A "funny" Corona Virus Story... (And who are God's Chosen people?)

Just about 2 years ago, we were told to "give us 15 days to eliminate the virus" and here I sit at my desk laughing at the lies and nonsense we've all been fed.

Bible Nuggets 4 - Works without Faith

Today's question is so preposterous that my head almost popped off!  Let's see if you can see what's wrong with this question before you read my response...

Question:  Pastor Keith, I believe that works are SO ESSENTIAL to our walk with Christ that I can't think about anything else.  All I want to do is feed the hungry, give a cool drink of water to anyone who is thirsty, clothe the poor, visit those in prison, tend to widows, fight for social justice, and pretty much just get involved and do anything I can to help those who are so marginalized that I need to do something or I tend to lose sleep over it!  What more can I do?

Answer: Whew.....

Tithing - The Lies Stop Here!

You may think that the title of this particular teaching is too much, but what's really gone overboard are the Pastors out there who teach such nonsense about tithing (giving to God)!

Today's question comes from a woman who has found herself GROWING in the Lord! (and quite by surprise)

Question: Pastor Keith, my whole life I've heard about tithing and why it's so important, but recently some things have occurred to me that never did before.  I know that I'm supposed to give 10%, but 10% of WHAT?  Is it 10% of my net income?  Is it 10% of my gross income?  Is it just 10% of my main income or am I supposed to include 10% of my bank account and 10% of my secondary income and 10% of my gifts too???  I find myself feeling guilty all the time, because lately when I listen to the Pastor of my church, it feels like I'm expected to be giving away everything!  Can you help?

Answer: Sister.... YES I CAN!  :)

How can I know that we're *REALLY* in the last days?

Question: Pastor Keith, I've heard it my entire life that "We are in the last days, repent now, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!".  To be honest, I'm quite tired of hearing it and I just don't believe it.  Too many years of "Chicken Little" have soured me on the whole idea.  Can you offer me any proof or any persuasion at all, that the "last days" are really here?

Answer: Oh yes I can!

Replenish the earth?

I haven't done this in a while, so it should be fun!

Every now and then I have people ask me questions that make me go "Ah-ha!".
I love those kinds of questions and I have one today.

Question: Why did God tell Adam and Eve to replenish the Earth?  If God had just created the Earth, isn't it safe to say that it was never "plenished" to begin with?  Obviously this proves that there were people before Adam and Eve, right?

Answer: Man oh man... Is Satan ever alive and well and filling the minds of the lost and unsaved with nonsense!  The good news, is the devil isn't learning any new tricks.  True, he may gain a soul here or there, but we all know he can never win!  :)

Starting a new church?

Anyone who has been following me, either here on this blog or in the flesh can tell you in no uncertain terms, that I am (justifiably) sick, tired and disgusted by almost every single church/denomination in existence.

Why could I possibly be sick, tired and disgusted?  Let's start with false teachings, fleecing, poor teachings, poor understandings, altar calls & false tongue speaking, just as an example.

For years I've been told over and over again to start my own church, but as with all things, if I don't feel lead to do something by God, I'm not doing it.  For proof of that, I still have not released my book yet.

So with that said, I'm putting together this blog post in an attempt to help you decide whether or not a church that I would set up, would be more in line with what YOU believe to be TRUE and not what some wayward soul, who only wants your money would set up.

Please take a moment and ponder these statements:

Pastoral Self Importance - STOP IT!

As a Discipleship Minister, I'm often placed in a position where I need to reach out to local churches, in order to help create a smooth transition from my care as a Shepherd, over to a long-term Shepherd.  At any given time, I have between 5 and 25 people from around the world who seek out my guidance on discipleship.  Once I get people to a certain point, I encourage them to find a local church to get additional fellowship.

To date, I've had ZERO PERCENT SUCCESS at accomplishing what should be a ridiculously simple task...

WHY?
Good question!

Agendas, Propaganda and Lies... Oh my!

NOTICE: As I referenced in my last post on the subject, this is my second (and hopefully final) post regarding this particular issue.  

Next, I'm putting this at the beginning of this post, because those of  you with ADD might not make it all the way through.  There is no hate of any kind contained within this post.  Twist and turn all of my words if you'd like, but you're not going to get away with saying that my words or my intent are hateful.

Gay Marriage: What's the problem?

The earliest known "Historical record" that we have is The Bible. The very first book of the Bible clearly shows that a "Marriage" is between a man and a woman. Even the oldest book in the Bible, the book of Job shows that a "Marriage" is between a man and a woman.

