The Wisdom of Silver Birch
abracad, · Categories: channeling, spiritualism, spiritualitySilver Birch is arguably the most famous guide and prolific teacher in the history of Spiritualism. Though presenting himself as a North American Indian the wisdom of this timeless master transcends both history and culture.
The philosophy of Silver Birch was channeled over an incredible 61 years by trance medium and founder of Psychic News, Maurice Barbanell.
Silver Birch not only provides us with a comprehensive description of the Spirit realm and its relation to the material plane we temporarily call home, his words also provide a blueprint for living a purposeful and ultimately satisfying life.
The message of Silver Birch is an excellent introduction for newcomers to Spiritualism, an ongoing source of inspiration for established Spiritualists, and food for thought for even the most hardened skeptics.
Teachings of Silver Birch Edited by A.W. Austen. First published in 1938, this classic Silver Birch title contains a fascinating foreword by famous journalist Hannen Swaffer. Silver Birch tells his own story and answers countless questions, including life in the spirit realms.
Philosophy of Silver Birch Edited by Stella Storm. Former secretary to Maurice Barbanell and then chief reporter at "Psychic News", Stella Storm's coverage includes natural law, lessons of bereavement, the responsibility of mediumship and "Healing, the greatest gift of all." Silver Birch also tells what he would say to a television audience.
More Philosophy of Silver Birch In easy to read question-and-answer form, of especial interest are two chapters which trace man from birth to what lies Beyond. Social problems, reincarnation and science are amongst other subjects examined. This title ends with inspiring, bite-sized, "Points to ponder".
Lift Up Your Hearts Compiled by Tony Ortzen. A carefully chosen selection of teachings comprising the guide's wise words over a twenty-year period. Animals, a spirit view of death, mediumship and karma are just four of the many subjects explained.
Seed of Truth Compiled by Tony Ortzen. Based upon two earlier out-of-print titles "Silver Birch Speaks" and "More Wisdom of Silver Birch", which were compiled by the medium's wife, Sylvia. It contains an account of when actress Mary Pickford, "the world's sweetheart", met and questioned Silver Birch, Each chapter ends with one of the guide's uplifting prayers.
More about Silver Birch from the Spiritual Truth Foundation
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Filed in: channeling, spiritualism, spirituality
WHY DID JESUS DIE?
This question is of vital importance because your eternal destiny depends upon your answer to it. Do you know why Jesus died? If not, I believe God has sent me across your path to tell you.
SIN BRINGS DEATH
In God’s Word, the Bible, we learn that death came into the world because of sin. “Wherefore … by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). You and I die because we are sinners; we have forfeited our right to live on the earth. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
JESUS DIED FOR US
Did Jesus die because He had sinned? No. Listen to the inspired Word: “In Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5); “Who did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22); “Who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, death had no claim upon Him. But, blessed be His Name, He “gave Himself for our sins” (Galatians 1:4). It was love to you and me that caused the Lord Jesus Christ to come down from heaven and die on Calvary’s cross. It was love to us that held Him on that shameful cross until He had finished the work of atonement to the glory of God.
A holy, righteous, just God cannot let sin go unpunished. On the cross the Lord Jesus bore God’s judgment against sin in our stead, as our substitute; and now God is offering not only forgiveness, but also justification to the repentant sinner who believes in Jesus. He is “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). God showed His approval of that mighty work by raising the Lord Jesus from among the dead and seating Him at His own right hand in heaven (Mark 16:19).
JESUS IS THE WAY
There is no other way a sinner can be saved but through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Why did Jesus die? Have you ever realized that it was your sins that caused Him to die upon the cross, or ever felt you need of Him as your personal Savior? As you read this little message, He looks down from heaven upon you, and He reads the thoughts and intents of your heart. He knows your attitude toward your sins, as well as your attitude toward the One who wants to be your Savior.
TURN TO HIM TODAY
God knows all about you. I urge you not to lay aside this message until you have settled this great question and have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Once you see the seriousness of your sinful condition before God, you will never get rest of conscience and heart until you have trusted the Savior of sinners. He “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). We are “reconciled to God by the death his Son” (Romans 5:10).
If you do not trust Him now as your Savior, you will meet Him in eternity as your Judge. For God “hath appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man who He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in the He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).
Won’t you flee to Him now for refuge while it is the day of salvation? “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
If you have questions or want to talk to someone about what it means to follow Jesus Christ, visit: SeekLife.net
Fraudulent Faith (Part 2)
By Pastor Ray Stedman
“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”
1 Timothy 4:3
One of the strange marks of religious error is that it is so often accompanied by ascetic practices, that is, denial of certain normal, natural human enjoyments. One of them is marriage. A number of groups have historically forbidden marriage to their adherents with the idea that sex is unclean, and those who indulge in it are certainly less dedicated than those who refrain.
Foods come under this heading too. I do not mean to imply at all that there is anything wrong with diets. It is obvious that some people need dieting. There is nothing wrong with studies on nutrition and proper eating. Nevertheless, through the course of human history there has been a strange affinity between food restrictions and fads and religious error.
The reason is that at the heart of asceticism is a conviction that self-denial somehow pleases God. It can be very earnest, very sincere. Often Christians fall into this error in their early Christian days, thinking that if they deny themselves in some way God is going to be pleased, and their status in His sight will be advanced. That is why some Christians love to get up early in the morning for Scripture reading or memorize hundreds of verses of Scripture or pray on their knees for long periods of time. These practices, which in themselves are not wrong, nevertheless become wrong because their motive (that of gaining God's favor by self-denial) is wrong.
This is a good example of the subtlety by which error begins. When a deviation enters a stream of truth, at the first point of deviation, error looks like truth; it is very hard to see it as error. This is what has misled so many people. They never recognize error until they become engrossed in it. Down the line they begin to suspect that it is error, but by that time they are already hooked.
There is a difference between self-denial and denying self. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). That is denying self. But that is easily confused with self-denial, which says, “I will give up this thing or that thing. I want to gain a special mark of favor before God, and I want to influence God to do something for me in return.” When our motivation ultimately is to achieve something for ourselves by our actions, we are no longer denying self but practicing self-denial.
How subtle the differences are! Self-denial is an attempt to earn favor apart from faith in the gift of righteousness which makes us wholly acceptable before God right at the very beginning of our Christian life; denying self is a refusal to heed those silken arguments of the inner ego that appeal to us to show how good we are by giving up something.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that I can enjoy the things You have created. Teach me the difference between self-denial and denying self.
Life Application
What is the difference between self-denial and denying self? Are we careful not to let subtle religious error lead us into a fraudulent faith apart from Christ's righteousness?
Fraudulent Faith
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1 RSV)
As we draw near to the end, before the return of the Lord, there may come an increasing departure from the faith, but I do not think this passage is talking about any one great departure. In fact, other Scriptures suggest that the departure from the faith will occur at the time of the appearance of the man whom Paul, in Second Thessalonians, calls "the man of sin" (2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV), the so-called "antichrist" (1 John 2:18), who will lead this great departure from the faith.
This verse in First Timothy, however, is more properly understood when it is translated, "in succeeding seasons there will be many departing from the faith" -- i.e., this is something that is going to go on, the apostle is suggesting, throughout the whole course of Christian history, in succeeding seasons of time. Just as there are several seasons in a calendar year, so in the calendar of history God has seasons for human events -- seasons of war, seasons of peace, seasons of unrest in society, when everything seems to be torn apart (we are going through such a season now); seasons of discovery, when the human mind breaks through into new vistas of truth, geographical discoveries, scientific discoveries; seasons of retrenchment, when everything seems to quiet down; and, as the apostle clearly says here, "seasons of deceit," when error breaks forth afresh; like a fountain, it seems to gush out a whole new spectrum of untruth. I have lived long enough to have seen several such seasons.
These seasons of deceit were predicted by the Holy Spirit, we do not know how. Perhaps Paul learned this in some of those direct visions and visits from Jesus himself. Perhaps it came through the prophetic ministry of some of the New Testament prophets. At any rate, the Spirit had precisely stated that there would be succeeding seasons of deceit.
In the last part of the 19th century, there was a pronounced season of deceit, when new cults that have occupied the scene ever since emerged here in America. Mormonism was born then; Jehovah's Witnesses came into being during that latter part of the 19th century; Christian Science emerged. All of these claimed to be Christian, yet they distorted biblical Christianity. That period in the 19th century was followed by a period of quiet, when no new cults emerged. Error was being taught but no new organizations were formed.
Suddenly, in the mid-60's, it all broke loose again. A torrent of error began to flood our churches and the media. The Moonies came into existence under the Korean leader, Sun Myung Moon; the Hare Krishna, those young people in saffron robes with shaved heads, started appearing in airports, passing out literature and pinning flowers to lapels; Scientology, with its strange and cruel doctrines, was born; Transcendental Meditation came into popularity then.
Here the apostle is explaining that strange phenomenon to us. He says these things will occur in successive seasons of time. During those times, Paul says, many will depart from the truth, depart from the faith as it is presented in the apostolic Scriptures.
These groups make their appeal in various ways: some appeal to the emotions, some to the intellect, some to the will, to the pride of mankind. But they all have one common characteristic. This characteristic is indicated in this passage by the way the apostle moves from the central truth of Christianity, "the mystery of wholeness" (the person of our Lord and his work) expressed in Chapter 3, Verse 16, to the sharp and stark contrast of this "departure from the faith." Thus Paul seems strongly to suggest that the central focus of all error is to present a different Jesus; that is the key mark of deceit.
If you want to know whether a group you are listening to, or are in touch with, is preaching and teaching true Christianity, ask yourself: "What do they say about Jesus? Who is he? Is he God appearing as man? Did he come in the flesh? Is he the Savior who has in himself accomplished all that God requires for the redemption of humanity?" Ask yourself, "What part does the blood of Jesus play in this teaching? What is said about his Person?"
The central deviation of all religious error is a negative testimony to the centrality of Christ in the universe. Even the unseen forces of life know that Jesus is central. Jesus is truly Lord, so the thrust of error is to attack him.
This is why in a university like Stanford it is possible to teach Buddhism, or some other teaching, and find it widely approved and supported by the faculty and the administration. Someone told me this morning that he took a course at Stanford University on Druids and Druidism and the religion of King Arthur. It became evident through the course that the teacher believed these things and was actively propagating a belief in Druidism -- and nobody objected. But when Jesus, when true Christianity, is presented, there immediately is sharp and subtle opposition against it. This is what the apostle Paul is pointing out.
Paul reveals the ultimate origin of these cults as coming from "deceitful spirits."
Why we should believe the Bible
We should believe the Bible because of the wealth of good evidence that has demonstrated the Bible is historically reliable and divinely inspired. It speaks about:
• Its hundreds of fulfilled prophecies
• The Bible's amazing internal harmony
• The Bible's incredible scientific accuracy and foresight
• Thousands of archaeological discoveries
• Numerous details in the Bible that have been corroborated by extrabiblical historical sources
• And so on
THE BIBLE IS SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE
For the Bible to be regarded as the inspired word of God, it must be scientifically accurate…since God would certainly know the facts about his creation. A word of caution, however, as we seek to evaluate the claim of scientific accuracy. Over time, science has often discovered new facts that confirmed a revised understanding of the truth, previously unknown. These discoveries have always been consistent with the Bible, however, at times a careful consideration of the words and (importantly) the context of the words must be made.
The account of creation (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1900s). The account of creation as given in the Bible (Genesis 1) is accurate according to the steps understood by science. Written down originally by Moses, they were not fully recognized by science until the 1900s, using modern astronomy, physics, chemistry, paleontology, and geology.
Time, space and matter had a beginning (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1916). The Bible’s first words are “in the beginning.” And elsewhere, including the New Testament, there are references to the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Corinthians 2:7). In 1915, Albert Einstein’s equations of general relativity proposed a beginning of time, matter and space. Later these equations were confirmed by repeated experiments.
The first law of thermodynamics (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1842). The law of conservation of energy indicates that matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed (just converted). There are many biblical references to God’s completion (that is, there was no more creation), going as far back as Genesis (2:2-3), and also in several other books (Psalm 148:6; Isaiah 40:26; 2 Peter 3:3-7; Hebrews 4:3-4,10). Joule and Mayer both independently discovered this in the same year (1842), what is now known as the first law of thermodynamics.
