Doctrines

My intent isn’t to ridicule people… but, to share my thoughts on… religions… cults… that were destroying my life.  People are precious… created in the image of God… but, religiosity rituals… cults… causes—they’re beliefs and practices that ultimately destroy the soul.  Life… the saving of the soul… can only be found in… One—I’ll explain.

Doctrines of demons—Apostle Paul’s description of them includes… men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods** (NASB)… (1 Timothy 4:1-4).

According to this definition… by association… I’ve once condoned… therefore, practiced them.

I was born… and, shortly thereafter… “sprinkled” into Catholicism (as if I had a choice… I was a baby) where I stayed until I turned 18.

The Catholics forbid many… if not most… of their clergy to marry bearing the fruit of pedophilia and homosexuality (1 Corinthians 7:9).  Not to mention… Jesus Christ is not the Catholic’s High Priest.  We had to petition their priest… a man… for forgiveness of sin—then… he would mete out a penance of saying a few prayers for punishment.  Saying a few prayers is sufficient to forgive our sins… really?  On top of… if you’re relying on a guy abusing children… or, committing any other sin (1 John 1:8)… are you in jeopardy of going down with him (Matthew 18:5-7)?

Further… their jesus has to be sacrificed every week at their mass.  They believe their eucharistic jesus comes to inhabit… at a priest’s invoking… the “bread and wine” they present at the mass.  They believe salvation exists in this “wafer and wine”… among other sacramental beliefs… to the extent, they worship them as actually being the “body and blood” of their jesus.  In other words, it’s not… this do in remembrance of me (Luke 22:18-20).  They actually believe their “offerings of bread and wine” have become his flesh and blood.  They believe they’re eating and drinking the actual “flesh and blood” of their jesus… which is forbidden by God… Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood… for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off… That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood… the flesh profiteth nothing… (Leviticus 17:11-14; Acts 15:29; John 6:63).

Last… how could Jesus Christ come to earth as “flesh and blood” for the Catholic eucharist?  Today… Jesus Christ… seated at the right hand of the Father… is still a man while also being fully God… For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus… (1 Timothy 2:5; Luke 24:39, 50-51; John 1:14; Colossians 2:9).  If He would manifest to the Catholic eucharist as His “flesh and blood”… as they proclaim… wouldn’t that mean He’d have to leave His position as our High Priest… the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 10:21-23)?  Nowhere in the Bible does God say that Christ returns to earth before His 2nd coming as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Go into a Catholic church… look at their rosary… what do you see?  Is not their jesus still hanging on a cross?  Their jesus is still up there.  Jesus Christ, the only High Priest over the House of God, is no longer there—He’s in Heaven interceding for His faithful followers before God the Father.  His Saints have access to the Life of God… God’s presence—the power to overcome sin and be transformed in Christ’s likeness.

There’s only… One… qualified to… atone for our sin—He who never sinned.  He shed His blood fulfilling the Levitical Law of shed blood for the forgiveness of sin… once and for all.  His name is… Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 4:15).  Only through Christ… we have access to God the Father… For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father… boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus… Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace (Ephesians 2:17-18; John 14:6; John 16:26-27; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 10:19-20; Hebrews 4:16).

The “access door is shut” to God the Father…

  • if we rely on some human priest called “father”… or, a man called… “holy father” (Matthew 23:8-9;10:33)…
  • “the sacrifice” has to be performed every week (Hebrews 6:5-6)… so to speak…
  • and, if you’re looking for the Life of Christ in the eucharist. Why would you want to?  Jesus Christ sent us the Holy Spirit… His Life… and, the Holy Spirit… lives in the heart of flesh of the New Covenant in the Christian [see essay, “In the Center”, on the Series Page].

A few years after leaving Catholicism, I jumped into the Worldwide Church of God where… a voluntary humility… Touch not; taste not; handle not… was practiced (Colossians 2:18-23).  Even though I desired a relationship with Jesus Christ and was baptized, by my own choice, while attending this church… the church kept one foot on the Mosaic Law and one foot on the New Covenant.  I started to recognize that the “heart of stone” and the “heart of flesh” were “spreading apart”—the “earthquake” was inevitable… I had to choose one, or the other.  So… I chose… and…

I jumped into the land of…

  • hyper-grace—all you do is believe in Jesus… you don’t have to take the first step towards obedience… lay aside the sin… God’s looks past the “fruit that stinks” (1 Thessalonians 5:22-23; Hebrews 12:1,4-7; James 2:18-20)…
  • word-faith—just speak it… and, it’s yours (Hebrews 11:36-40)…
  • some Calvinism—after accepting Christ… you can’t destroy your “ticket to Heaven” no matter what you do (Ephesians 5:5-7; Romans 11:22)…
  • some “replacement theology”—the Church is on “center stage”… not Israel… the Jews… which I never fully bought into.