Ten easy steps to earning your Salvation

Everybody loves "10 easy steps". After all, most Christians use the Bible as a "Self-help book", which it is not.

First of all, you can't earn your Salvation.

With that out of the way, I need to take a few moments to PROVE IT to you.

About 15 times a week (at least) I get the honor of getting to speak to a "Lost Christian". I say "lost", because they say that they're depending on Christ for their Salvation, but they never, Ever, EVER learned the rest of the story and most times they don't even want to hear about it.

There are literally 1,000's of Ministers out there, keeping Christians in bondage, by making them believe that they have to continually, day after day, week after week, year after year, EARN their Salvation. This does two things, it keeps you coming back to their church to find out how to keep earning it and second, it keeps the money flowing in, because after all, it's your DUTY to continually give your tithe to the church.

Now remember, I don't INTERPRET Scripture, I read from it as if it were a "children's book"! God always says what He means and means what He says, so let's be like a Berean and make sure that I haven't lost my mind.

The key to understanding your Salvation, is to understand GRACE. If you don't understand GRACE, you will never understand a multitude of things from Gods Word.

I once heard a preacher say these words, and they really hit home. Not because they tickled my ears, but because the truth in them was so simple and so beautifully easy to remember, "Mercy is not getting what you DO deserve and Grace is getting what you DON'T". And the cool part about that, is you don't even need your Bible to understand that. Now that you understand what GRACE is, allow me to help paint the picture for you, as to WHY you can't EARN your Salvation.

Without a doubt, Paul is definitely one of Gods most Blessed children. God made him responsible for more than HALF of the New Testament writings.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 - We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: " In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

First of all, the beginning of 2 Corinthians 6 is a continuation of Chapter 5. So don't misread "as workers together with Him" as some kind of proof that you need to do "works". Chapter 5 ends with how we are "Ambassadors for Christ". But what Paul is saying in those two verses, is this... "You accept the grace of God in vain, because you just accept it at face value and don't understand what it really means."

As most of you are aware, I use the NKJV translation of the Bible, because I have found it to be the most clear and the most complete of all the English translations of the Bible. There are times however, where other translations can offer you some additional insight. For example, the ESV (which in not on my list of favorite translations) , instead of saying "In an acceptable time", uses the words "In the time of my favor". I have often heard GRACE described as "undeserved favor". It's a FREE GIFT from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) We have not earned His favor, nor have we done anything to deserve it. In fact, according to the Bible, we've ALL fallen way short of the favor of God.

Romans 3:22-24 (GW) - There is no difference between people. Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God's glory. They receive God's approval freely by an act of his kindness [grace] through the price Christ Jesus paid to set us free [from sin].

So if something is "TRULY FREE", that means that it costs NOTHING. That right there is the heart and soul of understanding Grace and Salvation. Either it's the "free gift" that Paul tells us it is in Romans 5:15,16,18 or God is a liar. Think about it... God did everything in His awesome power to ensure that His Word would survive for thousands of years, so why would you believe anything that anyone else told you, that doesn't MATCH His own Words?

Another example I can use to PROVE that you can't EARN your Salvation, is this wonderfully simple verse from Romans 4:4 - Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. Allow me to reword that, "If you do works to try and earn your Salvation, you are not paid with God's Grace unto Salvation, you are instead making God OWE YOU". God would only OWE us if we were in a works based system... As we ARE NOT, then works do not in fact make God owe us. No action taken by man will ever make God indebted to our cause or make our reward EARNED. (See Romans 11:6) Don't believe me? Then go ahead and read that verse again.

God has literally gone out of His way to get everyone on this miserable planet saved. From the Garden of Eden to the Cross, He never once stopped trying to help us to become "Holy as He is Holy" (1 Peter 1:16). How much more could God possibly love us, than He already does?

Titus 3:4-7 - But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

I could go on and on and on and on and on (and on), showing you verse after verse of SOLID PROOF, but in the end, you have two choices. You can either believe the preachers who fed you poisoned grass or you can believe the Word of God, who feeds you the "bread of life" (John 6:35).

Addition: After writing this, it occurred to me that I left one huge component out. About 90% of my teachings are designed for "babes in Christ", but sometimes I blur the lines between babes and small children. I believe that it's really important for me to point out that GRACE is not a license to sin.

Paul says several things on this, but it's important that I paint this out for you, so that you understand clearly.

Paul is just beginning to explain GRACE to us here:

Romans 6:1-2 - What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!...

