Sunday, 21 June 2009
Part 2 b - My brother believes in a false prophet
Further notes to add to part 2 - "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits"means that we souldn't believe everything we hear just because someone says it is a message inspired by God. there are many ways to test teachers to see if their message is truly from the Lord. One is to check to see if their words match what God says in the Bible, the living word. Other tests include their commitment to the body of believers, their life-style, and the fruit of their ministry. But the MOST important test of all, says John, is what they believe about Christ. Do they teach that Jesus is fully god and fully man? Our world i s filled with voices claiming to speak for God. Give them these tests to see if they are indeed speaking God's truth. Are they Bahais? Nope, they fall, sadly on the Most Important hurdle.
My brother believes in a false teacher part 2
Last night, I explained to my Christian friend, my brother doesn't acknowledge Jesus is God fully, and man fully, but he just goes to explain how Bahai faith is "true". My brother says "Jesus is true and he believes in the bible, that it is true and just a question of interpretation. " He asks me for my understanding of what he believes.
Because the spirit of Jesus, God's Holy Spirit, is in me and guiding me now that I am born again; gave me new life, I can see clearly that my brother is standing outside of Jesus. My friend reconfirmed what I know - "Yes, Sarah, Look at 1 John 4 v.2:" 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
My brother would disagree...he says, Oh, but look at the 'fruit' I produce (have you learned about the fruit from the tree in Genesis - did it look bad?" My brother says - Look at my son - isn't he fruit - from my beliefs. I would agree that my brother's son is a lovely person and God is big enough to give love abundantly to those who aren't Christ followers. God works in all. My brother's son is no better than the 'fruit' produced by my non-Christian twin sister. All our siblings sons and daughters are lovely people. So this does not differentiate anything. See, this is what is says in my notes (NIV):
Most of the eyewitnesses to Jesus' ministry had died by the time John composed this letter. (1 John). some of the second- or thir generation Christians began to have doubts about what they had been taught about Jesus. Some Christians with a Greek background had a hard time believing that jesus was human as well as divine, because in Platonic thought the spirit was all-important. The body was only a prison from which one desired to escape. Heresies developed from a uniting of this kind of Platonic throught and Christianity.
A particularly widespread false teaching , later called Docetism (from a Greek word meaning "to seem"), held that Jesus was actually a spirit who only appeared to have a body. In reality he cast no shadow and left no footprints; he was God but not man. Another heretical teaching, related to Gnosticism (from a Greek word meaning "knowldge") held that all physical matter was evil, the spirit was good and only the intellectually enlightened could enjoy the benefits of religion. Both groups found it hard to believe in a Saviour who was fully human.
John answers these false teachers as an eyewitness to Jesus' life on earth. he saw Jesus, talked with him, touched him - he knew that Jesus was more than mere spirit. In the very first sentence of his letter, john established that Jesus had been alive before the world began and also that he lived as a man among men and women. In other words he was both divine and human.
Through the centuries, many hetetics have denied that Jesus was both God and man. In John's day people had trouble believing he was human; today more people have problems seeing him as God, But jesus' divine-human nature is a pivotal issue of Christianity. Before you accept what religious teachers say about any topic LISTEN carefully to what they believe about JESUS. To deny either his divinity or his humanity is to consider him less than Christ, the Saviour.
The Bahai faith dismisses the pivotal point here, they jump over it like a small hurdle and lollack in a balmy world of softness, light, 'good fruit', peace, 'understanding', unity in their own bubble - not God's heart in them.
Reading more about the Bahai Faith it physically makes me feel nauseous. I do understand where they are coming from. They are locked inside a bubble with their own reasoning. Jesus, as the divine son of God, lived here on Earth - God planned it from the begining. He is the author, creator God and the only way you can see it is to be obedient to the truth and have His spirit inside you. You are dead, if you don't. I didn't understand and I really wanted NOT to know Jesus at one time, I tried to resist, but then I surrendered and something supernatural happened to me. I am not the only one. I love my brother and if you are a Christian I ask you to pray for him and his family. May be one day, Jesus will make him see.
