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INTRODUCTION
Did
You Know - - - Human
beings in their natural state are not interested in God. They are
really not interested in learning about deeper spiritual matters.
They
are not inclined to follow Godly ways or to seek after Him!
HOW
THEN CAN ANYONE BEGIN TO DRAW CLOSE TO THE ALMIGHTY, HOLY, GOD OF
HEAVEN? HOW CAN WE DARE TO TO SAY THAT WE PERSONALLY KNOW HIM?
HOW CAN WE HAVE PERSONAL FELLOWSHIP OR INTIMACY WITH HIM? Traditional
forms of Christianity have been the sustaining moral backbone of
American history. For generations the values system of Christian
teachings and beliefs have provided a positive moral framework
and influence to the the nations. It is apparent that the
Christian Religion, even despite its detriments, has provided a
social foundation for millions. Children are nurtured in a home
where traditions of church life are practiced. But now more than
ever, the social foundations of Christian values are rapidly
dissolving. The secular media offers imagery and stories that
omit any Spiritual truths of Christianity. Fewer and fewer every
passing year, will be able to say I am a Christian believer and
understand what that means. That knowledge will be absent unless
we have personally tasted of the Grace and goodness of God
through Jesus Christ the Messiah. Today, tens of millions of nominal "religious" Christians might be called 'faithful church goers,' but how many are really passionately interested in God. No one seeks to know God unless God personally draws us by His Spirit. (underscored links for video commentary on youtube.com. I
will offer in the following pages a history of God's working to
transform my life. Many have a history similar to mine. I found
God or should I say God allowed me to find Him - at a time in my
life when I was experiencing a spiritual emptiness, a hunger, a
desperate need. It is at such times that we make our first
serious effort to seek
after God desperately, to ask, and to knock! The quickening of
this inner desire to know God may well be the result of another
believer's prayers on our behalf. The Grace
of God is set in motion by these prayers. It is this
Divine Grace (an enabling gift) from God which brings us to a new
human state of awakening.
It only takes a moment for God to answer our heart's cry and
bring us from darkness into light; but it may takes years to
prepare your soul to be ready for this transaction. Pride and
idolatry in its many forms must be first addressed.
God
has always loved us. He loves us all. He grieves humanity's loss
of understanding and weakness. He has made a way of rectifying
this fallen and alienated state. The way is through the Messiah.
The measure of faith is
given to help those who seek to find the answer to their
spiritual hunger. A supernatural transformation occurs once
a person believes in the "Gift of God" with assurance. The gift
is eternal life and a new spirit. If you believe in the
Son of God sent to redeem mankind from their fallen state, he will open your eyes. He will speak to you. His name is Jeshua, Jesus. It is through him and him only that you will
partake in the wonders of the world to come. Through the Grace of
God we experience that supernatural event, the miraculous change
in our spirits called "the new man, the regenerated spirit
or the new creation." So re-quickened by Almighty God, we
are inwardly compelled to grow in the knowledge of this life
giver and lover of our souls. We seize the life ring thrown to
us. This is the beginning of the Spiritual life. We have opened
the door of the Kingdom of heaven and gradually begin discovering
our status as a Son or Daughter of God. From
this supernatural beginning we new believers, as tender saplings
can be bent many ways: We can be taken prisoner by those who
preach other gospels. We can be
snared by an incomplete "Gospel"
and incomplete form of Godliness; or we can follow the spirit of
Christ with the spirit of liberty accessing the Word of Truth
with proper mentors, there is a whole new spiritual world OF LIFE
to discover. There is a life of blessing and hope to access. (2
Corinthians 11:3)
The
true Gospel
hasn't
changed but it has been dangerously distorted or in some cases
nearly lost by religious tradition. The Gospel
of the Kingdom
of
God remains that which was first revealed to the disciples by
Jesus Christ. What I will share here is offered in humbleness and simplicity
and without motive of gain. It may be too
simple
for some, lacking intellectual rationality. The teachings I share on these pages are didactic, meaning that it presented to be accurate and factual. It is shared not from intellectual knowledge accrued from second hand accounts or through religious institutions, but from serious study of scripture as well and experiences that bear witness to the realities of Christ and the "Kingdom" he rules. Study of Scripture can illuminate the believer as the Holy Spirit brings light and understanding. There are experiences which follow those who act upon the Word of God. These
commentaries are not the product of religious indoctrination, nor
of any denominational slant. The writer's understanding reflect
the truths written of and spoken of by the apostles and prophets
of Israel who proclaimed the True and Living Way. For
my part, these writings, though certainly incomplete are
presented as valid and experienced as truth and validated by the
Word
of
Truth. (First
delivered to the saints Jude 3) Today,
modern societies have grown to reject facts in favor of a
cornucopia of opinions. Facts in living black and white are
rejected. The Gospel is nevertheless born out by first hand
experience but more importantly is verified
by reliable witnesses. These witnesses are the holy and
long standing voices of the Christian faith, recorded in
Scripture. These voices are a more sure testimony and become the
litmus test of any doctrine or experience that one might promote.
