4.30.2006
Just a Quick Thought. . . .
4.29.2006
Witnessing Tips from the Pros!
4.28.2006
The Big Apple Clings to Traditional Values
Society changes and so should the laws. Perhaps. If our laws are based on the “societal norm”, then moral standards are majority opinion. The only difference between anarchy and democracy is the heart of the people. God created the institution of marriage with a purpose. No-fault divorce has led to more broken homes, court battles, and division in our nation’s churches by forsaking God’s law. Unless moral standards and laws are based on the unchanging standards of the Ten Commandments, no society can survive. So, is fault-oriented divorce the answer? Is no-fault divorce the answer? Are either of these approaches to the dissolution of marriage biblical? You tell me. In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.27.2006
Improbable versus Impossible: Is ID an argument from incredulity?
4.25.2006
Observing the Unobservable: Can Science Prove the Supernatural?
4.24.2006
Reader Feedback: What Makes Christianity True?
All you've said is backed up [by] passages from the Christian Bible, right? That seems reasonable enough, it's important to have a basis for one's beliefs. I guess this fits into the first question, then - why should I trust in the Christian Bible, and not any other holy writing? All that you've said about death and judgement seems true from a Christian perspective, but there are other religions that say they're the path to eternal happiness....how do I know that Christianity is right and all the others are wrong? You make an excellent point about assuming things. That brings up another question in my mind: how do I know I should trust in something or someone for salvation? Different religions want to save me from different things, right? How do I know that the Christian salvation is the one I want? I'm sure you get questions like these all the time from stupid trolls and the like, but I am genuine in my curiosity. I really appreciate your previous reply, and I look forward to future discourse with you. Cordially, N. NescioIn one of my earlier posts, I received a comment asking why Jesus is the only Way to God. I replied with a rather lengthy comment detailing the plan of salvation, and the original commenter replied back as quoted above. For ease of communication, I am continuing this "discourse" here.
All you've said is backed up [by] passages from the Christian Bible, right? That seems reasonable enough, it's important to have a basis for one's beleifs. I guess this fits into the first question, then - why should I trust in the Christian Bible, and not any other holy writing? All that you've said about death and judgement seems true from a Christian perspective, but there are other religions that say they're the path to eternal happiness....how do I know that Christianity is right and all the others are wrong?You ask an excellent question, N. There are two ways that I can answer this. The first is an intellectual answer. I could reference the thousands of manuscripts supporting Scripture and proving that it is accurate to the original autographs. I could show you prophecies that foretold specific events in a specific culture hundreds of years before that culture even existed. I could quote numbers showing that the odds of just a fraction of such prophecies being fulfilled is millions of times greater than the mathematical "impossibility" ceiling by random chance standards. Christianity is not blind faith. However, just because I convince you with the intellect does not mean that you will really understand in your heart. I can intellectually believe that the speed limit is 70 mph on the interstate highway. But this doesn't always translate over to my driving habits. "All that you've said about death and judgement seems true from a Christian perspective. . . ." That is a fact. However, here is another fact: All that I've said also seems true from your perspective! Think about it. I would assume you have some kind of belief in God, so no doubt you realize that "God", whoever or whatever He/She/It might be, must be perfect. A deep-rooted preconception that all of us have of God is one of absolute perfection. As such, it makes perfect sense that He/She/It cannot tolerate sin. But what is sin? You don't even have to look at the Ten Commandments to have an understanding of sin. We all know that it is wrong to lie, to steal, to covet, and to lust. No one would contend that it is "OK" to hate other people or to blatantly dishonor our parents. Ask yourself this question: How could any perfect, holy God tolerate our sin? All the other "religions" out there evade the problem of sin in one way or another. But not one of them will hold up in a court of law! A Buddhist can't tell the judge: "I have been meditating for a long time since I shot that guy and robbed that bank, so I guess I'm OK. After all, I'm practically perfect NOW." A Hindu might be able to say that his evil acts don't really matter because life is an illusion anyway. The judge would probably look at him funny, then agree while condeming him to the electric chair. After all, the 2,000 volts of electricity are just a cosmic illusion anyway. The Bible says truthfully that God's Laws are written on every person's heart. Try as you may, you cannot ignore the problem of sin. You intrisically know that when you die, you will have to face judgement for your sin because you know that God is holy. And there is no way you can atone for your own sins without going to Hell. Christ's atonement is the only way you can be reconciled to God.