Paul is trying to make it clear to you that you are no longer under the law at all:

Romans 6:14 - For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Now Paul needs to explain what he just said, so that you wouldn't be confused:

Romans 6:15 - What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Now Paul drives home his point, regarding our freedom from sin (Grace):

Romans 6:22 - But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

And finally, the culmination of both your freedom and your free gift:

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I can't stress this enough, so many of you have been brain-washed into thinking that you have to "act" a certain way, think a certain way, do things in a certain way. And so much so, that you spend more time worrying about your flesh (which is supposed to be dead) than you do exercising your freedom in Christ. For an awesome teaching on this subject, click HERE and listen in to this most excellent message.

The other thing (thank you Pastor Beau for your research), I mention in almost every single show, "There are more than 38,000 Christian Denominations in the world. Each of them is their own Religion". Well there are many denominations that teach you can lose your Salvation. Does that make them right? NO! How can "man's opinions or interpretations of God's Word be more important than God's actual Word? It can't be! For those of you wondering, here are just a few of the major-denominations that teach that you can lose it:

• Assembly of God - False tongue speaking religion.
• Lutheran - Teaches you must "persist in the faith". (This contradicts John 18:9)
• Roman Catholic - Teaches "final perseverance is a gift from God, but man must cooperate with the gift". (This is a contradiction with Ephesians 2:8-9)
• Methodist - Teaches that you can "end up losing the salvation that God has begun in us". (Again, contradicts John 18:9)

See, this is what I mean by "Be like a Berean" (Acts 17:10-11). It's only when you place what you are told up against Scripture, that lies, deceit and just plain misunderstood language can come to light. God does not wish for you to be mislead, so He's warned you to watch out! (Matthew 7:15, Matthew 10:16)

As many of you know, we just recently recorded the finale for our "Basic Discipleship Series" and we're currently on hiatus. In a couple of weeks we'll be doing a special on SALVATION. If you'd like to make sure that you're notified, please go to the website @ http://www.butisitbiblical.com and drop us a note and we'll be sure to notify you, so you can listen in live or even call in with questions!

Like I said, I don't need for you to believe me, I do need for you to believe God. Please be like a Berean and look this stuff up for yourself. There's no Greek or Hebrew required, just make sure that you're being lead by the Holy Spirit and also, make sure you take notice of how many times the words "Grace" and "Mercy" are being used in these verses.

2 Chronicles 25:9 - Then Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this."

Women and Adultery...

Today I came across a great question and decided that I should share this question and teaching with you. I slightly modified the question to better suit the format of my blog:

The Question:

Many men struggle with the issue of pornography, and in general, this struggle is well known. There's a struggle most women face that is not nearly as well known, and it is not nearly as "clear-cut" as to whether or not it is sin. Personally, I tend to think that if it takes away from God's glory or if there is any question as to whether it is right or wrong, it is probably best to abstain altogether. The specific struggle is masturbation (regardless of how it is performed) for sexual pleasure.

I know of a handful of professing Christian women who struggle with masturbation and there doesn't seem to be any clear "Thou shalt not" in the Bible. I believe it is wrong because it is likely to cause difficulty within the marriage union, but I am trying to defend my view to someone else, I'm not entirely sure how to defend it biblically.

This issue has never been addressed outrightly by most Pastors that I know of, and the issue only seems to come up within circles of women.

The Answer:

I am most definitely one of those Pastors who DOES address this issue...

As a matter of fact, this weeks show is on "Marriage & Relationships", so I'm thrilled that you brought up this topic, because now I will make sure to discuss it! (if the direction of the show and the Spirit leads)

As for your Biblical answer, there couldn't be any better of an answer than what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6!

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 - All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Allow me to restate:

All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? Flee sexual immorality. he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

We must always remind ourselves that "all things are lawful"! Paul tells us elsewhere that if it's not a sin to us, then it isn't a sin (See Romans 14:14 & Titus 1:15). The key here, is if you feel that you need to pleasure yourself, what kind of pride are you displaying? (See 1 John 2:16) If you are truly a Christian and you indeed have the indwelling Holy Spirit within you, you would know that it's sinful. Paul hammers this point home in the very next chapter!

1 Corinthians 7:8-9 - But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Paul was no dummy, he knew full well, that the fallen nature that is within each of us has a tendency of getting in the way of our relationship with God (See 1 Corinthians 7:28).