The second law of thermodynamics (the Bible: 1000 B.C.; Science: 1850). Commonly known as entropy, this law states that all things progress from a state of order to a state of disorder (within a closed system) without a purposeful input of energy. Common illustrations: things decay, springs unwind, stars burn out, heat dissipates, and materials become mixed over time. There are many references to the principle of entropy in the Bible, for example,
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like garments (Psalm 102:25-26).
Other similar references include Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:35; Romans 8:20-22; 1 John 2:17; and Hebrews 12:27. In 1850, Clausius discovered this second law of thermodynamics.
Circumcision on the eighth day (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1947). No one really knows for sure why God specifically chose circumcision as the sign of his covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:11). Though it seems like an odd practice, research has indicated that it does have medical value. A study in the mid-1900s showed that Jewish women had a lower rate of cervical cancer. The smegma bacillus has been shown to be a major cause of cervical cancer. It can be easily carried in the foreskin of uncircumcised males and transferred to females through abrasions of the cervix (as those occurring in childbirth).
Interestingly, God specified that newborns be circumcised on the eighth day after childbirth (Genesis 17:12). Research shows that infants are particularly susceptible to hemorrhaging from the second day after birth to the fifth. A small cut can be deadly. Vitamin K, necessary for the production of prothrombin (the body’s blood-clotting substance) is not present sufficiently until days five through seven. It skyrockets to 110 percent of normal on day eight, and then levels off. The Bible specifies the best possible day.
Sterilization (the Bible: 1450 B.C.; science: 1800s). It is easy to take our understanding of germs and disease for granted. However, germs and sterilization were not understood until the time of Joseph Lister (1865), near the end of the Civil War. The Bible required sterilization for many things: infectious disease (Leviticus 13), childbirth (chapter 12), bodily discharges (chapter 15), and handling of the dead (Numbers 19).
Interesting to note that many of the world’s greatest scientists have been Christians working from within a Christian worldview, including men such as Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and Sir Isaac Newton. These brilliant men found to be true what many others discovered: The Bible is a book that can be trusted.
Archaeological Evidence
Archaeologists have discovered substantial support about many
details of Jesus’ life. Some examples include:
Indirect Resurrection Evidence
Evidence that the people in Jesus’ time believed in the resurrection is found on caskets of bones (ossuaries) discovered in a sealed tomb outside Jerusalem in 1945. Coins minted in about A.D. 50 were found inside the caskets, dating the burial within about 20 years of Jesus’ crucifixion. Markings are clearly legible, including several statements reflecting knowledge of Jesus’ ability to overcome death. Examples of writings (in Greek) of hope for deceased loved ones include: “Jesus, Help” and “Jesus, Let Him Arise.” The caskets also contain several crosses, clearly marked in charcoal. This is powerful evidence that early Christians believed in Jesus’ ability to triumph over death. It also ties the idea of victory over death to the cross.
Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916). Sir William Ramsay was, arguably the greatest archaeologist of his day. His archaeological journeys took him to 32 countries, 44 cities, and 9 islands. Throughout some 15 years of intensive study, he concluded that “Luke is a historian of the first rank, this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Any doubt regarding the accurate transmission of manuscripts was erased in 1947
with the discovery of hundreds of scrolls buried in caves for nearly 2000 years.
Many were written before 100 B.C. Comparison of biblical books with recent
Jewish copies shows virtually no change in words or even letters.
The Trustworthiness of the New Testament
The New Testament has better manuscript evidence than any other ancient book.
There are over 5,000 New Testament manuscripts and portions of manuscripts. By comparison, the majority of classical works have less than 20 manuscripts.
The dates of the New Testament manuscripts are close to the original writings. One Gospel fragment (Ryland’s) dates about 25 years after the Gospel of John and most of the New Testament (Chester Beatty and Bodmer Papyri) from 50-150 years after the originals. Most classical works date from 700 – 1400 years after the originals.
None of the canonical New Testament is lost or missing. By comparison, 107 of Livy’s 142 books of history have been lost and about one half of Tacitus’ 30 books of Annals and Histories is missing.
2. Good arguments can be given that each of the Gospels was either written by an eyewitness, or significantly influenced by firsthand testimony, as recognized by many contemporary scholars.
3. Even without proving eyewitness authorship, the Gospels measure up well by normal historical standards used in ancient historiography.
4. The Gospel are trustworthy sources, as explained by A.M. Hunter
a. These Christian authors, like their Jewish counterparts, were careful to preserve traditional material.
b. The Gospels are close to eyewitness sources.
c. The Gospel authors were honest reporters.
d. The picture of Jesus presented in the four Gospels is virtually the same (see Archibald M. Hunter, Bible and Gospel, pp. 32-37).
5. The Gospels and Acts exhibit a specific interest in reporting historical facts, not mythology. This is especially the case when the life of Jesus is reported.
6. Contemporary historians frequently opposed the application of radical criticism to New Testament studies. According to A.N. Sherwin-White and Michael Grant, such attacks fail at a number of crucial points (see A.N. Sherman-White, Roman Society, pp. 186-193; Grant, Jesus: An Historian Review, pp. 179-184, 199-201).
a. Numerous ancient works exhibit intentions and methodologies similar to that of the New Testament authors, and yet these ancient works are well accredited as historical works.
b. There are no ancient writings in the category that radical critics place the Gospels.
c. New Testament books such as Acts have been largely confirmed by external test of historicity.
7. The Gospel and Acts were recognized as inspired books almost immediately after being written (see J.B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers).
a. 1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 and refers to it as “Scripture.”
b. Clement of Rome (about AD 95) speaks of the “Gospel” and quotes portions found in all three synoptic Gospels, referring to them as the words of Jesus (Corinthians 13,46).
c. Ignatius (Smyrnaeans 3) and Polycarp (Philippians 2, 7), both writing about AD 115, refer to verses in the synoptic Gospels as the words of Christ.
8. Paul’s epistles were also recognized as inspired Scripture almost immediately after being written.
a. 2 Peter 3:15-16 calls Paul’s epistles “Scripture.”
b. Clement of Roman (Corinthians 47), Ignatius (Ephesians 10; to Polycarp 5), and Polycarp (Philippians 1,3-4, 6) all refer to Paul’s writings as inspired.
Ralph Muncaster, (former atheist) in his book: Examine the Evidence, presents extensive evidence to validate the truth-claims of Christianity. He provides compelling arguments from science, biblical prophecy, history, and archaeology. This former skeptic points out that of all religions and philosophies on earth, only one, Christianity is verifiable and testable. He was challenged to honestly investigate the Bible and the facts of modern science. He was stunned. Fact after fact, from biology, history, archaeology, physics, lined up with the Bible’s account!
Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853) Greenleaf, (former Atheist), one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School, and a world-renowned expert on evidence, originally set out to disprove the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was certain that a careful examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would dispel all the myths at the heart of Christianity. But this legal scholar came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen. Being a man of conviction and reason, and in accordance with his conclusions, Greenleaf converted from Agnosticism to Christianity.
Manuscript Documentation
The position of Jewish scribe was one of the most demanding and esteemed jobs in biblical times. After training for years, scribes were allowed to practice the profession only after age 30. Often referred to as doctors of the Law, they joined the priests in the teaching of the Law.
Scripture Copy Rules
Recording of Holy Scripture was a serious responsibility. So important was exact reproduction that Old Testament scribes were forced to adhere to demanding rules anytime a manuscript was copied:
1. Scrolls – special paper, ink, and surface preparation required.
2. Tight specifications – specified column number, 37 letters per column.
3. Master used – no duplicates of duplicates.
4. Each letter visually confirmed – no writing of phrases.
5. Distance between letters checked with thread.
6. Alphabet – each letter counted and compared to the original.
7. Letters per page counted and compared to master.
8. Middle letter of scroll verified to be the same as the master.
9. One mistake – scroll was destroyed (i.e., master scrolls)
Consider the following facts about the Bible:
First, the Bible is not just one single book. This is a more common misconception than many people realize, especially with people who do not come from a Judeo-Christian background. Rather than being a single book, the Bible is actually a collection of 66 books, which is called the canon of scriptures. These 66 books contain a variety of genres: history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, letters, and apocalyptic just to name a few.
Second, these 66 books were written by 40 different authors. These authors came from a variety of backgrounds: shepherds, fishermen, doctors, kings, prophets, and others. And most of these authors never knew one another personally.
Third, these 66 books were written over a period of 1500 years. Yet again, this is another reminder that many of these authors never knew or collaborated with one another in writing these books.
Fourth, the 66 books of the Bible were written in 3 different languages. In the Bible we have books that were written in the ancient languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic; a reflection of the historical and cultural circumstances in which each of these books were written.
And finally, these 66 books were written on 3 different continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe . Once again, this is a testament to the varied historical and cultural circumstances of God's people.
Think about the above realities: 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents. What's more, this collection of books shares a common storyline - the creation, fall, and redemption of God's people; a common theme - God's universal love for all of humanity; and a common message - salvation is available to all who repent of their sins and
commit to following God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. In addition to sharing these commonalities, these 66 books contain no historical errors or contradictions. God's word truly is an amazing collection of writings!
The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, bears the mark of Divine inspiration.
The Bible Itself Argues Against the Possibility of Its Corruption
The charge that the Bible has been corrupted, contradicts what the Bible itself teaches. After all, in Isaiah 40:8 we read, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands for ever.” In the New Testament Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”
(Matthew 24:35).
The Almighty God who had the power and sovereign control to inspire the Scriptures in the first place is surely going to continue to exercise His power and sovereign control in the preservation of Scripture.
The True meaning of Easter
Some people think of Easter as spring break, breaking every commandment. Others think of bright colors, Easter eggs, bunnies and so forth. A survey was taken: 60% to 75% don’t know what this special occasion signifies. Easter is actually about the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Is there evidence verifying this historical fact? Absolutely. The crucifixion of Jesus is undoubtedly one of the most important events in human history, and especially well documented and accepted as fact. There is far more evidence for the resurrection than for any other single event in the history of the world. Evidence such as early Christian creeds that pre-date the New Testament, as well as the historical facts that virtually all critical scholars admit, provide an extremely strong case for the death and resurrection of Jesus. Also there are
non-Christian writings about Jesus, the biblical prophecies that were written hundreds of years before Jesus (see: Genesis 12:1-3; Micah 5:2; Isaiah 35:5-6; Daniel 9:25; Zechariah 9:9; Psalm 22; Isaiah 52:14; Hosea 11:1; Isaiah 53:12; Psalm 16:10; Psalm 68:18; Malachi 3:1 and much more!) about Jesus that came true are 100% accurate, and many archaeological findings.
People often don’t embrace a relationship with God because they fail to investigate and understand their beliefs. Some people are taught wrong beliefs from birth, which they never objectively challenge. Some people are misled by individuals who cleverly tamper with facts and tell people what they want to hear, and some people just don’t care. Yet abundant evidence exists for the first Easter and the tremendous message it brings to mankind. Hence, we might reject God out of apathy, or out of pride, or for many other reasons. But we have no basis to reject God for lack of evidence if we take time to seek it. As the Bible says “Men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).
Why did Christ have to die? Jesus knew from the very beginning that He had come to this earth to die for the sins of humanity. He also knew that He would make this sacrifice on a Roman cross. If there had been any other way, do you think that God would have sent His Son to suffer like this? If there had been any other way we could have been forgiven, then God surely would have found it. If living a good moral life would get us to heaven, then Jesus would have never died on the cross for us. But He had to die, because there was and is no other way, and He had to pay the price for our sin. (see Romans 5:12).
Sin is like an infectious disease that has spread throughout humanity. We were all born with it. This is where the cross comes in, because we were separated from a holy and perfect God by our sin. But God loved us so much that He became a man and walked among us and went to a cross and died in our place and paid the price for every sin that we have ever committed.
The Bible says that when Jesus died on that cross, He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. Many people still do not understand the significance of what took place on that Roman cross 2,000 years ago. Jesus died so that we might have eternal life.
