Wednesday, June 29, 2011

What are Some Elements of a Christian World View?


Following is a representative list of statements that can help you establish a Christian World View.  This list is not exhaustive.  But it is a good cross-section of biblically-derived principles that should help as you seek to understand a biblical world view.  As you study them, notice how they would affect your beliefs and actions about various topics: God, church, evangelism, creation, worship, family, sin, salvation, homosexuality, abortion, etc.
Principles are like a fountain from which other beliefs and actions flow.  The closer you are to biblical beliefs, the better able you will be to carry out the commission of our Lord and Savior to make disciples of all nations, to glorify Him, and to understand His creation. Read them here: http://carm.org/christianity/christian-issues/what-are-some-elements-christian-world-view

Also the answer to the question: What is a Christian World View and Why do Christians Need One? http://carm.org/christianity/christian-issues/what-christian-world-view-and-why-do-christians-need-one

Monday, June 27, 2011

Vivian Danz (Entered into Glory: 6-27-2011)


 Vivian Danz passed into glory today. She was a great sister in the Lord. She was a great example of what it meant to be a Christian. I learned from her gentleness and her loving Christ-like spirit. I enjoyed her great hospitality and kindness. She will be missed. But I rejoice that she is with her Savior Jesus Christ and free from all the burdens of this world. I look forward to seeing her again someday and spending eternity with her, in the glory of our Lord!!!!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

End Times Timeline

End Times

By Chris Schang
One of the most often asked questions in Bible prophecy is "What is going to happen next?" as it relates to the end times and last days. While there is considerable debate among prophecy teachers, we will attempt to give a scriptural interpretation of the seuence of end times events as they relate to Bible prophecy.
One even that can't be put into sequence is the rapture of the church. While we do know that the rapture of the church is a pre-trib event, we can't pinpoint it's location in an end times timeline because the rapture is an imminent event that could literally happen at anytime.
Here's how I see events unfolding during the end times:
  • 1. World Wars I and II - Matthew 24:1-8
    In our view, WW1 and WW2 are considered part of the end times events as they are referenced in the Book of Matthew. The world wars are referred to as "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom". While this might sound like a typical description of war, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum notes that in the context of Jesus' day that this was a common Jewish idiom for "world wars". As we know, WW2 was considered by many historical authorities as simply a continuation of WW1. The significance of WW2 for Bible prophecy is that it provided the motivation for the Jews to re-establish a state for themselves fulfilling the prophecies of Ezekiel 20.
  • 2. The Re-Birth of Israel - Ezekiel 20:33-38; 22:17-22; Zephaniah 2:1-2
    As mention in event #1 WW2 served as the motivation for the Jewish return to their ancient homeland exactly as the Bible described in Ezekiel 20. Israel must also be in the ancient homeland so that many other prophecies can be fulfilled and today we can see the modern miracle of Israel. No other nation in the world has been essentially erased from the world map only to be "reborn" hundreds if not thousands of years later. But the Bible made this astonishing prediction long before it happened.
  • 3. Jerusalem Under Jewish Control - Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; II Thessalonians 2:3-4; and Revelation 11:1-2
    The re-capture of the city of Jerusalem in the 6 day war of 1967 has laid the foundation for the eventual rebuilding of a Third Jewish Temple in the city.
  • 4. Israel destroys surrounding enemies and reaches temporary "peace and safety" setting up Gog/Magog invasion - Psalm 83
    Stalemates in the Middle East peace process and other influences result in the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies in Psalm 83. Israel is forced to deal with the modern day terrorists and "Palestinians" who refuse to make peace with her. Jerusalem becomes an object of contention.
  • 5. The Russian (Gog/Magog) Invasion of Israel - Ezekiel 38:1 - 39:16
    The "Gog/Magog" war is another name for the Russian led invasion of Israel in the end times. The Bible predicted that Russia followed by her islamic allies will attempt to come from the north parts for a "spoil" but are soundly defeated when God suddenly intervenes for Israel. God states in Ezekiel 38-39 that he intervenes in order to sanctify his Holy name and as a result saves Israel from what would be certain destruction.
  • 6. The One-World Government - Daniel 7:23
    In Daniel 7:23 we are given the exact sequence of the next three prophetic events in chronological order. Many people have missed this and as a result have misplaced other end times events. But the scriptures are clear that as a result of the defeat of Russia and her islamic allies in Ezekiel 38-39, a power vacuum will exist that will provide the perfect opportunity for the rise of a one world government.
  • 7. The Ten Kingdoms - Daniel 7:24
    After the formation of a one world government, the Bible is clear that the world government will split into ten "kingdoms" or regions. There are numerous high profile groups like the "Club of Rome" who have already broken the world down into ten regions. With the rise of the European Union, African Union, etc. we are slowly but surely seeing the prophetic puzzle pieces move into place for this prophecy to be fulfilled.
  • 8. The Rise of the Antichrist - Daniel 7:24; II Thessalonians 2:1-3
    Once the world has been divided into ten regions, the "Antichrist" or "man of sin" will begin to rise. The Antichrist will be the most wicked man ever and will be indwelt by Satan himself during the Tribulation period. The Antichrist will be one part of the unholy satanic trinity of Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. It is likely the Antichrist will be revealed sometime shortly before the Tribulation period starts and before the signing of the covenant for seven years.
  • 9. A Period of Peace and False Security - I Thessalonians 5:1-3
    The period of false peace will come upon to the world as the one world government and Antichrist arrive onto the world stage. The period of false peace and safety is used in I Thessalonians in reference to happening before the "Day of the Lord" which refers to the Tribulation period or the 70th week of Daniel.
  • 10. The Seven Year Covenant (permission to rebuild the Temple?) - Daniel 9:27; Isaiah 28:14-22; Acts 15:14??
    The seven year covenant with the "many" is likely to be the event that formally allows Israel to gain permission to build the Third Temple. However, there is much debate about whether the Third Temple is built during the Tribulation period of before the Tribulation period. I believe that this is a detail that will have to be revealed when it happens. But it is the seven year covenant that will kick-off the Tribulation period. Some people have mistakenly thought that it was the rapture that started the Tribulation period, but this is simply not correct. It is the "confirming" of the covenant with many that starts the Tribulation period.
  • 11. The Abomination of Desolation - Daniel 9:27; 2 Thes. 2:4; Matt. 24:15-16
    This event takes place at the middle of the Tribulation period when the Antichrist stands in the newly rebuilt Third Temple and proclaims that he is God on earth. This is the event in which Israel is specifically warned about and that when they see it happen to flee to the hills.
  • 12. Armageddon - Revelation 19
    The campaign of Armageddon is the event where the Lord Jesus returns to earth and makes his way from Bozrah to the valley of Jehoshaphat where he defeats the armies of his enemies.
  • 13. The Second Coming - Revelation 19
    The Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur at the end of the Tribulation period. Israel will finally mourn for the one that they pierced and they will accept him as the Messiah.
  • 14. The Millennium Kingdom - Revelation 20
    The Millennium kingdom is the 1,000 year period of peace and prosperity where the Lord rules from Jerusalem with an iron rod. Satan and his evil sidekicks the Antichrist and False prophet will be confined and the earth will be renovated.
http://www.raptureforums.com/EndTimesEvents/endtimestimeline.cfm 

Friday, June 24, 2011

Warning: Christianity and Yoga Do Not Mix!


