Category Archives: Christianity

Are You Truly Enlightened- God’s Grace or Self Deification ?

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[12] “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
[13] You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
[14] I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
[15] But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
(Isaiah 14:12; Isaiah 14:13-15 ESV)

The desire to be as God is the curse of mankind. Whether we actively think about it and pursue it,or if we just live our lives as “practical atheists”,our independence and rebellion against God is manifested by our words and actions.

One of the characteristics of Eastern and New Age religions is the desire for “Enlightenment”. Any guesses on who said the following ?

The all-subduing,the all- knowing,am I,in everything that I am,without a spot. I am a delivered one. By my own power, I possess knowledge…In the world,including the heavens,there is no one like unto me. I am the holy one in the world. I am the Supreme Master. I alone am the Perfect Budda.

(Lit Sen Chang,Asia’s Religions,pg.134) He was quoting from Sacred Books of the East,Mahavagga I,6,8.

The quote comes from Buddha,after receiving “enlightenment”.  This of course is self-deification,and the result of esoteric spiritual practices.

David Spangler of the Findhorn Foundation has called for a ” Luciferic Initiation” for years -

Lucifer,like Christ,stands at the door of man’s consciousness and knocks. If a man says,’Go away because I do not like what you represent; I am afraid of you’, Lucifer will play tricks on that fellow. If a man says,‘Come in,and I will give to you the treat of my love and understanding and I will uplift you in the light and presence of Christ,my outflow’,then Lucifer becomes something else again. He becomes the being who carries that great treat,the ultimate treat,the light of wisdom…Lucifer,then,is neither good nor bad in his true essence. He is completely neutral. He is an agent of God’s love acting through evolution. Lucifer works within each of us to bring us to wholeness,and as we move into a new age,which is the age of man’s wholeness,each of us in some way is brought to that point which I term the Luciferic Initiation,the particular doorway through which the individual must pass if he is to come fully into the presence of his light and his wholeness…it is an initiation into the New Age.(The Serpent and the Cross,Alan Morrison,pg.417)

Note the re-definition of who Lucifer is,what he does,and how the word wholeness is used for godhood.The ultimate treat (godhood)is based on the ultimate lie.

What was the original lie and seduction of Lucifer that was presented  to Adam and Eve ?

[The Fall]
[3:1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” [2] And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
(Genesis 3:1-5 ESV

The key to godhood is not just knowing good and evil,but determining good and evil based on our fallen condition and separation from God. Rebellion against God is substituted for love and service to God. However, men often use the language of service and love to mask their deification of self,and to cover their sins.

Joseph Smith lays out his doctrine of godhood in the King Follet Discourse -

Here, then, is eternal life–to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you,–namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one,–from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. And I want you to know that God, in the last days, while certain individuals are proclaiming his name, is not trifling with you or me.

People need to remember that Smith was under tremendous pressure and criticism for his polygamous activities. As a so-called prophet he used his prophetic office to justify his actions. The longer Smith was in power,the more radical his revelations and actions became.

Man is not God. He does not have true godly wisdom apart from the Word of God by the Spirit of God. And guess what ? The wages of sin is death,both spiritual and physical. Enlightenment may serve as a false “salvation” experience,but it will not save one from the judgment of God. Jesus was not crucified needlessly, nor for no reason.

[20] Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? [21] For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. [22] For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, [23] but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, [24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. [25] For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
[26] For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; [28] God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, [29] so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, [31] so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 1:20-31 ESV)

Jehovah Witnesses :The Trinity and the Deity of Christ

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I. The Jehovah Witnesses and the Trinity

1. The Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in the Trinity. Here are some of the reasons as stated at the official Watchtower website ;

  • The concept of the Trinity cannot be found in the Old Testament.
  • Bernhard Lohse says in A Short History of Christian Doctrine: “As far as the New Testament is concerned, one does not find in it an actual doctrine of the Trinity.”
  • The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology similarly states: “The New Testament does not contain the developed doctrine of the Trinity. ‘The Bible lacks the express declaration that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are of equal essence’ [said Protestant theologian Karl Barth].”
  • Yale University professor E. Washburn Hopkins affirmed: “To Jesus and Paul the doctrine of the trinity was apparently unknown; . . . they say nothing about it.”—Origin and Evolution of Religion.
  • Historian Arthur Weigall notes: “Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon, and nowhere in the New Testament does the word ‘Trinity’ appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord.”—The Paganism in Our Christianity.
  • Thus, neither the 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures nor the canon of 27 inspired books of the Christian Greek Scriptures provide any clear teaching of the Trinity.

.http://www.watchtower.org/e/ti/index.htm

2. They further state that the doctrine developed over many hundreds of years and was made official by Constantine at the Council of Nicaea.However,the Holy Spirit was not included and so the Trinity was not officially recognized even then.

II. The Witnesses and their view of Jesus Christ – He is not co-equal to God Almighty.

1. They take verses where Jesus speaks about the Father in terms of his human relationship to prove that he was not deity. He was “the Son of God,not Almighty God” For example -

    [49] For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. [50] And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
    (John 12:49-50 ESV

[28] You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
(John 14:28 ESV)

2.Verses that show human (rather than divine knowledge).