My brother asks me: "Would you agree that the spirit of Jesus' teachings: is to strive for peace, to lead a good life and be accepting to peoples of all beliefs. Would the Jesus you believe in object to this from Baha'u'llah: "Oh peoples of the world! Consort with the followers of religions in a spirit of friendship and fellowship". I can have friendship with my brother - more than that - love. The love of God. But fellowship, though I understand my brother, is not possible, I am not able, because I follow THE ONE whom He sent.
Because the spirit of Jesus, God's Holy Spirit, is in me and guiding me now that I am born again; gave me new life, I can see clearly that my brother is standing outside of Jesus. My friend reconfirmed what I know - "Yes, Sarah, Look at 1 John 4 v.2:" 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
My brother would disagree...he says, Oh, but look at the 'fruit' I produce (have you learned about the fruit from the tree in Genesis - did it look bad?" My brother says - Look at my son - isn't he fruit - from my beliefs. I would agree that my brother's son is a lovely person and God is big enough to give love abundantly to those who aren't Christ followers. God works in all. My brother's son is no better than the 'fruit' produced by my non-Christian twin sister. All our siblings sons and daughters are lovely people. So this does not differentiate anything. See, this is what is says in my notes (NIV):
Most of the eyewitnesses to Jesus' ministry had died by the time John composed this letter. (1 John). some of the second- or thir generation Christians began to have doubts about what they had been taught about Jesus. Some Christians with a Greek background had a hard time believing that jesus was human as well as divine, because in Platonic thought the spirit was all-important. The body was only a prison from which one desired to escape. Heresies developed from a uniting of this kind of Platonic throught and Christianity.
A particularly widespread false teaching , later called Docetism (from a Greek word meaning "to seem"), held that Jesus was actually a spirit who only appeared to have a body. In reality he cast no shadow and left no footprints; he was God but not man. Another heretical teaching, related to Gnosticism (from a Greek word meaning "knowldge") held that all physical matter was evil, the spirit was good and only the intellectually enlightened could enjoy the benefits of religion. Both groups found it hard to believe in a Saviour who was fully human.
John answers these false teachers as an eyewitness to Jesus' life on earth. he saw Jesus, talked with him, touched him - he knew that Jesus was more than mere spirit. In the very first sentence of his letter, john established that Jesus had been alive before the world began and also that he lived as a man among men and women. In other words he was both divine and human.
Through the centuries, many hetetics have denied that Jesus was both God and man. In John's day people had trouble believing he was human; today more people have problems seeing him as God, But jesus' divine-human nature is a pivotal issue of Christianity. Before you accept what religious teachers say about any topic LISTEN carefully to what they believe about JESUS. To deny either his divinity or his humanity is to consider him less than Christ, the Saviour.
The Bahai faith dismisses the pivotal point here, they jump over it like a small hurdle and lollack in a balmy world of softness, light, 'good fruit', peace, 'understanding', unity in their own bubble - not God's heart in them.
Reading more about the Bahai Faith it physically makes me feel nauseous. I do understand where they are coming from. They are locked inside a bubble with their own reasoning. Jesus, as the divine son of God, lived here on Earth - God planned it from the begining. He is the author, creator God and the only way you can see it is to be obedient to the truth and have His spirit inside you. You are dead, if you don't. I didn't understand and I really wanted NOT to know Jesus at one time, I tried to resist, but then I surrendered and something supernatural happened to me. I am not the only one. I love my brother and if you are a Christian I ask you to pray for him and his family. May be one day, Jesus will make him see.
My brother asks me: "Would you agree that the spirit of Jesus' teachings: is to strive for peace, to lead a good life and be accepting to peoples of all beliefs. Would the Jesus you believe in object to this from Baha'u'llah: "Oh peoples of the world! Consort with the followers of religions in a spirit of friendship and fellowship". I can have friendship with my brother - more than that - love. The love of God. But fellowship, though I understand my brother, is not possible, I am not able, because I follow THE ONE whom He sent.
Saturday, 20 June 2009
My brother follows a false teacher Part 1
My brother is a believer and follower of Baha'u'llah and several times we have clashed in our beliefs. I love him dearly, as a sister and friend. He is quite happy for me to have my beliefs, but I AM NOT happy for him to believe what He believes, nor any other non-believer. And I pray for all those close to me in relationship - as brothers, sister, and son AND SO MANY OTHERS!. That they may know Him as the way, the truth and the life.