If ever you are tempted to doubt God’s love for you, then take a long look at the cross. It wasn’t the spikes that held Jesus there. It was His love for you. How do you know that you will have the absolute guarantee of going to heaven when you die? It is not how much moral, religious, or good works you have done, because you’re still separated from God.
The answer is simple, first have a personal relationship with Jesus, and realize that you are a sinner (see Romans 3:10), Second, recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you (see Romans 5:8). Third, repent of your sin (repent means to change our direction in life). Last but not least, receive and ask Jesus into your life (see Revelation 3:20).
If you are reading this today and you've never committed your life to Jesus Christ, would you confess Him as Your Savior and Lord? If so, visit this important message, that will affect your eternal destiny:
http://www.harvest.org/knowgod/
carm.org/how-do-i-become-christian
If you want to know more about the Bible, Salvation, Christian living, Christianity & other religions, and tough questions, visit:
https://mwtb.org/blogs/seeklife
If you still have questions:
Please Visit: https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?gclid=COq_uPTh788CFUtNfgodY-IBgQ
Did Jesus die on the cross or just swoon?
Problem: Many skeptics believe that Jesus did not die on the cross. Some say that He took a drug that put Him in a coma-like state and that He later revived in the tomb. Yet the Bible says repeatedly that Christ died on the cross (cf. Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).
Solution: Jesus never fainted or swooned, nor was He drugged on the cross. In fact, He refused the drug customarily offered to the victim before crucifixion to help deaden pain (Matthew 27:34), and He accepted only “vinegar” later (v. 48) to quench His thirst. Jesus’
actual physical death on the cross is supported by overwhelming evidence.
First of all, the Old Testament predicted that Christ would die (Isaiah 53:5-10; Psalms 22:16; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:10). And Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah (cf. Matt. 4:14-16; 5:17-18; 8:17; John 4:25-26; 5:39).
Second, Jesus announced many times during His ministry that He was going to die (John 2:19-21; 10:10-11; Matthew 12:40; Mark 8:31). Typical is Matthew 17:22-23 that says, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.”
Third, all the predictions of His resurrection, both in the Old Testament (cf. Psalms 16:10; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2) and in the New Testament (cf. John 2:19-21; Matthew 12:40; 17:22-23), are based on the fact that He would die. Only a dead body can be resurrected.
Fourth, the nature and extent of Jesus’ injuries indicate that He must have died. He had no sleep the night before He was crucified. He was beaten several times and whipped. And He collapsed on the way to His crucifixion carrying His cross. This in itself, to say nothing of the crucifixion to follow, was totally exhausting and life draining.
Fifth, the nature of the crucifixion assures death. Jesus was on the cross from 9 o’clock in the morning until just before sunset. He bled from wounded hands and feet plus from the thorns that pierced His head. There would be a tremendous loss of blood from doing this for more than six hours. Plus, crucifixion demands that one constantly pull himself up in order to breathe, thus sending excruciating pain from the nails. Doing this all day would kill nearly anyone even if they were previously in good health.
Sixth, the piercing of Jesus’ side with the spear, from which came “blood and water (John 19:34), is proof that He had physically died before the piercing. When this has happened, it is medical proof that the person has already died (see point eleven below).
When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus his blood, which had already separated into the plasma and the hemoglobin, came pouring out together. That only happens when the circulation has stopped and death has occurred.
Seventh, Jesus said He was in the act of dying on the cross when He declared “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). And “having said this, He breathed His last” (v.46).
John renders this, “He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). His death cry was heard by those who stood by (vv. 47-49).
Eighth, the Roman soldiers, accustomed to crucifixion and death, pronounced Jesus dead. Although it was a common practice to break the legs of the victim to speed death (so that the person can no longer lift himself and breathe), they did not even break Jesus’ legs (John 19:33).
Ninth, Pilate double-checked to make sure Jesus was dead before he gave the corpse to Joseph to be buried. “Summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. And when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph” (Mark 15:44-45).
Tenth, Jesus was wrapped in about 75 pounds of cloth and spices and placed in a sealed tomb for three days (John 19:39-40; Matthew 27:60). If He were not dead by then, which He clearly was, He would have died from lack of food, water, and medical treatment.
Eleventh, medical authorities who have examined the circumstances and nature of Christ’s death have concluded that He actually died on the cross. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Society (March 21, 1986) concluded:
Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between his right rib, probably perforated not only the right lung but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured his death. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern knowledge (p. 1463).
Evidence from Scripture
Authentic Text
Many powerful men over the centuries have tried to discredit or destroy the Bible. All have failed. There is more evidence for the authenticity and accuracy of the Scriptures than for any other ancient book. No one who has studied these issues doubts the genuineness of the Bible. Many, however, reject its message.
The Manuscripts
There is more evidence for the Bible’s authenticity than for any literature of antiquity. Textual analysis begins with historical investigation, beginning with the latest documents and working backward. As evidence develops, the data is evaluated against other sources. The record is then checked for consistency of information, and the claims are analyzed as if it were a legal case, looking for credible testimony with cross-examination. There is an enormous amount of evidence for authenticity of the biblical manuscripts.
The New Testament was written in first century A.D. There are some 20,000 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 100 years after the original. In contrast:
Caesar’s Gallic Wars was written in the first century B.C. There are only 10 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 1,000 years after the original.
Aristotle’s Poetics was written in the fourth century B.C. There are only 5 manuscripts in existence. The earliest textual evidence we have was copied 1,400 years after the original.
There are many more writings of the Church Fathers quoting sections of Scripture; we could reconstruct the entire New Testament from their writings alone. There were millions of man-hours spent in cross-checking the manuscripts. There remains only 1 percent of all New Testament words about which questions still exist; no questionable passage contradicts any Bible teaching.
The Old Testament has been more accurately transmitted to us than any other ancient writing of comparable age. The textual evidence is greater for both the Old and New Testaments than any other historically reliable ancient document. The ancient scribes were very meticulous. There were only 1,200 variant readings in A.D. 500.
The Masorites produced an official text in A.D. 500. There are other versions that confirm the accuracy of the Masoritic Text.
Samaritan Pentateuch: 400 B.C.
Septuagint Greek: 280 B.C.
Dead Sea Scrolls: 0 A.D.
Latin Vulgate: 400 A.D.
The quotations from pre-Christian writing confirm the text. The New Testament accepts the Old Testament as authentic, confirming the traditional authors, quoting from at least 320 different passages, and confirming the supernatural events cited in the Old Testament.
The Message
There are over 3,000 different religions in the world, all of which claim to teach the way to eternal happiness. It has often been said that each of them provides a different path to the same end, and that men are free to choose the path that best suits their own disposition and culture. The Word of God is insistent that this is not so!
The Bible insists that the God of the Bible is the only true God (Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-6) and that Jesus Christ is the only way to God (John 14:6). All other religions, while stressing their “paths,” would allow for some other contingency.
The Bible insists that it is the only true revelation, that its words are not to be changed (Proverbs 30:5-6;Revelation 22:18-19), and that its words are the basis of all judgment (John 12:47-50).
The Bible has a unique account of origins (Genesis 1-11). All others are either evolutionary or pantheistic, with eternity of matter as the “beginning.” The biblical account of origins is unique in both quality and quantity of information.
The Bible has a unique historical basis. Other religions are based on the subjective teachings of their founders. Biblical teachings are based on objective and demonstrable facts: creation, the fall, the flood, the life and work of redemption of Christ.
The Bible teaches a unique plan of redemption. It reveals a unique Savior.
He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25).
He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:14-16).
He taught as no other man taught (John 7:46; Matthew 7:28-29).
He died a unique, volitional death (John 10:17-18; Luke 23:46).
He had unique victory over death (Acts 17:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
The Bible demands a unique salvation.
Perfect holiness is required (Romans 3:10-18, 23; 6:23).
Substitutionary atonement is the only means of reconciliation (Hebrews 10:4-14; Romans 3:24-26).
Grace is the only measurement (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 11:5-6).
Other religions require some form of works or participation.
Accurate Data
The Bible is unique among all books. Not only is it different in its form, structure, and history, but it takes the position of supernatural superiority to all other communication. It insists on total accuracy for its content and absolute obedience to its commands. No other book is so demanding.
Historical Accuracy
The Bible has proven to be more historically and archaeologically accurate than any other ancient book. It has been subjected to the minutest scientific textual analysis possible to humanity and has been proven to be authentic in every way.
Genesis Is Historically True
The most controversial book of the Bible is Genesis, especially the first eleven chapters. Those chapters speak of the creation of the universe, the fall of man into sin, the world-wide flood of Noah, and the language-altering event at Babel. There is much evidence that these events are historically accurate.
Biblical Data Is Historically Testable
Historical evidence routinely includes ancient literature, business records, and government documents, analyzed in conjunction with linguistics, geography, and archaeological analysis of physical objects (pottery, coins, remains of buildings, etc.), using forensic science techniques.
After many millions of man-hours of research and evidence analysis, archaeology has repeatedly confirmed the reliability of the Bible. The Bible has been proven geographically and re-proven historically accurate, in the most exacting detail, by external evidences.
Scientific Accuracy
Many would suggest that the Bible is an antiquated religious book, filled with scientific fallacies and mistakes. Others believe that the Bible is a book of true religion, but dealing solely with spiritual subjects, with any matters of science and history to be interpreted spiritually or allegorically.
Either the Bible is wholly reliable on every subject with which it deals, or it is not the Word of God.
Although the Bible is obviously not a science textbook (otherwise it would be continuously out of date), the Bible does contain all the basic principles upon which true science is built. The Bible abounds with references to nature and natural processes, and thus frequently touches on the various sciences. For instance, there are many passages that deal with principles of hydrology, geology, astronomy, meteorology, biology, physics, cosmology, and the grand principles of the space-mass/energy-time continuum.
Again, if the God revealed in the Bible truly exists, then everything that He reveals would of necessity be true.
One often hears of mistakes or errors in the Bible. Seldom, when confronted, is there an example provided. When such “errors” are cited, they fall into three kinds of alleged mistakes: 1) mathematical rounding, 2) relative motion, or 3) miracles. Obviously, mathematical rounding is both scientific and in constant use today, as is the use of relative motion for all sorts of navigation and distance calculations. To deny the miraculous is to assume that one is omniscient.
Just as the Bible has become a source book for history and archaeology, so it is also a source book for the foundational principles of science. Those who ignore the information of Scripture will be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).
Reliable Eyewitnesses
The Bible, like many books, was written by eyewitnesses (Luke 1:2; 2 Peter 2:16) to the events and circumstances that they recorded. That they were trustworthy witnesses is only to be expected, since God inspired them to co-author their respective portions of the Bible. But some ask: how can we know if the Bible’s human co-authors were really reliable eyewitnesses?
The following eyewitness traits are the ones emphasized in common law, in law school, and in the Rules of Evidence.
A reliable witness will evidence honesty by his/her sincerity of speech, and be clearly motivated by a drive to speak the truth. The quality of a witness’s observations can be observed by accurate memory, evidenced often by access to accurate records. The competency of his/her communication will be demonstrated by an ability to recall and describe observations, with accurate information and relevant details. Testimonial consistency is also a key factor in reliability.
Though each witness will provide idiosyncratic differences (due to different perspectives and interests), all Scripture has perfect evidentiary consistency. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Moses, Daniel, Jude, and all of the other Bible’s co-authors qualify as impeccably reliable eyewitnesses. Many of the Bible’s writers suffered cruel treatment, even death, for their stand on their witness. To the obvious credibility of their writings is added the unshakeable belief that their testimony was so true that it was worth suffering and dying for.
NEW AGE LIES
David W. Pentrack
Definition
The "New Age" Movement (NAM), sometimes also referred to as the "Human
Potential Movement", is a loosely connected network of people, groups, activities and practices which, according to its adherents, purportedly foster and produce a vast array of beneficial results such as "spiritual" and personal growth, financial success, improvement in relationships, physical and psychological healing, individual and global peace, stabilization of the environment, etc.
Background
The NAM was born in the U.S. during the rebellious 1960's when all traditional
institutions and values, especially in relation to the Church and the family were under attack. The forerunner and vanguard of the New Age was the "Peace Movement" of the 1960's which condemned traditional morality. The NAM also drew from Radical Environmentalism, Radical Feminism and Feminist spirituality of the 1970's while it gained popularity around the world. Today the NAM has been able to successfully infiltrate almost every major institution, both religious and secular.