[22] Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”    [23] He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
(Matthew 20:22; Matthew 20:23 ESV)

[No One Knows That Day or Hour]
[32] “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33] Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
(Mark 13:32-33 ESV)

3. Jesus is said to be “subordinate” even after his ascension -

[3] But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
(1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV)

[26] The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27] For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.     [28] When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
(1 Corinthians 15:26-27; 1 Corinthians 15:28 ESV)

4. Jesus called God ” My God” obviously Jesus is not God Almighty. Paul refers to God as the “God” of Jesus Christ.

[2] Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
(Revelation 3:2 ESV)

[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
(2 Corinthians 1:3 ESV)

5. Jesus confessed that he was the “Son of God” and the “Son of Man”.He was a “mighty spirit person”,(Michael the Archangel) created by Almighty God,but not God.

III. The Watchtower does not regard the Holy Spirit as having personality. Thus,He becomes an “it”,and is merely a “force” emanating from God.

  • The Holy Spirit can be compared to electricity- “a controlled force that Jehovah God uses to accomplish a variety of his purposes”.
  • These purposes include creation,enlightenment of those who serve God,Bible prophecy,judgments upon mankind,miracles performed by the prophets of God ,Jesus Christ,and his disciples.
  • Scriptures that present the holy spirit as a person are “personifying the spirit”. Wisdom is personified in the Scriptures,yet is not a person,the “water and the blood” are said to be “witnesses” in I John 5:6-8,yet are not persons.
  • Jesus spoke of the holy spirit as a helper and the spirit is referred to as “he”. But other times when the Greek word for spirit is neuter,the word “it is employed in the Greek,yet translated “he” in Bible translations.

IV. A Biblical response to the Watchtower’s view of the Trinity and the Deity of Christ.

1.Any Biblical response should use the Scriptures and be in context,with a proper hermeneutic that utilizes all of the Scriptures,and does not pick and choose a few verses out of context.Although there are different ways to respond to the Watchtowers attack on these doctrines,I like to use the following method.

2.Don’t start with a definition of the Trinity first,show the Deity of Jesus Christ.

[The Word Became Flesh]- Not Michael the Archangel – and not “a god”
[1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God.
(John 1:1-2 ESV)

[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) [16] And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
[18] No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
(John 1:14-17; John 1:18 ESV)

[The Preeminence of Christ]
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. [17] And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. [19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
(Colossians 1:15-20 ESV)

The controversial word in Colossians 1 is “firstborn”. Does it mean first created or preeminent one ? The Watchtower says” first created” Here is a good explanation of why they are wrong.

The argument that “firstborn” means “first created” in Col. 1:15 can seem true when one considers the pool of meaning for the word (although “first offspring” would better reflect the meaning of the Greek word used here: prototokos). “First created” is one of the many, and even more literal meanings of the word. The problem is that the context clearly shows that “first created” was not Paul’s intended meaning in Colossians.

Paul uses the same basic word for “all things” in vv.16-17 as he used in his expression “every creature” (all creation) in v.15. Syntactically then, Paul says Jesus existed before (v. 17), created (v.16) and sustains (v.17) that set of things of which he is the “first born” (v.15), i.e., the set of “all creation.” This agrees with John, who says, “In the beginning was the Word (literal Greek “…was existing the Word.” John’s use of the imperfect tense shows continuous duration of existence in the past)…. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1,3).

If Paul had meant “first created” when he wrote prototokos, at Col. 1:15, then his following statements make Christ Himself a part of those very things which Paul says Christ created and sustains, and before which He existed.

The best strategy regarding this “firstborn” issue is not a long explanation of grammar and linguistics, but a demonstration of the clear teaching of the scripture, in context. Start with the context of Colossians 1. Show that the word cannot have two different meanings in the same context, and then try to plug in the “first created” meaning into verse eighteen, to read “first created from the dead.” This is obviously meaningless, so there must be more to the idea of “firstbornness.”

If they still want to defend their ungrounded position, have them read Genesis 41:51-52. Then have them read Jeremiah 31:9. Reminding them that these are the words of God, ask, “Did God make a mistake, or is He using ‘firstborn’ in the sense of ‘preeminence’?” Obviously, the latter is true. This coordinates exactly with the context and obviously intended meaning of Paul in Colossians.http://www.watchman.org/jw/1stborn2.htm

[The Supremacy of God's Son]-He is not an angel – He is clearly deity
[1:1] Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. [3] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, [4] having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
[5] For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
(Hebrews 1:1-5 ESV)

[6] And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
(Hebrews 1:6; Hebrews 1:7-9 ESV)     [7] Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
[8] But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
[9] You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
(Hebrews 1:6; Hebrews 1:7-9 ESV)

[5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

Please note that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Jehovah to the glory of God the Father. These are just a few verses that can be shared. One can also use the ” I Am” verses in the Gospel of John,to show Jesus claiming deity as well.As a matter of fact,the entire Gospel of John teaches the Deity of Christ.

3. The Watchtower claims that  the subordinate role of Jesus means he is not deity. However,the better explanation for the verses they quote is that Jesus Christ voluntarily submitted to the Father and the Spirit .They are all equal in nature,yet have roles that they fulfill. Much as a husband and wife are equal in nature,yet carry out the roles that they have to glorify God. The Father sent the Son,who voluntarily came to earth,submitted to the Father’s will in all things,and was led by the Holy Spirit in all things.

3. The personality of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit works behind the scenes,in the background if you will. It pleases Him to bring glory to the Father and the Son.