“Yoga purists are bent out of shape”.  This was the headline of a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper.  The article explained that traditional Yoga “experts contend that Hindu religious elements are being profaned by fad versions of the ancient practice.”
So, what are these “fad versions” of yoga that are upsetting the Hindu yogis?  The article cites as an example the “millions of Americans… practicing yoga to improve flexibility, strengthen muscles and relieve stress.”  These 16.5 million American yoga enthusiasts “spend nearly $3 billion annually on classes and products”.
The problem with this, according to the Hindu yogis quoted in the article, is that yoga was never designed to be an exercise, yet alone an exercise “fad”.  Rather, yoga is an ancient Hindu religious practice, intended to unite a person’s soul with the impersonal, universal force Hindus call “god”.  The Hindu Sanskrit word “yoga” literally means to be yoked or joined in union.  And the goal of every Hindu yogi is to use the religious practice of yoga to lose their personality and individuality and to become one with the monistic-pantheistic spiritual force of Hinduism.  This is done through Hatha Yoga (the physical disciplines), where one seeks to call up what Hindus say is the Kundalini or spiritual force described as a “coiled white serpent of light” to aid them in their transcendence to impersonal spiritual monism.  There should be no doubt about it; yoga is a 2,000 year old Hindu religious practice designed for very specific spiritual and occult purposes. 
This Star Tribune article should be a wake-up call to the thousands, if not millions, of Christians who are regularly practicing yoga.  And it should be a wake-up call to the hundreds, if not thousands, of Christian churches that have embraced yoga as a regular part of their weekly worship.  Too many Christians have erroneously strayed into participating in various forms of this Hindu religious practice.  The common claim is that they’re only doing yoga “for its exercise benefits”; or for those aware of its Hindu religious origins, that their yoga meditation is “directed towards Jesus Christ and not the gods of Hinduism”.  The fact of the matter is this, God strictly forbids his people from dabbling in the false religious activities of the world.
As you read through Scripture, you will not find one example of God tolerating His people’s participation in pagan religious activities.  Rather, over and over again God explicitly condemns this.  So, why should we think that just because yoga has some exercise benefits, that God’s standards have now changed?  Why should we think that a pagan religious practice, even one that may work, is suddenly acceptable in God’s eyes?  Think about it, there are a lot of pagan religious practices that work (witchcraft, sorcery, spiritism, ouija boards, etc.), but we don’t recommend that our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ participate in them.  So, why should yoga be any different? 
Christians who have mistakenly gotten involved in the practice of yoga need to stop now; there is no excuse for staying involved in a pagan religious activity.  And Christian churches that have embraced yoga as a regular part of their worship need to put an end to this and repent; God will not tolerate His people’s participation in pagan religious practices.  God calls His people to be set-apart, to be salt and light to the world.  How are we being faithful to this calling if we are participating in the rituals of pagan religions? 
by Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson (http://www.christianministriesintl.org/articles/08.html)

Other Resources on Yoga:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-smLDVTOeHM (John MacArthur on Yoga)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi38OTVyj6k&feature=related (Dave Hunt's view on Yoga)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Religion vs. Christianity: What’s the difference?


“Why are you Christians always sending missionaries overseas?  People have their own culture, their own religion, why don’t you just leave them alone?!”  This is one of the most common statements we hear as we lecture on college and university campuses throughout the United States and around the world.  Students and faculty often jeeringly ask us, “What is so special about Christianity, different from every religion in the world?”  To be sure, this is a very significant question; and probably one of the most significant questions that any Christian could ask themselves: what is so special about Jesus Christ?
Our family has a close friend named Lou.  Lou grew up in the nation of Thailand and he was a Buddhist for the first 20 years of his life until he met some Christian missionaries who introduced him to Jesus Christ.  If you were to ask Lou today, “What is so special about Jesus Christ and Christianity different from every other religion in the world?”  Lou would share with you the following story:
“When I was a Buddhist I felt like I was in the middle of a large lake.  I was drowning and I didn’t know how to swim.  As I struggled to keep my head above water, I looked out towards the shore and saw Buddha walking up to the edge of the lake.  I was going under for the third time, when suddenly Buddha began shouting out instructions to me, teaching me how to swim.  Buddha shouted, ‘Kick your legs and paddle your arms.’  But then Buddha said, ‘Lou, you must make it to shore by yourself.’  As I desperately struggled to follow the instructions of Buddha, I looked out towards the shore again, but this time I saw Jesus Christ walking towards the edge of the lake.  However, Jesus did not stop at the edge of the lake.  Jesus dove into the lake and he swam out and rescued me!  And once Jesus had brought me safely back to shore, then he taught me how to swim, so that I could go back and rescue others!”
You see, this is the key difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world: Christianity is not a religion!  What are religions?  Religions are about human attempts to make our lives right with God, through our good works, sacrifices, rituals, and money.  However, Christianity is not a religion.  Christianity is about God entering human history to graciously save men and women through His Son Jesus Christ.  It is only by placing our faith in Jesus Christ and submitting to his Lordship that we will be saved.
A relationship with God will never be found in any religion, because religions only offer swimming lessons to people drowning in the sea of sin.  And it doesn’t matter how sincere or devout you are in your religious faith and practice, because the sea of sin is eternally immense.  The only hope for men and women drowning in the sea of sin is Jesus Christ.  God entered human history in the person of Jesus Christ; he dove into the sea of sin in order to save desperate and drowning people.  If you’ll allow him to take you there, he’ll hold you in his loving arms and bring you safely to shore.  And after arriving safely to shore, then your swimming lessons begin, so that you can go back and rescue others!

By Jason Carlson and Dr. Ron Carlson of CMI
Christian Ministries International is an organization that seeks to equip the church in response to the challenges of the world’s religions, cults, and various apologetic issues.  CMI can be found on the web and contacted through: www.christianministriesintl.org.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Evil as Evidence for God


As a Christian ambassador, your biggest challenge may be making sense of the problem of evil. When you're able to explain that, surprisingly, evil is actually evidence for God, you will have vastly improved your skill as a diplomat for the King. You'll also have taken an important step yourself in cultivating a more sensible faith.