It took me awhile to see this world of…

So… again, I had to choose.

I grew up the son of ranchers and ranched myself… and, one thing ranchers dislike is… especially during hot and dry summers… clouds that promise… but, bring no rain (Jude 12).

I still see… my future… my hope—the New Jerusalem—on the horizon.  Yes, Jesus Christ is returning for His Bride [see essay, “Counting Up”, on the Writings Page].  Maybe this has helped me keep walking.  I eventually saw what was preached did not line-up with scripture… so… I kept searching.  The ultimate proof was… the sins that easily beset me (Hebrews 12:1)… kept easily besetting me—sin kept getting the better of me.  The preaching and teaching I was listening to… I ultimately found to be like… bellowing clouds with no rain (Proverbs 25:14)… a lot of words with few results… a big hat and no cattle.

I don’t write this for sake of… getting on stage.  This is what’s rolling across my screen… and, if it helps you… it’s worth the time to share.  It doesn’t mean I’m right… checkout the scriptures in context.

God’s kindness… mercy… and grace… has gotten me here—I don’t want to take it for granted.

So… yes… I do live with… the fear of the Lord (see the essay… Fill “er Up)—I want His protection… he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil (NASB) (Proverbs 1:33).  No matter what I think… I’m still the created… not the Creator—the servant… not the Master.

We live in weird times—a time when some people are protesting… fighting for… our leaders to break the law and allow our enemies into our land… our homes… to commit crimes against our families… aka… illegal immigration.  I said… illegal… not legal.  Unrepentant law-breakers ultimately aren’t trustworthy when the heat is on… this is just the nature of sin.

The President of the United States does have the power to deny… entry of all aliens or any class of aliens …

[8 U.S.C.  United States Code, 2011 Edition; 1182. Inadmissible aliens

(10) Miscellaneous

(f) Suspension of entry or imposition of restrictions by President

Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate…]

Have we been given examples… are we warned… of the thinking that defies logic?

(And, if I ask for logic… seems like I’m labeled as not being “spiritual”.)

Those who dabbled in idolatry… mysticism like necromancy (calling on the dead)… Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living (NASB)… it did not work out well for them (Isaiah 8:19-22)—their minds seemed to become a “wasteland”.

Think about…

  • King Saul—he called on the dead… he had God’s favor ripped from him.
  • King Solomon—his heart was turned away from God by worshiping the false gods of his wives and mistresses.
  • King Nebuchadnezzar—he thought he was like God and was reduced to the state of an animal.
  • Pharaoh—his heart was hardened by God against God to where he lost his battle with God.

If one continues to “step out” on God… i.e. idolatry… worshiping false gods… we see descriptions of… their foolish heart was darkened… they became fools… God also gave them up to uncleanness… God gave them over to a reprobate mind… Without understanding… God gave them up unto vile affections… did change the natural use into that which is against nature… (Romans 1:21-32… also see the Essay… What’s Love God to Do With It?)..

I can be tempted to think… I can always stay firm… or… no sweat… I’ll remain faithful.  Today, it’s easy to think this—it’s fairly peaceful in the West… the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin… there’s light in the world (John 16:7-8; Genesis 1:1-5)—the protective hand of God (the Holy Spirit) has not been withdrawn.  But… at some point, I think God will withdraw His Spirit from the world-at-large…

[Maybe, like when God pulled back the Red Sea for the Hebrews with a strong “east* wind” until they crossed… then, He withdrew the “wind” allowing Israel’s enemies to be destroyed (Exodus 14:21-27; Acts 2:1-4; John 3:8).  Or, like when God gives life to man through His breath… but, when He removes His breath… so goes man’s life  (Genesis 2:7; John 20:22; Psalm 104:29; Ezekiel 37:6).]