[12] “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. [13] When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. [14] He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. [15] All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
(John 16:12-15 ESV)

[3] Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV)

9] But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
[10] these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. [11] For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. [13] And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
[14] The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. [15] The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. [16] “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-16 ESV)

The Father,Son,and Holy Spirit work in conjunction to bring spiritual truth to the believers. They are distinguished by their differing roles,and by the relationship they have with one another. A good definition of the Trinity would be the following -

There is one and only one God,eternally existing and fully expressed in three Persons,the Father,the Son,and the Holy Spirit.Each member of the Godhead is equally God,each is eternally God,and each is fully God- not three gods but three Persons of the one Godhead. Each person is equal in essence as each possesses fully the identically same,eternal divine nature,yet each is also an eternal and distinct personal expression of the one undivided divine nature.(Father,Son,and Holy Spirit,Bruce A.Ware,pg103)

Bruce Ware gives 10 reasons to focus on the wonder of the Trinity in his book Father,Son,and Holy Spirit . The book is well worth purchasing just for his explanations of  these 10 points alone.

  1. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most distinguishing doctrines of the Christian faith and therefore is deserving of our careful study,passionate embrace,and thoughtful application.
  2. The doctrine of the Trinity is both central and necessary for the Christian faith to be what it is. Remove the Trinity,and the whole Christian faith disintegrates.(Think creation,redemption,consummation) MW
  3. Worship of the true and living God consciously acknowledges the relationship and roles of Father,Son,and Holy Spirit.
    • The Christian’s life of prayer must rightly acknowledge the roles of Father,Son,and Spirit as we pray through the Son,in the power of the Spirit.
    • The triune relationships of the Father,Son,and Holy Spirit cause us to marvel at the unity of the triune God.
  4. The triune relationships of the Father,Son,and Holy Spirit cause us to marvel at the diversity within the triune God.
  5. The triune relationships of the Father,Son,and Holy Spirit cause us to wonder at the social relationality of the triune God.
  6. The triune relationships of the Father,Son,and Holy Spirit cause us to marvel at the authority-submission structure that exists eternally in the three Persons in the Godhead,each of whom is equally and fully God.
  7. The doctrine of the Trinity-one God existing in three Persons in the ways we have described-provides one of the most important and neglected patterns for how human life an human relationships are to be constructed.(ibid.15-22)

Who Do You Say That I Am ?

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Every religion has to deal with Jesus Christ. His statements and actions are so profound that He must either be accepted,rejected,or redefined.

Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind.
Mikhail Gorbachev

From a Time Magazine interview with Deepak Chopra -

Your version of Jesus’ “missing years” is heavy on his search for enlightenment, on both external and internal journeying. Is that an area in which you felt the Gospels needed supplementing?

When I was growing up, I went to an Irish-Christian missionary school. I was totally fascinated by the New Testament. I must have read it a few thousand times. One day I was reading the Gospel of John 10: 30, where Jesus says, “I and God are one.” The crowd immediately wants to stone him for blasphemy. But he quotes a psalm that says “You are Gods, sons of the most high,” which he tells them was addressed to “those to whom the word of God came.” He clearly sees himself as equivalent to that group.

I interpreted this as “those who have knowledge of God are God.” In Eastern philosophical systems there’s an established idea of a path through personal consciousness to a collective conscience to a universal conscience, which people call the divine. I concluded that Jesus must have experienced this consciousness, and that he must have followed a path. The story is about that evolution.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1858571,00.html#ixzz15bIercAQ

From a Zen Buddhist website -

Was Jesus a Buddhist? Certainly he was many things–Jew, prophet, healer, moralist, revolutionary, by his own admission the Messiah, and for most Christians the Son of God and redeemer of their sins. And there is convincing evidence that he was also a Buddhist. The evidence follows two independent lines–the first is historical, and the second is textual. Historical evidence indicates that Jesus was well acquainted with Buddhism. If Jesus did not go to India, then at least India went to Judea and Jesus. The real historical question is not if he studied Buddhism, but where and how much he studied Buddhism, especially during his so-called “lost years.http://www.thezensite.com/non_Zen/Was_Jesus_Buddhist.html

From the Jehovah Witness’s official website -

Jehovah God is the Creator. (Revelation 4:11) He is without beginning or end, and he is almighty. (Psalm 90:2) Jesus, on the other hand, had a beginning. (Colossians 1:15, 16) Referring to God as his Father, Jesus said: “The Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) Jesus also explained that there were some things neither he nor the angels knew but that were known only by his Father.—Mark 13:32.

Moreover, Jesus prayed to his Father: “Let, not my will, but yours take place.” (Luke 22:42) To whom was Jesus praying if not to a superior Personage? Furthermore, it was God who resurrected Jesus from the dead, not Jesus himself. (Acts 2:32) Obviously, the Father and the Son were not equal before Jesus came to the earth or during his earthly life. What about after Jesus’ resurrection to heaven?First Corinthians 11:3 states: “The head of the Christ is God.” In fact, the Son will always be in subjection to God. (1 Corinthians 15:28) The Scriptures therefore show that Jesus is not God Almighty. Instead, he is God’s Son

.http://www.watchtower.org/e/20050915/diagram_01.h

Here is one of many ways to respond to the errors expressed in the prior opinions.

From the Gospel of John we have seven ” I am ” statements.None could be made by a mere human being (if sane).