The presence of evil in the world is considered by some to be the strongest evidence against the existence of God. I think it proves just the opposite. The entire objection hinges on the observation that true evil exists "out there" as an objective feature of the world. Therein lies the problem for the atheist.
To say something is evil is to make a moral judgment, and moral judgments make no sense outside of the context of a moral standard. Evil as a value judgment marks a departure from that standard of morality. If there is no standard, there is no departure.
Evil can't be real if morals are relative. Evil is real, though. That's why people object to it. Therefore, objective moral standards must exist as well. This discovery invites certain questions. Where do morals come from and why do they seem to apply only to human beings? Are they the product of chance? What world view makes sense out of morality?
We can answer these questions by simply reflecting on the nature of a moral rule. By making observations about the effectmoralitywe can then determine its characteristics and then ask what cause is adequate to produce it.
Four Observations about Morality
The first thing we observe about moral rules is that, though they exist, they are not physical because they don't seem to have physical properties. We won't bump into them in the dark. They don't extend into space. They have no weight. They have no chemical characteristics. Instead, they are immaterial things we discover through the process of thought, introspection, and reflection without the aid of our five senses.
This is a profound realization. We have, with a high degree of certainty, stumbled upon something real. Yet it's something that can't be proven empirically or described in terms of natural laws. This teaches us there's more to the world than just the physical universe. If non-physical thingslike moral rulestruly exist, then materialism as a world view is false
There seem to be many other things that populate the world, things like propositions, numbers, and the laws of logic. Values like happiness, friendship, and faithfulness are there, too, along with meanings and language. There may even be personssouls, angels, and other divine beings.
Our discovery also tells us some things really exist that science has no access to, even in principle. Some things are not governed by natural laws. Science, therefore, is not the only discipline giving us true information about the world. It follows, then, that naturalism as a world view is also false.
Our discovery of moral rules forces us to expand our understanding of the nature of reality and open our minds to the possibility of a host of new things that populate the world in the invisible realm.
Second, moral rules are a kind of communication. They are propositions: intelligent statements of meaning conveyed from one mind to another. The propositions are in the form of imperatives, commands. A command only makes sense when there are two minds involved, one giving the command and one receiving it.
There's a third thing we notice when we reflect on moral rules. They have a force we can actually feel prior to any behavior. This is called the incumbency of moral rules, the "oughtness" of morality we discussed earlier. It appeals to a person's will, compelling him to act in a certain way, though he often disregards its force and chooses to disobey.
Finally, there is a deep discomfort that is felt when we violate clear and weighty moral rules, an ethical pain, making us aware that we have done something wrong and are deserving of punishment. This sense of guilt carries with it not just the uncomfortable awareness of wrong-doing, but also the dread of having to answer for our deed. Distraction and denial may temporarily numb ethical pain, but it never entirely disappears. Only sociopaths succeed in silencing the conscience completely.
Narrowing Our Options
These four observations provide us with a foundation from which to answer the question, "Why morality?" We need only determine the possible options, then ask which option best accounts for our observations.
A word of caution here. At this point our discussion gets personal, because the ultimate answer to our question has serious ramifications for the way we live our lives. It's tempting to abandon careful thinking when conclusions that make us uncomfortable come into focus. Faced with a limited number of options, no one sits on the fence. When the full range of choices is clear, rejection of one means acceptance of another remaining.
Our options are limited to three. One: Morality is simply an illusion. Two: Moral rules exist, but are mere accidents, the product of chance. Three: Moral rules are not accidents, but instead are the product of intelligence. Which option makes most sense given our four observations about morality?
Some want to argue that morals just don't exist. They're nothing but illusions, useful fictions that help us to live in harmony. This is the relativist's answer. This view is not an option for those who raise the problem of evil. Their complaint about the injustice of the universe is a tacit admission of morality. C.S. Lewis observed:


Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not existIn other words, that the whole of reality was senselessI found I was forced to assume that one part of realitynamely my idea of justicewas full of sense. Consequently, atheism turns out to be too simple....If there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning. [emphasis in the original]

Some take a second route. They admit that objective moral laws must exist, but contend they are just accidents. We discover them as part of the furniture of the universe, so to speak, but they have no explanation, nor do they need one.
This won't do for a good reason: Moral rules that have no ground or justification need not be obeyed. An illustration is helpful here. One evening in the middle of a Scrabble game, you notice the phrase "do not go" formed in the random spray of letter tiles on the table. Is this a command that ought to be obeyed? Of course not. It's not a command at all, just a random collection of letters.
Commands are communications between two minds. Chance might conceivably create the appearance of a moral rule, but there can be no command if no one is speaking. Since this phrase is accidental, it can safely be ignored.
Even if a person is behind the communication, one could ignore the command if it isn't backed by appropriate authority. If I stood at an intersection and put my hand up, cars might stop voluntarily, but they'd have no duty to respond. They could ignore me with no fear of punishment because I have no authority to direct traffic. If, on the other hand, a policeman replaced me, traffic would come to a halt.
What is the difference between the policeman and me? My authority is not grounded. It doesn't rest on anything solid. The policeman, however, represents the government, so his authority is justified. The state can appoint legitimate representatives to carry out its will because it is operating within its proper domain.
We learn from this that a law has moral force when it is given by an appropriate authority, one operating within its legitimate jurisdiction. If one violates such a law, he could be punished. The same is true of moral laws. They have incumbencyforce to themif there is a proper authority behind them. Moral rules that appear by chance have no such grounding.
Our second option fails because it doesn't explain three important features we observed about morality. Chance morality fails to be a communication between two minds, and therefore, cannot be imperative. It doesn't account for the incumbency of moral rules, nor does it make sense of the guilt and expectation of punishment one feels when those rules are violated.
One Remaining Answer
Only one answer remains as a possible source of morality. If morality is not an illusion and not the product of chance, then morals must be the result of an intelligent designer. Universal moral laws that have genuine incumbency require an author whose proper domain is the universe, who has the moral authority to enforce his laws, and the power to ultimately mete out perfect justice.
What is the best explanation for the existence of morality? A personal God whose character provides an absolute standard of goodness is the best answer. An impersonal force won't do because a moral rule is both a proposition and a command, and these are features of minds. Ethicist Richard Taylor explains:


A duty is something that is owed....but something can be owed only to some person or persons. There can be no such thing as a duty in isolation....The concept of moral obligation [is] unintelligible apart from the idea of God. The words remain, but their meaning is gone.

Only one option makes sense of each observation about morality: a personal God, who is the creator of both the material and the immaterial domain. Moral laws suggest a moral law giver. His laws are a communication of his desires, imperatives expected to be obeyed.
The existence of God also explains the incumbency of morality. Ethics are adequately grounded because God is a proper authority for moral rules. The universe is his possession because he created it, and he has the right to rule over it.
Ethical paintrue moral guiltalso makes sense. Since morals are not disembodied principles, but personal commands, a violation is not just a broken rule, but an offense against the person who made the rule. Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard has pointed out that a man could not have anything upon his conscience if God did not exist.
Some attempt to argue that they don't need God to have morality. They can live a moral life even though they don't believe in a divine being. No one argues, though, that an atheist can behave in a way one might call moral. The real question is, "Why ought he?" Trappist monk Thomas Merton put it this way:


In the name of whom or what do you ask me to behave? Why should I go to the inconvenience of denying myself the satisfactions I desire in the name of some standard that exists only in your imagination? Why should I worship the fictions that you have imposed on me in the name of nothing?

