What In the World Is Going On? False Prophets and Teachers: Their Methods and Their Fate

The Bible speaks of false prophets and false teachers in both the Old and New Testaments. Perhaps the best known in the Old Testament were the prophets of Baal. These were the prophets that Elijah challenged, ridiculed, and, ultimately, destroyed (see 1 Kings 18). There were false prophets and teachers during New Testament times as well and Peter warned believers that they would infiltrate the Church both then and now, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you” (2 Peter 2:1)

What do false prophets/teachers do? They “secretly introduce destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1). That is to say, their teachings will be subtly different than the true gospel of Jesus Christ; sounding spiritual, but not based on the atoning work of Jesus; sounding spiritual, but espousing doctrines of their own creation. These are the false teachers who look good and sound good. They appeal to peoples’ emotions and feelings; they make their followers feel good about themselves; they are the positive thinkers. They are the ones who dare NOT speak of sin or the consequences for disobedience to God’s Word. In fact, there are some who boldly deny the existence of hell, or that God would ever send anyone there, despite the clear teaching of the Bible. These are the teachers who primary message is, “We just need to love everyone. Let’s not talk about doctrine or specifics; that only leads to arguments.”

Peter goes on to say there will be some “ who will even deny the Master who bought them.” When Peter says “ the Master,” he is referring to Jesus, THE Christ, THE anointed One, THE Messiah. If you have spent any time researching the “New Age” movement, it teachers, or its teachings, you will notice something quite amazing: They speak of “a Christ” but there definition is VERY different from that of the Bible. I would encourage everyone to spend a few hours looking into what the New Age teachers are proclaiming. Here are but a few of the more recognizable names: Barbara Marx Hubbard, Marianne Williamson, and Neal Donald Walsch. Their collective writings, beliefs, and teachings use the following words: “God,” “Christ,” “Satan,” “New Jerusalem,” and “born again. ”But their definition for each of these terms is vastly different from the Biblical definition. They sound sort of “Christian” so most people don’t give their teaching a second thought, which is a huge mistake as their heresies have crept into the Church and continue to deceive many.

Peter goes on to describe why these false teachers will have many followers, “ And many will follow their sensuality. ” The word translated “sensuality” is the Greek word, aselgeia, meaning behavior completely lacking in moral restraint, usually with the implication of sexual licentiousness. While the Bible commands self-control, the false teachers will encourage their followers to indulge their passions without restraint. For decades now, the concept of keeping sexual relations within marriage has gone by the wayside. The mantra has become “if it feels good, do it,” after all, “a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to hell.”

And the result of their teaching, “and because of them, the way of the truth will be maligned. ” Not only will the false teachings cause people to live their lives in a sinful, none God-fearing way, the real truth of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and His atoning sacrifice will be slandered, criticized and disparaged.

God, however, will not turn a blind eye to those who would corrupt His Truth, His Son or His plan of the salvation for mankind.

Reading the entire passage in context, notice how Peter describes these false teachers and how God, who did not spare angels, will not spare them either (2 Peter 2:1-19):

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.”

“Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”

“These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”

Once again, we come to the crux of the matter: Is the Bible, in fact, God’s Word? Is it, as Paul said, “inspired by God” (theopneustos, literally God-breathed; 2 Tim. 3:16)? There have been, and there still are, many who try to disprove Paul’s words to Timothy only to find that God continues to protect and preserve His holy Word. The Psalmist wrote, “The sum of Thy word is truth, and every one of Thy righteous ordinances is everlasting, ” (Psalm 119:160)

Can we trust the Bible? Having been subjected to criticism for thousands of years, the Bible continues to stand against all those who would try to defame or destroy it. The evidence proving the validity of the Bible is overwhelming: internal, external, prophetic, archaeological, genealogical, geographical, thousands of ancient manuscript copies and fragments, and a host of other proofs, including the following facts:

1. The Bible was written over a 1500 year span of time
2. The Bible was written over 40 generations
3. The Bible was written by more than 40 authors from every walk of life
4. The Bible was written in different locations
5. The Bible was written at different eras: war, peace, captivity, on the run
6. The Bible was written during different moods: the heights of joy and the depths of sorrow
7. The Bible was written on three continents: Asia, Africa, Europe
8. The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
9. The subject matter found in the Bible includes hundreds of controversial topics – yet there is harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation

All of this, for the sole purpose of one unfolding story: God’s Redemption of Man

There is no other ancient document that has been so scrutinized and criticized and continues to stand strong and powerful. Make no mistake about it, that criticism and attack continues in our day, sadly, in places called churches, seminaries and Bible colleges.

Many years ago, I made the following observation: “Those who hold to the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture will be labeled as ‘the heretics.’” I’m not a prophet, but one only needs to give a cursory glance at what’s being taught today to realize the validity of that statement.

By God’s grace, there are still men and women, today, who believe that God’s Word is inspired and inerrant but the numbers are dwindling. A quick scan of what’s being taught from pulpits, what’s being written in “Christian” books, the lyrics of contemporary Christian music, or what’s being taught in Bible colleges and seminaries will confirm this sad fact.