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35,48,51). -Manna from heaven-”bread of life”

[35] Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
[41] So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven

[58] This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).Nobody but the eternal Word can make such a statement !

[12] Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

“I am the door of the sheep”(John 10:7,9). No other doors,will be saved – bit narrow hey ?

[7] So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11,14) Only Jesus went to the cross for sinners,not Buddha,not Mohammed,and certainly not Deepak Chopra.

.[10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

“I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).- Jesus can give life,He has conquered death,and He enables His believers to live forever.

[25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, [26] and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” [27] She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The perfect revelation of the Father.Since he is the way,and speaks nothing but truth,and gives life,He is not only fully human,but God – if you see Jesus,you see the Father.

[6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

“I am the true vine” (John 15:1,5).- We are called to call abide with God.Not with angels. There is One who can give us life- The Father,the Son,the Holy Spirit.

[5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. [7] If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8] By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18).

From beginning to end – from eternity- Jesus Christ,the Word of God,has existed from eternity.He is not merely a good man, a great teacher,a compassionate human being. He is all of those,as well as being God in the flesh.. Note the list below:

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8).

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last” (Revelation 1:11).

“Fear not; I am the first and the last” (Revelation 1:17).

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 21:6).

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (Revelation 22:13).

“I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star”(Revelation 22:16).

Rick Warren Speaking at ISNA: What Do You Think ?

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Should Rick Warren have spoken to this Muslim group? Read the article and see what you think.If after reading the article you believe he should have gone and shared the gospel to them,read the second article and follow the link to the full transcript of what he actually said. From FrontPage Mag – http://frontpagemag.com/2010/10/01/rick-warren-terrorisms-useful-idiot

A plethora of terror-related individuals surrounds the profile of Pastor Rick Warren on the “Speakers Corner” of the official website of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He is fully aware of how he is being portrayed on the site (as this author has had correspondence with his office regarding the matter) but refuses to demand its deletion and offers no apology for its existence. Pastor Warren has become a shill for Islamic terror.

“As-salamu Alaykum. I come to you today deeply humbled and honored by this invitation. I truly mean that. I applaud your courage for inviting an Evangelical pastor. Thank you.” This was the opening statement of Rick Warren, the leading pastor of the influential Southern California Saddleback Church, as he stood in front of the attendees of ISNA’s 46th Annual Convention in July 2009.

He spoke these words as he stood at the podium emblazoned with ISNA’s logo, an image that, for many, is a symbol of terror and stealth jihad.

ISNA is an American arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. It was founded in 1981 by a group of individuals which included the North American leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Sami al-Arian.

In 2007 and 2008, ISNA was named by the United States Justice Department as a willing participant in the financing of millions of dollars to Hamas.

All of this and much more had been made public prior to Pastor Warren’s invitation to speak at ISNA’s convention, but all of it was ignored.

At the convention, Warren’s fellow speakers included: Siraj Wahhaj, an “unindicted co-conspirator” of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; Zulfiqar Ali Shah, the former South Asia Director of KindHearts, a Hamas fundraising group that was shut down by the FBI in February 2006; and Naeem Muhammad, a U.S. staff member of Islamic Relief, a “charity” that the Israeli government has claimed is a front for Hamas. Rest of the article here -

http://frontpagemag.com/2010/10/01/rick-warren-terrorisms-useful-idiot/

Here is a portion of the transcript and a link to the entire transcript -http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2009/07/transcript—pastor-rick-warre.html

This is an exclusive transcript of Pastor Rick Warren’s remarks at the 2009 Islamic Society of North America conference that concluded a few weeks ago, kindly provided to me by his staff and reprinted with their permission. I think it’s a fantastic outreach by a prominent Christian evangelical to the muslim community, and I hope that this is just the beginning (and that muslim americans respond in kind at Christian conferences as well).

Remarks as Delivered at the 46th Annual ISNA Convention
By Pastor Rick Warren, Saddleback Church
Washington , DC
July 4, 2009

I come here today with a spirit of love, a spirit of friendship, a spirit of deep respect. I love my dear, dear Muslim friends, my next door neighbors, ….and so many that are friends,…and I love you. Now dear friends as globalization draws us closer and closer together, one of the most pressing questions we have to ask ourselves is how to we deal with our deepest differences? It is a fundamental question that we have to wrestle with. How do we live together in peace and harmony, and not only that, how can we actually work together, maintaining our separate traditions, maintaining our convictions without compromise, working together for the greater good of everybody in the world. Secularists, those who don’t believe in God, don’t understand really, how deeply your ability, my ability and other people of faith, how our identity is tied to what we believe. They just don’t get it. Now of course you understand that. You know that obviously as an evangelical pastor, my deepest faith is in Jesus Christ. But you also need to know that I am committed not just what I call the “Good News,” but I am committed to the common good. And as the Scripture says “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I am commanded to love and I am commanded to respect everybody. Everybody. Now I was asked to speak to you about how Muslims and Christians can work closer together for the greater good, in our world

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/2009/07/transcript—pastor-rick-warre.html#ixzz11L7PZLWc

It’s one thing  to preach/share the gospel in any and all formats. It is something else all together to speak in nebulous terms about respect,love,and working together,especially to a group with highly questionable beliefs and actions. I believe he is being used by this group to help legitimize their actions.