A moral atheist is like a man sitting down to dinner who doesn't believe in farmers, ranchers, fishermen, or cooks. He believes the food just appears, with no explanation and no sufficient cause. This is silly. Either his meal is an illusion, or someone provided it. In the same way, if morals really exist, as I have argued, then some cause adequate to explain the effect must account for them. God is the most reasonable solution.
The Final Verdict
The argument against God based on the problem of evil can only be raised if some form of moral objectivism is true. Morals, therefore, exist. I don't need to give a complete taxonomy of ethical guidelines to make my case. If there is even one moral absolute, it invites the question, "What kind of world view explains the existence of this moral rule?"
Atheism can't make any sense of it. Neither can most Eastern religions, by the way. If reality is an illusion, as they hold, then the distinction between good and evil is ultimately rendered meaningless. Something like the Judeo-Christian or Muslim idea of God must be true to adequately account for moral laws.
Morality grounded in God explains our hunger for justiceour desire for a day of final reckoning when all wrongs are made right, when innocent suffering is finally redeemed, when all the guilty are punished and the righteous are rewarded.
This also explains our own personal sense of dread. We feel guilty because we are guilty. We know deep down inside that we have offended a morally perfect Being who has the legitimate authority to punish us. We know we will have to answer for our own crimes against God.
In the end, we're forced to accept one of two alternatives. Either relativism is true or morality is true. Either we live in a universe in which morality is a meaningless concept and are forever condemned to silence regarding the problem of evil, or moral rules exist and we're beholden to a moral God who holds us accountable to His law.
There are no other choices. As Dr. Francis Schaeffer put it, "These are not probability answers; [these] are the only answers. It is this or nothing." If one is certainly false, the other is certainly true. That's the way rationality works.

Taken from:
http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5574
Standing firm in Him,
Gregory Koukl
President, Stand to Reason
May/June, 2001 

Monday, June 20, 2011

Rome vs The Bible

What would you do if you found out many of the teachings of Roman Catholicism stand opposed to the Bible?
Would you choose to believe the Word of God or the words of men?  It is impossible to believe both.  (Paragraph numbers in parenthesis are from the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994).

Authority:
  • The Bible teaches Scripture has authority over the church.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
  • Catholicism teaches the Church has authority over Scriptures.  The manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church….to the Pope and to the bishops. (100, 119).

Justification:
  • The Bible teaches man is justified once by faith because justification provides a permanent right standing before God and results in glorification (Romans 8:30).  “To the man who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).
  • Catholicism teaches man is to be justified repeatedly by sacraments and works because he loses the grace of justification each time a mortal sin is committed.  The Sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification (1446).
Regeneration:  

  • The Bible teaches man is regenerated at the baptism of the Spirit.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13).  “From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
  • Catholicism teaches baptism of water is the sacrament of regeneration (1213).  The water of Baptism truly signifies our birth into the divine life (694).
Salvation:
  • The Bible teaches man is saved by God’s unmerited grace.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
  • Catholicism teaches man is saved by meriting the graces needed for salvation.  We can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for the attainment of eternal life (2010).
  • The Bible teaches man is saved for good works.  “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
  • Catholicism teaches man is saved by meriting the graces needed for salvation. We can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for the attainment of eternal life (2010).
  • The Bible teaches man is saved for good works. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
  • Catholicism teaches man is saved by good works. In this way they attain their own salvation and cooperate in saving their brothers (1477).
  • The Bible teaches man is saved for all eternity. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Eph. 1:13-14).
  • Catholicism teaches man is saved only until the next mortal sin is committed. Those who die in a state of mortal sin descent into hell (1035).
  • The Bible teaches salvation is offered to those outside the church. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors as though God were making His appeal through us, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).
  • Catholicism teaches salvation is offered through the Church. Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Church is necessary for salvation. Anyone refusing to enter it or remain in it cannot be saved (846).
  • The Bible teaches that all sins are purified by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).
  • Catholicism teaches some sins are purified by the fires of Purgatory. They undergo purification in Purgatory, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (1030-31).

Saints and Priests :
  • The Bible teaches man becomes a saint when the Spirit baptizes him into the body of Christ. (Eph. 4:11-12).
  • Catholicism teaches man becomes a saint only if the Pope canonizes him. This occurs when he solemnly proclaims that they practiced a heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace (828).
  • The Bible teaches every Christian is a priest and a member of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
  • Catholicism teaches every man needs a priest for salvation. Catholic priests guarantee that Christ is acting in the sacraments which are necessary for salvation (1120-29).

The Lord’s Supper :
  • The Bible teaches the Lord’s Supper is a memorial. “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
  • Catholicism teaches the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice. The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice…the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an unbloody manner (1367).
  • The Bible teaches that believers receive Jesus once, spiritually, in the heart. God… put his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2 Cor. 1:22).
  • Catholicism teaches Catholics receive Jesus physically, frequently, in the stomach. The body, blood…soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ…is truly, really and substantially contained in the Eucharist (1374-78).

Condemnation:
  • The Bible condemns anyone who perverts the Gospel including the Roman Catholic clergy. If we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! (Gal. 1: 6-9).
  • Catholicism condemns with over 100 anathemas those who believe the Bible instead of the Canons of the Council of Trent. These condemnations are still in effect today.

These thirteen teachings of Roman Catholicism demonstrate how the traditions of men can nullify and oppose the Word of God (Mark 7:7013). True saving faith is granted by God as people hear and believe His Word (Rom. 10:17). Eternal life can be received only as a gift of God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. Accordingly, we must come to the cross of Christ with empty hands of faith, leaving everything behind, except or sins (2 Cor. 5:21).
Evangelist Mike Gendron
Proclaiming the Gospel
PO Box 940871
Plano, TX 75094
www.pro-gospel.org

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Lamp in the Dark: The Untold History of the Bible!!!

 
A Lamp in the Dark is an exciting new documentary that unfolds the fascinating "untold" history of the Bible, revealing critical information often overlooked in modern histories. Enter into a world of saints and martyrs battling against spies, assassins and wolves in sheep's clothing.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Papal Inquisition forbade biblical translation, threatening imprisonment and death to those who disobeyed. Learn the stories of valiant warriors of the faith, such as John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, the ancient Waldenses, Albigenses and others who hazarded their lives for the sake of sharing the Gospel light with a world drowning in darkness.

Once the common people were able to read the Bible, the world was turned upside down through the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers subdued whole kingdoms by preaching the grace of God, and exposing the unbiblical doctrines of Rome. In response, the Vatican would launch a Counter Reformation to destroy the work of the Reformers, including the bibles they produced.
  To Watch Full Length Video:

 
To Order Dvd: http://www.adullamfilms.com/ALampInTheDark.html

Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Gospel: The Good News and How to be Saved!!!

 
I want to share the amazing Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and what it means to be saved. Now, so there is no confusion, Gospel simply means, “good news” and tells us as mankind how we as sinful, fallen creatures can be restored back to God from our fallen state. A good example of our sin nature is the fact that everyone eventually dies some day and our bodies wear out.  Romans 6:23 tells us that, “the wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” To make this verse simple to understand: it means that death (spiritual/physical) is the result of every man’s slavery to sin and eternal life is the free gift God offers to undeserving sinners who believe in His Son Jesus. We need to be saved from the penalty that our sin deserves b/c we have all broken God's law (10 commandments) and will be held accountable before a Holy and Righteous God!
Understanding that we are sinners who all die some day and have to give an account to God for our sin, we must know we need Jesus as our savior from the penalty of our sin. So I want to outline the Gospel for you in a simple way so you can understand it, and believe it. Because if you truly believe in your heart and put your trust in Jesus Christ, you can be saved and know without a “doubt” that your headed for Heaven for all eternity!!!!