In closing, I would like to leave you with a few words of caution: (1) Never veer from God’s Word. It is the filter through which we should pass any and all the teachings of men regarding forgiveness of sin, salvation, and eternal life; (2) Be careful about believing “new” revelation from anyone. God has given us all the truth we need for salvation and godly living (Titus 2:11-14); (3) Just because a teaching sounds good or appealing, doesn’t mean that its Biblical. ALWAYS define the terms/words that are being used by others. As an example, the New Age proponents speak of a “Christ,” but they are NOT speaking of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah; they use the phrase “born-again,” but their definition is far different than the Biblical one.

In our day, where false teachers, false teaching and false messiahs abound, we would do well to imitate the Bereans of Paul’s day: “And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so, “ (Acts 17:10-11).

May the Lord give you wisdom, discernment and grace as you seek to serve Him.

By His Grace,
Dr. Gary T. Dromi

What In the World Is Going On? A Disturbing Trend

If you’ve been paying any attention to what has been happening amongst our country’s leaders (irrespective of race, gender or political party), you may have noticed a disturbing trend. It’s probably not new, maybe just more prevalent, or maybe more acceptable in our postmodern culture, therefore practiced more frequently with little to no consequence. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is nigh on impossible to find.

Too many of our country’s leaders have traded an ideology for their integrity; they have traded an election victory for their complete honesty; they have, on a regular basis, parsed and redefined the proper meaning of words in order to obfuscate their role, or responsibility, for something that went horribly wrong.

“Plausible deniability” has been elevated to an art form. The current best strategy: Keep the truth about what really happened away from the politician, then he or she can say, “I knew nothing about it.”

God takes truth very seriously and He judges, harshly, those who try to redefine or conceal it for personal gain or for the purpose of deflecting personal accountability.

God’s Word is clear:

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And clever in their own sight!”
(Isaiah 5:20-21).

Throughout the Scripture, the word “woe” means judgment is coming and it cannot be stopped. It is too late; no more second chances.

God clearly defines good and evil in His Word and no one has the right to redefine it in order to bolster his or her, world-view, bias or political agenda.

What Is the Lesson?
Believers should always speak the truth and, if we have done something wrong, if we have sinned, then confess it, take responsibility for it and do whatever is necessary to correct it. That is the right thing to do; that is the God-honoring way to live the Christian life.

Believers are not perfect; we struggle with our old sin-nature. But that struggle is no excuse for dodging responsibility for our actions.

As ambassadors for Christ, we must represent Him well ~ with integrity, honesty, grace and the truth.

By His Grace,
Dr. Gary T. Dromi

What In the World Is Going On? Did You Know . . . . .?

Throughout the world, our brothers and sisters in Christ are being severely persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ. They are not just being made fun of or taken to court. They are being beaten, raped, tortured and crucified.

As you read the information below, understand that this is real; it’s not some Hollywood movie with actors and actresses; it’s not some staged scene with just the right camera angle. These are real people suffering real pain, sorrow and anguish and NOT giving up their faith in Christ.

North Korea, Somalia and Syria
For the 13th consecutive year, North Korea is ranked No. 1 on the World Watch List of the 50 countries where persecution is most extreme. The god-like worship of the leader, Kim Jong-Un, and his predecessors leaves little room for any other religions and Christians face unimaginable pressure in every sphere of life. Meeting with other Christians is virtually impossible. Anyone discovered engaging in unauthorized religious activity is subject to arrest, arbitrary detention, disappearance, torture and/or execution. Those Christians who attempt to return to North Korea from China are sentenced to life in prison or executed.

With no functioning government in Somalia, Christians are targeted by Islamic terrorists and other clan authorities. As the government gains more control, state actors are joining the vicious two to persecute Christians. The only type of Christianity in Somalia is Christian converts from a Muslim background. Persecution in the country is very severe. Islamic religious leaders maintain publicly that there is no room for Christianity, Christians and churches in Somalia. Islamic terrorists, in the form of al-Shabaab, as well as other radical Islamic groups, have intensified the persecution of Christians.

The Islamic State introduced the caliphate (strict Islamic leadership) in large parts of Syria and Iraq at the end of June 2014 and a strict version of Sharia law was implemented. Since then, most Christians have fled areas controlled by the Islamic State. Christians are kidnapped out of financial, political and ideological motives. Many Christians have been abducted, physically harmed and killed. Amidst all violence and persecution, there are also sparks of hope, however. Though many Christians have left the country, a growing number of people are converting to Christ in the deplorable situation of civil war.

Vietnam: Hired Thugs Raid College
A Ho Chi Minh City Bible school that has often been the target of police activity in recent years was attacked and destroyed for the seventh time on Wednesday, November 12, 2014, by hired thugs accompanied by the police. The thugs used hammers and metal cutters to destroy doors, walls, and furniture. Police then raided the college and arrested nine Christians who did not have proper paperwork — documents that had been confiscated by police in earlier raids. The Bible school leader, Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, said this was the seventh attack on the college since June 2014.