Yom Kippur : Atonement and Reconciliation

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Here are two articles with links that give insight into the importance of Yom Kippur in Judaism and the fulfillment of Yom Kippur in the work of Jesus Christ.

From http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefeastsandholidays/p/dayofatonement.htm?p=1

Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17 that the Jewish feasts and celebrations were a shadow of the things to come through Jesus Christ1. And though as Christians we may not commemorate these holidays in the traditional biblical sense, as we discover the significance of each, we will certainly gain a greater knowledge of God’s Word, an improved understanding of the Bible, and a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement:

Yom Kippur2 or the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important holy day of the Jewish calendar. In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement was the day the High Priest made an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. This act of atonement brought reconciliation between the people and God. After the blood sacrifice was offered to the Lord, a goat was released into the wilderness to symbolically carry away the sins of the people. This “scapegoat” was never to return.

Time of Observance:

Yom Kippur is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishri (September or October).

• See Bible Feasts Calendar3 for the actual dates of Yom Kippur.

Scripture Reference:

The observance of the Day of Atonement is recorded in the Old Testament book of Leviticus4 16:8-34; 23:27-32.

About Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement:

Yom Kippur was the only time during the year when the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the innermost chamber of the Temple (or Tabernacle) to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. Atonement literally means “covering.” The purpose of the sacrifice was to bring reconciliation between man and God (or “at-onement” with God) by covering the sins of the people.

Today, the ten days between Rosh Hashanah5 and Yom Kippur are days of repentance6, when Jews express remorse for their sins through prayer and fasting7. Yom Kippur is the final day of judgment, when each person’s fate is sealed by God for the upcoming year.

Jewish tradition tells how God opens the Book of Life and studies the words, actions, and thoughts of every person whose name he has written there. If a person’s good deeds outweigh or outnumber their sinful acts, his or her name will remain inscribed in the book for another year. On Yom Kippur, the ram’s horn (shofar8) is blown at the end of evening prayer services for the first time since Rosh Hashanah.

Jesus and Yom Kippur:

The Tabernacle and the Temple gave a clear picture of how sin separates us from the holiness of God. In Bible times, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies by passing through the heavy veil that hung from ceiling to floor, creating a barrier between the people and the presence of God. Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter and offer a blood sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. However, at the very moment when Jesus died on the cross9, Matthew 27:51 says, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.” (NKJV)10

Hebrews chapters 8 and 9 beautifully explain how Jesus Christ11 became our High Priest and entered heaven (the Holy of Holies), once and for all, not by the blood of sacrificial animals, but by his own precious blood on the cross. Christ himself was the atoning sacrifice for our sins; thus, he obtained for us eternal redemption! As believers we accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Yom Kippur, the final atonement for sin.

More Facts About Yom Kippur:

  • When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the Jewish people could no longer present the required sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, so it came to be observed as a day of repentance, self-denial, charitable works, prayer and fasting.
  • Yom Kippur is a complete Sabbath. No work is done on this day.
  • Today, Orthodox Jews observe many restrictions and customs12 on Yom Kippur.
  • The book of Jonah13 is read on Yom Kippur in remembrance of God’s forgiveness and mercy.
  • More about Yom Kippur14

http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefeastsandholidays/p/dayofatonement.htm?p=1

From http://celebratejesusthebook.com/CJFall/?p=22

For those who attend synagogue, there are services tonight and all day tomorrow.  Normally the Yom Kippur service is long, but coupled with Shabbat, well, it’s a super Shabbat.  The focus of all the prayers is confession of sin and hope for God’s forgiveness.

So what is Yom Kippur?  As the name implies, it is a day of atonement.

The Bible gives very detailed description of the purpose and ritual of this day. Actually more space is given to the specifics of this holiday than to any other of God’s feasts.  Besides the cursory references in Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29, the entire Old Testament chapter Leviticus 16 and the New Testament book of Hebrews is devoted to Yom Kippur.

“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you.  For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.  It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.  And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.  This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the LORD commanded Moses. (Leviticus 16:29-34)

Succinctly, on Yom Kippur the High Priest made atonement for the sins of the people, AS A NATION.  The ritual also included making atonement for the Tabernacle and its furniture.

The unique sacrifices of this holy day were the two identical goats.

He shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.  Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness. Leviticus 16:7-10

This morning I was again overwhelmed as I recognized how perfectly Jesus fulfilled every aspect of the day.

  • Jesus was anointed and consecrated to minister in His father’s place to make atonement
  • Jesus was offered as a sin offering to be the propitiation for the sin of the world
  • Jesus carried the sin of the world into an uninhabited place.

Consider:

  • On Yom Kippur the people were to do NO work, and yet it was the busiest day of the year for the High Priest
  • The number of times the priest had to wash: 5 full body washes, 10 washes of feet and hands.  Does this not reflect the importance of being clean before God?
  • The number of times the priest had to change his clothes.  When doing the routine sacrifices for Shabbat, he wore the golden garments, representing the bride of God.  For Yom Kippur rituals, he changed into white linen, thus reflecting humility, being one of the people.
  • Atonement was made for the people of the nation, thus manifesting the importance of the individual to the community – one person’s sin affects the whole.
  • Every thing, everyone in God’s service required atonement.