Simple Facts from the Bible Regarding Your Salvation

1. God loves you:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
-John 3:16

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he love us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
-1John 4:10

2.The Fact of Sin:

“ For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
-Romans 3:23

3.The Penalty of Sin:

“For every living soul belongs to me (God)….. the soul who sins is the one who will die.” -Ezekiel 18:4

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” -Hebrews 9:27

4. Man’s inability to save himself:

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by keeping the law; rather through the law (ten commandments) we become aware of sin.” -Romans 3:20

“For it’s by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” -Ephesians 2:8,9

5. God’s Solution:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” -Romans 5:8

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
-John 11:25,26

6. Our Responsibility:

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”
-Acts 16:31

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that the times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
-Acts 3:19

7. The Results of Salvation:

“Whoever believes in the Son (Jesus) has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
-John 3:36

“For he (Jesus) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
-Colossians 1:13,14

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” -John 5:24

         To sum it all up, after you have read God’s Word to us concerning our salvation: we can know for sure that we are going to heaven!! But, we must obey what His word tells us, and that is to repent or turn away from our sin and turn to Jesus by faith and accept His work upon the cross on our behalf.
         On that cross, Jesus was treated as if He were guilty of all the sins ever committed by all who would ever believe, though He committed none. And God then treats believer’s as if they did only the righteous deeds of the sinless Son of God!!! It’s called the ‘great exchange.” Jesus took our sin and we got His life!!! This is where it’s found: “For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
          Jesus did all the work necessary to secure our salvation and entrance into heaven. We can only accept that by faith and prayer towards Him. We could never be good enough or work our way to heaven. Not by being Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, being baptized as an infant, going to church, having our good deeds outweigh our bad, etc. None of that is going to get us to heaven. ONLY, by BELIEVING in what Christ has done for us, can we be saved and on our way to heaven!
I know this to be true, because I placed my life into Jesus’ hands in May of 2005, and my life has never been the same. I simply asked Christ to save me and forgive me of all my sins and take me to heaven someday. And he filled my heart with His love and peace and I know I will be with Him in Eternity!!
God provided only one way, through his Son Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven (Jesus is the name) given to men by which we must be saved.” ( Acts 4:12)  In Christ -Dustin

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Narrow Road


   "“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." -Matthew 7:13-14

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mormon Beliefs, are they Christian?

    There's a lot of discussion about Mormon beliefs. So, in order to make this easy, I will list out what Mormonism actually teaches. These are not sensationalized, and inaccurate statements. Following documentation from Mormon authors.  Finally, please understand that the Mormon Church uses Christian terms but has radically changed the meanings of those terms.  So, when it says that Mormons belief in the father the son and the Holy Spirit, they are really saying they believe in a God from another planet, with a goddess wife, who literally is the father of Jesus, and that there is a spirit being, the Holy Ghost, who is another God. Read rest of article @: http://carm.org/mormon-beliefs

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

  Matt Slick of www.carm.org explains the main teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses and some of their basic theological errors and shows they are NOT Christian.  For more resources on Jehovah's Witnesses go to: http://carm.org/jehovahs-witnesses

Monday, June 13, 2011

Do All Roads Lead To God & Are There Moral Absolutes?

                                                                           By: Shannon Haas
     It is quite popular within our culture today (especially among the West & portions of Europe) to believe that all paths of faith lead to God.  “Like spokes on a wagon wheel,” they say, “all lead to the central hub of God.” Oprah Winfrey once gave her analogy as describing a mountain we are all climbing, but taking different paths to the top (which lead to heaven).  Also, I’ve heard from many that, “truth is relative”, and that “truth is ultimately found within ourselves”. Is this true though?  Are we all ultimately on the right path that leads to God regardless of what we believe or how we live our lives?  Is there an absolute moral set of standards given to us from some superior or sovereign God, or are we all here to evolve our morals on our own through time?  It is getting more common when asking just about anyone these days in that they will tell you, “right and wrong are a matter of human opinion.”  “There are no absolutes,” they say, and therefore, “my view or belief is as good as yours or that of the next person.”  Well if this is so, I say, “Then how can we be absolutely sure that there are no absolutes”?  Some would also be tempted to twist a few verses from the Bible out of context and say that mankind needs to just live by “the golden rule”, in that we are all to “love others as we would want to be loved.”  Again, another would say, “let’s just all get along in the name of peace.” “You be you, and I’ll be me.”  That’s a noble idea; however, under whose definition of love and peace do we go by?? Well, let’s take a look and examine these popular cultural ideas from a rational, reasonable, and logical perspective.

    Just taking a brief look at these claims should immediately throw up some red flags to the average thinking person.  If one were to plan a trip (to let’s say my house), it would be illogical for me to tell that individual that they could “just jump on any road, and take any direction, and it will lead to my house”.  That would obviously not fly and would likely lead to the questioning of my sanity.  Take a pilot for instance.  If a pilot were to board his plane and say, “well there are no set of standards or laws concerning thermodynamics, so therefore I will be flying this plane today in the manner as I see fit”, that pilot would not be keeping his job very long, and would quickly clear his plane of passengers from fear.  However, I have found recently that when it comes to those who would take the stand of a conservative, biblical approach of an absolute, “thus says the Lord”, they are usually immediately ridiculed and scorned as: intolerant, extreme, radical, fundamental, dogmatic, judgmental, (and a variety of other titles are given to them from our current culture).  I have even recently read the word “hater” given to those who would dare to proclaim a moral absolute.  Some argue that, “it’s unfair to be comparing the natural realm with the spiritual realm!” But I say, that if one believes in God we ought to know from a common reasonable sense that the spiritual realm governs the natural in everything we see around us.  The Bible declares this in Romans 1:19-20 “….what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Also, in Hebrews 11:3 we read, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”  The ultimate problem is we “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” because our “deeds are evil” Romans 1:18 & John 3:19.  When we look at a building we cannot deny that there was a builder, when looking at a painting we know there must be a painter, and when looking at a watch there are no other options but to say there was indeed a watchmaker.  Although we may not see the watchmaker abroad in Japan (or wherever), we cannot deny that he exists from the evidence we have before our eyes.  The same conclusion is true concerning God.        

    I believe that much of today’s problems (especially in America), that have blinded our minds is not only the clinging to our own selfish sinful lifestyles, but is due to our recent materialistic and post-modern ideas that have actually developed over many decades.  What is post-modernism (PM)?  Well, PM takes on many forms today such as: political correctness, pluralism, moral relativism, deconstructionism, and by a variety of other titles.  From the mid-1960s through the 1980s, the term was used with increasing frequency to describe a way of thinking about truth and interpreting language.  It ties in directly to the cultural ideas mentioned above and is well-suited to a society where what we feel is far more important than facts or what we think.  PM also arrogantly props up evolution as a means of our existence, instead of special creation that the Bible so clearly declares in Genesis.  It has become an integral part of our education system, political structure, and is pumped aggressively through all our media.  It binds us in ignorance, and substitutes our own warped reason in place of the Scriptural standard.  It is appealing and like a disease because PM is a way out for living and believing as we wish, without moral accountability to an absolute, sovereign, righteous, holy, loving, and just God. The total collapse of morality we see today, and the implementation of PM should be a stern reminder to us of Proverbs 14:12…”There is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is the way of death.”