On the November 12 attack, hired men along with scantily-clad prostitutes gathered outside the school and begin shouting and screaming in the streets. Witnesses saw police filming the events just as the mob began damaging the school property. The thugs broke doors and gates that were broken three days earlier and had just been repaired that day. Police then arrested nine people inside, including Pastor Quang’s son and two Mennonite pastors.

The nine Christians were taken to the local police station. After being interrogated for two hours, all nine were released but were charged for not having ID cards or temporary residence papers. These documents were confiscated in earlier raids and never returned, according to church leaders. Without these documents, all nine will face further police harassment and complications with employment and school registration.

The Ho Chi Minh Bible College trains young Christians, mostly from minority tribal groups and has been the subject of frequent attacks. After large scale attacks in June, the water and electricity for the school were cut off, and in October, all roads to the school were barricaded.

Rocks and rotten eggs have been thrown into the college on more than one occasion. Those who attend worship services or classes at the school have faced bomb threats and harassing phone calls, and some members have been followed home and beaten up or had damage done to personal property.

Pastor Quang filed a complaint with district police in June and Mennonite church leaders formally requested lawyers after an attack in June; however, attacks on the school property have not stopped. But even with the heavy intimidation, school leaders have continued to operate the school, and students continue to study faithfully, intent on their mission to share Christ throughout Vietnam.

How Is Persecution Defined?
Christian persecution, as defined by Open Doors, "is any hostility experienced from the world as a result of one's identification as a Christian. Beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and employment, and even death are just a few examples of the persecution they experience on a daily basis." Yes, it’s happening on a daily basis.

Iraq: Islamic State turn Christian Churches Into Torture Chambers
“Islamic State militants have turned Christian churches into torture chambers. According to the Jerusalem Post, Isis have been forcing church-goers to convert to Islam, in a bid to 'wipe out Christianity.'”

Christians were reportedly being held captive in makeshift torture chambers set up in raided churches in Qaraqosh, Iraq.

The Jihadists have stripped the churches of their ancient relics and artifacts, to be smuggled to Western collectors to help fund their terrorist activity.

The extremist organizations have made $35.5 million from the sale of stolen artifacts in Nabaq, Syria, according to the Christian Post.

A source said, "This is why they are crucifying Christians — which includes children — destroying churches and selling artifacts.”

"The reality is, this group will stop at practically nothing to raise funds for its terrorist mission."

Canon Andrew White, the vicar of the only Anglican church in Iraq, has warned Christians that the end of the religion in the country appears "very near".

Data gathered since January 1, 2015*

Date            Country     City/State      Killed   Injured      Description

2/14/2015    Libya          Sirte                21         0                 Twenty-one Christians are abducted by   

                                                                                                Islamists, forced to their knees and then  

                                                                                                beheaded.

2/5/2015      Syria           Damascus       10         50               The Army of Islam sends rockets into 

                                                                                                mainly Christian neighborhoods, killing 

                                                                                                ten residents.

2/4/2015      Iraq             Mosul             1           0                 A priest is beheaded by the Islamic State.

1/31/2015    Syria           Raqqa             1           0                 A Japanese journalist who converted to 

                                                                                               Christianity is beheaded by caliphate 

                                                                                               members in the name of Allah.

1/23/2015    Nigeria       Bantaje            1           0                 Muslim extremists butcher a pastor and 

                                                                                                father of two.

1/21/2015    Syria          New Sabri        2          35               A Fedayeen suicide bombing takes out 

                                                                                               two Christians.

1/17/2015    Indonesia   Tamadue          5          0                Muslim terrorists murder five Christians  

                                                                                               in two attacks.

1/17/2015    Niger         Zinder              1           0                An angry Muslim mob burns a church 

                                                                                              with one person inside.

1/13/2015    Egypt        Luxor               1            0                A Muslim radical shoots a 38-year-old 

                                                                                               Copt to death.

1/11/2015    Kenya      Mombasa          1            0                Terrorists kill a priest during a church 

                                                                                               service.

1/6/2015      Egypt       Cairo                 2            0                Two men guarding a church are shot to 

                                                                                               death by extremists.

1/4/2015      Nigeria    Kantoma           2             10              Two people preparing for church are  

                                                                                               shot to death by Fulani terrorists.

1/2/2015      Nigeria   Ambe-Madaki    15          40               Fifteen villagers are massacred when 

                                                                                                Muslim terrorists attack a Christian 

                                                                                                village.

1/1/2015      Nigeria    Gombe               0            8                 A suicide bomber detonates at the 

                                                                                                entrance of a church service.

* Data taken from:  http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/ChristianAttacks.htm

Our Lord Understands
Our Lord endured the most grievous of all persecution and torture. And though it was planned from eternity past, that didn’t make it any less real or any less painful. In His humanity, He felt the agony of the Roman whip upon His back. He knows the excruciating pain of crucifixion first hand.