Different religions want to save me from different things, right? How do I know that the Christian salvation is the one I want?Different religions may claim to save you from many different things. Some say that they will free you from guilt. Others simply want to make you a "better person" - which begs the question of why being a "better person" is a good thing. But all religions either ignore the problem of sin or try to combat it in some way. In the former case it is obvious that they are false. As I showed earlier, we all know that we are lying, theiving, blasphemous, murderous adulterers at heart. To ignore this vital problem is obvious folly. And no religious system has every devised a way of adequately dealing with sin. We know that God is a perfect Judge. The analogy of the courtroom holds true. No amount of good works, righteous deeds, or penance can erase the fact of our sin. Sin and judgement is a problem that we face regardless of what religion we believe in. Jesus affords the only way of escape.
I'm sure you get questions like these all the time from stupid trolls and the like, but I am genuine in my curiosity. I really appreciate your previous reply, and I look forward to future discourse with you. Cordially, N. NescioYou aren't stupid. The Bible says that foolish people declare that God does not exist. But you are like a Berean, searching out the truth from a myriad of falsehoods. I commend you for your efforts and exhort you to examine yourself in the light of God's holiness. Just because the Bible says you have sinned doesn't mean that it's "just in the Bible". You know that you have fallen short of God's glory and are hopeless in your own efforts. Be brave! Acknowledge your intrinsic helplessness. You know that it is true regardless of what any holy book tells you. And if you can find some other way to evade the problem of sin, tell me about it! But I warn you that there is only one way to Heaven. You have to be rid of your inherent sin through Christ's blood. Think about the parachute example I gave in the last post. Face the facts! You're going to have to jump out of the plane regardless of what any holy book says. Get a parachute, man! In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.23.2006
Urgent Prayer Request for Tomorrow
I’m real excited to be up here testifying today. I know that [our pastor] wants people to come up and not just tell how we came to Christ, but what God is doing right now in our lives. Recently, something happened to me that has really rekindled my walk with God in the area of soul-winning. I once heard a kid get up to give his “testimony” at a youth thing and he said something like this. “I don’t really have a testimony. I mean, I didn’t get saved from drugs or alcohol or anything like that. I guess I just grew up in a Christian home and always knew the Bible and the plan of salvation from as far back as I can remember, and I probably made a conscious decision for Christ when I was pretty young. So I don’t really have a testimony.” Well, that kid didn’t realize it, but he just gave his testimony. I am in about the same position that kid was in. I’ve been a “Christian” as long as I can remember; my earliest recollection of a conscious decision was probably when I was about 3. But as I have grown older, I have realized more and more the importance of sharing my faith. But we have a problem with current evangelistic thinking. People haven’t been raised knowing the Scriptures, so like Corinthians says “. . . the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Currently the church “fall away rate” is 80 percent. What I mean by that is that for every 100 decisions we get in churches – every 100 people who come to the altar and pray “the prayer” – 80 of them never come back. Our churches are producing backsliders at an alarming rate. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this isn’t working! Who here has heard of Kirk Cameron? He is an actor who played in the TV show Growing Pains and in the Left Behind movies. He has a ministry on the Internet and the Radio based on witnessing the way Jesus did. Appropriately, his ministry is called “The Way Of The Master”. In Mark 10, we get a great look at how Jesus witnessed to people. A rich young ruler ran up to Jesus, got on his knees, and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? First, take a look at what Jesus didn’t say: “You’ve got a God-shaped hole in your heart that only God can fill. Pretty soon here, I am going to go die on a cross. If you just say this prayer and REALLY mean it, you’ll go to heaven when you die.” Instead, Jesus asked the man, “Why do you call me good?” When Kirk Cameron is speaking, he says that this part made him do a double-take. You know, maybe Jesus could have used a friendship evangelism course. What Jesus did was correct this man’s understanding of what “good” is. He pointed him to God’s standard for goodness: the Ten Commandments. You