    During my upbringing, this idea of ever changing views that evolve through time really bothered me.  I was raised believing there was a God, but didn’t understand all the confusion of different religions, denominations, etc., and which was to be trusted as the truth?  My family attended a Catholic Church where (like many liberal Protestant denominations) its leaders and doctrines continually morph with the culture as the hierarchy change positions.  To me, a life and world with no set of moral absolutes seemed to have little purpose and meaning.

    To make a long story short, my frustration grew intensely as I entered my late teen years, which lead to a life of alcohol and rebellion.  At the infamous high point of it all I ended up committing an armed robbery of a convenience store at age 21.  This eventually landed me in prison, but ended up being the means and avenue God used in assisting me to find the truth.  Still lost and confused, one day as I attended a jail Bible study I was struck by a message the pastor gave concerning Bible prophecy and the astronomical odds of all these prophecies being fulfilled to the very letter (At this time I was dabbling with a variety of different religious beliefs: scientology, yoga, etc., and of course reading the Bible some, but never had any concrete reasons for believing any of these to be true).  Upon hearing the Bible regarding the fulfillment of prophecy it really drew me to investigate the Bible further. To my amazement, after continued study and reading of the Gospels I found that the Bible was indeed trustworthy through what I call; ‘a sure word of prophecy’. In addition to prophecy, I also found encouragement in the volumes of Bible apologetics concerning creation, archeology, and history that confirm the Bible as the unchanging, absolute, exclusive, infallible, and authoritative Word of God.  It is indeed true that the Bible is sufficient for all matters of life as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

    All of this knowledge ultimately led me to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior through faith and repentance (Ephesians 2:8-10).  I saw myself as a wretched sinner heaped in pride and selfishness and in need of God’s forgiveness.  My point in briefly sharing this tidbit of testimony is to explain that for the first time in my life I found a source of absolute truth, a solid rock and foundation that I could place my trust in.  In fact, the Bible declares that the Lord is the “rock” and “foundation” for those who place their trust in Him.  I now have true peace and no longer have to be under the world’s post-modern system of an insecure and unstable, ever-changing culture.  In fact, Malachi 3:6 declares: “For I am the Lord, I do not change”, and in Hebrews 13:8 we see that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”   

    In conclusion, I have become convinced that the premise behind post-modernism—that everyone has a right to his own beliefs, and that they all lead to the same place—led to nowhere. Had I continued on Oprah’s proverbial path up the mountain, God would never have been waiting at the top for me. Jesus said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” John 14:6 & Acts 4:12.

    In today’s society, the lack of absolutes defines our culture. “Whatever you believe is right for you” is the mantra. Why is this so? Is it because we are now so afraid of offending anyone? For taking any stand that is unpopular? In my opinion, having NO absolutes is much more dangerous and frightening. No absolutes mean no rules, no discipline, and everyone pursuing what is right in his own eyes. It is the recipe for disaster and the rampant immorality that we now see throughout our World.  It’s like a father who is unwilling to discipline and set rules for the well-being of his child. The child grows up rebellious and headstrong towards the path of his own destruction; we are doing the same as long as we believe there are no absolutes!

Shannon R. Haas

06/11/11                     

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Losing Your Life....To Gain It!!

  " For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (Mark 8:35-36)

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Ten Major Flaws of Evolution

1. The complexity of living systems could never evolve by chance—they had to be designed and created.
A system that is irreducibly complex is one in which all the components work together and are essential to perform the system’s basic function. (A mousetrap is a simple example.) It is not possible to build such a system gradually, one component at a time, since it cannot function unless all components are present.  Many living systems exhibit such irreducible complexity (e.g vision, blood clotting, etc.). When you look at a watch, you assume there was a watchmaker. A watch is too complex to “happen” by chance. Yet living systems are vastly more complex than a watch. Darwin considered this fact one of the most serious challenges to his theory of evolution.  The magnitude of this challenge has increased exponentially since Darwin’s time as the details of living systems have been uncovered down to and below the level of the cell.  The incredible machinery of life exists in networks so complex and interdependent that they could not have arisen gradually or through random chance – they simply had to be designed and created.

To see other 9 Flaws go to: http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Oct/3/ten-major-flaws-evolution-revised/

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wouldn’t a loving God let everyone go to Heaven?

How should a Christian scripturally respond to someone who believes that a loving God would not send anyone to Hell but instead let everyone go to Heaven? 

    “Universalism holds that everyone will eventually go to Heaven—all will be saved in the end. Even though universalists appeal to biblical passages to support their view, this belief is in direct opposition to the teaching of the Bible. Let us examine the so-called ‘universalist passages.’
    “Universalism originated in the Garden of Eden when Satan said ‘you will not surely die’ (Gen. 3:4). The appeal by Universalists to God’s desire to save all is unconvincing because the same God who reveals that He desires for everyone to be saved also reveals that not everyone is saved. Additionally, we must distinguish between God’s sovereign will (which God infallibly brings to pass in the world), and His permissive will (what He does not want in and of itself, but wills to occur in light of all of history considered together).
    “Universalists often appeal to Romans 5:18 to support their position:
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.’ But in the next verse Paul says ‘For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.’ We cannot press Paul’s use of all in verse 18 any more than we can his use of many in verse 19, for if we do we make Paul contradict himself. Why take the all in opposition to the many, causing them to contradict each other?
    “The word ‘all’ in the Bible is not always to be taken in the absolute sense—meaning every individual without exception. Mark 1:5 has ‘all’ of the people of Jerusalem going out to see John the Baptist. Obviously Mark doesn’t mean every single person in Jerusalem. The word all often means ‘all of some kinds’ or ‘some of all kinds.’ So when Paul says that Christ brought ‘justification that brings life for all men,’ he is making a reference to both Jews and Gentiles being saved—some of all kinds and not just the Jews, God’s first chosen people.
    “Therefore we see that Paul’s point is that the effects of Adam’s sin and Christ’s righteousness reach ‘all men,’ meaning that the effects do not apply only to Jews, but extend to Jews and Gentiles alike. This is in accordance with what Paul has been saying since 1:5—that all men, Jew and Gentile alike, stand on equal level before God because of their sin, and all must come to God in the same way—through Jesus.
   “Verses like 1 Corinthians 15:22, which say ‘As in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive,’ are also appealed to. But the all who are made alive in this passage (and others like it) is equivalent to all who belong to Christ, not all people without exception. This is because ‘In Christ all will be made alive’ qualifies the expression ‘each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to Him.’ This expression clearly defines who the all is that Paul is talking about—all ‘who belong to Christ.’ Paul is describing the manner through which death and life came—death through Adam and life through Christ. All who die, die in Adam. All who live, live in Christ. When we look further at the context, we also see that verses 1:18; 5:13; 6:9 are clear that everyone does not belong to Christ. Universalists do not acknowledge the Bible’s teaching as a whole, but attempt to argue from only a portion of the biblical data that has been taken out of context.
   “Sometimes it is argued that the Bible’s promise that all things will be reconciled in Christ entails the salvation of all. This is not what the Bible means by the phrase. When the Bible talks of reconciliation of all things in Christ it means that the rebellion of God’s creatures against Him will be crushed and everything will finally be made to conform to the perfect plan of God. If we take the reconciliation of all things to mean the salvation of all things, then we must conclude that Paul taught that even the fallen angels would one day be saved. Furthermore, we would have to reject a significant body of data which says that there will be people in Hell for all eternity (Rev. 14:9-11; 20:15; Matt. 5:21-22, 27-30; 23:15, 33; 25:41, 46).”