Appearance of Good/Reality of Evil
The NAM, on the surface, appears to be a good thing. It promises global peace, health, personal and spiritual growth, and environmental stability. However, the methods it promotes to achieve these goals are cleverly hidden beneath this benevolent surface appearance. A closer scrutiny reveals a dark, sinister methodology for drawing people away from the Jesus Christ and towards individualism, and the religious practices of pagans, belief in reincarnation, and the power of the "Self".
Nevertheless, the NAM, on the surface, does not deny the existence of Jesus Christ - to do so would scare off most Christians in an instant. Instead, clever syntax is applied, while traditional aspects of our faith are redefined. Jesus Christ becomes less than what He is, God, and instead is relegated to becoming one of a number of "Spiritual Guides" or "Ascended Masters" who were mere humans who "evolved" into higher beings after discovering and using "ancient wisdom." Indeed, the NAM promises that any individual can attain this status through "Self Realization" or "Higher Consciousness" of the fact of one's own "Higher Self", "God-Self", or "Divinity". Essentially, each individual can become God.
Forbidden Fruit
The NAM is riddled with occult and other forbidden practices which make up the
"ancient wisdom", including mediumship, channeling, divination, astrology, consulting spirits of the dead, tarot cards, crystals, palm reading, ouija boards, psychic powers, Yoga, transcendental meditation, rose poetry, past-life regression, etc. God spoke to Moses about such practices:
"Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor fortune teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
"Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I, the Lord, am your God." (Leviticus 19:4)
"The Spirit says clearly that some men will abandon their faith in later times. They
will obey lying spirits and follow the teaching of demons." (1 Timothy 4:1)
Despite the clear implications of such practices, an increasing number of people are
abandoning their true faith to follow some or many aspects of the NAM. People today are replacing God with evil spirits and pagan gods, just as the ancient Israelites and Egyptians did during the time of Moses. The seductions are subtle, but at its core is Satan himself. He is promising, just as he did in the Garden of Eden, that the forbidden fruit will make us gods.
"No Sin, No Hell"
The concepts of sin and hell do not exist in the NAM. Reincarnation and "ascension"
are the explanations given by the NAM. "Original blessing" replace the concept of
original sin, and Man's fall from grace is now termed Man's "ascension". The
redemptive power of the cross is no longer needed, and in this way Jesus' Crucifixion is no longer meaningful and can therefore be totally ignored. Some aspects of the "New Age" depersonalize Jesus Christ by referring to a "Christ Consciousness" (Eckankar) - who came through various persons throughout the ages, or a "Cosmic Christ" (Rosecrusianism).
Evil Spirits in Disguise
Satan, as well as the other evil spirits, are fallen angels who turned away from God.
Yet they have the power to appear to people as benevolent. Saint Paul warns
"Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14)
What appears to some New Agers to be a "Divine Light" is, in reality, the "Shining
Darkness" of Satan. Despite the attractiveness, and apparent concern shown by these "Spirit Guides", these spirits will ultimately lead to spiritual oppression and other forms of spiritual destruction here on Earth, and possibly serious consequences in the life to come.
Truth = Jesus Christ
Catholics and other Christians need to become more aware of the lures and traps of the NAM in order to avoid them. We must reject the lies and false promises of Satan's NAM, and give ourselves completely to the Truth that is Jesus Christ. Satan wishes to rule the world, but God will ultimately triumph. He alone is our hope and our salvation.
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GOSPEL MESSAGE (Part I)
We do not become Christians by following some manual, religious ceremony or using some technique. Our conversion is a result of God’s implanting His Spirit in our heart, giving us new power to live for him. The Holy Spirit gives new life to all who believes and accepts Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit is given now, immediately when anyone believes in Jesus. There is no sign, no feeling, no emotional indication of it. It occurs, as Jesus said it would, when any believe on him. It is the means by which the risen life of Jesus becomes available to us, continuously and constantly. All that he is made available through all that I am.
It is a glorious kind of power. It does not need any props, does not require outside help, and does not borrow anything from the world. It does not even need a cup of coffee to get started in the morning! And it works best in a cemetery. It operates most visibly where everything is dull and lifeless, and nothing is happening. Anyone who is operating on resurrection power can come in and change the whole scene.
Resurrection power changes lives from within and not from without. It does not start on the outside, with the environment, or the circumstances, or the external situation; it starts within, and works out, to change the environment ultimately. And it does not separate or divide; it harmonizes, it heals, it draws together and breaks down "middle walls of partition" (Ephesians 2:14 KJV) that have been standing sometimes for centuries. It batters them down and brings people together, in harmony. It is a totally different kind of power. That is what you receive when you receive the Holy Spirit.
All of us have messed up our lives in one way or another; we have destroyed the wholeness already. But the glory of the good news is that in coming to Jesus, through his work on the cross on our behalf and his raising again from the dead, he can actually give us a new start. All the past is wiped out and forgiven. We are restored.
Some of you may have been going to church for years. You have been hearing the gospel but you have never opened your hearts to God. But that is the final, necessary step. Ultimately, the will must be moved. Jesus said in Revelation, "Behold I stand at the door (the door of the heart) and knock. If anyone hears my voice (feels desire), and will open the door (invite him to come in), I will come into him and live with him and he with me," Revelation 3:20). That is what happened in Thessalonica.
That is "the work of faith." Until you have actually received Christ, you have not exercised faith. You can believe the story to be true, but until it moves you to receive the Lord you have not exercised faith.
All Have Sinned – Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
The Wages of Sin is Death – Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”
God Loves You – Romans 5:8
“God demonstrated His live toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Confession and Salvation – Romans 10:9
“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”
Thus the religion of the world, with its emphasis upon the external, is ignored by God. Man fulfills his proper function only by receiving what God has done in Christ, without any need for observances or candles or form or ceremony, but by a quiet act of faith. That is the simplicity of belief in Jesus Christ. It is so uncomplicated, so simple, so available to all.
If you want to receive Christ into your life, visit this important message:
http://www.harvest.org/knowgod/
What kinds of things can open you up to demonic oppression?
by Matt Slick
The Bible tells us that there are demons who war against God and his people (Eph. 6:12). And if that weren't bad enough, sometimes people open themselves up to demonic oppression without realizing it. Now, if you're a Christian, you need to understand that you cannot be demon possessed. Demonic oppression, on the other hand, does occur against Christians. Demonic oppression is the attack by demonic forces that can result in illness, depression, financial difficulty, abnormal fear, etc. So, it is a good idea to be aware of things that can open up a person to spiritual oppression. Let's take a look.
• Past involvement in occult activity--Occult activity includes such things as Ouija boards, witchcraft, tarot cards, astrology, séances, necromancy (contacting the dead), and divination.
• Past involvement in false religion--False religions are, ultimately, doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 24:24). To dabble in them is to directly dabble in demonic activity. Such false religions would be Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, Roman Catholicism, etc.
• Drug use--Drugs alter the state of the mind and can invite demonic activity since it promotes the loss of control of the mind as well as denies God’s intention for us to be soberminded. The Greek word for sorcery is pharmakeia (Galatians 4:20; Revelation 9:21; 18:23).
• Pornography--this is a sin of lust that can easily open a person up to having demonic influences and control.
• Occult meditation techniques--Emptying the mind, centering prayer, repeating a single word or phrase for long periods, etc., are all practices that can induce an altered state of consciousness and can promote the loss of personal control of your mind.
• Curses from other people--Sometimes people involved in occult activity will curse you or your family. It is not that you can actually be cursed as a Christian. Rather, those who are against Christ and his people can focus demonic activity on you.
If you are aware of what can cause a problem, you can take steps to avoid it. Likewise, if you're aware of what might cause demonic oppression, you can take steps to avoid it.
What should I do if I suspect demonic oppression?
If you suspect that you are being demonically oppressed, you must first pray and ask the Lord to protect you. It is a spiritual issue, so you must fight it spiritually. Prayer is always the first step.
Second, you need to take a survey of your life to make sure that you do not have open doors for demonic activity. Things like tarot cards,witchcdraft, astrology, séances, drug abuse, pornography, Ouija Boards, demonic music (forms that exalt evil), etc., can invite demonic involvement. You will need to renounce all of these things, confess them as sin, and seek the covering of Christ.
Third, remove all cult material and objects from your home. Remove things like Watchtower Magazines, the Book of Mormon, pornography, illegal drug paraphernalia, false religious material, New Age crystals, etc. If you must, block certain TV channels and/or shows that might be pagan in subject matter. I'd like to note that studying cult material for the purpose of education so you can know the methods of the enemy is fine. Just pray over the material, ask God to protect you from its false teaching, and study away.
Fourth, make sure that your family and friends are not into those things (listed above) that can bring spiritual oppression. If they are and they won’t stop (maybe they aren’t Christian), then pray for protection, for God’s intervention, and for their salvation.
Fifth, if things don’t get better, get the elders of your church involved. It might be necessary for them to come to your place and pray. If they won’t do it, find someone who will.
As Christians, we are cleansed by the blood of Christ and are indwelt by the living God. Sometimes it is necessary for us to review our past lives and openly confess, repent, and ask the Lord to cleanse us of various activities that could have opened the door to demonic oppression. I suggest that people pray aloud to the Lord--confessing their specific past sin. They must label it as sin and asking the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse it, asking the Lord to bind any demonic forces that are attached to it, and then verbally proclaim that they've renounced it and are resting in and trusting in Christ alone. It isn’t that this is a formula on what to do, but it is the public declaration before God that you belong to the Lord, you renounce sinful things, and are trusting in Christ.
Tarot Cards: What's the Harm?
The use of tarot cards does not seem to be a religion in the sense that it does not involve the worship of deities. However, in another sense, it is very much a religion (or some would say obsession) when it becomes a practice or activity that someone is completely devoted to. At some point, it can take on cultish or occultish aspects. In fact, there are many people who place tarot cards in the same category as other occult fortune-telling techniques such as the ouija board, astrology, crystal balls, palmistry, and tea leaves. Of course, some maintain that tarot cards are just harmless fun. Tarot cards fit in well with the New Age movement that is so prevalent these days. New Agers use certain practices or methods to "get in touch with their inner spirits," and tarot cards can be a perfect way for them to channel their thoughts and connect with the "Oneness of the Universe."
So where is the harm in tarot cards? If those who use tarot cards are not worshiping Satan and are not conjuring up evil spirits or sacrificing virgins, how can tarot cards possibly be a danger to anyone? Oddly enough the danger of tarot cards is admitted within the ranks of tarot card readers themselves. The readers cannot explain how the tarot readings work, and the decision to use a particular system in reading the cards is entirely a matter of the personal preference of the reader. In other words, two readers could read the same spread of cards and come up with entirely different interpretations of those cards. Tarot card readers also say that the tarot can only provide a static "photograph" of a situation, and that our own choices and actions determine our future-not the cards. If this is the case, why use the tarot cards at all?
Tarot Cards: No Hope for the Future
Tarot cards represent the fact that we all want to know what the future has in store for us. One could argue that it's actually commendable to want to make good decisions in the present based on our knowledge of the future. However, since the future hasn't happened yet, there is no power here on earth that can tell us what's in store. In order to have a hope for the future and gain the wisdom to make sound decisions now, we must tap into the power of the Creator of the universe - the only One who knows our future - God. Your future is written in the pages of God's Word, the Bible; and God never changes, and His Word is not open to multiple interpretations. So, rather than basing your actions on a deck of cards and betting your future on the whims of card readers who admit that "nothing is written in stone," why not place your trust in the unchangeable God who wants to be personally involved in your future.
Biblical Prophecy: Divine Inspiration?
Biblical Prophecy is evidence Christians hold to validate the Bible's claims of Divine inspiration. Is this authentic evidence or an illegitimate claim to bolster Christianity? Prophecy is defined as a Divine declaration of events yet to pass. As natural man is unable to foresee future events, prophecy would be an acceptable evidence of Divine inspiration. The Bible, written by at least 40 authors over a period of at least 1,500 years, is comprised of 66 books. These 66 books claim to contain over 1,000 Divinely inspired prophecies. We will examine a few...