The truth of God is known, in varying degrees, by many but far fewer by most who profess to be Christians. These masses remain in the grip of a religious paradigm that have become ingrained over the past 17 centuries. Christian theology today is becoming less a verification of Apostolic doctrine than a repudiation of Apostolic doctrine. The
religious paradigm even now, is being challenged and is slowly
passing away. There is more hunger and more thirst for more
fellowship, more liberty, more simplicity and more power in the
place of fellowship. Traditions are being replaced by the living
presence of God. Being a spectator in a church service (program)
is being replaced by a yearning to participate in the life of
God. What
I write here may well be challenged by religious experts,
theologians. academicians, and those who can embrace only the
doctrines and dogma they were taught. From the beginning a
population of religious people respond to this message to any
attack on their religious paradigm, by killing the messenger.
Remember this Gospel fact, shared by the apostle called Paul, in
his first letter to Corinth, "Man
through knowledge can not know God." But the Spirit
of God can turn ordinary people into instruments of His Glory! PREFACE to THE GOSPEL WITHOUT RELIGION What do you think it means to be a Christian? Are you one? Perhaps you are among those who has rejected Christianity because of empty forms and rituals of the institutional church? Are you searching for proof that God is real? Where will that search take you? What will be the end of all of this? What will be the ultimate destiny of your soul? There
are probably millions of writings that have been produced under
the already glutted archive of RELIGION. There needs to be the
breaking up of some new ground. That new ground, I believe is
viewing the " spiritual life" as something that can
only exist and flourish outside of religion. In the pages following we will examine some of the topics below:
What is A Christian Searching For God What Are Features of the True Gospel?
Dawning
- - Faith and Belief
Is
God an interesting subject? Yes, Infinitely. Do questions about
the reality of God affect us or impact our lives? Yes, absolutely
and eternally! Is the subject one that we should resolve within
ourselves? Yes, absolutely! Religion abounds in the societies of
the world. It is inextricable in the cultures of every nation. It
is a full time concern to many who see religion as a life style
or a career path. My definition of Religion
is a codified belief system. It is the platform from which
debates and disagreements launch with the result too often being
from vehement disagreement to genocide.
Thousands
of books continue to be written about God in an attempt to offer
spiritual answers to those who are seeking a spiritual life.
Subjects might range from World Religions, Comparative Theology,
Biblical Study or Analysis, and of course prescribed pathways to
enlightenment by self promoting gurus. THE GOSPEL WITHOUT
RELIGION is not a book about
theology. I am not a theologian, I have none of the required
credentials, nor do I have any desire to become one, to seek
certification or to be validated or approved by theologians. I
am, therefore, a very small voice in the marketplace of ideas -
another voice, crying out in the wilderness. I give thanks
to God the Father for allowing me to experience His living
presence and guiding hand. This is a testimony confirming God's
interaction with the human race we call 'grace.'