He told His disciples that they, too, would experience the same hatred, persecution and death on account of their loyalty to Him. God’s Word doesn’t “exempt” twenty-first century believers from the enemy’s attack.

The Enemy Is Real
If you are a believer living in the United States, we have no idea what real persecution looks like. We can still talk openly about Jesus; we can still attend church whenever we want without little fear of armed gunmen opening fire on us; we can still carry our Bibles wherever we choose; there’s no fear of our wives or children being kidnapped because they attended an Awana Club or youth group meeting.

But remember, all believers have an enemy, the devil, and he hates us with an insatiable and deadly hatred. The apostle Peter tells us, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen,” (1 Peter 5:8-12).

The word translated as “devour” is the Greek word: καταπίeiν (root = katapino), a compound word from kata (down), and pinō (to drink). In 1 Pet. 5:8 it’s translated “devour,” speaking of Satan’s activities against believers. The literal meaning would be to swallow. Additionally, it has the meaning: to cause the complete and sudden destruction of someone or something; to destroy, to ruin completely. That’s exactly what our enemy is striving to do through radical jihadist terrorists.

What Now?
It’s so simple to read the above information and move on to the next thing on your calendar. Please don’t do that. Remember to pray, daily, for our brothers and sisters in these Muslim countries. If you can, financially support those organizations that are actively trying to help persecuted Christians around the world.

Food for Thought:
One day, in God’s time, we will meet the ones who are truly suffering for Christ. We will stand side-by-side worshipping and praising God for His wonderful gift of forgiveness and salvation. I hope we, in America, will be able to look them in the eye and not feel ashamed because we ignored their needs.

May the Lord bless you as you continue to seek and serve Him and His people.

By His Grace,
Dr. Gary T. Dromi

NOTE: As I finished writing this article, a news report has just been released stating that 21 Coptic Christians have been beheaded in Libya by ISIS terrorists (Feb. 15, 2015).

1 https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Voice of the Martyrs: http://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?story_ID==373238
5 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-islamic-state-turn-christian-churches-into-torture-chambers-1480935

What In the World Is Going On? The “Stage of Truth” is Empty

About five to six years ago I had the privilege of teaching/facilitating a discipleship course entitled “The Theology Program.” This was a wonderful teaching tool to help believers grow in their understanding of theology in a general way and Biblical Christianity more specifically. The program was developed by two Dallas Seminary graduates, Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck, both of whom hold Th.M. degrees.

Each student enrolled in the program watched the DVDs, had workbooks to read and take notes in, memorized relevant theological vocabulary words and completed various projects. Each student also had to read sections of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and selected chapters of The Mosaic of Christian Belief: Twenty Centuries of Unity & Diversity by Roger Olson. This was, by far, one of the most challenging courses of study for all of the students in attendance. This program far exceeded the average home Bible study in scope, requirements, and rewards. The students continually commented on their increase in knowledge and growth throughout the eighteen months that we were together.

I mention all of this, not as an advertisement for The Theology Program (though I would highly recommend it), but to share with you one particular topic that was taught by Michael and Rhome that will help all of us as we begin the new year.

In one of the classes, Michael and Rhome talk about “the stage of truth.” Very briefly, their discussion went like this:

During the Pre-modern era of Church history (400 A.D. – 1600 A.D.), the primary source of truth for the Church was Scripture. “Tradition” was a close second to Scripture (as a source of truth) because not everyone could read at that time in history, nor did everyone have a copy of the Bible. “Tradition” based upon Biblical truths, could be handed down from one generation to another (verbally) thereby continuing one’s dependence upon Scripture as their sole source of absolute truth.

During the Modern Era of Church history (1600 A.D. – 1900 A.D.), things began to change rapidly. With the advent of the printing press, people were now learning to read, books were being printed, knowledge was growing and man was discovering much about himself and the natural world around him. This, of course, led to reason/logic and science moving up on to the “stage of truth,” so much so, that Scripture and tradition are being slowly, but surely, replaced as the source of truth even within the Church. Reason and logic promised a future “utopia” for all of mankind because science and logic would show man the way to peace and prosperity for everyone.

Fast forward to the Post-Modern Era (1900 – present). Some things happened that caused yet another shift in where people were searching for truth. World War I & II showed how reason and science were not able to help man create his utopian world. There were many differing opinions amongst scientists and philosophers causing great division and strife when it came to where one could look to find “the truth.” As a result of that strife and division, reason and science were also removed from the “stage of truth” just like the Bible and tradition had been in earlier history. During this time-period, nothing appears to be consistent. People became pessimistic and scared; they no longer trusted reason, science, or logic. Therefore, people chose not to listen to any of the previous sources of truth. With Scripture, tradition, reason, science and logic all removed from the “stage of truth,” the question was asked, “Where, now, can we go to find truth?” The answer was then, and still is now, “With no source of truth outside of ourselves, we will each become our own source of truth.” Each person’s own opinion, regardless of any facts to the contrary, became their own source of truth. Which, ultimately, leads to: relativism.