One of the things that bothers me today, is that there are a great many younger women out there (25-40 some-odd years old) that have made a decision NOT TO MARRY, but not for Paul's reasoning (See 1 Corinthians 7:29-33). They decided not to be married, because they either don't want to be told what to do (by a man) or because they're concerned about giving up their personal freedoms in favor of marriage or they're concerned that their husband will somehow abuse them. While these things are certainly valid to be "concerned about", placing these fears above God, makes them more powerful than God. Did you not learn that God has not given us the Spirit of Fear?

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Be lead by the Spirit in all things and God will lead you to whom HE would have you marry! Amen?

But as for women and masturbation, just remember that the "flesh is dead" and you can not perfect it. If you truly have the Holy Spirit within you, then He will change you... I guarantee it! (I did a teaching on "not perfecting the flesh" and it can be found HERE, for those who are interested.)

As you can plainly see, many of the answers to your questions can be found within 2 simple chapters. I would encourage everyone to re-read these chapters and passages and to always be like a Berean when anyone comes to you with Biblical advice!

I hope you find this quick study helpful and I pray that this week's show (which is going to be hugely controversial) goes over beautifully and brings much Glory to God!

Do you really want me to lie to you?

No matter how much you ask, no matter how much you plead, I will not lie to you in order to make you feel better...

The one thing that separates Silverworks Ministries from the other Pastors you've met, seen on TV, heard on the radio or anywhere else, is that our Ministers DO NOT INTERPRET SCRIPTURE. Yes, we know and understand what they teach in Seminary as Hermeneutics; and we here at Silverworks Ministries translate scriptural truth by using ways and words which allow everyone to properly understand and comprehend what God is saying, we do not however use Hermeneutics to interpret it (a.k.a. change it) into what WE want it to say.

While there are certainly some pieces of Scripture (Revelation as an example), that requires a deeper understanding of Scripture in order to comprehend it, 90% of the Bible can be read and understood to mean exactly what it says.

What I would ask (if you really feel that you need to be lied to), is WHY? Why is it that you need to hear about lollipops, rainbows, puppies and daffodils in order to "feel" more "connected" to God? Why do you need to ignore 99% of Scripture in order to feel better about yourself? Do you not know that you as an individual do not matter in the grand scheme of things? Do you not know that it's God that matters above all else?

What I would suggest (if you feel that you need to read inspirational Scripture all the time), is that perhaps you need to spend more time working on discipleship than reading your devotionals. It's through real, bona fide discipleship that you will come to not only understand WHO God is, but also understand who YOU are in Christ!

Many of today's Ministers are misleading the sheep in DROVES! People like Joel Osteen & Joyce Meyer will have you believe that "you can name it and claim it" or that "words are containers for power" or even that "God wants you to be rich with money, cars, every desire of your heart". How can they teach these things? How is it that they can get away with it? They can teach it and get away with it BECAUSE MORE THAN 90% OF THE PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELF CHRISTIANS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.

If you don't have the time to read the Bible, then it's like saying "I don't care about what God has to say". If you don't care about what God has to say, then how is it that you've allowed God's Words to abide in you? You can't let something abide in you if you don't know what it is! Since most Christians do not have an intimate relationship with God, the only Words they'll ever get from Him ARE IN THE BIBLE. And since they don't read it, they'll never know what God has to say, only what people like Osteen, Meyer, Parsley, Copeland, Bell and others have to say on the matter.

While I most certainly am not trying to elevate either myself or any of the other Ministers here, I do want you to try and understand what it is that separates us from everyone else. If you really need to have a 24/7 stream of "happy thoughts" thrown at you, then you're probably not a Christian. If you need to constantly hear about how God "wonderfully and carefully made you", then you're probably not a Christian. If you believe that Jesus is a liberal hippie that doesn't pass judgement on all of mankind and that everyone goes to Heaven, then not only are you probably not a Christian, but you also have absolutely no idea who Jesus is.

We'll be more than happy to teach you. Go to http://www.butisitbiblical.com and listen to our shows. The message we bring to you is designed to get you in sync with God, not to get God in sync with you.

Mormons and Catholics are NOT Christians...

I really wish that CNN, MSNBC & FoxNews would ask ME whether or not Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are Christians.

It would be my pleasure to tell them what both God and the Bible have to say, regarding their two sets of beliefs. And then, I'd be more than humbled to be able to proclaim for all the world to hear, that neither of them is actually a Christian.

Galatians 1:8 - But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

And to drive the point home:

Galatians 1:9 - As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Or how about something even more powerful:

2 Corinthians 11:4 - For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted --- you may well put up with it!

As the author of the soon to be released book titled "But is it Biblical?", I can clearly say that neither the Catholic church nor the Mormons teachings of Jesus MATCH what the Original Greek & Hebrew has to say on the matter. The only way that these "religions" can stick to their claims is for them to use their own mangled translations. And in the case of the Mormons, base it on a fictional tablet (that nobody except Joseph Smith has ever seen) that contains a language that nobody has ever heard of and nobody has ever seen anywhere else. EVER.