Moreover, his love and grace have empowered me and
others to both
seek him and to know
him and draw wisdom from His Word. Moreover, I believe
that this message can encourage and aid those thousands who, like
myself, were never given answers to deep spiritual questions but
who remain
hungry, asking, "Is there is a God, and if He is, how can I
get Him to notice me." Reared
in dead religious tradition
My
questions and spiritual curiosity were not answered by
denominational churches that I attended from my youth through my
adulthood. The services or ceremonies that were offered
programatically on meeting days revealed nothing of God's reality
or demonstrated his 'presumed'
love and power. It was however, God whom I ultimately met and who
impacted my life, outside
of religion, personally and powerfully. I hope
sharing these experiences bring hope and assurance to others. Receiving
this message Readers might have various responses: Some who are perfectly happy with who they are what they believe may register mere disinterest, indifference; Others who have established their own theological conclusions, particularly through formal theological training may register disdain (such persons believing that what I say here is un-scholarly, presumptuous, misleading or even dangerous); But there may be some who have been looking for a spiritual life without the flimflam of religion who will receive this account with gratitude. Inevitable criticism of this writing, will no doubt be harsher from those ensconced in institutional religion or institutional Christianity than from any other quarter. And of course, there is always that population of unbelieving secularists (most political quarters) who are disinclined to read anything of this topic in the first place. The heart of this Jesus Gospel (good news) has always been predicated on being gentle and peaceable, but none the less, it always meets with resistance and "offense" because of its spiritual nature.Ingrained in human nature is the instinct to fight to defend one's own beliefs. People have been fighting and dying over what they consider to be "right and true" for thousands of years.
Belief systems do not
yield without a fight. Our highly charged
human egos are born and nurtured within the domain of
materialism, worldliness, and self-serving, within the status-quo
of its institutions. Religious institutions today, are imbued
with most attributes
of worldliness, worldly power, worldly
recognition, earthly rewards. The world's religious systems have
their own vested interests. To be blunt, religion as we know it
represents a significant economic and political power. This
book is written principally for believers who do not realize to
what extent they have been blinded by orthodoxy. For unbelief is
the enemy of God's people as much as for 'unbelievers.' Unbelief
is not just limited to the un-churched but also remains a
constant foe in walking out the Christian life. For church house
Christians, both laity and clergy it is a terrible thing to know
only religion and not God! For the Lord has declared, "Many
will say in that day, Lord, Lord -, but I will say, "Depart
from me I do not know you." Matt.
25 Among
all the billions of people upon the face of the earth, it is
ultimately a matter of knowing God. Everyone will eventually be
confronted by this reality as every knee will bow before Him, the
“Lord of all life.” But millions this knowledge will
come too late and the door of life will have been closed. Part of
the purview of this book is to point out the difference between
knowing about God and knowing God. The
Confusing World of Christian Religion
There
is still great ignorance and confusion about Christianity.
Christianity is something that has come to be viewed within the
limiting frame of institutional religion not its true spiritual
aspect which is both simple and profound. The world knows
Christianity as a system of belief but more than that as
traditions and lifestyles which surround particular churches.
America was founded as a Christian nation as our founding fathers
made clear testimony. The United States has a history of goodness
founded on the belief in, and standards of, Biblical truth.
But at the present time, if the truth were known, I believe that
we would have far fewer who would qualify as Christians than
census documentation reveals. Those who are called Christians in
polls and surveys most often reflect an involvement with church
organizations through membership and activities. This, I assert,
is quite irrelevant to the nature of being or not being a
Christian. Among those who profess to believe in Christianity I
denote three distinct breeds: Kinds
of Christians Political Christians: This category designates to distinguish them from other ethnic or cultural sects. We see these referred to frequently in the media to designate the sects within countries or political regions. Most of the time these are contrasted with contrary ideologies; often at war, or embroiled in strife with other groups. Typical of political religious rivalry is that of the current conflict
in the former Yugoslavia, which dates back to the factional
disputes of the 15th century. Here are three ethnic factions,
Muslims, Serbs and Croats, religious- political groups seemingly
without any knowledge of a spiritual life and peace. In Ireland
divisions remain after generations of religious and political
strife, Irish Catholics in hatred and strife continue to war
against Irish Protestants and Protestants against Catholics. In
the decade prior to World War 2, so-called German Christians
began to commit outrages against German Jews in the name of
racial purity. For over 2 centuries 'Christian' crusaders waged
Holy Wars against the Muslim Turks in the Holy Land and at the
same time thought it was pleasing to God to torture and destroy
any called Jews. Religious
Christians are
actively involved with some form of institutional Christianity.
