False Prophets

I have found that Paul and many other parts of the Bible are especially concerned with False prophets. It was a early prediction of the splintering of Christianity. It's as if Paul knew about the Protestant Reformation before it began. And it did not start with a false church, the danger and pitfall began from a false prophet, namely Martin Luther. Notice: Jesus even began this warning by saying, "Beware of false prophets" (Matt. 7:15) not beware of false churches. The emphasis was on the teachers, not the systems they represented. Matt 7:15-16 ""Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

Why was there such a great concern? Wouldn't people just know by nature when they were being decieved? Couldn't they just pick up the Bible and know? Looking at the world today obviously, no matter how smart the theologian it doesn't matter. We can be tricked and even having the Bible does not help. (Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach (to you) a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed!) They carry a 'gospel' too. In fact, to decieve Christians they go so far as to disguise themselves as real apostles : 2 corinthians 11:13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, who masquerade as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Satan quoted scriptures in the temptation of Jesus, but twisted their meaning. 2 Peter 3:16 This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction. 2 Peter 1:20 Above all else, however, remember that none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures. Acts 8:30-31 Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 The official replied, "How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?" And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with him. The "Bible alone" theory was not believed by anyone in the early Church. It is new, having arisen only in the 1500s during the Protestant Reformation. The theory is a "tradition of men" that nullifies the Word of God, distorts the true role of the Bible, and undermines the authority of the Church Jesus established (Mark 7:1–8). The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.) matthew 24:11 Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people.

Now not all are trying to decieve, some really believe the false teachings they preach. They honestly seek and love God, but have fallen for lies. 1 Timothy 1:7 "They want to be teachers of God's law, but they do not understand their own words or the matter about which they speak with so much confidence."

So who then has the authority to interpret the scriptures for us? 1 Tim. 3:15 "But if I delay, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth." The church of Christ that is the pillar and support of the Truth has that authority. Jesus promised to guide his Church into all truth (John 16:12–13). The Church has remained one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church he established (Matt. 16:18, 28:20). 2 Tim 2:2 "And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well." So not everyone who picks up a bible has been entrusted to teach others, you need the authority of the Church. Malachi 2:7 "It is the duty of the priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will becuase they are the messagers of the Lord Almighty" Back in the OT the preists were decendants of Levi and Aaron. The people gave 10% to the priests, verse 9. 11Even though the Law of Moses says that the priests must be descendants of Levi, those priests cannot make anyone perfect. So there needs to be a priest like Melchizedek, rather than one from the priestly family of Aaron. 12And when the rules for selecting a priest are changed, the Law must also be changed. 13The person we are talking about is our Lord, who came from a tribe that had never had anyone to serve as a priest at the altar. 14Everyone knows he came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never said that priests would come from that tribe. There was a holy nation of peoples and an ordained priesthood. The ordained were to teach! And not just by letter, but by face to face 2 John 1:12. And these teachings could come by letter or word of mouth 2 Thessalonians 2:15. Not everything was written so that their joy may be full and because all the books in the world could not contain all the Jesus said and did. John 21:25 "Now there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written." Do not fall for the traditions of men. Mark 7:7 It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!'

Which man started your “tradition”?

1968-1970, Independent Charismatic Church, Former Denominational Pastors, all around the USA

1914, Assemblies of God, Former Evangelical Pastors, Hot Springs, Ar.

1908, Church of the Nazarene, Phineas F. Bresee, California

1907, Church of God (Pentecostal), Ambrose J. Tomlinson, Cleveland, Tn.

1901, Pentecostal Churches, Charles Parham & John Seymour, Topeka, Ka.

1879, Christian Science Church, Mary Baker Eddy, Los Angeles

1865, Salvation Army, William Booth, London

1830, Mormon Church, Joseph Smith, New York

1827, Church of Christ, Thomas & Alexander Campbell, Kentucky.

1800, United Brethren Church, Philip Otterbein & Martin Boehm, Maryland

1739, Methodist Episcopal Church, John & Charles Wesley, England

1600, Congregational Church, Robert Brown, England

1600, Baptist Church, John Smyth, England

1560, Presbyterian Church, John Knox, Scotland

1534, Anglican/Episcopal, Henry VIII, England

1524, Lutheran Church, Martin Luther, Germany

A.D. 33, Catholic Church, Jesus Christ, Jerusalem

Control your tongue (Bible Study)

So often in today's culture words of gossip, cussing, blasphemy, and curses are thrown about casually. But we must learn to control our tongues and here are some thoughts from the Bible on why:

James 1:26-26 (Good News Translation)

26 Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself. 27 What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.

James 2:18-16

18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions." 19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe - and tremble with fear. 20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless? 21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. 22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 23 And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend. 24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone. 25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road. 26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

Entire Chapter of James 3

1 My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. 2 All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. 3 We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. 4 Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. 5 So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures - wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. 9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen! 11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. 12 A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water. 13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. 14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.

Being Biblical

One of the greatest things I've learned from a good friend and relative is: Where's that in the Bible? While I truly am not a Bible only Christian... I do believe that more Catholics need to be more Biblical.

I can recall a sad high school memory... I had a bunch of Christian friends that I would eat lunch with and junior year we were adding some non-christians to our group. They didn't want to join by reason of being told they 'were going to hell' or not understanding all our 'Bible talk'. But they were comforted by the fact that we agreed not to be like that. So on our first lunch with them, my friends starting listing different verses. I looked to my friend and said..."you know I really don't have a clue what all these verses say" and she replied "niether do we, we're just picking on them in good spirits." Then finally someone said John 3:16 and finally we all knew at least what that one was "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." It was immature/funny at the time and our new friends had a dark sense of humor about it. But looking back How Sad that we didn't know our Scriptures!

CCC Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.112

We were ignorant. Catholics, non-Catholics alike...a bunch of high school teens without knowledge. No one taught us, no one instilled the yearning to know it either. The neglect of religious education is even worst. Where were our spiritual leaders? Two of us at least in the group had taken RE or CCD classes at our parish and still walked away ignorant of scriptures. Both of us being great students.

Parents, Teachers, Catholic leaders....PLEASE Teach a love of Scripture as much as you do the love of the Church. Don't be scared. Catholicism is extremely biblical. And teach us how to explain the hope that we have within us.(I Peter 3:15)

The conversion of Souls

Who converts souls to Christ? Do preachers/priests? Lay people witnessing the faith? What can I say or do that would change the faith of someone else entirely?! The answer is Nothing. (John 15:5 because without me you can do nothing) Sure I can live my faith to the fullest. I can speak about it to large or small audiences, or even just one other person. I should speak of my faith, it is right in His sight. Or I can nag, insist, argue...I can even get angry. But why? Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God". I cannot give a person faith. I must humble myself and realize that is God's job. We have to let go and let God. We can't force someone to accept truth, not even to save their soul. Not even if they are family or friends, your own sons or daughters did not get their faith from you. It came from God the source of divine Truth.

Where do we draw the line between preaching to all nations and trying to force faith onto someone? That is a very delicate matter. The answer is simple, after they reject the Truth then you let them go. God gave them free will. Who are we to take that away and say 'no you must believe'? What pride to think we are better at converting souls than God?! Sounds like the original sin: be a GOD, Pride. Humble yourselves and PRAY. Pray for the people to have the Truth of Christ. (Matt 16:17 For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.) How many ways? How many times can the Bible say it: Faith is a gift from God and the flesh profits nothing. Pray for the whole world to come to the wisdom of Truth.