…there will no longer be a conviction, or a conscience, against sin—the night… the darkness… will encroach—God’s assault on evil will begin.  I say this because we’ve been warned to work while there’s still daylight… if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off…

the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world…

 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps…

therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night…

 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit…

 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him… (Romans 11:21-24; John 9:4-5; Matthew 25:1-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10; Ephesians 5:15-18; John 11:9-10).

At one point… the sun… moon… stars … will literally no longer be a source of light (Acts 2:20; Joel 2:1-2; Matthew 24:29-30).  Is this the indication that God is unleashing His wrath on the unrighteous in the world—His judgment to destroy them (Jude 14-15; Isaiah 13:9-12)?

I could say… what if Christ doesn’t return in my lifetime… so… why think about the darkness?  I still think about it because… I will face darkness—I’m getting older… the “lights” are starting to dim… they’ll eventually go out… I’ll close my eyes for the last time in this world.  We’ll all die at some point… it is appointed unto men once to die… (Ecclesiastes 12:1-3; Ecclesiastes 9:10; Hebrews 9:27; Proverbs 6:6-9).  If we die without Jesus Christ… His Life—the Holy Spirit—in us… we’ll be like… wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever… (Jude 4,12-13).  If we die with Jesus Christ in our heart… as Lord of our life and our Savior … the darkness will turn to light (Revelation 22).

The darkness—could it be a time when the “civility” that protects society from… complete chaos and destruction… lawlessness… will breakdown?  God will not only remove the light… For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way (NASB)… but, He will also allow the darkness to invade… send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness… (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12)?

The examples above of the leaders separating themselves from God… that’s scary… seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy… (Judges 16:20; 1 Samuel 28:15-16).  The… strong delusion… is pretty sobering, also—it’s not just a delusion… it’s a STRONG delusion (vs. 11 KJV).  It’s one thing to defend against deception from the flesh of man in the world… but, it’s another matter when God goes on “offense”… It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God… (Hebrews 10:29-31)!

In context of all this… I ask myself… why fool around with…

Seems to me… “courting and ending up in bed” with false gods is like… “sleeping around” on our Groom—Jesus Christ.  Israel did it to God—He called her a… harlot… for her unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 3:8).  Adultery… spiritually, or otherwise… it’s not a good thing… Because… you neglected all my counsel… I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes… When distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me… So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way (NASB)… (Proverbs 6:26-29; Proverbs 1:20-33)!

Am I not to… be in the world… shine as a light to the world… share the Gospel with the world… so… how can I tell when not to “mix it up”?  Maybe, it takes a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ (a non-adulterated one)… through the Holy Spirit who is flourishing in me… to tell the difference—this same Spirit also asks me to… walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil… (Proverbs 1:10-16).

The One the Holy Spirit reveals and points us to did NOT say… follow Me along with some false gods and demons… and, you’ll be successful.  Rather… He said… Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).  As a Christian, I’m to be a source of “fresh water”… I don’t produce “salt water”… or, a mixture of both (James 3:9-12; John 7:38-39).  If I can’t discern the difference… am I now involved in… If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine [the doctrine of Christ]… he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds (2 John 9-11)?

There are the ignorant… there’s a chance they’ll respond to the Word of God… I’ve been there… I’m still learning… but, there are also the wolves (Matthew 7:13-20).  They’re a different story—they say… come, we’re all the same… we worship the same god… let’s join hands as we pray together for world peace… through the god—force within us… we will create the world we want—“the city of man”.  

It’s dangerous to befriend wolves… they just might bite you… or, worse yet… eat you alive.  Like cancer… they infiltrate… divide and mutate… destroy (Matthew 10:16; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Peter 2:12-15; John 10:10).

As Christians… we’re body parts of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13-15,27).  The Lord of lords… King of kings… wants a healthy Body… Bride… Wife—if we become diseased… and don’t seek healing (repentance and confession of sin… 1 John 1:8-10)… one would think He’d eventually remove us (Ephesians 5:26-30; 2 Peter 3:13-14; Deuteronomy 29:18-20; Matthew 13:41-43; Hebrews 12:26-28; 6:4-6; 10:26; John 15:1-2,8).  Our unhealed sickness will ultimately lead to unbelief killing our heart… mind… soul—we’ll ultimately reject the only Way to Life… the Redeemer… the Savior… the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Our initial repentance and confession and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ has to be followed with on-going growth in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ… bearing fruit of the Holy Spirit—that’s if we want to remain faithful and continue believing.  The following warning of departing (and you can’t depart unless you’re already on-board) is directed to the believer… the brethren… the Christian… 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (Hebrews 3).  And, the unbelieving will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Revelation 21:7-8; Titus 1:15-16; Ephesians 5:5-6; Hebrews 3-4).