Relativism reigns supreme our current post-modern world. Essentially the post-modern mind says, “Whatever you believe is true for you is true, regardless of any evidence against it.” The law of non-contradiction has no influence in the post-modern mind. A ridiculous, yet striking, example would be: 2+2 can equal 5 – if that’s true for you.

To the post-modern mind, relationships and feelings are far more important than absolute truth because the post-modern mind doesn’t believe in absolute truth from any outside source. Tolerance is most valued above all else. The post-modern mindset is far less objective and far more subjective. Post-modern people are more open minded and willing to accept someone else’s beliefs even if those beliefs are objectively found to be false. Emotions and experience play a huge role in the post-modern mind.

Michael and Rhome’s discussion regarding the “stage of truth” was a little more detailed than what I’ve shared with you but I’ve given you the most important points.

Why I have shared this with you? Good question! For many years, we have watched as decisions have been made within our churches, our communities, our cities, states and the highest places of our federal government. Many of those decisions have been confusing to say the least. Believers have been asking, “Why would they decide to do that? That’s so wrong! What is going on in our world today?”

Recently, in our government, we’ve seen countless hearings into everything from the murder of an American ambassador and three other Americans at Benghazi, to the Fast and Furious gun running scheme into Mexico, to the IRS targeting of conservative organizations, to lies told to the American people regarding the Affordable Care Act. Has anyone been held accountable? Has the “truth” been revealed? No. What’s happened is a “walking back” of what was said; a “spin” of the comments; a “parsing” of the words.

Remember, that, unless those in power are true believers, their “stage of truth” has nothing on it from which to determine right from wrong, truth from lies. They are their own source of truth.

Some people get elected to positions of great power and responsibility but their “stage of truth” is empty. Right and wrong are no longer determined based upon the objective truths found in the Bible. Decisions are made for purely political reasons, for the advancement of a career, an agenda or an ideology that finds no basis in God’s Word.

In a world where there is no standard of absolute truth (i.e., the Bible), everyone becomes a law unto himself/herself. Here are some of the conclusions found within that particular mindset:

1. “You can worship any god you want to worship. All roads lead to heaven.”
2. “Your parents owe you because, after all, they messed up this world.”
3. “A woman has the right to do what she wants with her body. Abortion isn’t murder because it’s not a real baby.”
4. “Who needs marriage? Enjoy yourself with as many people as you want to. Marriage is old fashioned and out of date.”
5. “That store makes so much money. If I take this from them, they’ll never miss it.”
6. “So what if I didn’t tell the truth? He [she] deserves to get in trouble, not me.”
7. “My husband [or wife] and I are having some problems with our marriage and I needed to be with someone who understands me. It was just sex ~ no big deal.”
8. “He [she] doesn’t deserve those things -- I do! I hate the fact that they’re so successful.”

Were it not for our Sovereign God, we could easily find ourselves in deep despair over what’s currently happening in our society and around the world. However, as believers, we need to remember that God’s still in charge. He’s still on the throne and no one is ever going to knock Him off of His throne.

There is a day coming, yet future, when God will make all things right according to His Word; when we will live under the royal monarchy of King Jesus, who will reign with righteousness. As believers, we hunger and thirst for righteousness because we’ve been born again from above; we have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us. He is growing us, changing us and making us more and more like our Savior. It’s a life-long process but He who began that process is faithful to complete it.

With regard to the evil choices and actions that we see happening – as a direct result of the “stage of truth” being empty and people being a law unto themselves – the prophet Isaiah reveals God’s thoughts regarding what we’re seeing happen in our society today:

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And clever in their own sight!
22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine,
And valiant men in mixing strong drink;
23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!” (Isaiah 5:20-23)

For all true believers, our hope lies not here in this present world-system, its leaders, or its political structures; our hope does not lie in any religious affiliations or specific denominations. Rather, our hope is found in the truths that we see in the Scriptures. Here are a few verses to encourage us and to remind us of where our hope should always be:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope;” (1 Tim. 1:1).

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” (1 Tim. 4:9-10).

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:23-25).

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thes. 4:13-18).

And finally, I will leave you with the apostle John’s words from his vision of the future, our future; the future of all those who trusting, solely, in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of eternal life:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ And He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’” (Rev. 21:1-8).

Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Perhaps today!  

By His Grace,
Dr. Gary T. Dromi

Growing In Grace and Knowledge -- “The Father Sent the Son to Be the Savior of the World” (1 John 4:14)

In a world that is continuing to march toward God’s historic and prophetic purposes, we would do well to stop and remember John’s words above.  Those words bring us comfort; those words bring us hope; those words remind us that we are not alone, and that evil does not triumph in the end.

The Sovereign God of the universe, in an act of amazing sacrificial love, provided for mankind an escape from the judgment, punishment and condemnation that is due him because of his unending sin.  God was neither required nor obligated to do so.  John, in his gospel, tells us that the motive for God sending the Savior of the world was love, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16).  Despite the wicked and rebellious ways of mankind, God’s love compelled Him provide the way of salvation for all those who would believe and receive His son, Yeshua (Jesus), the Savior of the world. 