see, these days we have a major problem. People think that they are basically good! But the Bible says that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. So what can we do to show them that they need to be converted? Psalm 19 tells us that “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” What is perfect and converts the soul? The LAW. Galatians says that the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The law doesn’t help us, it just leaves us helpless. We are saved by grace, but the law shows us that we are filthy, dirty, and in need of God’s cleansing. Now compare this to the current way that a lot of churches evangelize. Many huge mega-churches like to tell people things like this:Pray for me, guys. In Him, David S. MacMillan IIIThere is much more to life than the same old daily routine; but you have to think big. God wants to increase you! Believe God for promotion and He will take you to new heights.I think maybe Paul should have listened to this kind of preaching. Think about it! Paul didn’t need to go through all those shipwrecks, imprisonments, scourgings, or stonings. He just should have “believed God” for an enjoyable life, right? That’s very nice. But it isn’t the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the Gospel of Second Hesitations. Think about it like this. Let’s say that you are the flight attendant on a plane flying at 25,000 feet. You want to convince one of the passengers to put a parachute on. You can do this two ways. First, you can tell him to “Put this parachute on; it’s going to improve your flight. Your coffee will taste better, and your chair will be more ergonomic.” The guy will be pretty confused at first. How will a 50-pound parachute on his back improve his flight? But if you’re a really good salesperson, you might be able to sell it. He puts it on. He is pretty uncomfortable at first, but he remembers that you told him the parachute would “improve his flight”, so he consoles himself. Before long, the other passengers start laughing at him. He is getting more and more upset. He can’t even taste his coffee ‘cause he’s hunched over in his chair, and his back is starting to ache. Angrily, he rips the parachute off and slams it on the floor. As far as he’s concerned, it will be a long time before someone gets one of those things on his back again. But there is another approach that will be more effective. Try telling the man that in a few minutes he will be jumping 25,000 feet out of the plane, and that “this parachute” is his only hope of survival. He won’t notice the weight on his shoulders or the other passengers laughing at him. Rather, he will be grateful to you and to the parachute because he is imagining what would happen if he jumped without the parachute. Instead of telling people that Jesus will improve their flight, we should be telling them about the jump to come! If we do this, people will run to Jesus! The Bible tells us to FLEE from the wrath to come! God commands “all men to repent because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in wrath”. If a person comes to Jesus with the focus on peace joy and happiness without having understood that they are being saved from CERTAIN death ... they won’t find any peace! Peace and joy are legitimate fruits of salvation. But that should not be the drawing card for Jesus. Remember Psalm 19: The LAW of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. People have to understand that everyone has lied, stolen, and blasphemed, and this makes them guilty in God’s eyes regardless of how they see themselves. So the next time you want to witness to someone, ask them whether they think they are a good person. Then, show them to the Ten Commandments. Have you ever lied, stolen, or lusted? Ever had hatred in your heart? I must confess that I have. In God’s eyes we are ALL lying, thieving, murderous, adulterers in our heart. Now remember that we aren’t condemning anyone. Timothy says that everyone is condemned already; the Law just shows people that they really are helpless without Christ! So now, with every eye open, and no quiet music playing in the background, I would like to ask each and every one of you to examine yourselves. Philippians tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling – not work for our salvation, but examine ourselves to see whether we are really in the faith. God has appointed a day that He will judge the world in wrath. But rapists and murderers aren’t the only ones who will be judged. If you have ever lied, stolen, dishonored your parents, or failed to put God first at any time you are also guilty of breaking God’s laws. We all deserve Hell. But isn’t it amazing that God had a different plan! He sent His Son Jesus to die a horrific death on a bloodstained cross, to take our punishment on Himself. It is ONLY by trusting Christ for salvation from Hell that we can escape God’s wrath and have peace and joy through Him. Thank you so much.