I take this opportunity as a platform to express both mine and my husband's viewpoints, under the guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray.
The bible clearly states: "1Pet 3:15- But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
2 Tim 4:2- Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
2 Tim 2:24-26- And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
The link above is from a website written by Mike Oppenheimer to counter attack false teachings.
I am grateful for my brother sending me a book entitled "Christ's new name." because it gives us a chance to defend our faith and point out the subtleties and false teachings and arise every step as you read. We flicked to page16 talking about Elijah returning to herald the coming of the lord King James BibleBehold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
Now, this "Christ's New Name" book suggests "Strangely", even John declared that he was not Elijah - which tells us pretty plainly that John himself, states He wasn't Elijah - but the Ba'hais twist it up and go on to say, well Jesus said John was Elijah. They are reading from a passage in Matthew: American Standard VersionAnd if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come." - Why, yes, you think Jesus is saying John is Elija here - BUT he is using it as a turn of phrase. He says this because recently he has lost his good, close friend John to an evil ruler, Herod, whose wife persuaded to him to cut of John's head and put it on a platter. Jesus was making parallels to Elijahs time when the Evil King Ahab and his idol worshipping evil woman Jezzobel persecuted Elijah. The New International Version translates it with clear meaning: New International Version (©1984) And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come." Subtle isn't it - note THE Elijah..... can you see? Let me quote the notes in the N I V: "John was NOT a resurrected Elijah, but he took on Elijah's prophetic ROLE - boldly confronting sin and pointing people to God (Malachi 3:1. See Elijah's Profile in 1 Kings 18.)
King James BibleBehold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
This book: "Christ's New Name" must be read and refuted by more Christians. Another part it says, (I Paraphrase) the Jews didn't acknowledge the Messiah (both mentioned in The Bible)in the same way Baha'u'llah is not recognised by the Christians today. We will all know when Jesus comes the second time when 'every knee shall bow'.
I take this opportunity as a platform to express both mine and my husband's viewpoints, under the guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray.
The bible clearly states: "1Pet 3:15- But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
2 Tim 4:2- Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
2 Tim 2:24-26- And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
The link above is from a website written by Mike Oppenheimer to counter attack false teachings.
I am grateful for my brother sending me a book entitled "Christ's new name." because it gives us a chance to defend our faith and point out the subtleties and false teachings and arise every step as you read. We flicked to page16 talking about Elijah returning to herald the coming of the lord King James BibleBehold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
Now, this "Christ's New Name" book suggests "Strangely", even John declared that he was not Elijah - which tells us pretty plainly that John himself, states He wasn't Elijah - but the Ba'hais twist it up and go on to say, well Jesus said John was Elijah. They are reading from a passage in Matthew: American Standard VersionAnd if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come." - Why, yes, you think Jesus is saying John is Elija here - BUT he is using it as a turn of phrase. He says this because recently he has lost his good, close friend John to an evil ruler, Herod, whose wife persuaded to him to cut of John's head and put it on a platter. Jesus was making parallels to Elijahs time when the Evil King Ahab and his idol worshipping evil woman Jezzobel persecuted Elijah. The New International Version translates it with clear meaning: New International Version (©1984) And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come." Subtle isn't it - note THE Elijah..... can you see? Let me quote the notes in the N I V: "John was NOT a resurrected Elijah, but he took on Elijah's prophetic ROLE - boldly confronting sin and pointing people to God (Malachi 3:1. See Elijah's Profile in 1 Kings 18.)
King James BibleBehold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
This book: "Christ's New Name" must be read and refuted by more Christians. Another part it says, (I Paraphrase) the Jews didn't acknowledge the Messiah (both mentioned in The Bible)in the same way Baha'u'llah is not recognised by the Christians today. We will all know when Jesus comes the second time when 'every knee shall bow'.
Friday, 5 June 2009
LIFE FOR EVER
John 14; 4-6 “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
This 'caught' and, 'captured' me a few weeks ago, that Jesus is LIFE, living, alive for eternity. Jesus has no part in death, though He died for his father so we might live too. And I really got it again this morning.