Paul reminds us that it is, “by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast,” (Eph. 2:8-9).  “Grace,” unmerited favor; God giving us something that we don’t deserve:  eternal life through the Savior of the world.  “Grace,” unmerited favor; God giving us something that we don’t deserve:  forgiveness of ALL our sins, past, present and future (Col. 2:13b).

As Paul points out, “it is the gift of God.”  We understand the word “gift,” especially this time of year.  A gift is something that we give to others to celebrate a special occasion and to bring them joy.  A gift is also something we receive from others without the offer of payment.  It’s a “gift” – not a purchase. 

God’s “grace-gift” to all who will believe and receive Jesus as their Savior is salvation (rescue) from the judgment, punishment and condemnation that we deserve.  We can neither earn nor buy this salvation, for if we could, then there would be reason for us to “boast” about our accomplishments.  It is the “gift of God, not of works.”

The Savior of the world, Jesus, makes this very clear, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life,” (John 5:24).

This is the true gospel.  This is the ultimate “gift,” the one that should bring us the greatest joy:  God has provided the Savior to save us from ourselves; to save us from our sin; to save us from judgment and eternal condemnation.  Praise the Lord!  


This time of year we sing the songs of Christmas in celebration of the birth of the Savior of the world and rightly so.  However, in keeping with the theme of this article, allow me to close with some lyrics that have been special to countless believers; lyrics that will remind us of this amazing gift that the Father has given to us.

How Great Thou Art
“And when I think of God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.”

And Can It Be
“Amazing love!  How can it be, that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

“The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world,” (1 John 4:14).

What greater gift could be given? 

May the Lord bless you as you and your families as you celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world.

What In the World Is Going On? Another “Gospel?”

Introduction

For the last six months, I’ve been voraciously reading about the new “trends” in the post-modern “church.”  What I’ve read has been, both, fascinating and frightening.  There appears to be a huge push toward personal “experience” and mystical practices, all in the name of “Christianity.”  This is not something brand new.  This has been going on for centuries.  However, what used to be labeled as heresy has now become, not only accepted as truth, but also embraced by mainstream denominations, seminaries and Bible colleges.  As a result, countless people (church attendees, seminary and college students) are following these false teachers believing that what they are doing is endorsed and approved by the God of the Bible.

It is not my intent to give an exhaustive explanation of what’s happening today in almost every denomination.  There is a huge library of information out there regarding these new practices.  Therefore, I will only briefly describe some of the most popular practices and ask some serious questions.

Contemplative Prayer

“Contemplative Prayer” is the term currently used to describe what is nothing more than the repetition of a phrase or word, over and over again, with the promise of “growing closer to God.”  This is otherwise known as the repeating of a “mantra.”  This type of recitation has been practiced for centuries, in the same manner by those who follow eastern religions such as:  Buddhism, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, etc.  What’s really going on is an attempt at integrating Biblical Christianity with other pagan religions, something that would never have been tolerated, let alone embraced, by the true Church of Jesus Christ.

The current day practice of contemplative prayer in the postmodern church can be traced back to ancient mystics.  Here are but a few by name:  Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) to St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) to Madam Guyon (1647-1717) to Thomas Merton (1915-1968).

 To be sure, true believers are instructed to “meditate” upon God’s Word.  In Psalm 119, the word “meditate” is used ten times but always referring to God’s precepts, statues, and Law.  The references to meditating upon God’s truths are many.   A quick look at a concordance will provide plenty of places to look.

                                        

This Biblical meditation, however, is not simply the mindless repetition of a word or phrase.  It is, rather, the quiet contemplation of spiritual truths found in God’s Word.  It is a thoughtfulness, a deliberate and purposeful attempt to think through and understand what the Scriptures are saying, what they mean by what they say and how they apply (or do not apply) to true believers as individuals.

This is not the chanting of a mantra that supposedly brings one closer to God via mindless repetition.   There is nothing “new” here.  It’s simply paganism being revisited and embraced by those who profess to be Christians.

 In Matthew 6:7, Jesus instructs his disciple how to pray and then gives a caution, “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”  Food for thought.

Paul‘s words to the church at Galatia are very apropos here, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-8).

The Emerging Church

As so much has been written regarding the doctrines and practices of the “Emerging Church,” I won’t spend a lot of time explaining the details.  Articles can be found on the Internet from John MacArthur, Norm Geisler, Michael Patton and many others, who clearly layout the doctrines and practices of those involved in the Emerging Church movement. 

In the interest of brevity, here is the basic premise of those who lead or espouse the Emergent Church’s beliefs:  that we cannot know absolute truth, even if we read the Scriptures.  The postmodern idea of relativity has taken deep roots even in the church.  Yet, as Dr. Geisler points out, their premise is “a self-defeating one.”  To make the statement that “there is no way to know absolute truth” is to make an absolute statement about absolute truth.  They are apparently absolutely certain that human beings cannot know absolute truth.  If we cannot know absolute truth, how is it that they are absolutely certain about that alleged truth?