4.22.2006
More Data in the Israel Debate
4.21.2006
The New Axis of Terror
Breaking News
In an open forum discussion in the United Nations Security Council on April 17, Dan Gillerman, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, made several bold statements concerning Iran, Syria, and the Hamas-led Palestinian authority.
How did the newly elected officials of the Palestinian Authority respond to this morning’s abominable act? Sami Abu Zuhri, the official spokesperson for Hamas, did not bother to condemn the attack. Instead, he claimed the Palestinians “have every right to use all means to defend themselves and said that the attack was justified.” This reaction should not come as a surprise – only two weeks ago the same individual stated that the Hamas movement is committed to all forms of “resistance,” including suicide bombings. Today’s horrific act of terrorism, as well the ones that preceded it, are the direct result of the new axis of terror, which I have previously described to you. An axis comprised of Member States in this organization, namely Iran and Syria, and the terrorist organizations they have been harboring, nurturing, financing and supporting, namely Hamas and Hizbullah. ... In view of all these, Mr. President and distinguished Members of the Council, I ask each and every one of you, what would you do? Would you just sit still and wait to bury your children? Would you ignore this harsh reality and just act as if its business as usual? Or would you try and stop this horror and eliminate this danger? A danger I must add, not just to Israel but also to the whole free world and to civilization as we know it, as this axis of evil and terror sows the seeds of the first world war of the 21 st century.Way to go, Mr. Gillerman! Finally someone has told it the way it is! In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.20.2006
When Democracy is Anarchy. . . .
DANGEROUS TO CONFUSE LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY The Bush administration seems to think democracy is the answer to the world's problems. I beg to differ with that oversimplistic idea. Our democratic republic has worked only because of the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution, which makes every person and organization equal under the law. If today's lawmakers were writing the Constitution, some of those rights would be left out. Our president, it seems, would like to see the 14th Amendment excluded. The God-fearing majority of citizens and leaders in the late 1700s were a special breed. They came from countries where certain religious sects were persecuted, and they saw this same sectarianism spreading in America. The founders felt very strongly about freedom of thought, speech and religious choice, and several insisted that a Bill of Rights, with protections to citizens from government interference or coercion, be added to the Constitution immediately. In Islamic countries, Muslims are taught that Islam should be the law of the land and established by government edict. To most Muslims, freedom of religious choice is not an option. So what kind of democracy will such people create? A wise man once said that if the American people became evil, this democratic republic would become the worst form of government. Liberty and democracy are two different things. Without an understanding of what liberty really is, how can a people form a government that secures it? Douglas Roy Lexington
Douglas Roy is a conservative Christian Republican who tends to disagree with many of Bush's policies. His personal website is www.DougRoy.us. While I do not agree with all of his views, he was right on in this letter. I would put it this way: The difference between democracy and anarchy is the people, not the form of government. Our government is a Constitutional Republic, not a pure democracy. But the same principle Mr. Roy was advocating still holds true. The mindset of the people controls whether government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" will work. Opinions, anyone? In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.16.2006
Jesus: Never Convicted
"The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." ("Now I have told you." The question is: What are you going to do about it? Just a quick note. If you read the account of Christ's arrest, trial, and execution, you will find that He was never actually criminally convicted. The Sanhedrin used false witnesses, but they did not suffice. When the High Priest asked Jesus if he was God, our Lord replied: "You say so." At this confession, the Sanhedrin decided He was guilty of blasphemy (which in this case was punishment for a person's status rather than a person's deeds; an instant mistrial) and appealed the decision to the Roman Courts! And in the appeal, they changed the charge from blasphemy to treason (another mistrial)! Pilate found Him not guilty and sent Him to Herod. Even King Herod, the evil man who Christ had unequivocally pronounced to be an "old fox", found the Savior not guilty. He was sent back to Pilate and the Procurator said "I find no reason to condemn this man." Then, in the rage of the people, Pilate released Barrabbas the bandit and sent Jesus to Golgotha to be crucified without any conviction. Christ died for a crime He was never convicted of. We deserve to die for the sins we commit every day. Have you ever lied, cheated, stolen, or lusted in your heart? Ever hated anyone? The Bible says that God sees all of us as lying, thieving, adulterous, murderous criminals. Christ died so you would not have to. Repent and Trust in Him! In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.15.2006
Marshall University and Geophysics: there IS a connection this time!