Biblical Prophecy: Ezekiel 26
One example of Biblical Prophecy is found in the Book of Ezekiel. Chapter 26 of the Book of Ezekiel claims to have been written in 586 BC, the 11th year of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. On nine separate occasions throughout the chapter, the writer claims to have been inspired by God with statements such as "thus says the Lord GOD." The text describes the fall of mainland Tyre to the armies of Nebuchadnezzar the following year. It further describes the events of Alexander the Great's siege against the island fortress of Tyre (a half mile off the coast of mainland Tyre) 253 years later. The chapter describes how the invaders would tear down the ruins of mainland Tyre and throw it into the sea. That they would "scrape her dust from her and leave her as the top of a rock" (v4). That "they will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water" (v12). "I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets" (v14). Secular history records that Alexander the Great laid siege to the island fortress of Tyre in 332 BC. His army demolished mainland Tyre and threw it into the sea. In their effort to construct a causeway to the island, they scraped even the dust, leaving only bare rock. Historian Phillip Myers in his history textbook, General History for Colleges and High Schools (Boston, Ginn & Co.), writes, "Alexander the Great reduced Tyre to ruins in 332 BC. Tyre recovered in a measure from this blow, but never regained the place she had previously held in the world. The larger part of the site of the once great city is now as bare as the top of a rock -- a place where the fishermen that still frequent the spot spread their nets to dry" (pg.55). The fate of mainland Tyre was accomplished as foretold in the book of Ezekiel.
Biblical Prophecy: The Book of Daniel
Another example of Biblical Prophecy is found in the Book of Daniel. Because of the stunning foresight found within the Book of Daniel, it is claimed by its critics to have been written after the events it describes. For example, chapter 11 describes in such detail the interactions between the Ptolemies and the Selucids from the death of Alexander the Great to the rise of the Roman Empire, that critics insist it must have been written after 160 BC. However, Flavius Josephus, court historian for three successive Roman Emperors, records (Antiquities of the Jews XI, viii, 3-5) Alexander the Great receiving a copy of Daniel upon his annexation of Jerusalem in the autumn of 332 BC (immediately following his conquest of Tyre). Furthermore, the Septuagint (LXX) was translated from Hebrew into Greek in the 3rd century BC. Daniel is included in the Septuagint version. Daniel is also included in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which is dated from about 200 BC.
Biblical Prophecy: Daniel 9:25
A most compelling Biblical Prophecy is found in Daniel, chapter 9, verse 25. Written 500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ (the oldest preserved copy dating 200 years before the birth of Christ), it foretells the very day Christ would enter Jerusalem. The prophecy states: 69 weeks of years (69 x 7 = 483 years) would pass from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, until the coming of the Messiah. This is according to the Babylonian 360-day calendar, since Daniel was written in Babylon during the Jewish captivity after the fall of Jerusalem. Thus, 483 years x 360 days = 173,880 days. According to records found by Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson in the Shushan (Susa) Palace, and confirmed in Nehemiah 2:1, this decree was made on March 14th, 445 BC, by Artaxerxes Longimanus. Exactly 173,880 days later, on April 6th, 32 AD, Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem upon a colt (fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9). The world celebrates this day as Palm Sunday. Four days later, Christ was murdered upon the cross. Actually, the form of His execution and even His last words were foretold in Psalm 22. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, fulfilling numerous other prophecies of our Messiah.
Messianic Prophecy: What Is It?
Messianic prophecy is the collection of over 100 predictions (a conservative estimate) in the Old Testament about the future Messiah of the Jewish people. These predictions were written by multiple authors, in numerous books, over approximately 1,000 years. Messianic Prophecy is so dramatic today, because with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth) you can be assured that these prophecies were not “conspired” after-the-fact.
Messianic Prophecy: Fulfillment by Jesus Christ
Messianic prophecy was fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Although many Jews did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, many did, and they became the Jewish sect later known as the Christians. Christianity, based in dramatic part on the fulfillment of historical prophecy, spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire of the 1st Century. Examine the prophecies yourself, and calculate the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific ones, and you’ll be amazed.
“Jesus said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’” Luke 24:44 (NIV)
The Old Testament verses are the prophecy; the New Testament verses proclaim the fulfillment. Check them all out for yourself!
• Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)
• A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16)
• Of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33 Hebrews 7:14)
• Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)
• Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)
• Herod´s killing of the infants (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18)
• Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16-17)
• Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)
• Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)
• Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)
• Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)
• Would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Matthew 21:4-11)
• Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4-9)
• Would be rejected by Jews (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7)
• Die a humiliating death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) involving:
1. rejection (Isaiah 53:3; John 1:10-11; 7:5, 48)
2. betrayal by a friend (Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:3-4; John 13:18)
3. sold for 30 pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:14-15)
4. beaten (Isaiah 52:14; Matthew 27:26)
5. spit upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 27:30)
6. piercing His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; Matthew 27:31)
7. being crucified with thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38)
8. praying for His persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34)
9. piercing His side (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34)
10. given gall and vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:34, Luke 23:36)
11. no broken bones (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32-36)
12. buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60)
13. casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24)
• Would rise from the dead!! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)
• Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)
• Would sit down at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)
Messianic Prophecy - What Are The Odds of Fulfillment Without God?
Messianic Prophecy is so powerful because of the statistical odds that one man would fulfill every single one of them. If we just analyze seven of the more specific prophecies in the Old Testament, that were later fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ, we are stunned by the statistical impossibility of such an historical reality. As an illustration, we have inserted some conservative "odds" alongside seven established prophecies. Please feel free to propose your own prophecies and your own odds - the dramatic point will still be made!
Messianic Prophecy - The Challenge
Messianic prophecy is phenomenal evidence that sets the Bible apart from the other "holy books." We strongly encourage you to read the Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillments on the previous page. Better yet, get a Jewish Tanakh (the Hebrew scripture read in the Jewish synagogues) and read the Messianic prophecies from there. It is dramatic, eye-opening and potentially life-changing!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? - We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.
What is your response?
Yes, today I am deciding to follow Jesus
Yes, I am already a follower of Jesus
I still have questions
Visit website: http://www.allabouttheoccult.org
EVIDENCE FOR GOD
Lecture notes by CHARLIE H. CAMPBELL
Director of The Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry
THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE
The Bible is a book unlike any other book. It is a compilation of 66 different books written by more than 40 different authors, over a period of 1,500 years, on three different continents, in three different languages.
Over and over the authors of the Bible claim to be recording events and writing words inspired by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16). And of course, the Bible reveals to us very plainly…
• God exists
• What He is like
• And what His will is for our lives
SKEPTIC: “Charlie, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bible is true.”
You're right. But don't misunderstand me. I'm not asking you to believe the Bible "because it says so." I want you to believe the Bible because of the wealth of good evidence that has demonstrated the Bible is historically reliable and divinely inspired. I'm talking about:
• Its hundreds of fulfilled prophecies
• The Bible's amazing internal harmony
• The Bible's incredible scientific accuracy and foresight
• Thousands of archaeological discoveries
• Numerous details in the Bible that have been corroborated by extrabiblical historical sources
• And so on
Another reason you can be confident God exists is…
5. CHRIST
Many who doubt the existence of God have reassured themselves with the thought, “If God wanted us to believe in Him, He would appear to us.” Well, we have to be careful when we talk about wanting God to appear to us. If He were to do that in all His glory, while we were in our sinful fallen condition, the Bible says we would not live through the experience (Exodus 33:20, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, John 1:18) . But what if God was to veil His glory and appear to mankind in the form of a man, someone mankind could really relate with? What kind of a man would God be?
Someone wisely pointed out that, “We would expect Him to be sinless; we would expect him to be holy; we would expect His words to be the greatest words ever spoken; we would expect Him to exert a profound power over human personality; we would expect Him to perform supernatural doings; and we would expect Him to manifest the love of God.” [John MacArthur summarizing a teaching by Bernard Ramm.]
Hmmm. Has anyone ever come on the world’s scene, who claimed to be God and who met all of those criteria? Ahh, of all the human beings who have ever lived, Jesus Christ alone met these criteria. When someone says, “If God wanted us to believe in Him, He would appear to us,” I like to tell them that is what God has already done.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was God in human flesh (Isaiah 9:6, Colossians 2:9, John 20:28) and Jesus Himself made that clear in verses like John 5:18 and John 8:58.
And Jesus didn’t just claim to be God. Anybody can do that. So Jesus proved that He was God by doing things that only God can do:
• He opened the eyes of the blind
• He healed the lame
• He raised the dead
• He walked on water
• He lived a sinless life
• He rose from the grave three days after He was put to death
• And forty days later, He ascended visibly into Heaven
These are just a few of the miracles the disciples recorded for us in the New Testament that help substantiate Jesus’ claims to deity.
SKEPTIC: “Hold on here a second Charlie!
That doesn’t mean that what the disciples said about Him was actually true. Maybe they were making up the whole story about His resurrection!”
Well, I’m not sure what their motivation would have been for doing that. Liars lie to get out of trouble or gain some type of advantage or benefit. But what the early Christians said about Jesus, didn’t get them out of trouble or result in any kind of benefit. The things they said and wrote about Jesus got them in trouble. What they received was rejection, persecution, torture, and martyrdom. Hardly a list of perks! That, to me, is compelling evidence these men were telling the truth about Jesus.
So, we've considered five lines of evidence for the existence of God...
1. The Cosmos
2. The Conditions for Life
3. The Complexity of Life
4. The Canon of Scripture
5. The Christ
Friends, this evidence from cosmology, biology, philosophy, history, and the Bible is a reminder that there is a God! If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you haven’t followed after cleverly devised tales. Your faith isn’t grounded in wishful thinking. Your faith is grounded in the truth. There is good evidence that the God of the Bible is actually there.
What good news this is!
You are not part of some gigantic cosmic accident! You are not just some conglomeration of cells walking around without meaning on a random planet in a purposeless universe. You’re not the result of millions of years of evolution. No. You are one of God’s creations. He formed you in your mother’s womb. The Bible says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and that God has a purpose for your existence. Do you know that? God loves you! And He desires to have a close, intimate, personal relationship with each one of you.
Do you have that kind of a relationship with God? You can.
Two thousand years ago Jesus (God in the flesh) died on that cruel wooden Roman cross to take the punishment for your sins so that you could be forgiven, saved from eternity in Hell, and come to experience the greatest relationship you’ll ever know:
Knowing God personally, not only in this life
but throughout eternity.
Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and today He is offering mankind the "free gift" (Romans 6:23) of salvation and everlasting life for those who will turn from their sins and place their faith in Him.
I exhort you friend to do that if you never have. A day of judgment is coming. You can stand before God still in your sins or forgiven. Standing before God still in your sins will result in condemnation and eternity in Hell. Being forgiven will result in everlasting life in paradise. The choice is yours. The ball is in your court. God made the first move. Now it's your turn. Place your faith in Jesus, and receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior!
My involvement in the occult
by Matt Slick
As a Christian researcher and defender of the faith, I delve into many areas of the occult, world religions, and Christian-based cults. From the Christian perspective, all non-Christian religions are false and are ultimately demonically inspired. But being false does not mean that they have no power. The devil is active and powerful, and he uses people to accomplish his desires. So, the problem is knowing whether the power that comes from various religious systems is good or bad. Of course, as Christians, we would state that all things that are filtered through a false system are ultimately bad.
The reason I am divulging this information about my past is that I know there is a spiritual world out there. The question is whether or not what we contact is good or bad. I present the following as my experience in the occult before I was saved. It is verification that those who seek to contact that which is unholy will ultimately find it.
When I was a teenager, before I was a Christian, I was intrigued by spiritual issues. Christianity meant nothing to me. In fact, my younger brother who had been a Christian for a number of years, was constantly witnessing to me. I distinctly remember threatening him physically if he did not stop bothering me with this Christianity stuff. I was more interested in my attempts to contact the dead and to see things in the spiritual realm. I wanted results, and the perceived droning of Christianity "morality and rules" did nothing but get in the way of my personal desires regarding spiritual pursuits. So, into the darkness I went.