A reminder from the apostle Peter would be helpful for those attempting to weigh this belief: 

“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God,” (2 Peter 1:20-21). 

Are we to believe that the Holy Spirit somehow conveyed His Truth through the writers of the Bible in such a way that we cannot know whether it is true or not? 

What about the words of Jesus, “Sanctify them in truth; Thy word is truth,” (John 17:17).  Are we to believe that Jesus’ high priestly prayer to the Father on behalf of His disciples was pointless?

Even in the Old Testament, the author of Psalm 119 was telling his readers (contemporaries and future) that God’s Word is truth, “The sum of Thy Word is truth, and every one of Thy righteous ordinances is everlasting,” (Psalm 119:160).

If we’re to believe the leaders of the Emerging Church, then we are left with no other option but to doubt the integrity of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, all of the New Testament writers and the writer of Psalm 119, and that is a very dangerous path to travel.  Who would be so foolish as to dare to impugn the integrity of a psalmist let alone the Holy Spirit of God and Jesus Himself?

 

Another Gospel:  The Gospel According to Men

What we’re seeing is not THE Gospel according to Jesus, the apostles or the writers of the New Testament.  We’re seeing yet another “gospel,” one this is according to men.  This gospel is not new; this gospel is not salvific; this gospel does not address the condition of man, that is, that he/she is permeated with a sin nature that he/she, on his/her own, cannot recover from nor fight against.

This is a non-Christocentric gospel, one where “experiences” and “feelings” are the driving factor – not the absolute truth that “there is none righteous, no not one . . .” (Romans 3:10-12).  These false teachers have created another gospel, one that has nothing to do with Jesus or the reason why He had to come, had to die, had to resurrect and has to, on a daily basis, intercede on behalf of all true believers. 

This non-Christocentric gospel is all about the individual feeling good about himself/herself.  Here’s some important information:  it’s not about you!  The absolute truth is, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12).

The apostle Paul felt so strongly about the truth of the Gospel that when he wrote his letter to the church at Galatia, he had to firmly rebuke them, “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatian 1:8). 

We would do well to listen to Paul’s exhortation, as there really is nothing new in the “Emerging Church” doctrine or philosophy.  It may be spiced up, it may be more emotional in its presentation, it may even be portrayed as “new revelation from God.”  But the real truth is, there is nothing new here.  It’s just being repackaged and sold as something that no one has ever known before.

The Church Hijacked

During the formative years of the Church, Paul, Peter, and Jude were all writing with regard to the false teachers of their day that were trying to hijack the Church from its Christ-oriented foundation.  Peter gives this warning, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves,” (2 Peter 2:1).  Both the proponents and the followers of these “new” methods would do well to consider what the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Peter, has recorded in the Bible.

One obvious question we must ask is:  Were all of the Reformers Wrong?  Are we to believe that Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and so many other brilliant, Bible-believing, God-fearing scholars were complete idiots in their struggle to bring the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the average person?  Are we to believe that these great men of the Christian faith somehow got it all wrong?  Are we to believe that only these post-modern “teachers” know something that all the rest missed?  Really?

 Ecumenism Isn’t In the Bible

One common thread that can be found today is a striving for “unity” amongst all denominations.  Biblical doctrine is cast aside in favor of “just loving one another.”  Here’s the problem with that:  You won’t find Jesus, Paul, Peter or any of the other writers of Scriptures advocating for a compromise of God’s Word or God’s message. 

The absolute truth can be found in God’s Word and here’s what He has to say: 

“There is none righteous, not even one; 11 there is none who understands,

there is none who seeks for God; 12 all have turned aside, together they have become useless;

there is none who does good, there is not even one.” 13 Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; 14 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; 15 their feet are swift to shed blood, 16 destruction and misery are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace have they not known.  18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:10-18).

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

“For the wages of sin is death;” (Romans 6:23a).

“For by grace you have been saved, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9).

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus. 3:5-8).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son what whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). 

Let’s reiterate that last one:  There is salvation in NO ONE ELSE!  There is no other name . . . . . no other name.   One more time:  “NO OTHER NAME” by which we must be saved.

Is Anyone Listening?

It’s astonishing that so many people are chasing after “another gospel” when the true Gospel is right there in their hands (assuming they are reading their Bibles and not just carrying them).  And if people are reading their Bibles, then the true Gospel should become quite apparent and the false gospels easily recognizable. 

Paul’s admonition to the church at Ephesus was as follows:  “. . . we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;” (Ephesians 3:14). 

That same admonition holds true today.  Everything that we read and everything that we hear should be run through the filter of God’s Word.  If it is in agreement, wonderful; if not, then it should be rejected.  We are to mature in our walk with the Lord – not remain spiritual infants.