Angry? Why? Is your pride telling you that I must be wrong? Is your pride really more in control of your life than God is? If I told you that the Indianapolis Colts were the worst NFL team in 2011 (and you were a fan) would you get mad at me for saying it, even if it were true? (it is true by the way) In the same way, I can tell you without any hesitation that the Catholic church is based upon controlling it's members and the Mormon church is based upon a foundation of lies.

To say that the Mormons are Christians because they "believe in" Jesus, is like saying that "I'm a pilot, because I've been in the cockpit of a plane"! The Mormons come "preaching another Gospel" AND "another Jesus", just like it teaches in 2 Corinthians & Galatians. All you need to do, is know the Full Gospel for yourself and you too can see what I see.

To say that the Catholics are Christians, because (after all) they've got Crucifixes and statues all over their churches is like saying that "Because I have a Corvette, that I'm the CEO of General Motors"! The Catholic church comes "preaching another Gospel" too, and even though it's totally different than what the Mormon's teach, it too is totally different from what the Bible teaches! All you need to do, is pick up a "proper" Bible, learn the Full Gospel for yourself and you too can see what I see. NO OPINIONS REQUIRED.

I cover many of these things in my book and we actually touch on some of these issues in Episode 4 of the radio series.

Rick Santorum is a Catholic, not a Christian.

Mitt Romney is a Mormon, not a Christian.

As an American voter, if you feel in your Spirit that one of these candidates is potentially better for this country, then vote for them. But don't do it because you think that they're something that they're not.

So come on news stations and reporters, ask me along with my Ministry team...

Not to boast, but they'll be the most correct answers that anyone has seen in a long time...

Being "Imitators of Christ"...

I'd like for everyone reading this thread to consider what I am about to share with you today...

Lately, I've been reading posts both here and in many other places regarding what I'll call "legalism" or "flesh purification" (it's hard to pinpoint what to call it). And today the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to share this with you. (it may look long, but it's a quick read)

There are too many Christians who falsely believe that we are to somehow and miraculously BE LIKE Christ in the flesh!

How often do we hear:

• Don't listen to this kind of music
• Don't watch television
• Don't go to "R" rated movies
• Don't drink alcoholic beverages
• Don't...
• Don't.....
• Don't.......

Now as a Pastor, I would never advocate sin (or sinning), but I feel compelled to reach out to those of you who may be more mature in Christ and might be ready to understand (once and for all) the whole Biblical Truth regarding this issue...

First, we must start with the missing piece in the chain of these commonly quoted Scriptures, such as: 1 John 2:15-17, Ephesians 5:1-11, 2 Corinthians 6:17, among many others...

2 Corinthians 5:16 - Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Do you see what that says? It says "Even though we have known Christ in the flesh, we don't anymore!". How can Paul say, "they don't any longer"? He said that, because what was flesh is now Spirit! (Every single Bible commentator has missed this)

Now, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:1 "to be imitators of him, inasmuch as he is an imitator of Christ", Ephesians 5:1 too, tells us to be "Imitators of God"... But how can we do this in the flesh I would ask you? We can't! Jesus is not flesh and we "no longer know him as flesh". It is our works "in the Spirit", not the outwardly, that teaches, "do not touch, do not handle, do not eat, etc" (Colossians 2:21) Is not "lusting after the flesh" the same as "lusting to change the flesh"? Spending all of your time concerning yourself about touching, tasting, handling becomes a form of "idol worship" if you believe what Paul teaches in Colossians 2.

Finally, the below words exemplify what I am attempting to share with you today...

Philippians 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh...

Paul teaches us again and again that "the flesh is dead" (Romans 6:11, Romans 7:4, Romans 8:10, etc). If the flesh is indeed dead, how is it that we still seek to "perfect the flesh"? If your flesh is indeed dead and Christ was nailed to the cross along with ALL OF your sins (both past, present and future ones too), then what more can you accomplish, that Christ's sacrifice did not?

Please, if you hold another understanding of Scripture, please do not dismiss what I have shared outright. I would encourage and exhort each and every one of you to not take my word for anything I have written here today, but please be like a Berean and search the Scriptures for yourself to find out if the things I have told you are true.

Circular Reasoning & Christianity

Alright -- What do you call a Christian who doesn't know what the Bible says?