Within this group are tens
of millions of churchgoers who fill the pews in myriads of church
congregations each week. Each of these religious 'churches' or
denominations follows long-held traditions of their respective
denomination. Christian denominations have extensive power and
interests both social and economic. The business
of religion founded
in an orthodoxy that is morally well founded and righteous. These
traditions are rarely questioned within the established
tradition. The
clergy, religious leadership, has long been esteemed has a high
and noble calling, although an occasional skeleton may turn up in
the closet of some clergy person now and then. The lands and real
estate assets of churches are immense. Each denomination builds
great
buildings
as centers of worship and strictly supervise and train their
clergy to act as
priests or overseers of the faith.
The sad reality is that the denominations of today are little
different from any ancient priesthood, the Scribes, and Pharisees
of Jesus' day, of whom the Lord Jesus had little good to say. Today I believe that traditional forms of religious Christianity are the single greatest hindrance to effectively experiencing God in this nation as well as in all the nations where that institutional Christianity has been exported. Immunized by Religion: It seems as though religious Christians have been injected with something, call it religious formalism, which seems to make them immune to experiencing the authentic Spiritual Life of the Kingdom of God. Let me hasten to say however, that there are believers among the denominations, these men, women and children have received the knowledge of God through the Lord Jesus Christ in a profound and intimate way, not because of their religious affiliations necessarily, but in spite of that affiliation. The kingdom and the power of God are not the privy to any brand of religion but work around and through it. Third Category: True Christians, What is A Christian? Are we born Christians, Are we Christians because we were not born Buddhist or Muslim? Are we Christians because our parents were Christians? Are we Christians because of a religious rite? The Bible reveals that we become Christians not by a religious rite, but by a spiritual encounter with God. God receives us in "friendship" and extends fellowship to us. This fellowship is granted in the name of the only begotten son of God, Jesus, Jeshua of Nazareth. This knowledge is one thing but the actualizing power of Grace is quite another.
The Gospel is a gospel not only conceptual fact but actualized in
power. It is a life-changing, spirit-renewing power, that sets on
fire the love and life of God within a believer. This
life-changing encounter is central to what I hope to present in
this writing, and I will cover it broadly if the following pages.
A believer, in actuality, has no religious rites or obligations
or rules to follow in order to win God's approval. A believer's
job is to believe. Faith is choked by unbelief! Through faith we
gain access to the scriptural promises of God. These promises are
awesome and spectacular and when apprehended can lead us to
experiencing the kindnesses of God and entering into our divine
inheritance. That is the long and the short of it. Religion in
any of its many aspects has entered in obtrusively to complicate
or confound the simple way and truth that Christ has declared and
made known for all; that each man, woman, and child can know God
and experience wholeness through Him. My
hope and prayer is that those seeking truth, both religious and
non religious, Christian and non Christian, will continue in the
Word which can open the door to the Kingdom of God, with its
power and glory. May the God of all creation reveal Himself to
you, draw you into His family, and bring forth his kingdom, his
love, his life and liberty in your life. Reconstruction of the Human Spirit
Spiritual
Christians are created and established only by Divine will and
action. Those who constitute the membership of the Kingdom of
God, without regard to any earthly institutional affiliation. The
true church is a spiritual body, it is called the "Body of
Christ. " This body is universal,
apart from any designation of race, creed or nationality, it is
without any denominational labels and without sectarian or
geographical boundaries. The Bible reveals that we become
Christians not by a religious rite, but by a Spiritual encounter
with the person of God. God receives us in "friendship"
and extends the fellowship of his family to us. This fellowship
is granted in the name of the Begotten son of God, namely Jesus,
Jeshua of Nazareth, the Messiah. Acknowledging this doctrine is
one thing, the actualizing power of it is
quite
another. The Gospel is a gospel not only of historical fact but
of power. It is a
life changing, spirit-renewing power, that sets on fire the life
of God within a believer. Religion is an troublesome admixture that infuses the gospel that confounds the simple truth that Jesus Christ has made a way for each man, woman, and child to know God and experience wholeness in Him; to experience peace, joy and liberty in a meaningful life with Him. My hope and prayer is that those seeking truth, both Christian and non Christian will continue in the life giving word which opens the door to the Kingdom of God. May the God of all creation reveal Himself to you in order for you to continue to bring forth His kingdom. Searching For God
Highways
and Byways in the Quest For others the search is to find personal healing or inner contentment to salve the aching of their souls. In Him we find solace, peace, love and wholeness. There are numerous motivations which lend themselves to religious choices. While we say we search for God are we really sincere or insincere? In the final analysis it is we who must conform to God's book and acknowledge His rules and plan for ourselves and not visa-versa. Beginning a Spiritual Search While
we are shopping this smorgasbord of religion there are many
choices. How will you choose?