(Above by Matt Perman, in Universalism Briefly Explained)
    “Some could get the impression that Christians do not want everyone to go to Heaven. That is not true of Christians or of God. Ezekiel 18:32 God says, ‘For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!’ Yes, we would like everyone to ‘choose life’ and live eternally joyfully serving God. However wanting something does not make it so. It is childish to think that what you want is always the way it is.
   “God values our life, but above that He values us and our ability to choose.
   “For whatever reasons, God chose to give us the ability and responsibility to chose whether to follow Him or not. God wishes us to follow Him, but for whatever reason, God chooses not to take away our choice to serve Him.
   “To sum things up, truth is not created by our feeling about what we would prefer—fantasy is. The Bible teaches that God set up one way, through a relationship with Himself, to go to His Heaven. C.S. Lewis said in The Great Divorce, ‘Never fear, there are only two kinds of people: people who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’, and the other kind, whom God says to them, ‘thy will be done’.’ People can accept God’s way and go where the others who accept God’s way go. People can reject God’s way and go to the same place as the others who reject God’s way.”
 Article from: (http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/4/wouldnt-loving-god-let-everyone-go-heaven/ )

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Radicals and Their Worldviews Ruling America From The Grave

The following are excerpts from:
Grave Influence:
21 Radicals and Their Worldviews Ruling America From The Grave
 By Brannon Howse

Brannon Howse on Fabian Socialism:
In the end, Fabian Socialists don't really want to own it if they can control it, and all they need to control it is a financial crisis that allows them to change laws, inflate the currency, and buy stock in corporations. Whether you call it nationalizing an industry or corporate fascism, the result is the same-the death of freedom and private property rights.

Joan Robinson, a Marxist economist who worked with Keynes, declared that "the differences between Marx and Keynes are only verbal." I contend that many elected officials at the state and federal level are Fabian socialists committed to bring about a social revolution in America by deliberately creating an environment in which chaos and crisis can flourish for the purpose of bigger government-and to move us toward globalism.
Brannon Howse on the Re-distribution of Wealth:
Until they can completely transform America into welfare-State Capitalism, politicians will take advantage of the wealth generated by capitalism to gain votes by redistributing it to the masses.
Brannon Howse on the Deconstructionists in the Culture and Within the Church: Postmodernists seek to deconstruct western society by denying absolute truth even in the disciplines of reading and writing. Postmodernists within the American Church deconstruct Christianity-as did Kierkegaard-by proclaiming that the Bible is not the absolute, inerrant, divinely inspired Word of God.  And the Emergent Church is gaining ground in spreading this false church.
There are other symptoms of deconstructionism as well. Deconstructionists tell us America was founded by rich, white men who wrote our founding documents in order to control the masses and implement an evil capitalist worldview by which to enrich themselves at the expense the majority. Many deconstructionists within the Church add that rich, white men also founded the Church as we know it and defended certain Biblical theology and doctrines in order to control and manipulate the masses while commercializing the Church for their own personal gain. 
Brannon Howse on the Compromise of the Republican and Democratic Parties:

The leaders in the educational establishment, the apostate Church, occultism/pagan spirituality, or the government-corporate complex want the idea of social and spiritual evolution embraced worldwide in order to bring about their desired "new order" or "new world order." Secular humanist and Fabian Socialist Julian Huxley (brother of Aldous) was the First Director General of the United Nations Educational, Science, and Culture Organization (UNESCO). He explained, "The task is to help the emergence of a single world culture…"[1]

This "task" is even at work in America's political arena. Bill Clinton's mentor and former professor Carrol Quigley made this clear in his book, Tragedy and Hope:

The chief problem of American political life...has been how to make the two Congressional parties more national and international. The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can "throw the rascals out" at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy.[2]


Brannon Howse on Sustainable Development:

The question for humanistic leaders as the world neared the 21st century was how to bring the worldviews, values, and agendas of the 21 people we examine in this book to reality through legislation, international treaties, agreements, and public policy. Their agenda could not be optional but compulsory, and it must be backed up with rewards for those who comply and punishment and reprisal for those who dissent. It must be international, not regional. So, after years of writing papers and holding conferences, the major world players-including America-met for the 1992 United Nation's Earth Summit in Brazil. The summit meeting crafted a laudable-sounding term to mask their real intentions. In true Orwellian style, "sustainable development" became the new buzzword.

The end game of sustainable development is global governance.

Brannon Howse on Soft Despotism:
Soft despotism often occurs because the people have forgotten-or never were educated-about the true purpose and intent of the law. When a people have become sufficiently ignorant and selfish, they vote for politicians who promise to offer them the government trough. Politicians gladly plunder some for the benefit of their special interest groups and voting blocs, all while taking advantage of constituents' ignorance and selfishness in order to garner still more power and control by making people more and more dependent upon them and the government.

Soft despotism is furthered through an incestuous and mutually beneficial relationship between judges and politicians to the detriment of freedom-loving people and their liberty and property. The welfare state in America has gone a long way toward encouraging people to vote themselves a raise by voting for politicians who promise the most government handouts.
Brannon Howse on Saul Alinsky, Hillary Clinton, President Obama, The Cloward-Piven Strategy and ACORN:

Class envy, race-baiting, anti-Christian bigotry, and redistribution of wealth describe the change for which Alinksy was calling.

Hillary Clinton wrote her senior thesis at Wellesley College on Alinsky's strategies. President Obama, while at Harvard, attended the Industrial Areas Foundation, a group founded by Alinsky, and when he returned to Chicago, Obama taught Saul Alinsky's worldview and strategies.
After studying Alinsky, for instance, Professor Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven wrote an article in the May 2, 1966, far-left magazine, The Nation. This husband-and-wife pair of radical socialists from Columbia University developed the Cloward-Piven Strategy, which advocates implementing socialism by swamping the welfare system of states as well as the federal government with new recipients.

Among their many accomplishments, Cloward and Piven inspired an activist named George Wiley to found a liberal organization that set in motion a startling chain reaction. Wiley's work influenced Wade Rathke who, along with Bill Ayers, as a member of the Radical Students for a Democratic Society. Rathke, in turn, started the now infamous ACORN.


Brannon Howse on Today's Pastors:
Most pastors, church staff, and Sunday school teachers are products of a secular school system that did not warn them about the worldviews of the influential people I cover in this book. Schools, for the most part, promoted many of their ideas. Even pastors who attended seminary did not learn the significance of the competing worldviews and anti-biblical philosophies represented by such people, and most seminaries did not teach apologetics or a comprehensive Biblical worldview. Thus today, even most of America's conservative pastors are ill-equipped to protect their flock against the worldviews of these 21 radicals. 