CONFUSED

How often do you hear an Atheist proclaim, "Circular reasoning is never going to convince me that there's a god. You're going to have to do better than, 'The Bible says that there's a god, therefore the Bible is true'."

Guess what, they're right!

When Jesus tells us to, "Go into all the world and make disciples of every creature", did you think He maybe meant for us to be able to accurately and adequately be able to do so?

The sad part, if you believe what the Christian Media tells us, these days, most Christians don't share their faith. I suppose if they're going to do it wrong, then we should be grateful.

What I will usually do, to explain to an Atheist who believes that Christians are only able to argue using circular reasoning, is use some LOGIC. (Atheists love logic!) I'll ask them what they call a book that was written more than 3,000 years ago, that has been proven correct again and again? They'll usually claim, "coincidence". That's when you ask them a new question. You ask them, "What do you call it when we're talking about 100's of things, approaching more than 1,000 things?" That's when they'll start to listen.

Now that you have their attention, don't drop the ball! Let's use some more logic!

Ask them what Science means. The more knowledgeable Atheist will tell you that "Science is the study of the observable". Now I love science! Think of all the medical & technological discoveries we've made over the past 200 years! But here's the rub... Most of scientific research gets relegated to what we call "Scientific THEORY". It's called "theory", because the Scientists are trying to prove that what they believe is correct. That's great! It's exactly what you need when you're trying to make breakthroughs! But here's the other rub, if science is the study of the observable, then given our original idea that we started with, how would they classify the Bible?

If there are indeed more than 1,000 things in the Bible that have been proven true, then are we able to say that "they've been observed as true"? If they've been observed as true (either by historians or even through the news today), then can't we say that the Bible has been proven reliable?

Think about it, how often is science wrong? ALL THE TIME. But again, that's how we learn...

Now think about how often the Bible has been wrong... To date.... NEVER.

Remember, this is when the Atheist will tell you that, "The Bible teaches that the world is flat!". This is a 100% untruth! Even today, when we refer to something that will affect the whole world, we use the term, "The four corners of the Earth". Does that mean that we believe that the earth is flat? Does that further mean that we believe that a SPHERE has CORNERS? Certainly not, it's just a "saying" that has survived for a long time. I suppose we could all stop using it, because it's not very accurate, but then again, I suppose as long as the people you're talking to know what it means, then it's ok?

The key thing to remember here, is that either the Bible is 100% correct, or it's 100% wrong. I would think that the most ardent Atheist would like that sentiment. Well, one of the things I like to teach, is that the Bible DOES NOT contain any contradictions, no matter how many "smart people" tell you otherwise. If the Earth was flat, then why does God say this, "Isaiah 40:22 - It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."

So don't be intimidated by someone who seems "smarter" than you are...

At the end of the day, all the intelligence a man can have will fail him....

Hmmm.... Is there actually an "End of the day"? I suppose that's another "old saying" that really isn't very accurate. Should we stop using it too? Perhaps we should say, "When the sun goes down" or "at the next 11:59PM"? No. I'll stick with the original. It just sounds better to me for some reason... :)

Faith healing - Real or Bunk?

At the forefront of my mind are the words:

James 5:15 - And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

and

Mark 11:23-24 - For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

And while I never doubt that, I must say that until today, I never really gave much time or attention to faith healing.

Now I'm not talking about our brothers or sisters who make a living, supposedly healing people, I'm talking about asking and receiving.

Last night, I went to bed with my throat looking 99% like this:


During my prayer before bed, I actually did something I have never done before. After I was done doing all of my normal praying, I made a special request. I said, "Father, I never pray for myself, nor do I think that I'm worthy of Your ear, but I have a special request. If You really don't need for me to be sick, please lift this sickness from me. If You do need for me to be sick, then Your will be done."

I woke up this morning, and after being awake for about a half hour, I realized that my throat wasn't dry and scratchy anymore, so I went and got the flashlight and looked in the mirror and my throat pretty much looked just like this picture:


I love Him so much I could bust!

All the Glory to God!

Is the Sabbath day a day of "Worship"?

As we all know, "The Sabbath day" goes back to Genesis 2:2 - And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. This said that "He rested" on the 7th day. If I understand God's Words and don't read into them, this becomes a model for us. But allow me to continue.

Here, I believe Jesus gives us some valuable insight into the Sabbath, Mark 2:27-28 - And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." If I read these verses and don't read into them, that says that "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath". If the Sabbath was truly made for us and we truly were not made for the Sabbath, then the Sabbath day is NOT a day of worship AT ALL.