What are your resources and criteria to make these choices? Can
we choose using our own intellectual equipment? Those who are
proud of their intellectual achievements will
probably
choose wrongly; since they will choose to remain in control of
their own lives through the exalted faculty of reason. The wise
of this world say, "Only a fool denies reason." Some religions make no demands upon us to give up anything. When we are well satisfied with who we are; when we are pleased with ourselves, with our name, rank, and achievements; When we are puffed up with our own sense of superiority, looks, talents or strengths; How can we choose to believe something which asks us to, "deny yourself, take up a cross and follow me?" How do we choose a belief system which states, "In myself, I can do nothing;" or " - unless a seed falls and dies it abides alone, but if dies it brings forth much?" Is there any beauty in sacrificing our selves? How can we as 20th, soon to be 21st Century beings, choose to decrease to ourselves and choose that which is meek and lowly of heart, not arrayed the outward trappings of finery; not displaying intellectual cleverness, nor personal flamboyance. "He had no beauty that we should desire Him." (Isaiah 53:3) So we seek. We shop and we look and we ask about. During this time we continue to have as much power and self control, self satisfaction, and personal liberty as any other human seeker. When does the seeking come to an end? Is their a priceless pearl to be found? What is the nature of this pearl which beyond price? How do I begin my quest for God? Scripture
asks this question,
"What
does a profit someone to gain the whole world but lose his or her
soul?" There
is a risk associated with a search thwarted or the search
incomplete. There is a risk associated with substituting the true
with the counterfeit and the living with something tainted with
corruption and death. There is indeed a true Gospel, having the
right Jesus, the right Gospel and the right
Spirit.
(2Cor 11:3) There is a counterfeit gospel, awaiting any who
choose an alternative to the previous 3 criteria. Among these
alternatives lies the way to deception or possible destruction. In
this process of seeking, some who hear the message, come to
believe in the Lord Jesus, Jeshua of Nazareth called the Messiah
or Christ.) The Word of God declares, "Those who seek will
find." Those who seek and continue seeking, will find that
pearl of inestimable value. It remains hidden to those who are
lost. Great hunger is rewarded with satisfying 'manna'
from God and great thirst is rewarded with a
satisfying drink that Jesus called 'living water.' Many
others never come to believe in (profess) biblical Christianity
but another belief system. The way of the Christian life once
discovered provides a feast for the body, soul and spirit, a
feast that brings eternal satisfaction, the knowledge of the
friendship of Jesus is thirst satisfying indeed. The
Way, however, remains a narrow one, it is self limiting. It does
not accommodate those who wish to take their own intellectual
baggage in, this burden of extraneous stuff must be unloaded. Who
among the seekers is willing to do this? Who are really sincere
and not looking on a superficial curiosity level. Jesus has
counseled to walk the crucified life. Daily carrying our cross,
dying to self, turning from the raucous cries that would distract
us in this world. I
am reminded of the interview which King Herod of Judea attempted
to have with Jesus on the occasion of Jesus' trial and Pilate's
disposition of this matter of legality. What possible need or
interest could this powerful, worldly, self indulgent, sensuous
monarch have in questioning Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews? Herod
had indeed heard of Jesus. He had heard of his influence upon the
people and heard of the signs and wonders worked by his hand.
Herod probably was reminded of John the Baptist whose head was
the price paid for his stepdaughter Salome's sensuous dance
performance. Vain curiosity was probably the motivating factor.
Herod may have had some guilt or even fears associated with
destroying the non conformist, unyielding, cooperative prophet,
John the Baptist. Herod
interviews Jesus: The world against the spirit It
was time for a confrontation, though perhaps not yet a showdown,
It was a face-off between worldliness, sensual opulence, and
temporal power and the veiled spiritual wonders of the Kingdom of
God; it was flesh against the Spirit. What happened in this
confrontation of flesh and spirit? How did Jesus respond to the
queries of the coarse and curious Herod, did they share an
intellectual discourse? Jeshua remained silent not a word was
offered. What place has the kingdom of God with worldliness or
idolatry? Jesus had not one word to share. There was no dialogue.