I woke up, reluctant to rise, for it was raining - it has been sunny and calm for a good while, then, this morning; It was cold, raining and generally unpleasant. But God did not create the Earth so that it would rain. Rain happened after Adam's sin. When God created the Earth, he branded it "VERY GOOD", and there was no rain then. Plants absorbed their moisture from the Earth underground and obtained moisture from the steamy atmosphere. But to start afresh, because of all the sin that had spread about the world, He brought the flood and gave His man a second chance. (We know He is the God of the second chance). He left a rainbow as a sign He would not bring that kind of destruction to the Earth again. A sign, in rememberence of Him and He alone is OUR God to worship. That's why He sent His son, Jesus, and His spirit to live in us, to tell us in detail what, where, who, and why He is; so we might be obedient to Him. He has allowed us to know Him, if we choose to, once He has called us OUT, to learn more about Him through His word (THE BIBLE), and gain His wisdom, His TRUTH, His WAY and His Life.
That's right, NO death, no darkness, no sin, no evil - He turns away from ALL that is blemished with the slightest soil.
Jesus has us covered by His blood, by what He did on the cross.
I am so thankful for this - and know it! May I always be guided by His light. May you come and join in! I pray!
Jesus, He is gathering us together, all over the world. We are in despair sometimes, listening to the cries of people who do not yet truly know Him. They can have peace in their hearts. It takes what seems like a massive jump. Well JUMP - go on, SURRENDER!! - you actually have nothing to loose, only death. Once you've done it you will rejoice, be filled with JOY and peace. You will know compassion. You will know His saving grace. And there are others you can share it with. We need to remain alert and watchful, praying we will not be caught out by people who think they know, and don't - even some vicars, ministers and preists - i've met them. But we will never be trapped because we know the One who guides us. Our prayers four ourselve sand each other, are needed to stay in situ. To stay focused in Jesus. Let Him control you, speak to you and live in you, because He is THE LIFE. AMEN
This 'caught' and, 'captured' me a few weeks ago, that Jesus is LIFE, living, alive for eternity. Jesus has no part in death, though He died for his father so we might live too. And I really got it again this morning.
I woke up, reluctant to rise, for it was raining - it has been sunny and calm for a good while, then, this morning; It was cold, raining and generally unpleasant. But God did not create the Earth so that it would rain. Rain happened after Adam's sin. When God created the Earth, he branded it "VERY GOOD", and there was no rain then. Plants absorbed their moisture from the Earth underground and obtained moisture from the steamy atmosphere. But to start afresh, because of all the sin that had spread about the world, He brought the flood and gave His man a second chance. (We know He is the God of the second chance). He left a rainbow as a sign He would not bring that kind of destruction to the Earth again. A sign, in rememberence of Him and He alone is OUR God to worship. That's why He sent His son, Jesus, and His spirit to live in us, to tell us in detail what, where, who, and why He is; so we might be obedient to Him. He has allowed us to know Him, if we choose to, once He has called us OUT, to learn more about Him through His word (THE BIBLE), and gain His wisdom, His TRUTH, His WAY and His Life.
That's right, NO death, no darkness, no sin, no evil - He turns away from ALL that is blemished with the slightest soil.
Jesus has us covered by His blood, by what He did on the cross.
I am so thankful for this - and know it! May I always be guided by His light. May you come and join in! I pray!
Jesus, He is gathering us together, all over the world. We are in despair sometimes, listening to the cries of people who do not yet truly know Him. They can have peace in their hearts. It takes what seems like a massive jump. Well JUMP - go on, SURRENDER!! - you actually have nothing to loose, only death. Once you've done it you will rejoice, be filled with JOY and peace. You will know compassion. You will know His saving grace. And there are others you can share it with. We need to remain alert and watchful, praying we will not be caught out by people who think they know, and don't - even some vicars, ministers and preists - i've met them. But we will never be trapped because we know the One who guides us. Our prayers four ourselve sand each other, are needed to stay in situ. To stay focused in Jesus. Let Him control you, speak to you and live in you, because He is THE LIFE. AMEN
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