In my forthcoming book, I cover this topic and suffice it to say, "If God is indeed our Heavenly Father, don't you think that your Father would want to hear from you MORE THAN one day per week? Don't you think that your Father would want to spend a lot more time with you than for just one hour while you're in some building with a bunch of people? If you truly love your Father, you'd want to spend a lot more time with Him. Therefore, don't be concerned with, "which is the Sabbath?", because that's the day God created for you, so that you could rest. Be more concerned about how much time you spend with your Father, who we should be worshiping every day!" I go into a bit more detail in the book...

This is the way that The Holy Spirit has revealed this to me...
I hope that someone finds this useful...

I'm writing a Book!

I just began work on my book.

Book you say?

About 9 months ago, I was talking to a friend and it hit me, that people have a really hard time explaining God. I'm not kidding. And when I say people, I don't just mean your average Joe, I mean Pastors and Preachers alike. Sure, they know all the basics, all the characters and the plot, but they don't do a very good job of EXPLAINING GOD to people who have NO FOUNDATION at all. Trust me, there are more people without a foundation than there are people with one.

Anyway, I'll update on it's progress as I go...

I've been thinking a lot about publishing... I know some people from my CPE days, but if that doesn't work out, I don't mind going the self-publishing route. If anyone is interested, please give me a shout...

This Blog is PRO-ISRAEL

I just wanted to take a moment to mention that this Blog is 100% Pro-Israel!

I see 1,000's of Secular-Christians out there saying nasty things about Israel and for us to focus on the United States ONLY.

This makes me sad....

Why don't most Christians EVER take the time to READ their Bible?

God blesses Israel:
Genesis 12:2 - I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.

God says that all the people of the Earth shall be blessed BECAUSE of Israel:
Genesis 12:3 - I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

You'll be amazed what you can learn in the Bible...

Interesting conversation about Mormonism

This is a continued conversation from a discussion I was having with a wonderful gentleman from THIS blog. Please visit that Blog for the origin of the discussion. I needed to post my comments here, because blogspot.com has limitations as to length of comments.

Mr Faux,

I will try to answer each of your points in turn:

Well thank you so much for throwing me a curve ball! You chose the one Translation that I knew least about. I was so disturbed by that translation, I couldn't help but want to ensure that the Greek was sound. It is my belief that the only way one can truly listen to Gods Word, is to listen INTENTLY. How can one listen conceptually? Truly listening to His Word will reveal much to those who study much.

1 Corinthians 7:7 - For I wish that all men were even as I myself.....

As for Paul being a Prophet, there is no evidence that this is so. First of all, if he were a Prophet, the name of Acts would have been, "The Acts of the Prophets" and not "The Acts of the Apostles". Secondly, it is my understanding that the things Paul wrote about AND the visions were given to him by way of The Holy Spirit. To be frank, The Holy Spirit led me to your blog to start a dialogue with you, does that make me a Prophet? I don't believe so. Granted it certainly doesn't make me an Apostle either...lol Thirdly, Paul was NOT "authorized" by the Resurrected Jesus. Jesus has already ASCENDED to Heaven by the time Paul had his "conversation while on the road with his traveling companions. Are you testing me? lol...

God is NOT limited in ANY way, EXCEPT that he KEEPS HIS WORD. Since God can not lie, He is bound by Scripture to not "change His mind"...

Malachi 3:6 - "For I am the LORD, I do not change;..."

So based on Matthew 11:13, I say no, there can not be modern Paul's. That doesn't mean God is limited, it just means that God does not change his mind... I like that about God. I never have to GUESS what He Wills, I just KNOW....

Ahh... You bring up an excellent question regarding following a "Leaderless Christianity"... The answer is simple. If you want a "human" leader, that's one thing, but why bother with a fallible human leader when God already provided you The Holy Spirit as the ULTIMATE LEADER? Hmm? Having to choose between God Himself leading me or some "elected or appointed" official telling me his machinations based on books that are not Biblical, I would most certainly make the first!

You are right, Gods Word was not captured in a single book, it was captured in 66 BOOKS! A far cry from 1, yes? Additionally, we may all be "Gods Children", but we're not all part of Gods Family...

Mark 3:31-35 - Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

Now that's family!

As for leading yourself without a "Church Organization", how could you trust yourself indeed?

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"

God makes it clear that we can not trust our own feelings. Rely on Him alone and Trust in Him alone and you've got all you need! As for the Bible being challenging to understand, I would say this to you...