There was no effort made to plead the case for a religious or
political agenda. No. Jesus answered not a word! The kingdom of
God and Herod's world were irreconcilable, worlds apart, kingdoms
apart. You see, Jesus will not respond to those whose lives are
filled with surfeiting, with self importance or with insincere
curiosity. Jesus answered the worldly Herod, not a word! A
doorway opens unto repentance In
my case, I had reached a crossroad in my middle years that led to
'an end of myself:' When my need was greatest, ground down to
nothing, I finally believed, and was willing to take the next
step to cry out, "Jesus,
son of David, have mercy on me!" So? Let us see
where the inquiry will take you. Will it be into the wilderness
(outside of the distractions of worldly distractions, where
intimacy with God is finally revealed? Or will you be lured into
the another wilderness imbued with worldly values having no
intimacy with God, having no power to fulfill Christ's hope and
calling.
THE
GOSPEL WITHOUT RELIGION
is
a series of commentaries compiled from this believer's study of
the "Word of God" and his personal spiritual insights
and experiences thereafter. I was not always a believer. What was
I before I became a believer, before becoming a Christian? I was
the same as many of you are. Before becoming a believer I
practiced a form
of Godliness; I
was religious. I was
actively involved in institutional forms of Christianity with its
many traditions, forms, and flavors and yet without knowing
Christ. Before
becoming believers, we called ourselves by any of hundreds of
denominational names, not realizing that Christ is One and can
not be divided. If this state, we had no true witness of the
reality of God; we had no true witness of our own spiritual
nature and destiny.
We
may not have known that God is real or
that He rewards those who seek him with wonderful gifts. Before
becoming a partakers in the "gift
of God", we
called
ourselves Christians.
Meantime,
not knowing that being a Christian meant more than just attending
church, more than learning a catechism, more than going through a
rite of membership. Being
a Christian is not an intellectual assent to a doctrine or belief
where you can say, "Yes
that sounds like it might be true, I guess I join up and become
one of those. "You don't join an institution or a church to
become a Christian,
rather, you are "translated" into becoming a
son or daughter of God. You are translated into a different
kingdom and a different reality; You become a new order of being.
You are translated from death into life, from darkness into
light. We who once cared nothing for the life and properties of
God now share in that life and are consumed by it. It is a work
that God does in us and not one that we do on our own. The World of Religion What
a world! Almost everyone is in their own particular place
regarding a search for a personal belief system. How would we
graph our place as a believer or an unbeliever? Do you know what
you believe? Do you know why you hold these beliefs? Some have a
belief in a God
of some
description, others may not. Some pray, some believe in an
afterlife, while others have no faith in any God nor any life
following this one. There are so many religions inside and
outside of Christianity. There are so many named Gods and paths
to appeasing them. Within these myriad forms of belief or worship
some have developed a set of moral values in accord with these
beliefs. Indeed many of these values promote peace and
brotherhood toward the greater community. Meanwhile, other
religious beliefs may generate hatred and intolerance toward
those outside of that faith. Now some religions compel its
followers to convert the world to their viewpoint and to, in a
word, cause the whole world to believe according to that
religion. Religion
is an intellectual study for some, a mandatory career
indoctrination for others. From an anthropologist's point of
view, religion simply revolves around the belief in "spirits"
as defined by Margaret Mead. Religions lead to wars and conflict
The crusades were a demonstration of wrong
Christian beliefs. The inhumanities done were
executed through a form of religion and not in conformity to the
Gospel of Christ. The crusades and the inquisition were chapters
in Catholicism that further demonstrated an abuse of power
that
is presumed when the rule
of God on earth is
already manifest in a political
church on earth. Christianity in the age of grace presents a message of love, acceptance and forgiveness. Destruction and judgment against unbelievers is not to be exercised by believers in the true Gospel. In the Gospel of Grace, there is an invitation to come freely and receive, partaking in the power of Jesus' love, and forgiveness. There is no sword to convert the unbeliever, but rather the demonstration of the supernatural power of God motivated by Love, that converts the heart and persuades each that there is a loving God in heaven. This is the loving Father who desires that no one dies under condemnation. "God so loved the world - - ," John 3:16 is the often quoted basic text. Discernment
(revealed by the Spirit of Truth) is given so we can know those whom
we can pray for. Condemnation never comes
from the hand of a believer who is commanded to walk in the same
love and forgiveness that Jesus modeled to all. Discerning the True Gospel, 3 factors determine its authenticity: The right Jesus: Jesus the Messiah is not an angel, not a mere prophet; not a great man, not merely a teacher of moral excellence; Not a highly evolved illuminate; but The only begotten Son of God, the Jewish Messiah. The right gospel; The Gospel is a gospel of good news; that humanity may come to the giver of life to receive a supernatural gift; eternal life and forgiveness without cost, without the mediation of a priest; It is not a gospel of works, nor is it a gospel of faith and good works; the door is open to any who call upon the name of the Lord. The source of truth and understanding of this gospel is the Holy Bible. The right Spirit; There are many spirits in the world, some of God, others demonic. Spirits abound in the atmosphere in individuals, in communities, of every nation. The church houses of religions can nurture or teach a doctrine which has a wrong, (un-Christlike) This
sort of subtle spiritual influence has existed for thousands of
years to lead people away from the God-life. Demonic spirits are
a reality now and in ancient times, when Jesus and his disciples
dealt with them. They are
present to seduce, impede, and steal from the life, liberty and
spiritual potential of every human being.