Brannon Howse on the Two Tracks to Globalism:

There have been two tracks to globalism for many years-political and spiritual. Now the two tracks have become one as politicians use religion to promote globalism and religious leaders become partners with politicians and promote the United Nations.

Tony Blair, the former prime minister of Great Britain and member of the Fabian socialist Labor Party, is another example of a politician who uses the language of pagan spirituality. As he tours the world promoting the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, he has given numerous interviews about globalism and the need for the religions of the world to "come together."

Pastor Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, has also endorsed the Tony Blair Foundation and serves on his Advisory Board.


Brannon Howse on One Connection Between The Apostate Church and Big Government: 

The pastors and authors of one of America's fastest growing spiritual movements, the Emergent Church, sing the praises of socialism. As I'll explain in more detail later, the Emergent Church champions the neo-Marxist call for a utopian society through spiritual evolution where good and evil merge to form a "better" third option. This idea derives from the belief system of philosophers such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and finds its contemporary manifestation in the "Third Way" movement of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. In the Third Way, capitalism, socialism, and communism merge to form a misanthropic combination of the three.
Many republicans agree with this philosophy. This blending is now represented in the terms "the New World Order" and "the new enlightenment."

Brannon Howse on One-World Spirituality:

The three worldviews that are merging into a dominant new worldview embraced on a global scale include evolutionary humanism, Hindu pantheism, and occultism have merged to create a worldview I call One-World Spirituality. The theology of this worldview is pantheism; the philosophy is pagan spirituality; the biology is Darwinian evolution; the economic system is socialism, the politics is globalism, and the activism of this worldview is centered on radical environmentalism and political correctness (cultural Marxism). The goals of this One-World Spirituality are just what we've outlined before: a one-world government, one-world religion, and one-world economic system.

The social implications of pagan spirituality are stunning. If we are all one, no individual or nation should be better or worse off than anyone else, and thus the only acceptable economic worldview is socialism, the attempt to equalize the distribution of wealth.


Brannon Howse on European Christianity's Influence on America's Liberal Churches:
History screams that ideas have consequences, that worldview matters. Most Germans, including German Christians, willingly traveled the road to Hitler's hell, largely because they had lost the courage of their convictions. They had sold out to paganism, pragmatism, and a new gospel that promised everything and required nothing.

Does this not sound like churches, seminaries, Christian colleges, and some of the best-selling Christian authors in America? Wellhausen's liberal philosophy eventually jumped the ocean, became popular on the East Coast, and has spread throughout the United States. Many American Christians seem all too willing to go down a path that will surely lead to the destruction of a once great nation. Incredibly, many self-professing Christians are not just following but leading the way over the cliff.

A domineering false church is rising, largely due to pansies in the pulpit.
 Brannon Howse on Cultural Marxism in America:

Cultural Marxism is what most Americans know only as "political correctness," but it is the worldview of today's professors, leading educators, members of the media, numerous self-professing Christians, and almost every politician. Political correctness is a speech code the cultural elite have forced on America to deny the existence of God and His authority in all areas of life. Words have meanings, and words that reflect absolute moral truth based on the character and nature of God are considered bigoted, intolerant, and politically incorrect.

Brannon Howse on One of the Consequences of America's Educational System: In a sad irony, many retired teachers will experience first-hand the brutal, inhumane consequences of the worldview they inculcated into their pupils through situational ethics courses. Americans will not likely escape the consequences of their duplicity or apathy. Whether parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, elected officials, pastors, Sunday school teachers, journalists, butchers, bakers, or candlestick makers, they will find that Aristotle was correct when he said, "All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." 


Brannon Howse on Feminism:

Feminism has accomplished its goals-the destruction of the American family through the destruction of the father and the resulting the rise of the welfare state.

The bottom line is that feminism has been a tool of the humanists to destroy the family. Leading humanist Paul Kurtz said, "Humanism and feminism are inextricably interwoven."[3] Humanists and Communists have sought the destruction of the American family because they know that, for America, the family has been the instrument for passing on Christian values and a Biblical worldview-the source and foundation of our freedoms and Constitutional Republic.

Brannon Howse on Socialism:

Liberals can always claim they oppose injustice and cruelty, but no matter how pure their motives, socialism always ends in dehumanization. Human value is reduced to the level of whether individuals are productive or unproductive resources.

Brannon Howse on Government Sponsored Youth Volunteerism:

Throughout history, communist and Marxist leaders have declared that they need two things for a successful revolution. The first is some kind of crisis, such as a financial crisis, and the second is the youth of the middle class.

Mandatory volunteerism has a generational goal as well as the immediate plan to control American youth. It is looking for future leaders for the socialist, utopian regime. The GIVE Act includes funding for selected students to go on to an intensive training program conducted by Alinsky-like organizations, such as Public Allies(see chapter 20). This training lasts several months, and those involved are provided with healthcare, a stipend, and money for their education.

One of the leading goals of youth service is to brainwash students into the worldview of Saul Alinsky,(chapter 20) which includes pitting the Haves against the Have-nots in order to stir up a protest movement for the re-distribution of wealth.


Brannon Howse on a Nation That Murders Its Own Children Eventually Murders Itself:

What happened in Germany is now possible in America as the barrier of a Christian worldview has largely been removed from the American conscience. Just before he died, Dr. Leo Alexander, chief medical assistant to the prosecution at the Nuremberg trials, observed about the U. S., "It is much like Germany in the Twenties and Thirties. The barriers against killing are coming down."[4]

The foundation was laid for the slaughter of five million Jews and six million non-Jews not by the Nazi Party, but by the German parents of disabled German children and family members of the mentally ill and disturbed.
Hugh Gallagher confirms it "would be a mistake to call [the German euthanasia experience] a Nazi program. It was not. The program was conceived by physicians and operated by them. They did the killing."[5]

Keep in mind that this is German people killing German people through what they believed were "mercy killings."

Euthanasia was thought to be a blessing and a merciful act that was reserved for "true" Germans. That is until a few years after the German euthanasia program was established. World War II had begun and all needed resources were needed to fund the war. Jews who had been denied a "mercy death" were now going to be exterminated by what the German people and doctors had created.

The German people learned that selfishness and moral relativism laid the foundation for the slaughter of more than 11 million people. What has America's slaughter of 50 million unborn babies laid the foundation for?

Ideas have consequences, and once a nation becomes willing to murder its own children, the people will eventually murder each other. Fully nationalized healthcare in America will ultimately bring with it the euthanization of seniors who supported abortion on demand or the right to die. The right to die is becoming the duty to die.

Brannon Howse on the ACLU:
In concluding this review of the Roger Baldwin's legacy, I'll add that-besides fronting for communism, undermining American ideals, and crusading relentlessly against the freedoms we hold dear-the organization also shows a vile level of bad taste in the causes it celebrates. In 1978, the ACLU rabidly defended "the right of American Nazis to march through a predominantly Jewish suburb of Chicago."[6]

So may I submit to you my suggestion for an alternate name to go with the initials ACLU? It may help you remember the organization's real agenda: American Communist and Leftist Union.

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