My high school friends and I began to dabble with necromancy (contacting the dead), séances, Ouija boards, pendulums, table tilting, astral projection, and other such practices. We got results. What I'm going to tell you is true. I am not exaggerating anything nor making any of this up. The reason I'm disclosing my involvement is not to draw attention to it but to convince people that it is real and that it is dangerous. You see, with success in the occult comes darkness. And I am forced to ask a question. What does Wicca come in contact with, the God and goddess manifestations or something else?
Before I was born, my mother would have dreams about a man coming to her. He would be dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to about his elbows. He wore black pants and black shoes and sometimes a short brimmed hat. This dream would be so upsetting to my mother that she would wake up. She then would sit in bed and look at the wall across from her and watch as the man materialized through the wall, approached the bed, and stared at her. She was so disturbed by this that she would wake up my father who could never see him but would go turn the light on at which time this figure would disappear. Now, you might conclude that my mother was seeing things or on medication or something like that. The problem with this is that the dreams occurred over a two-year period. My mother's IQ was genius level, and she was extremely rational in everything she tackled (She passed away in 2004). This figure would follow her from house to house since my father was in the military and had moved several times during the two-year period.
After I was born, my mother said that one night she had the dream again. As usual, the dream woke her up, and she waited in bed for him to materialize. He did. At this time, he went over to where I was lying in the crib and stood half in the wall and half out of it--looking down at me. My mother told me that there was something different about that visitation, but she did not know what it was. She nudged my father who got up and turned on the light. The figure disappeared. Soon after that, he stopped appearing altogether. As a young man, I never told anyone about these "visions" my mother had because I thought it would be too "weird" and embarrassing and that my friends might think my mother was strange.
Later, when I was 17 years old and just beginning my involvement in the occult, I was trying astral projection. This is a practice where a person attempts to have his spirit leave his body and travel around. Now, I was never able to achieve that, but I was able to get various results including very strong sensations of movement, lifting, floating, and sometimes vertigo. Nevertheless, I was never able to fully succeed, and when I told one of my occult-delving buddies about it, he said that he was able to do it regularly. My doubts were increasing, so I offered him a challenge. I asked him to astral project over to my bedroom that evening and to take a look at my desk. On the desk I would arrange a series of pencils and pens and books in a certain pattern and then the next day when we were going to high school, he could tell me what he had seen after he astral projected over to my house. He said that it wouldn't be a problem at all.
That night I arranged my desk and went to bed. The next morning my friend and I were heading off to school, and I asked him if he was able to astral project over to my place and look at my desk. He told me he could not do it. Initially, I scoffed. But then he told the reason why. He said that as he was astral projecting towards my house, a man dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with rolled up sleeves, black pants, black shoes, and a black hat would not let them enter. To say the least, since I had not told him about my mother's visitations, I was dumbfounded.
Deeper into the Occult
The fact that my friend told me something he could not have known about was very intriguing. We were encouraged, and he and I and two other friends began to delve further into the occult. I remember very clearly one night when all of us were together in a room, waiting for the spirits to manifest (I will not disclose how we did this). My three friends and I would see lights moving around in the air. This got me further interested, and so I tried to invite spirits to come in contact with me. At first, nothing happened. But, I began to notice things like seeing a blue aura around someone, dreaming the same thing one of my friends would dream, hearing voices in the night when no one was around, etc. I also remember very clearly the more we got involved, the more I was interested in dark things. I distinctly remember getting posters of demonic creatures and hanging them up in my room and thinking that they were "cool." Skulls became interesting as well. Then, I started listening to heavy metal music that was definitely "dark" in its overtones. I also found more and more resistance to things of Christianity.
Finally, one night a friend of mine and I were in my room trying to contact the dead. We both watched as a ball of blue light materialized in a corner near the floor and began to grow in size. We watched it change its form and took the shape of a man in a crouching position. This man had a cape on and his back was to us. He stood, and as he began to rise, he turned to face us. Right when he had fully faced us, he disappeared and in place of him a yellow cross materialized in midair. Even as I write this now, I can still see it in my mind's eye. It was beautiful. It glowed and lit the room up and had that same blue color emanating as an aura around it that had comprised the color of the "man." Then the cross moved. It did not accelerate. Instead, from a non-moving position, it was suddenly moving at a constant velocity until it was right in front of us where it immediately stopped without decelerating. It then hovered right before us, glowing, and lighting up my entire room. This manifestation was so profound that it scared my friend and me, and we immediately left. We did not know what to do. We talked to some people who were involved in the occult, and even they said that it was bad. We needed to stop.
That experience and the others spooked me enough for me to begin reconsidering everything that I was doing. After all, my friend and I had seen something very profound and very real. We were not drinking and weren't doing drugs (to this day I have never done any drugs at all). But, the good news is that shortly after that time, the Lord saved me in a very real and dramatic way, and I turned from all my occult activities.
Some people will not believe that these things occurred. If you don't believe me, that's up to you. But as the Lord is my witness, it happened. I bring this up because I know that there is a spiritual world out there, and the people in Wicca will be able to contact spiritual forces. The question is, what are they? How do they know if they are good or bad?
Those in Wicca are unwittingly contacting demonic forces, and because of that, they gain a form of power. But, that power has a cost. The cost is darkness. I remember very clearly the anti-Christian attitude that gradually grew in me the further into darkness I went. I also remember the fascination with things of darkness such as skulls, pentagrams, the darkness of night, and a general defiant attitude. The more I got involved with that, the more these things increased. There is definitely a spiritual connection with the author of the power behind the occult. Likewise, there is definitely a power that comes from the true and living God, Jesus Christ. He has far more strength, clarity, and truth than anything Wicca can offer. Though the occult is real, God is, too, and the only safeguard against the enemy is salvation in Jesus Christ.
About The Author
Matt Slick is the President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.
Website: https://carm.org/wicca
Positive Defense of the Christian Perspective
A. The Trustworthiness of the New Testament
1 The New Testament has better manuscript evidence than any other ancient book.
a. There are over 5,000 New Testament manuscripts and portions of manuscripts. By comparison, the majority of classical works have less than 20 manuscripts.
b. The dates of the New Testament manuscripts are close to the original writings. One Gospel fragment (Ryland’s) dates about 25 years after the Gospel of John and most of the New Testament (Chester Beatty and Bodmer Papyri) from 50-150 years after the originals. Most classical works date from 700 – 1400 years after the originals.
c. None of the canonical New Testament is lost or missing. By comparison, 107 of Livy’s 142 books of history have been lost and about one half of Tacitus’ 30 books of Annals and Histories is missing.
2. Good arguments can be given that each of the Gospels was either written by an eyewitness, or significantly influenced by firsthand testimony, as recognized by many contemporary scholars.
3. Even without proving eyewitness authorship, the Gospels measure up well by normal historical standards used in ancient historiography.
4. The Gospel are trustworthy sources, as explained by A.M. Hunter
a. These Christian authors, like their Jewish counterparts, were careful to preserve traditional material.
b. The Gospels are close to eyewitness sources.
c. The Gospel authors were honest reporters.
d. The picture of Jesus presented in the four Gospels is virtually the same (see Archibald M. Hunter, Bible and Gospel, pp. 32-37).
5. The Gospels and Acts exhibit a specific interest in reporting historical facts, not mythology. This is especially the case when the life of Jesus is reported.
6. Contemporary historians frequently opposed the application of radical criticism to New Testament studies. According to A.N. Sherwin-White and Michael Grant, such attacks fail at a number of crucial points (see A.N. Sherman-White, Roman Society, pp. 186-193; Grant, Jesus: An Historian Review, pp. 179-184, 199-201).
a. Numerous ancient works exhibit intentions and methodologies similar to that of the New Testament authors, and yet these ancient works are well accredited as historical works.
b. There are no ancient writings in the category that radical critics place the Gospels.
c. New Testament books such as Acts have been largely confirmed by external test of historicity.
7. The Gospel and Acts were recognized as inspired books almost immediately after being written (see J.B. Lightfoot, The Apostolic Fathers).
a. 1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 and refers to it as “Scripture.â€
b. Clement of Rome (about AD 95) speaks of the “Gospel†and quotes portions found in all three synoptic Gospels, referring to them as the words of Jesus (Corinthians 13,46).
c. Ignatius (Smyrnaeans 3) and Polycarp (Philippians 2, 7), both writing about AD 115, refer to verses in the synoptic Gospels as the words of Christ.
8. Paul’s epistles were also recognized as inspired Scripture almost immediately after being written.
a. 2 Peter 3:15-16 calls Paul’s epistles “Scripture.â€
b. Clement of Roman (Corinthians 47), Ignatius (Ephesians 10; to Polycarp 5), and Polycarp (Philippians 1,3-4, 6) all refer to Paul’s writings as inspired.
B. The Historicity of Jesus
1. The trustworthy Gospels (A above) exhibit much interest in the historical Jesus and give accurate accounts of his life, death, and resurrection.
2. Numerous pre- and extra biblical sources record much ancient testimony concerning Jesus within 125 years after his death.
a. Early Christian creeds that pre-date the New Testament, as well as the historical facts that virtually all critical scholars admit, provide an extremely strong case for the death and resurrection of Jesus.
b. Archaeology contributes a few finds that illuminate and provide background for Jesus’ career, such as the crucifixion victims investigated by archaeologist Vasilius Tzaferis, “Jewish Tombs At and Near Giv’at ha- Mivtar,†Israel Exploration Journal 20 (1970), pp. 38-59.
Also the Shroud of Turin (Historically proclaimed to be the actual burial garment of Jesus). See Ian Wilson, The Shroud of Turin (New York: Doubleday, 1978, also see John Heller, Report on the Shroud of Turin (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983), especially chapters 12-14.
d. Secular historians (e.g. Cornelius Tacitus, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillas), government officials (e.g. Piny the Younger, Emperor Trajan), religious works (e.g. The Talmud, Toledoth Jesu, and other sources report many details about Jesus from non-Christian viewpoints.
e. Ancient Christian sources preserve a number of historical statements about Jesus (e.g. Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Justin Martyr).
4. To reject Jesus’ miracles a priori is to ignore correct inductive procedure where all the facts are investigated before a decision is made.
5. To reject Jesus’ doctrinal teachings a priori as valid for today is to pick and choose portions of the Gospels. Further, If Jesus was raised from the dead, there is, at a minimum, some implied significance for Jesus’ teachings, as well.
6. Without a significant historical basis in the life of Jesus, Christianity would have had no impetus for its origins.
7. Jesus died on the cross, as indicated by several facts.
a. The nature of crucifixion, including the discovery of Yohanan’s skeleton, reveals both the nature and assurance of death by this method.
b. The explanation of Jesus’ heart wound indicates that it would have killed him even if he had been alive.
c. The death of Jesus is the most recorded event in ancient, non-Christian history.
d. The trustworthy Gospels give accurate accounts of Jesus’ death.
8. After his death, Jesus was raised bodily and appeared to his followers.
a. Naturalistic hypothesis that have sought to explain in normal terms the supernatural element of Jesus’ resurrection have failed to do so, chiefly because they are refuted by the known historical data. Several other reasons also indicate this failure.
b. There are numerous positive evidences for the resurrection that indicate that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of those who followed him.
c. A case for the resurrection can be built by using only those minimal facts that are clearly established by the historical method. On a smaller scale, these facts can refute the alternative hypotheses and provide the best evidences for the resurrection.
d. The Shroud of Turin may supply some additional scientific evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
9. Jesus’ message was not changed by Paul or by other followers.
a. In both the synoptics, as well as in John, Jesus claimed to be deity. Often this was done by his words, such as his claims to be Son of God and Son of Man (c.f. Mark 2:10-11; 10:45; 13:32; 14:36). At other times he showed his deity by his actions, such as forgiven sin, fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecy and by claiming authority much greater than that of the Jewish leaders (see Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 5;20-48; cf. Isaiah 9:6-7).
b. Numerous pre-Pauline creeds such as Philippians 2:6-11, Romans 1:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:23, and many from the book of Acts designate Jesus by the loftiest titles, thereby indicating the early teaching of his deity. These show further that this doctrine definitely did not originate with Paul.
c. Neither Jesus nor Paul taught that Christianity was a new religion. Both held that Christianity was a fulfillment of Judaism (see Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:16-17; Romans 10:4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17).
d. Jesus’ central teaching of the Kingdom of God and its entrance requirements of faith in his person and teachings in found in all four Gospels (c.f. Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 18:3-6; Luke 18:28-30; John 1:10-13) and in Paul’s epistles (c.f. Romans 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
f. Paul was known as the apostle to the Gentiles (see Acts 9:15;16; 22:21; Romans 11:13-14). Not only did Jesus command his disciples to take the gospel to the Gentiles (see Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47; John 10:16; Acts 1:8), but this was actually a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, not a new doctrine (see Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 19:18-25 for two examples).
g. Since Jesus literally rose from the dead, any verification of the truthfulness of his teachings would even extend to Paul’s message and writings, since they are in agreement with the Gospels at these points.
