowhere in the Bible is a child ever baptized.
Finally, how, or by what means are we to be baptized? There are three major techniques that people use today, sprinkling, pouring water over the head, and being fully immersed under the water. Are we authorized to use any way? I don't believe the Bible tells us any form can be used, in fact, there is only way that is shown to us again and again in scriptures, and that is the same way that even Jesus used, full immersion. When Philip was teaching the eunuch, they were travelling, and it wasn't until they came upon a body of water large enough for him to fully immersed. Surely they had water with them that Philip could have used to pour or sprinkle, but that was not the case. Some might argue that the Bible does not say we can't pour or sprinkle, but this can be argued down by two ways. Number 1, there is only way the Bible did show, and if God had to tell us everything NOT to do, the Bible would many volumes. And number 2, the word baptism itself. In the original Greek, in which the New Testament was written, baptism means...full immersion (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). So God actually DOES tell us how, for every time the Bible says baptize, it is actually saying to be fully immersed.
I know this was a very long post, and I hope and pray that you read through all of it and this helps you to better understand what God is trying to tell us, for this is such an important part of our salvation. I will gladly listen and discuss with anyone any issues on this matter, because it is that important, it is part of the plan of salvation which is to hear, believe, repent of your past sins, confess Christ as your savior, and be baptized (full immersion) to be saved. God has given us the commands and examples to follow Him, the real question is will we listen? That is up to us, not men who claim to be "leaders" of an organization who try to convince us they know best. Or by incorrect translations of the Bible that can mislead, for God holds us accountable for what we do, even if we are mislead, because He gave us what we need to know, and He can not lie. God love's all of us, and wants us to simply follow Him.
First of all, is baptism even needed? If we read the New Testament, we can find many verses that confirm we must be baptized to be saved. After all, it is commanded in Mark 16:16, and there are numerous examples of disciples being baptized, such as John 4:1, Saul in Acts chapter 8, the eunuch in Acts chapter 7, Cornelius and his household in Acts chapter 10, and even Jesus himself was baptized. In Mark 16:16 though, "He who believes and is baptized..." should be ample proof that we must do this, just believing is not enough for remember, even the devil believes. Yet there are some who say this is not the case. Calvinists believe that God chooses who is to be saved, so therefore it doesn't matter what you do, and many mainstream denominational leaders tell their followers that they are saved by the grace of God, which is true, but not grace only. The leadership of the United Methodist Church, which I once was a proud member of, told me through an e-mail recently that baptism is only a symbol of your loyalty to Christ and not absolutely needed. However, if you ask most Methodists if baptism is needed, they will tell you of course it is. They do not know what their own bishops believe, which goes against not only the Bible, but what the founder of the Methodist church John Wesley, believed as well.
So now we can see that the Bible says we must be baptized, but why? When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:13ff, Jesus says it is to be done for righteousness sake. Yes, it is a symbol of our faith, but it is also for the remission of our sins, to be born again, and walk upright with the Lord. When Peter was speaking to the Jews in Acts chapter 2, he let's them know that it was they who had known who Jesus was, and yet they killed him anyway. When they heard this, they were heartbroken and asked if anything could be done to repair the damage, and Peter told them they must repent and be baptized. The same goes for Cornelius and the eunuch, who though did not know everything about Jesus, but still had to be baptized.
Which brings us to the next point, who can be baptized? Well, from the examples above, it is clear the scriptures tell us that any (Jews and Gentiles) who believe AND have sin. The baptism itself is for the washing away of sin, and since we all have sin, we must wash away the filth of sin. However, many practice the baptism of infants. This is not scriptural in the slightest, for children have no sin, they are innocent until they reach an age when they do understand. In Matthew 19:14, Jesus tells us that children are like the kingdom of God, perfect in every way. We can not be born with sin, as some modern day translation try to deceive us with, as in Psalms 51:5. The original scripts say that David was born through the sin of his mother, but modern translations have changed that verse to say he was born in sin. Beware of this, because God did not create anything evil, and we can be deceived by someone else changing a few simple words. If you were baptized as a child and believe that you are saved, I beg you to study this closely, for nowhere in the Bible is a child ever baptized.
Finally, how, or by what means are we to be baptized? There are three major techniques that people use today, sprinkling, pouring water over the head, and being fully immersed under the water. Are we authorized to use any way? I don't believe the Bible tells us any form can be used, in fact, there is only way that is shown to us again and again in scriptures, and that is the same way that even Jesus used, full immersion. When Philip was teaching the eunuch, they were travelling, and it wasn't until they came upon a body of water large enough for him to fully immersed. Surely they had water with them that Philip could have used to pour or sprinkle, but that was not the case. Some might argue that the Bible does not say we can't pour or sprinkle, but this can be argued down by two ways. Number 1, there is only way the Bible did show, and if God had to tell us everything NOT to do, the Bible would many volumes. And number 2, the word baptism itself. In the original Greek, in which the New Testament was written, baptism means...full immersion (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). So God actually DOES tell us how, for every time the Bible says baptize, it is actually saying to be fully immersed.
I know this was a very long post, and I hope and pray that you read through all of it and this helps you to better understand what God is trying to tell us, for this is such an important part of our salvation. I will gladly listen and discuss with anyone any issues on this matter, because it is that important, it is part of the plan of salvation which is to hear, believe, repent of your past sins, confess Christ as your savior, and be baptized (full immersion) to be saved. God has given us the commands and examples to follow Him, the real question is will we listen? That is up to us, not men who claim to be "leaders" of an organization who try to convince us they know best. Or by incorrect translations of the Bible that can mislead, for God holds us accountable for what we do, even if we are mislead, because He gave us what we need to know, and He can not lie. God love's all of us, and wants us to simply follow Him.
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