"If you approach the Bible as a book, then all it will ever be to you is a book. A book is filled with information, concepts, wonderings and such. If that's what you want, "information, concepts, wonderings and such", then you might as well check out any book from the library (or get a map at a gas station for that matter...lol). No one can know how to understand the things that are in the Bible without "The official Guide", The Holy Spirit. I am proof of that. I did not grow up Christian, I did not get Indoctrinated into Christianity, I did not "say a prayer" and by some magic I was then a Christian. Verily I say unto you, that if you pray for The Holy Spirit to guide you while you read, you WILL come to understand what is contained within that "More than a Book" indeed."

Feel free to read my Testimony in the right-hand pane on my Blog.

Ok, as for the comment about "already believing Jesus is deity, what else do you need", I say this: First, you do not need faith in RevKeith, that's just silly. Secondly, there are only 2 things you need to do..

1. You need to repent of your sins (repent - turn from)
2. You need to place ALL OF YOUR TRUST in Jesus

If you place all of your trust in Jesus, then you're not wasting any on a "Religion" or any man's interpretation within that religion as being accurate. Remember, where there's Religion, there's Opinion. If you take away the religion, all you have left is Gods Word. Think about it...

"Why do I need RevKeith, who contacts me out of the blue on the web?" A most excellent question. I have heard it said that Rabbi's say that, "coincidence is not a kosher word". I have also read that in the Ancient Hebrew, there IS NO WORD for Coincidence. As someone who trys to keep Gods Laws to the best of his ability, I shall not lie to you. I in no way shape or form sought you out, I in no way shape or form looked for any mormons to interact with and I most certainly do not make a living arguing with people. lol... As for me needing you, I would WHOLE-HEARTEDLY AGREE! I do need you! I need everyone whom God has brought into my life. I may not know why at the onset, but The Holy Spirit makes it clear soon enough...

The falling away is happening right under our noses Mr. Faux. It's not a matter of me "not liking" the New Century, it's a matter of this... When I choose a Bible to read I immediately know if I CAN HEAR GOD in the Words. I personally HEARD GOD in the NKJV, KJV, Geneva, ESV (to some degree) and even a dynamic translation like the GW, which I must admit is not very good for studying, but it's great for contrasting. The NKJV is MY favorite though. I've read the criticism regarding it from the "KJV Only" crowd and all I can say is the things they complain about do NOT effect it's authenticity. Any time devoted to reading the original Greek will PROVE to you that the over 600 changes that Mr. Smith made to the KJV Bible are not true OR accurate. The Bible explicitly warns against adding to or detracting from its teaching (Rev. 22:18; Deut. 4:2). The New Testament contains the inspired and totally accurate witness of contemporary disciples and followers of Jesus. It alone claims to be fully inspired by God and usable for the establishment of doctrine (2 Tim. 3:15–17; 2 Pet. 1:19–21)

Hebrews is most certainly Scripture. And you just used that verse WAAAY out of context. That verse was used to "Set the Qualifications for the High Priesthood". It was designed to help us IDENTIFY Christ as the High Priest. It was also written to help ensure that we understood that Aaron was appointed to the position of priest by God Himself! Those who challenged Aaron's appointing were put to death BY GOD... Again, there can be no more High-Priests, as Jesus is the last.

It is not Biblical for anyone to believe that there are "authorized Prophets and Apostles out there to be found". You are free to believe that, but it's not a Biblically accurate belief.

Being quirky doesn't concern me. Like I said in my previous post, either all of Scripture points to the same thing, or it's not Scripture. If Mr. Smith gave a Prophesy (which he did), that DID NOT HAPPEN and certainly CAN NOT happen now or ever (because he's already deceased), then by definition (not mine), that would qualify him as a "False Prophet".

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - "If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you"

You may say the key to that verse is "follow other gods", but I say to you that anyone who would describe God or Jesus OR The Holy Ghost differently than what is contained within the OT & NT Canon is NOT the same God. Scripture backs this up, not me...

I agree with your last comment. I too am not in the same league with ANYONE listed above. I am a mere servant of God, doing my best to obey Him and His Word with every ounce of my being. God does speak in the fossil rocks, but just remember, fossils don't have offspring, nor can you prove a fossil had offspring either (but that is a whole different conversation).

Jesus did not leave anyone "hanging", he gave us The Holy Spirit to guide us, if we CHOOSE to follow...

I did not come here to "evangelize" you, that's not my intent. I just know right from wrong and accurate from deception, because The Holy Spirit has given it to me to know.

God Bless,
RevKeith