Now consider:

Aaron was not to come into God’s presence at “any” time and only with the blood of the sacrifice. (Leviticus 16:1).  But we have a great High Priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ, through whom we can come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

The priest had to lay his hands on the head of the scapegoat, thus transferring upon it the sin of the people.  God the Father “laid onto Jesus the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

The word used in the Isaiah passage is פגע [paga]` means “to lay a burden,” “cause to entreat,’ “to intercede.”  Here again we see the breath taking fulfillment of Yom Kippur in Christ Jesus.  God laid upon Him our sins, that Jesus would be not only our atonement, but also our intercessor.

Again turning to Isaiah, we learn that God “saw no intercessor, therefore His right arm brought salvation, it sustained Him.” (Isaiah 59:16).  The word translated as “intercessor” is our word פגע.  Salvation is the Hebrew word ישע or “Yeshua” the Hebrew name of Jesus.  Finally the word translated “sustained” is סמך which means “lay, lean, put, rest upon.”http://celebratejesusthebook.com/CJFall/?p=22

[24] For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. [25] Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, [26] for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, [28] so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
(Hebrews 9:24-28 ESV)

Cursed and Crushed For My Iniquities

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Christianity is without a doubt the most profound of the world religions. No other World Religion addresses the concepts of evil,sin,love,grace,the nature of God,redemption,etc. like the Bible. No other religion has such a Savior as Jesus Christ,the Son of God. For example,how does God deal with sin? Through the death and resurrection of the Messiah correct? Each of the essential doctrines of the Bible are like multi-faceted diamonds. One aspect of the crucifixion of Jesus is how He became a curse for us. Here is an article that goes into that topic and was a great blessing to read and ponder on.  It is written by Erik Raymond.  You may note that it was posted in “Irish Calvinist”.http://www.irishcalvinist.com/

You don’t have to be a Calvinist to be blessed by this article. If an article is Biblically sound,receive it and be humbled and encouraged, whether the writer is “Arminian” or “Calvinist”.

Erik Raymond -

Who is this Jesus? He is my curse.

Contemporary Christians refer to Jesus in many ways. We hear folks say he is their Lord, Savior, Master, Friend, even the ever popular “personal Lord and Savior.” However, when is the last time you have heard Jesus referred to as “my curse”?

But yet that is exactly what Galatians 3 says:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us- for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”- Galatians 3:13

Humanity has a colossal problem. It has been cursed. To make matters worse the One who has issued said curse is none other than the Sovereign God of the universe. God has cursed us.

Notice what the same passage says a few verses earlier:

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Galatians 3:10

All of us who share a heartbeat share a curse; for we all do “not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law.”  Rest of the article here -

http://www.irishcalvinist.com/?p=4914&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Irishcalvinistcom+(Irish+Calvinist)

The Gospel in the Old Testament – Isaiah 53

[4] Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
[9] And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11] Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
[12] Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53 ESV)

What’s in your heart ?

(photo- Dinah)

Ellul and Jung: Idolatry Exposed

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Jacques Ellul was the Professor of Law and the Sociology and History of Institutions at the University of Bordeaux.He was a prolific author,and wrote about a wide range of issues.A French Protestant,he had a knack for brilliant insights. Even when disagreeing with him,(which can be often) I find myself forced to think through issues that I ordinarily would not have considered.

Here is a thought provoking quote about idolatry -

(idolatry) has not disappeared, far from it… there is a need to give the word “God” meaning, by denunciation, challenge, and accusation against the veiled, hidden, and secret gods, who besiege and seduce all the more effectively because they do not openly declare themselves as gods…

It is clear that the task facing Christians and the church differs entirely according to whether we think of ourselves as being in a secularised, social, lay, and grown-up world which is ready to hear a demythologised, rationalised, explicated, and humanised gospel – the world and the gospel being in full and spontaneous harmony because both want to be religionless – or whether we think of ourselves as being in a world inhabited by hidden gods, a world haunted by myths and dreams, throbbing with irrational impulses, swaying from mystique to mystique, a world to which the Christian revelation has once again to play the role of liberator and destroyer of the sacred obsessions in order to liberate man and bring him, not to the self his demons are making him want to be, but to the self his Father wills him to be.’ (Jacques Ellul, The New Demons, (eng) 1975)

Ellul was ahead of his time. The New Age Movement was beginning to flower in the 70′s but was under the radar of most theologians and pastors. We have now seen a growing number of scientists,educators,psychologists,and others embracing various Eastern philosophies and the occult.

Carl Jung was one of the leading occultists of his day. He did pioneering work in synthesizing psychotherapy,the occult,and eastern philosophy. As an example of his thought in this area -

from Concerning Mandala Symbolism. C. G. Jung.
trans. from "Uber Mandalasymbolik,"
Gestaltungen des Unbewussten (Zurich, 1950)
The Sanskrit word mandala means 'circle.'

p. 71

The goal of contemplating the processes depicted in the mandala

is that the yogi shall become inwardly aware of the deity.

Through contemplation, he recognizes himself as God again, and

thus returns from the illusion of individual existence into the
universal totality of the divine state.
p. 73

[mandalas] ... are all based on the squaring of a circle. Their

basic motif is the premonition of a centre of personality, a
kind of central point within the psyche, to which everything is
related, by which everything is arranged, and which is itself a
source of energy.  The energy of the central point is manifested
in the almost irresistible compulsion and urge to become what
one is, just as every organism is driven to assume the form that
is characteristic of its nature, no matter what the circumstances.
This centre is not felt or thought of as the ego but, if one may
so express it, as the self. Although the centre is represented
by an innermost point, it is surrounded by a periphery containing
everything that belongs to the self -- the paired opposites that
make up the total personality. This totality comprises consciousness
first of all, then the personal unconscious, and finally an
indefinitely large segment of the collective unconscious whose
archetypes are common to all mankind.