If I don’t believe I’m part of the best thing ever to exist… a member of the Family of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of Israel—through a relationship with Jesus Christ… the only begotten Son of God… will it lead to becoming an… embarrassed… rogue… Bride of Christ?  If I’m ashamed of the Bridegroom… or, even my spouse… it’s hard to justify saying… oh, but I love them.  If I feel I must dilute Jesus Christ with the…

  • “Catholic jesus”…
  • “Muslim jesus”…
  • “Mormon jesus”…
  • “Hindu jesus”…
  • “New Age jesus”…
  • teacher prophet only jesus who did not fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament Law as the High Priest over the House of God…
  • fantasized politically correct jesus…
  • etc….

to make Him more culturally relevant and palpable to the world… nobody wins… Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).

It pays to be genuine—we share the true Gospel of Jesus Christ… now, others have a chance to believe it to receive the… message… Christ… the Father… For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth… Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven… He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me… and, when we reach the New Jerusalem… God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city… (Romans 1:16; Matthew 10:32-33,37-40; Hebrews 11:16).

There are two sources… two choices…

  • Jesus Christ or… Satan.
  • The Holy Spirit or… the “other spirits”—the demonic—the spirit of antichrist.
  • Light or… darkness.
  • Fresh water (the Holy Spirit) or… salt water (the satanic).
  • Children of light or… children of darkness.
  • God the Father… Jesus Christ… the Holy Spirit—the Family of the God of Israel—or… the god of this world and their father, the devil—the love of the world… its lusts.
  • The faithful Bride or… Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth (Revelation 17:5).
  • The city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, or… the “city of man”.
  • Christ’s Peace or… “world peace” (John 14:26-27).
  • Eternal Life or… the second death.
  • The New Jerusalem or… the Lake of Fire.
  • The doctrine of Christ or… the doctrine of demons.

We all have to make a choice for one or… the other—we can’t choose both… I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:14-22; James 1:8).

I set my heart either on the Kingdom of God—the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ leading to… the New Jerusalem—what God proclaims in the Bible on how He will bring His Kingdom about… or, I’m going to reject all this by attempting to setup a kingdom of my own imagination in this world (John 18:36; Matthew 4:8-10; Jeremiah 6:13-15; 23:11,13,16-17,25-28,32,36).

And…

When I setup my kingdom, my highest priority becomes getting rid of my ills… much like a “world peace plan”—God… His Word… His sovereignty… becomes secondary (Matthew 4:2-7; John 6:26-29; Luke 12:22-23; Matthew 6:33-34; Luke 21:34-36; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; Philippians 3:17-21).  What is precious to us… we’ll fight for (Ephesians 5:29).

The times are getting more confusing… the lines are blurring… the darkness seems to be advancing.  A choice has to be made—it will not be easy (Luke 12:51-53; Matthew 10:36-39).  Without the Holy Spirit… it can’t be done… and, we don’t do ourselves favors by opposing Him with idolatry and doctrines of demons.

The breath I draw is “on loan” from God… that I invest it wisely.

*An interesting observation—is there a significance… or connection… with the “east”… and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night…?  I don’t know… but, I wonder.  Maybe… “life” comes from the “east” going to the west.

  • Jesus’ star was in the “east”… and, the wise men searching for Him came from the “east” (Matthew 2:1-2).
  • Jesus Christ will return from the “east” to the west… like a bolt of lightning (Matthew 24:27).
  • Jesus Christ removes our sin… As far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
  • Where Christ ascended to the Father from… and where He will return to… the Mount of Olives… is “east” of Jerusalem (Acts 1:9-12; Zechariah 14:4).
  • The sun rises from the “east”… sets in the west.

**All text reference scripture quoted or discussed is King James Version unless otherwise noted.  Bold, colored lettering, brackets [my understanding of things right now… or possible cross-reference], and underline—mine.

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