4.14.2006
Paper Waffles and Marshall University: Is there a connection?
4.12.2006
Get Christ Out of Schools!
"Why do you need to change the dating system we've used for 2000 years unless you have some sort of political agenda?"He pointed out that this is one of the last meetings of the Board before new, more conservative members appointed by Governor Fletcher will join. Lisa Gross, the spokesperson for the Board, denied any such connection. She said that the change was necessary to keep up with the standards set by colleges across America. Susan Griffin, of the National Council for Student Studies, echoed her view.
"I think that's a very legitimate reason to do it -- you have to recognize what's going on in colleges and universities so your students don't look like they're out of touch."It is always for the children, now isn't it? In Him, David S. MacMillan III Quotes for this article were taken from the Lexington Herald-Leader.
4.09.2006
"Random" Mutations: Designed?
"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. . . ." (Romans 1:24)What will it take before sinful man will acknowledge the power of God? In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.08.2006
Life Is Fragile - What are you doing?
Last night, a terrific brace of thunderstorms swept through our area, bringing with them a few tornados and funnel clouds. The twig behind this text was taken from a tree that used to crest a huge hill at a park near our home. Today this magnificient tree was lying flat across the hill, crushed against the ground. Life is fragile. 150,000 people will die today. Who have you shared your faith with today? In Him, David S. MacMillan III |
A "Missing Link" Is Found - And Lost
"With the discovery of fossils of the Tiktaalik, or 'large shallow water fish,' scientists have found a missing connection between fishes and walking land creatures."The Cincinnati Enquirer boldly proclaimed on April 7 that "Those who argue against evolution often say there is no fossil record of one kind of creature evolving into another. Tiktaalik bridges just such a gap." Many scientists were quick to trumpet the defeat of Biblical creationism, as evidenced by this quote from the Times article:
"Other scientists said that in addition to confirming elements of a major transition in evolution, the fossils were a powerful rebuttal to religious creationists,"Or so they say. Times also had a very encouraging image (click to enlarge below) on their website which showed Tiktaalik prominently displayed as "The Missing Link" heaving itself up onto land between an Eusthenopteron fish and a Icthyostega reptile, reinforced by dates from who-knows-where. Below this it showed a diagram of the variegated "limb" bones in the three creatures. The first obvious fallacy comes out in the artistic license used to depict the soft tissue around the three "limbs". The first is smooth, but the second, labeled "Transitional footlike structure" is almost serrated at the end
4.07.2006
Christ On Ice? Part II
Attaboy, DJ! Tomorrow (Lord willing) I will be posting on a Missing Link that has captivated the evolutionary crowdIn order to make the case, let's refer to the original story, shown in John 6:16-21:
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."
Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
In this passage alone, we see the key evidence aqainst the ice-theory: "The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing." Also, we can see that this ice is affected, in part, by depth. According to John 6, "they had rowed about three or four miles [out]."