Peter assures his readers (and us) that God hasn’t withheld anything from us.  He has revealed all that is necessary for salvation and for godly living, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  (2 Peter 1:2-3). 

How does one get to know, and know more about, Jesus?  There’s only one way – read and study His Word, the Bible.  How does one get to know about the true Gospel message?  Read and study God’s Word.   Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying with humility.  Read and study with the intent of growing in the knowledge of who God really is and with the intent of obeying His commands. 

 The Missing Link

These other “gospels” all have one thing in common:  a missing link, if you will.  These other “gospels” are all gospels that are excluding Jesus.  That’s what all of these other “practices” have in common.  They are man-centered or self-centered rather than Christ-centered. 

 

These “teachers” have conveniently left out THE most important fact that every human being needs to know in order to be forgiven of their sin and freely be given eternal life: 

Jesus is the Lamb of God, sacrificed once for all: 

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” (John 1:29b).

 “For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all,” (Romans 6:10).

Jesus is our High Priest:

“For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself,” (Hebrews 7:26-27).

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption,” (Hebrews 9:11-12).

“After saying above,’ Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast not desired, nor hast Thou taken pleasure in them’ (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Thy will.’  He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.  14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified,” (Hebrews 10:8-14).

Jesus is the Savior of the World: 

“The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). 

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18).

Jesus is the Kinsman Redeemer: 

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus is the one and only mediator between God and Man: 

“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5-6)

The one sacrifice of Christ is Sufficient: 

“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.  2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?  3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.  4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY THOU HAST PREPARED FOR ME;  6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES FOR SIN THOU HAST TAKEN NO PLEASURE.  7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE ROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME ) TO DO THY WILL, O GOD.’”  8 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN THOU HAST NOT DESIRED, NOR HAST THOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO THY WILL.”  He takes away the first in order to establish the second.  10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.  14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  (Hebrews 10: 1-15).

Paul tells Timothy what the goal of his instruction was really all about and he warns Timothy about “fruitless discussions, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.” 1 Tim. 1:5-7,

Conclusions

The fact is that there is “nothing new under the sun.”  The purveyors of Contemplative Prayer, Emerging Church doctrine, mystical eastern practices and integrated “Christian yoga” are offering nothing new.  It’s been around for centuries.  The difference in our post-modern day is that human beings, with their fallen natures, are so self-centered and narcissistic that these pagan practices are openly accepted because they give the illusion that somehow “I am closer to God” or “I just feel like God is speaking to me.” 

Many years ago I was involved in the Awana Clubs Program.   In the “Sparks” Club (k-2^ndgraders) they were taught this acrostic:

S is for sin:  Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

P is for power, God’s power:  Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of salvation to all who believer.”

A is for according to:  1 Cor. 15:3, “that Christ died according to the Scriptures.”

R is for rose again:  1 Cor. 15:4, “and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”

K is for keep:  James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.^”

S is for Savior:  1 John 4:14, “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”

The true Gospel, the one that exalts Jesus as the Savior of all who will believe and receive Him as their personal Savior; it’s the one that Paul gave his entire life for; it’s the true Gospel that changed, forever, the twelve apostles.  That’s the Gospel that this world needs to hear, believe and receive. 

It’s simple enough for children to understand and believe; it’s a stumbling block for the proud and self-righteous; it’s “too easy” for those who want to take credit for their own “goodness”; and it’s a life raft for the truly humble who find themselves drowning in a sea of empty promises and false teachers.

Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18b).  Jesus is building His Church on His truths, which are found nowhere else other than in His Word, the Bible. 

If absolute truth is unknowable, then how could Jesus build His church on the shifting sands of uncertainty and doubt?  How could we trust that what He says is true?  How can we maintain a hope in a Savior whose doctrines are in a constant state of flux? 

Do the modern-day proponents of “unknowable-ness” really believe that Jesus is making it all up; that He was lying? 

Do the modern-day proponents of integrating eastern mysticism with Biblical truth really believe that the words of Jesus, Paul, Peter and the other men who wrote under the Divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit didn’t tell the whole truth?  That the authors of God’s inscripturated Word withheld something from the early Church that has only become available in the last 10-20 years?

If that is true it reflects a very low view of the Scriptures, which I suspect is at the root of all of these false teachings and self-centered practices.

It’s a very slippery slope to be on when one no longer sees the Bible as absolute truth.  It opens a very wide door that leads to all sorts of man-made heretical teachings because the authority of Scripture has been denied.

To those who hold God’s Word in high esteem:  Continue to trust in His Word, His truth and His Son.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away,” (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33).

To those who question the validity of God’s Word, ask yourself this question:  Why would God, (who did not spare His only begotten Son), withhold from us anything that would lead to a better understanding of Who He is and what He has accomplished on our behalf through Jesus?

I will close with the Holy Spirit’s explanation of salvation as imparted to the apostle Paul,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that, not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast”  (Eph. 2:8-9).

May the Lord bless you as you continue to study His Word and seek to serve our Savior, Jesus, the Christ.