10. Jesus was not an international traveler during his “silent years†or after his death.
a. There is no viable historical evidence for such international ventures.
b. The swoon theory fails and is rejected by critical scholars.
c. These endeavors almost always involved a long trail of illogic and incredibly mysterious connections.
C. Miracle-claims
1. Although many would place miracle-claims completely in the realm of faith, such is to ignore their possibly objective theistic and historical nature.
a. If it is taught that miraculous events have occurred in history, as in the case with New Testament miracle-claims, then at least the objective, historical side of such a claim can be investigated. In other words, if it actually happened, at least the portion of the event that touched the space-time world can potentially be examined.
b. In the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus is not only the central tenet Christianity, but it is asserted that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then faith in actually in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-20). Paul even supports his point that Jesus was raised by citing eyewitnesses, historical testimony to this fact (vv. 5-8). Under these circumstances, one could hardly claim that objective, factual interests in the resurrection are foreign to the New Testament.
c. This objection also commits errors that are associated with the “leap of faith.†If carried to its logical conclusion, it provides no objective basis for faith, including any reasons why faith should be exercised at all. As such, it is difficult to distinguish between belief and credulity.
2. Alternative theories that have been proposed to account for Jesus’ resurrection on naturalistic grounds have failed to account for the known historical facts.
3. There are many strong historical reasons to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
a. The disciples’ experiences
b. The transformation of the disciples into bold witnesses
c. The empty tomb
d. The resurrection of Jesus was the very center of the apostolic message.
e. The Jewish leaders could not disprove their message.
f. The very existence and growth of the church.
g. In this resurrected physical body Jesus appeared to more than five hundred of his disciples on twelve different occasions over a forty-day period and conversed with them (see Luke 24:13-49, 1 Corinthians 15:5-7, Acts 1:4-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:24-31).
This was the greatest of all miracles since the creation itself, and could have been accomplished only if Jesus indeed is God, as He had claimed to be.
D. Predictive Prophecies
Consider the following predictions made centuries in advanced that Jesus would be:
1. born of a woman (Genesis 3:15; cf. Galatians 4:4);
2. born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; cf. Matthew 1:21);
3. “cut off†(die) 483 years after the declaration to reconstruct the city of Jerusalem in 444 B.C. (Daniel 9:24);
4. of the seed of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3 and 22:18; cf. Mathew 1:1);
5. of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10, cf. Luke 3:23);
6. of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12; cf. Matthew 1:1);
7. born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; cf. Matthew 2:1);
8. anointed by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; cf. Mattthew 3:16-17);
9. that Jesus would performed miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; cf. Matthew 9:35);
10. would cleanse the temple (Malachi 3:1; cf. Matthew 21:12);
11. would be rejected by Jews (Psalms 118:22; cf. 1 Peter 2:7);
12. die a humiliating death (Psalms 22; cf. Matthew 9:35);
13. that he would rise from the dead (Psalm 2:7 and 16:10; cf. Acts 2:31)
14. ascended into heaven (Psalm 68:8; cf. Acts 1:9);
15. and sit at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; cf. Hebrew 1:3).
It is important to understand that these prophecies were written hundreds of years before Christ was born. No one could have been reading the trends of the times or just making intelligent guesses, like the “prophecies†we see in the checkout line at the supermarket.
FASCINATING FACTS CONCERNING THE BIBLE
William Albright (1891 – 1971). Once a director of the School of Oriental Research at Johns Hopkins University, William Albright wrote more than 800 books and articles, mostly on the validity of biblical manuscripts. He is best known for his work in confirming the authenticity of the Old Testament, and especially the authentication of the Dead Sea scrolls.
Albright also researched and confirmed the dating of the writings of the New Testament. His conclusion was that there was “no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80.†Early in his professional life, Albright had some doubts about the validity of biblical claims about Jesus. These, however, were answered conclusively in favor of the authenticity of the Bible as he conducted his research.
Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916). Sir William Ramsay was, arguably the greatest archaeologist of his day. He had rejected much of the written New Testament account and was determined to prove it false based on other writings of the day that contradicted the Bible. Ramsay believed that the books of Luke and Acts were actually written in about A.D. 150 and therefore did not bear the authenticity that first-century document would. His archaeological journeys took him to 32 countries, 44 cities, and 9 islands. Throughout some 15 years of intensive study, he concluded that “Luke is a historian of the first rank, this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.â€
What Critics Thought
• There was no Roman census (as indicated in Luke 2:1).
What Ramsay Discovered: There was a Roman census every 14 years, beginning with Emperor Augustus.
• Quirinius was not governor of Syria at the time of Jesus’ birth (as indicated in Luke 2:2).
What Ramsay Discovered: Quirinius was governor of Syria in about 7 B.C.
• People did not have to return to their ancestral home (as indicated in Luke 2:3).
What Ramsay Discovered: People did have to return to their home city, verified by an ancient Egyptian papyrus giving directions for conducting a census.
• The existence of the treasurer of the city of Corinth, Erastus (Romans 16:23), was incorrect.
What Ramsay Discovered: A city pavement in Corinth bearing the inscription “Erastus, curator of public buildings, laid this pavement at his own expense.â€
• Luke’s reference to Gallio as proconsul of Achaia was wrong (Acts 18:12).
What Ramsay Discovered: The Delphi inscription that reads, “As Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend and proconsul of Achaia.â€
Time and time again Ramsay’s search to find evidence that Luke’s writing was in error turned up evidence that it was, in fact, accurate. As a result, Sir William Ramsay eventually converted to Christianity proclaimed Luke as “one of the greatest historians†of all time.
Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853) Greenleaf, (former Atheist), one of the principle founders of the Harvard Law School, and a world-renowned expert on evidence, originally set out to disprove the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was certain that a careful examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would dispel all the myths at the heart of Christianity. But this legal scholar came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen. Being a man of conviction and reason, and in accordance with his conclusions, Greenleaf converted from Agnosticism to Christianity.
Ralph Muncaster, (former atheist) in his book: Examine the Evidence, presents extensive evidence to validate the truth-claims of Christianity. He provides compelling arguments from science, biblical prophecy, history, and archaeology. This former skeptic points out that of all religions and philosophies on earth, only one, Christianity is verifiable and testable.
1,456 hours of Sunday school and church turned Ralph Muncaster into a hard-core atheist. Then he was challenged to honestly investigate the Bible and the facts of modern science. He was stunned. Fact after fact, from biology, history, archaeology, physics, lined up with the Bible’s account!
The Bible Itself Argues Against the Possibility of Its Corruption
The charge that the Bible has been corrupted, contradicts what the Bible itself teaches. After all, in Isaiah 40:8 we read, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands for ever.†In the New Testament Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away†(Matthew 24:35).
The Almighty God who had the power and sovereign control to inspire the Scriptures in the first place is surely going to continue to exercise His power and sovereign control in the preservation of Scripture.
Why believe in Christianity over all other religions?
By Matt Slick
Critics often ask why Christianity is any better than any other religion in the world. After all, of all the religions that exist, how can it be that only Christianity is true? If God exists, why can't God use different religions? Don't all paths lead to God? Skeptics ask these kinds of questions all the time; and, unfortunately, few Christians have the answers. Therefore, in an attempt to demonstrate why Christianity is true and all other religious systems are false, I've prepared the follow list of reasons for Christianity's superiority.
There are such things as absolute truths
If truth is relative, then the statement that truth is relative is an absolute truth and would be a self-defeating statement by proving that truth is not relative. But, if truth is absolute, then the statement "truth is absolute" is true and not self-defeating. It is true that truth exists. It is true that truth will not contradict itself as we have just seen. In fact, it is absolutely true that you are reading this paper.
If we can see that there is such a thing as truth in the world, then we could also see that there can be spiritual truth as well. It is not absurd to believe in spiritual absolutes anymore than physical or logical absolutes. Even the statement that all religions lead to God is a statement held to be a spiritual absolute by many people. This simply demonstrates that people do believe in spiritual truth. Why? Because truth exists. However, not all that is believed to be true actually is true. Furthermore, all belief systems cannot be true since they often contradict each other in profound ways--and truth is not self-contradictory.
Religions contradict each other; therefore, they cannot all be true.
Mormonism teaches that there are many gods in existence and that you can become a god. Christianity teaches that there is only one God and that you cannot become a god. Islam teaches that Jesus is not God in flesh where Christianity does. Jesus cannot be both God and not God at the same time. Some religions teach that we reincarnate while others do not. Some teach there is a hell, and others do not. They cannot all be true. If they cannot all be true, it cannot be true that all religions lead to God. Furthermore, it means that some religions are, at the very least, false in their claims to reveal the true God (or gods). Remember, truth does not contradict itself. If God exists, He will not institute mutually exclusive and contradictory belief systems in an attempt to get people to believe in Him. God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that there can be an absolute spiritual truth and that not all systems can be true regardless of whether or not they claim to be true. There must be more than a mere claim.
Fulfilled Prophecy concerning Jesus
Though there are other religions that have prophecies in them, none are 100% accurate as is the Bible; and none of them point to someone like Jesus who made incredible claims and performed incredible deeds. The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Yet, the Old Testament prophesied many things about Jesus. This is undoubtedly evidence of divine influence upon the Bible.
Please consider some of the many prophecies of Jesus in the following chart.
Prophecy Old Testament Prophecy New Testament Fulfillment
Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14
Matt. 1:18, 25
Born at Bethlehem Micah 5:2
Matt. 2:1
He would be preceded by a Messenger Isaiah 40:3
Matt. 3:1-2
Rejected by His own people Isaiah 53:3
John 7:5; 7:48
Betrayed by a close friend Isaiah 41:9
John 13:26-30
His side pierced Zech. 12:10
John 19:34
Crucifixion Psalm 22:1
Psalm 22:11-18
Luke 23:33;
John 19:23-24
Resurrection of Christ Psalm 16:10
Acts 13:34-37
Fulfillment of prophecy can have different explanations. Some state that the NT was written and altered to make it look like Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy (but there is no evidence of that). Others state that the prophecies are so vague that they don't count (but many of the prophecies are not vague at all). Of course, it is possible that God inspired the writers and Jesus, who is God in flesh, fulfilled these prophecies as a further demonstration of the validity of Christianity.
The Claims and Deeds of Christ
Christianity claims to be authored by God. Of course, merely making such a claim does not make it true. Anyone can make claims; but, backing up those claims is entirely different. Jesus used the Divine Name for Himself (John 8:58)--the same Divine Name used by God when Moses asked God what His name was in (Exodus 3:14). Jesus said that He could do whatever He saw God the Father do (John 5:19), and He claimed to be one with the God the Father (John 10:30; 10:38). Likewise, the disciples also called Him God (John 1:1, 14; John 10:27; Col. 2:9). By default, if Jesus is God in flesh, then whatever He said and did would be true. Since Jesus said that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one can find God without Him (John 14:6), His words become incredibly important.
Again, making a claim is one thing. Backing it up is another. Did Jesus also back up His fantastic words with miraculous deeds? Yes, He did.
• Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:6-10).
• Jesus cast out demons (Matt. 8:28-32; 15:22-28).
• Jesus healed lepers (Matt. 8:3; Luke 17:14).
• Jesus healed diseases (Matt. 4:23, 24; Luke 6:17-19)
• Jesus healed the paralytic (Mark 2:3-12).
• Jesus raised the dead (Matt. 9:25; John 11:43-44).