So, really, it's futile to believe this idea. A more detailed account (of the same event) in Matthew 15, states:
And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
Here, again, we have more evidence against it. Peter steps out (in faith) and seeing the wind (again, no calm water), he loses his faith and begins to sink. Jesus, coming to the same spot, pulls him up onto the surface of the water once more and helps him to the boat. The point in this? In order for the ice-theory to work, Jesus would have to be quite a manipulator of ice to move it around like that. But consider the evidence:
1) The water was rough
2) The wind was raging
3) The weather was warm enough for crowds to spend the day by him (read the first portions of Matthew 15 and John 6 and you'll find Jesus had been teaching the whole day prior).
4) Jesus was walking 3 or 4 miles out on the Sea of Galilee.
5) Peter was sinking.
Biblically speaking (and that's not taking the science into account because THAT is not my area of expertise), there is no grounding for this ice-theory in the Christian life.
4.06.2006
What It Takes to Put Christ On Ice
"The New Testament story describes Jesus walking on water in the Sea of Galilee but according to a study led by Florida State University Professor of Oceanography Doron Nof, it's more likely that he walked on an isolated patch of floating ice."In an effort to dispel the ancient "myth" of the walking-on-water account, a team of scientists has done research on what is known as "springs ice". When a salty spring flows into a freshwater lake, the heavier saltwater sinks to the bottom, creating a temperature imbalance that can lead to ice formation above the saltwater. This only occurs in calm water when the air temperature is at or near freezing. These scientists have decided that since Jesus "couldn't" have really been walking on water, he must have been walking on ice that happened to form just at the right time for this to occur. They say that the chances of this happening today in the Sea of Galilee are about "once in 10,000 years" but that the odds "might" have been higher around two thousand years ago during a "prevailing climate" - whatever that means. I will post my opinion on this startling new piece of "evidence" soon. For now, I am asking my readers to contribute their views via comment. Perhaps we can get some controversy here! To see the original article, go to www.physorg.com. In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.05.2006
Self Esteem Is Linked to WHAT?
". . . many, if not most, of the major problems plaguing society have roots in the low self-esteem of many of the people who make up society."But the first scientific problem with this comes from the fact that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." A study was done in 1995 showed that there is no correlation between a person's "self-esteem" and how attractive or intelligent the person actually is. Artificial attempts to bolster someone's positive thoughts about themselves leads to dissatisfaction with other people and feelings of superiority. After all, if "social value" is not based on physical or mental characteristics, I can pass judgment on the value of anyone without any rationale. Another study done by Scientific American found that self-esteem bolsters a person's opportunity in life only so far as those around them prefer an arrogant person to an insecure person. The lesser of two evils. Researchers at the University of Kentucky found 'way back in 1987 that having high "self-esteem" hurts one's chances to successfully resolve disputes. Because a person with high "self-esteem" feels that he or she is always right, they will be more prone to sever a relationship than admit that they are wrong. It has been found that teens who have a high level of "self-esteem" as measured by current standards are actually more likely to engage in sexual promiscuity and drugs because they feel they are so "good" that nothing can touch them. Contrary to what we have been told, bullies in school and violent adults do not generally suffer from insecurity. They usually have high "self-esteem" and as a result have a predisposition to look down on everyone else because they have been told repeatedly how "good" they are. The message of humanistic self-esteem programs is that we are all basically good, so we just need to accept ourselves and this will help us accept others. But that is not what God's Word says.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:3-11)My favorite Christian comedian, Brad Stine, put it this way:
The first commandment God Almighty told man was: You must put Me first! You must put Me first! Then, when the Creator of matter tells you YOU matter, then you have purpose and then you have self-esteem!In Him, David S. MacMillan III
4.04.2006
No Other Name By Which We Must Be Saved
Ephesians 4:14-15 “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Matthew 7:20-21 “Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” Matthew 7:15 “Do not judge or you too will be judged. . . . Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but an evil tree bears evil fruit. 1 Timothy 4:1,2 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 John 2:22 “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” Isaiah 9:6 “[Christ’s] name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” Psalm 32:1 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” Hebrews 9:22 “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Hebrews 9:11-15 “When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.” John 3:3,14,15 “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ … As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
Which side are you on?
In Him, David S. MacMillan III