As one can see,his main point is that we need to recognize our "self" 

as God.
 Wikipedia gets it right by pointing out the importance of mandalas
 in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

The mandalas become a gateway to the spiritual realm(occult)when
combined with meditative/contemplative techniques. 

Wikipedia - 

These mandalas, concentric diagrams, have spiritual and ritual significance
in both Buddhism and Hinduism.[3][4] 

The term is of Hindu origin and appears in the Rig Veda as the name of
 the sections of the work, but is also used in other Indian religions, 

particularly Buddhism. In the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana Buddhism,
 mandalas have been developed into sandpainting.

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts,

as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

According to David Fontana, its symbolic nature can help one “to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious,

ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos

in all its manifold forms arises.” [5] The psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as “a representation of the unconscious self,”

[citation needed] and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness

in personality.[6]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala

Carl Jung

The contrast between the two brilliant men could not be more stark. One seeking self-divinization,the other,presenting to a fallen world the spiritual reality of Biblical grace and power.The gospel must be preached,the Biblical truths revealing the nature of God and Christ must be shared.By doing so we ” denounce and challenge the spiritual seducers who lead men into spiritual experiences that lead away from the true and living God.

“the Christian revelation has once again to play the role of liberator and destroyer of the sacred obsessions in order to liberate man and bring him, not to the self his demons are making him want to be, but to the self his Father wills him to be.’

Jacques Ellul

John 8:32

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Jesus is The Way:يسوع هو الطريق

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يوحنا 14:6
قال له يسوع : “أنا هو الطريق والحق والحياة. لا أحد يأتي إلى الآب إلا بي

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

A chasm is opening between the men who believe their Bibles and the men who are prepared for an advance upon Scripture. Inspiration and speculation cannot long abide in peace. Compromise there can be none. We cannot hold the inspiration of the Word, and yet reject it; we cannot believe in the atonement and deny it; we cannot hold the doctrine of the fall and yet talk of the evolution of spiritual life from human nature; we cannot recognize the punishment of the impenitent and yet indulge the “larger hope.” One way or the other we must go. Decision is the virtue of the hour.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Spurgeon and the Word of God vs.Brian Mclaren – not much of a contest.

..many Hindus are willing to consider Jesus as a legitimate manifestation of the divine… many Buddhists see Jesus as one of humanity’s most enlightened people…. A shared reappraisal of Jesus’ message could provide a unique space or common ground for urgently needed religious dialogue—and it doesn’t seem an exaggeration to say that the future of our planet may depend on such dialogue. This reappraisal of Jesus’ message may be the only project capable of saving a number of religions.”
––Brian McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus, p. 7

[The Supremacy of God's Son]
[1:1] Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. [3] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, [4] having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
(Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

[سيادة ابن الله]
طويل [01:01] قبل في مرات عديدة وبطرق عديدة ، تكلم الله لآبائنا من قبل الأنبياء ، [2] ولكن في هذه الأيام الأخيرة انه تحدث لنا عن طريق ابنه ، الذي كان عين وارثا لكل شيء ، من خلال خلق منهم ايضا انه في العالم. [3] وهو من وهج مجد الله وبصمة الدقيق لطبيعته ، وانه يدعم الكون بكلمة قدرته. وبعد ان اصبحت بعد إجراء تنقية للذنوب ، وقال انه جلس عن يمين العظمة في ارتفاع ، [4] كما متفوقة بكثير على الملائكة كاسم الذي ورثه هو أكثر من ممتازة لهم.
(عبرانيين 1:1-4 ESV)

A bit of an experiment with the Arabic – have had some folks from the Middle East drop in.

We Need the Cross

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Tony Reinke and Tim Challies both do a good job with book reviews. The following review was written by Tony,and is an example of the fine job that he does. It is also an important review of a book that needs to be read by more Christians. Horatius Bonar was a Scottish pastor who wrote books and hymns. Given the weak view of righteousness and justification held by many in the evangelical church today,this book should be a must read.

Tony Reinke – http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/

Tony’s Book Club pick #3: The Everlasting Righteousness by Horatius Bonar (0851516556, book review)

Martin Luther once said, “This article of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, is the head and cornerstone of the church, which alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves and protects the church. Without it, the church of God cannot subsist but one hour.” He was not overstating this fact. At the heart of biblical Christianity stands the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. And no Top Ten list of books is complete without volume on this great doctrine.

Today, God’s grace has provided Christians with growing depository of excellent books on this issue. The God Who Justifies by James R. White comes to mind, and R.C. Sproul, John Piper and C.J. Mahaney have also contributed excellent contemporary works. But I am frequently drawn back to Horatius Bonar’s brief and devotional work.

Written in 1874 and republished by The Banner of Truth in 1993, The Everlasting Righteousness stands (in my opinion) as the greatest book on the importance of the Cross and our imputed righteousness. It is clear, concise, devotional and beautifully written.

So what does Bonar mean by the phrase, The Everlasting Righteousness?