The
kingdom of darkness has this agenda; to steal, to kill and to
destroy, especially a
believer. The spirit of the world is a spirit of self
exaltation and pride. Of course modern thought and psychology
discredits belief in spirits as a primitive and obsolete belief
system. However, it is to be noted that Jesus the Messiah came to
"destroy the works
of the devil," Satan, the ruler of all fallen
beings. It is God's ultimate purpose to restore the proper line
of earthly rule under the dominion of Jesus Christ. In due time,
nations will recognize him as the Holy One of God, appointed Lord
of all things. Evil or wrong spirits include, pride, rebellion,
witchcraft, defilement, sensuality,
gluttony, drunkenness, etc.
One
god equals any other? The
Gospel, is denoted as the
power of God,
(1Corinthians 1;2.5) powerfully persuades us to believe, in a God
of love and a God who can impact human lives in remarkable
life-changing ways that exist out of the realm of church life.
This Gospel is not a shallow, tradition-ruled religion. Rather it
teaches knowing God who reveals himself as Savior and sovereign
of the universe. Even more amazingly, the Bible proves itself to
be entirely believable and consistent in spite of its progressive
detractors.
Theologians who work continuously to discredit any belief in
Biblical accuracy or consistency. Today when I hear of a God who
walked with man in a spiritually perfect world, called Eden. I
believe it; when I hear of a God who did wonders in the days of
Moses or the prophets I do not doubt that fact for one moment;
when I read the infallible prophecies of appointed men of God who
declare the end from the beginning I have no doubt in the
veracity of any of those words. God spoke through prophets with inerrant accuracy to declare the Messiah and his mission to redeem fallen humanity and all these prophecies came to pass. Jesus as the lamb of God came to close the divide between God and humanity. The resurrection of Jeshua, as irrational scientifically unsound it sounds on the surface, remains the foundation of Christianity. Resurrection establishes the "Power of the Gospel" and enables any believer to partake in His divine nature. Religions of the world may vary in name and beliefs but all seek to establish a worldly kingdom. They aspire to have a launching pad to promulgate those beliefs and in many cases, beliefs that are contrary to the Gospel. Christian religions sects, including, Catholicism, LDS Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and most of the protestant denominations distort the simple Gospel. They bring forth errant doctrines, formalism, and human authority. (See the characteristics of Religion in book two. "The attributes of Religion" Churches (buildings with congregations) are what people usually think of when we imagine Christian practices. When ceremony and ritual are the practiced, and where obligations or extraneous demands are taught, these are contrary to the original Gospel, e.g. the Apostolic epistles found in the New Testament. 1 E Book 2: E Book 3: Index to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles Resources and Understanding Home Church Fellowships http://churchinthehouse.org/ Frank
Viola Blog Casts Many Commentaries Rediscovering
the New Testament Forms of Worship THESE MP3s ARE FREE TO LISTEN TO
Interview
2/20/2006
http://www.sidroth.org also
see: Sid
Roth Guest,
George Barna
http://www.sidroth.org/radio.htm
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