• Jesus restored sight to the blind (Matt. 9:27-30; John 9:1-7).
• Jesus restored cured deafness (Mark 7:32-35).
• Jesus fed the multitude (Matt. 14:15-21; Matt. 15:32-38).
• Jesus walked on water (Matt. 14:25-27).
• Jesus calmed a storm with a command (Matt. 8:22-27; Mark 4:39).
• Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:39; John 20:27).
• Jesus appeared to disciples after resurrection (John 20:19).
The eyewitnesses recorded the miracles of Jesus, and the gospels have been reliably transmitted to us. Therefore, we can believe what Jesus said about Himself for two reasons: One, because what He said and did agrees with the Old Testament; and two, because Jesus performed many convincing miracles in front of people who testified and wrote about what they saw Him do.
Christ's resurrection
Within Christianity, the resurrection is vitally important. Without the resurrection our faith is useless (1 Cor. 15:14). It was Jesus' resurrection that changed the lives of the disciples. After Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran and hid. But when they saw the risen Lord, they knew that all that Jesus had said and done proved that He was indeed God in flesh, the Savior.
No other religious leader has died in full view of trained executioners, had a guarded tomb, and then risen three days later to appear to many many people. This resurrection is proof of who Jesus is and that He did accomplish what He set out to do: provide the only means of redemption for mankind.
Buddha did not rise from the dead. Muhammad did not rise from the dead. Confucius did not rise from the dead. Krishna did not rise from the dead, etc. Only Jesus has physically risen from the dead, walked on water, claimed to be God, and raised others from the dead. He has conquered death. Why trust anyone else? Why trust anyone who can be held by physical death when we have a Messiah who is greater than death itself?
Conclusion
Why should anyone trust in Christianity over Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, or anything else? It is because there are absolute truths--because only in Christianity is there accurate fulfilled prophecies of a coming Messiah. Only in Christianity do we have the extremely accurate transmission of the eyewitness' documents (gospels), so we can trust what was originally written. Only in Christianity do we have the person of Christ who claimed to be God, performed many miracles to prove His claim of divinity, who died and rose from the dead, and who said that He alone was the way the truth and the life (John 14:6). All this adds to the legitimacy and credibility of Christianity above all other religions--all based on the person of Jesus. If follows that if it is all true about what Jesus said and did, then all other religions are false because Jesus said that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). It could not be that Jesus is the only way and truth and other religions also be the truth.
Either Jesus is true and all other religions are false, or other religions are true and Jesus is false. There are no other options. I choose to follow the risen Lord Jesus.
What makes you think Christianity is the only way to God?
The truth of Christianity rests completely in the person of Jesus. The Gospels are the written accounts by eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and deeds. Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6) and that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27, Luke 10:22). Jesus claimed to be God (John 8:58, Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20, 7:48) and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29, John 2:19-21). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a good man, how then could He be both good and crazy or good and a liar? He had to be telling the truth in order to be good. He is the only way.
Furthermore, Christianity is not just a religion. It is a relationship with God. It is trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1-4) and not on what you can do for yourself (Eph. 2:8-9). It is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and dependence upon the One who died and rose from the dead (John 2:19-21).
Buddha didn't rise from the dead nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy or rise from the dead either, and though there is far less reliable information written, people believe in them.
The Scripture is right when it says in 1 Peter 2:7-8, "This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,' and, 'A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense'; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed."
It is Jesus to whom we look for the validity of Christianity. If Jesus is false, then Christianity is false. If Jesus is who He claimed to be, then Christianity is the only correct religion.
The Mathematical Odds of Jesus Fulfilling Prophecy
"The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner {See Note 1} to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies, ‘we find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 10 exp 17." That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that "we take 10 exp 17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas (268,820 square miles) [(696,241 km (square)] . They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man."
Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, "we find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10 exp 157 or 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000." {See Note: 2}
The estimated number of electrons in the universe is around 10 exp 17. It should be quite evident that Jesus did not fulfill the prophecies by accident. He was who He said He was: the only way (John 14:6).
• 1.Science Speaks, Moody Press, 1963.
• 2.McDowell, Josh, Evidence that Demands a Verdict.
Dean’s desire to control what others think and believe is exactly why authority can be such a dangerous and disrespectful thing to claim in any faith journey. No one is the absolute all knowing for all people.
God loves each and every one of us, and our interpretation of God often aligns to how we see ourselves. So, of course, white people attached to their privilege, need God to reinforce their sense of being right and supreme in all ways.
I’m saying this as a white man. God doesn’t belong to any of us. God’s Love is infinite and transcendent. Those claiming to be right and to stand in judgment of another’s miracle are only revealing their own deep insecurities and desire to control others.
That is not of God. That is of ego.
Doreen Virtue, Popular New Age Author, Becomes Christian & Renounces New Age Movement
By Steven Bancarz
As a former New Ager myself, this was exciting to see. Doreen Virtue is a former author that has written roughly 40 New Age books and has produced over a dozen “card decks†used for intuitive readings. She has been featured in the past on Oprah, CNN, and The View, and is literally a staple author in any New Ager’s bookshelf.
She is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures ever involved in the New Age, and she has recently given her life to Jesus, been baptized, and renounced the New Age movement. She now considers herself a “born-again Christian†on her website. This radical change started when she had a vision of Jesus in church on January 7th, 2017 and was finalized by her baptism a month later.
Upbringing and background
Doreen grew up in a home with Christian values, but the churches she was raised in didn’t hold traditional orthodox beliefs. As she explains, “Since I was a child, I’ve loved Jesus. And I’ve been reading the Bible since I was a child also. But I had a really different viewpoint of Jesus growing up. You see, I was raised in the New Thought churches of Unity and Christian Science…When I was growing up I read the Bible, and I would read the positive things of the Bible only because that is what the focus was on.â€
With this loose background in Christianity, she began to take interest in psychology, getting her M.A. in counseling psychology and doctorate in the philosophy of psychology, and practicing as a registered psychotherapist. She started into the New Age movement when she was invited to speak at the Whole Life expo in 1995. Here, she was introduced to incense and crystals and reiki for the first time.
This opened up a whole new world of interest, and she began taking classes and actively studying New Age subjects. Her favorite subjects of interest were medium- ship and psychic development, which she began to practice and incorporate into her work.
In the same year, she had an experience where she believes an angel told her to scream, scaring away people who were about to carjack her before they were able to. We see a lot of these stories around the world come from both Christians and non-Christians, of supernatural interventions by what seem to be angels. This led her to research more about angels, and as someone who had a predisposition to supernatural experiences from a young age, her fascination with the New Age and angels continued to lead her down a path of practicing divination involving ‘angels’.
What was her view on Jesus during this time when she was involved in the New Age movement? For most people in the New Age movement, the view of Jesus is watered down. Bible verses are cherry-picked from to fashion a politically correct Christ who embraces all faiths. Jesus is not the exclusive Son of God and only means of salvation, but just another ‘prophet’ and ‘teacher’ here to show us a universal path to enlightenment. Sin means nothing, the cross means nothing, and the death and resurrection of Jesus ultimately means nothing. This was certainly true for Doreen.
“Some people said that ‘No, Jesus is the equivalent of Buddha and Krishna and other Ascended Master.’ So this is the direction that I started to see Jesus in.â€
When Jesus began to draw her
Things began to change for her in 2015 when she began to do research for her “Loving Words from Jesus†card deck, which would contain Bible verses on the cards. To find out what Jesus really said, she started to read the Gospels front to back and really analyze the words of Jesus.
“My view of Jesus is that he was this warm cuddly bear with no edges, and of course I knew about him tipping the tables in the temple, but to me he was someone who went around espousing verses like ‘ask and it shall be given’, which he did, but there is so much more to Jesus…I went through the Gospels, and I was really surprised with what I read…Here is what I read that was my wake-up call. In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus says ‘Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.’
When I read that, I thought “Well that’s not very teddy-bear like.†And then I read the same thing again in the synoptic Gospel of Luke in Luke 9:26, “If anyone is ashamed and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.â€
This ended up convicting her of being inconsistent of her view of Christ, and gave her a new appreciation for the person of Jesus. She began to go to church, fellowship with other Christians, and volunteer with them, but she still had a foot in the New Age movement as a practicing psychic.
Her experience with Jesus
On January 7th of this year, Doreen had an experience with Jesus while in a church service. A fellow volunteer was leaving the church and was receiving acknowledgement from the priest at the front of the church. As she was staring in her direction, Jesus appeared to her:
“And as I was looking at her, all of a sudden the scene changed. She disappeared, the church disappeared, all of the people disappeared, and there was Jesus right in front of me, standing there. Well, floating really. And He was glowing, and He was glowing so brightly…it was this glow all around Him and especially from his heart, and the glow was this candle-like color, and this smile on his face.
And he was looking at me, but it wasn’t a sense of me personally like my ego, it was a sense of everyone that included me, and when I saw him it was a whole different experience than I had ever had in seeing the angels or in any of the work I had done. This was the most three dimensional experience I have ever seen.
And I was blown back in my chair. I don’t know how long it lasted, but all I know is that when he showed up a few things became my knowledge. I went from believing to knowing that He is real, that he knows who I am, who knows who everyone is. Not in a judging way, but in a compassionate ‘I-hope-that-you’ll-do-the-mission’ type of way.
HE ALSO IS THE SON OF GOD. AT THAT MOMENT I KNEW THAT HE WAS NOT JUST AN ASCENDED MASTER. HE WAS A PART OF THE TRINITY, THE HOLY TRINITY OF GOD, HOLY SPIRIT, AND JESUS.
And there was this knowingness to really amplify my studies and also to share what I was learning with others.â€
What has changed since then
The Bible tells us that we will know a tree by its fruit. It says in the book of James that faith without works is a dead faith, and that such a faith is useless and cannot save us. Real saving faith is always followed up with works of repentance as the Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ. The Bible tells us we will see evidence of salvation.
She addresses this in her testimony video. People have asked her, “How do you know you saw the REAL Jesus?â€
“The Word tells us that by their fruits you shall know them, and after seeing Jesus I was completely changed. I started to read the Bible even more. I started to volunteer at the church even more. And I started to give up things that were against the Bible like mediumship, fortune telling, which is predicting.
“I WANTED TO BE COMPLETELY ALIGNED WITH GOD’S WILL.â€
She has told Hay House Publishing that she wants the royalties she has been receiving from her old tarot cards to go to their charity, and that she will be taking her name off them in about a year.
She also shared with them that she can no longer write about anything that isn’t scriptural, wants to take the Ascended Masters books and cards out of print, and will only be writing Christian themed material from here on out. From publishing dozens of New Age works to refusing to receive royalties and produce anything that is not Christian is a huge shift, especially of an author of this size.
“God says we can only serve one master, God or money, and I trust that God will serve my needs.â€
Mediumship, divination, and ‘predictions’ are things of the past for her. She now prays with people instead of giving them readings. She is downsizing and simplying her lifestyle to be obedient with Scripture and because her financial situation has changed as a result of this experience with Jesus.
“SORCERY, FORTUNE TELLING, AND DIVINATION ARE FORBIDDEN IN THE BIBLE.â€
Moving forward
Since her baptism, she has been working on a book called Mornings With The Lord which is a daily devotional reading with an encouraging thought for the day from Scripture. She has been incorporating the Bible into the messages she produces on social media, and is taking a God-based Bible-based approach to her work.
Her emphasis is on the loving, compassionate, non-judgmental hand that the Lord is extending to sinners calling them into relationship with Him. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.†– John 3:17
She closed of her testimony video with a prayer of salvation for those listening:
“Dear Jesus of Nazareth, (and we say that to make sure it’s the real Jesus because there are masquerading beings trying to pretend they’re Jesus.) Dear Jesus of Nazareth, I ask you to come into my heart, and save me. Save me from all these situations Lord, and help me to save others with your help. I ask that you come to me Lord and be my Lord and Savior. Help me to know what the right path is for my life. Bring the Holy Spirit to me Lord as my teacher, as my wayshower, as my comforter, and my advocate. Help me to know what my spiritual gifts are, and how to best use them to serve the Lord, to serve peace, to serve God’s divine love.â€