“We are hidden in Christ. God seeks for us; and when at last He discovers us in our hiding-place, it is not we that He finds, but Christ; so complete is the exchange of persons, so perfect and so glorious the disguise. Yet is is not a disguise which shall ever be taken off, nor of which shall have cause to be ashamed. It remains ours for ever. It is an everlasting righteousness” (pp. 79-80).

For Bonar, however, the importance of the Cross extends beyond the Christian’s conversion. Justification ushers in a Cross-centered life for today and an eternal Cross-centered life to come. This emphasis on the Cross-centered life is where Bonar really shines:

“… never shall the redeemed be independent of the cross, or cease to draw from its fulness” (p. 64).

“The broken body and shed blood of the Son of God form the viands on which we feast; and it is under the shadow of the cross that we sit down to partake of these, and find refreshment for our daily journey, strength for our hourly warfare. His flesh is meat indeed, His blood is drink indeed” (p. 125).

And my favorite quote: “Christ crucified is to be the burden of our preaching, and the substance of our belief, from first to last. At no time in the saint’s life does he cease to need the Cross” (p. 117). The Christian faith and life centers around the Cross. There are no comparable substitutes. We NEED the Cross at every point. (And wouldn’t our lives and sermons be improved if we frequently used the phrase, “need the Cross”?)

Dwelling upon justification as crucial for the Christian life, John Bunyan once wrote, “Think not that to live always on Christ for justification is a low and beggarly thing, – a staying at the foundation. For, let me tell you, depart from a sense of the meritorious means of your justification before God, and you will quickly grow light, and frothy, and vain.”

Because Bonar is clear on the doctrine of justification, he is also clear on related issues like the ugliness and reality of sin, the illustrations of biblical imputation, the necessity of a blood sacrifice and the dangers of wrong views of justification.

If you are looking for a readable book that exalts the Cross-centered life, relishes in the righteousness found only in the substitution of the Lamb, and magnifies the worth and beauty of Christ, turn to a talented hymn writer. Horatius Bonar has given us a clear book of great value on the central doctrine of the church. His poetic style will warm the heart after multiple readings and his clarity will equip the preacher with a lifetime of precious quotes.

The beauty of The Everlasting Righteousness is that it will hold us to our foundation and keep our hearts from growing frothy and vain.
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The Everlasting Righteousness, Horatius Bonar, Banner of Truth, 1874/1993, 0851516556, paperback, 212 pages

Tony’s website – http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/

The Jim Wallis-George Soros Connection

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Newsflash – Jim Wallis of Sojourners is a leftist who attempts to camouflage himself as a moderate,broad-minded Christian. The facade has been exposed by various writers over the years,but now the old adage of “follow the money” comes into play. The works that are done in the darkness will be brought to the light in God’s good time. And now is a good time.

Ht- Dan Philips at Biblical Christianity – http://bibchr.blogspot.com/2010/08/breaking-news-jim-wallis-shaky-on-truth.html

From the National Review -

Why Is Jim Wallis Denying that He Receives Grants from Deep-Pocketed Leftists like George Soros?

August 17, 2010 4:03 PM

By Jay W. Richards

In World magazine on July 17, Marvin Olasky called on “progressive evangelical” Jim Wallis to come clean and admit that he is not a non-partisan, as he likes to claim, but rather a devoted man of the Left. Olasky reported that Wallis’s organization, Sojourners, had received grants from George Soros’s foundation, the Open Society Institute (OSI), and had lent Sojourners’ mailing list to the Obama campaign.

Now, it isn’t news that both Sojourners and Wallis are friends of the Left; I explored the connections in my book Money, Greed and God, and others have connected the dots as well. But were Wallis and Sojourners actively involved with secular left-wing mega-donors and with the election machinery of the Left? After reading Olasky’s piece, I decided to look into the charges, and I now strongly suspect that Olasky is onto something that merits further inquiry.

Among the documents I now have are pages from the OSI website that list two grants to Sojourners — one for $200,000 in 2004, “To support the Messaging and Mobilization Project: Engaging Christians on the Importance of Civic Involvement,” and one for $25,000 in 2006, “To support a branding assessment” for the purpose of merging “Sojourners and Call to Renewal into oneorganization.” I have physical copies of these pages, which is good, because these pages seem to have disappeared from the OSI website (I’m sure that’s just a coincidence).

Still, until a few days ago, all of this looked to me like little more than a left-wing donor, George Soros, funding an organization that is working to sell some part of Soros’s political vision to Christians. That makes sense: Even if Soros is not personally religious, he surely recognizes the importance of reaching the religious segment of the U.S. population. This contradicts Wallis’s claim that he is non-partisan, but it’s hardly a scandal.

But there’s more to it. In two blog posts at Patheos published over the last week, Tim Dalrymple reported that he, too, was looking into Olasky’s charge, and in a thoughtful, unbiased interviewpublished on August 9, he asked Wallis himself about Olasky’s charges.

Before responding directly, Wallis launched into bizarre invective against Olasky, claiming (among other things) that Olasky believes in a “sinless market.” This caricature is practically surreal to anyone familiar with Olasky’s actual views — actually, it’s beyond surreal, since surreal art has some illuminating connection to the original. Olasky is a Calvinist, which means he places particularly strong emphasis on human depravity in every area of human experience, including the market. Rest of the article here -

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/244011/why-jim-wallis-denying-he-receives-grants-deep-pocketed-leftists-george-soros-jay-w-ri