Why We Need a Second Reformation

Five-hundred years ago today, a German monk named Martin Luther inadvertently started a revolution. His 95 thesis statements nailed to a church door began the reformation of Christianity.

For a thousand years, the Word of God was taken out of the hands of ordinary Christians. The church at Rome took over the management of the scriptures, confining it to priests and other professional ministers.

I believe it's time for a second reformation. Because many people don't know how to read the Bible for all it has to offer, they fall into error. Cults twist the scriptures and so do certain sects. As Psalms 56:5 (KJV) laments, "Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil."

And as we read about the Apostle Paul in 2 Peter 3:16 (KJV), "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."

Also, as we're admonished in 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV), "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."

Heed also the warning in 1 John 4:1 (KJV) which reads, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." This doesn't mean that we should listen to ghosts but that we must discern truth from lies.

Let's not be like the people who Paul wrote to in Galatians 1:6 (KJV).  "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:"

There is no other gospel but the one proclaimed by Jesus and his apostles. Therefore, I'm working on a book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? From the so-called prosperity gospel to seeker-friendly outreaches, many believers are missing the truth of the real gospel and buying into lies. May this second reformation come soon since so many false teachers are impoverishing believers, both monetarily and spiritually.

Saturday Song: The Poppy Family, "Beyond The Clouds"

Does this song resonate with you? It does with me. When The Poppy Family had this hit in October of 1968, I was at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. A bully made my life a living hell during those years and my one escape was my radio.

I identified with the person in the song. Life seemed to be one endless disappointment and nobody seemed to be on my side.

Listen to "Beyond The Clouds" here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du6U4pJFOv8



I'm glad I didn't commit suicide back then. Thoughts of ending it all were on my mind constantly that autumn. Thanks to forward-thinking educators, I was mainstreamed into the public school system two years later.

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to hardships. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, in defense of his ministry, "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

How wonderful it was that God led him through all those trials and worked so many things out for good. Our heavenly Father does the same things in our lives. Let's trust him no matter how bad life gets.

Does the Aaronic and Melchisedec Priesthood Still Exist?

One of many peculiar doctrines taught by the LDS church is that the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods still exist. In fact, they believe that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist in May, 1829.

Could it be that Psalms 110:4 (KJV) still applies? It reads, "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."

But how could this be when the writer of the book of Hebrews says that Christ superseded both Aaronic and Melchisedecian orders. Hebrews 7:10 (KJV) reads, "For he (Moses) was yet in the loins of his father,  when Melchisedec met him."

Hebrews 7:11 and 12 (KJV) explains, "If therefore perfection were by the Levitical  priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further  need was there that another priest should rise after the order of  Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?"

Jesus made a new covenant with his disciples and all who would follow him afterward. As Hebrews 8:13 (KJV) declares, "In that he saith, 'A new covenant,' he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."

We who study the scriptures know how the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom, exposing the Holy of Holies and proclaiming that Aaronic priesthood ended. We also know that the temple and all Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans in A.D. 70 so that no more animal sacrifices could be performed there. As the writer of Hebrews pointed out in many places, Christ's sacrifice superseded the Aaronic priesthood and nullified it. Sadly, some folks, including faithful Mormons, still cling to these outmoded types and shadows.

This is why I feel compelled to write my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People must know the difference between truth and lies or they'll end up in a cult. That's what happened to me and I want to save others from that fate.

Why Did Mormon Prophecies Fail?

I've written before about how to determine if a prophet is from the Lord or if that person is speaking lies. And even if the prophecy does come true, it's a test from God to see if people have discernment to see the fallacy of the prophecy.

But Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, blamed people's sins for the failure of his supposed prophetic utterances. Doctrine and Covenants Section 124:45 and 46, in reference to building a house for the Lord, says, "And if my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place. But if they will not hearken to my voice, nor unto the voice of these men whom I have appointed,they shall not be blest, because they pollute mine holy grounds, and mine holy ordinances, and charters, and my holy words which I give unto them."

In other words, any sin committed by  those men mentioned, as well as the congregants, would nullify God's blessing on their temple. This is an easy escape route for false prophets. They blame failure of their prophetic words on their followers rather than their own delusions of grandeur. This way, they can easily escape criticism.

According to the movies, Witness at Your Door and The Witness Goes Out, the Jehovah's Witnesses were blamed by their leaders for the failure of the 1975 great famine prophecy. I believe that other cult leaders also blame their followers when their prophecies fail to come to pass.

I'll be adding more about Mormons as well as Jehovah's Witnesses in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People must know how to detect false teachers and to test their teachings against what the Bible reveals. If they don't, they could end up in a cult. That happened to me since nobody taught me how to discern truth from lies.

Saturday Song: Donovan, "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting:

In the autumn of 1969, this song became a hit on Vancouver's rock stations. It resonated with me the first time I heard it as I too was waiting on the west coast of Canada. But what I anticipated was to return home for Christmas to my family.

Hear Donovan's ballad here.

The man in the poignant story was an American soldier in Vietnam who wrote a note to his girlfriend. He reassured her of his love and his desire to return to her. Though he was supposed to hate, he was consumed with Susan's love.

We Christians are in a war which has raged since Eden. Our heavenly Father allowed humanity the privilege of choosing him or Satan, allowing a greater good to happen in the end.

Like Christian rocker Larry Norman said, we're just visiting this planet. Our true home is in heaven. And as John wrote in Revelation 22:20 (KJV) I and many other believers feel the same way. "He which testifieth these things saith, 'Surely I come quickly. Amen.' Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Did you like the song and what I've written? Please leave a comment in the box below. But if you'd rather not, have a terrific weekend anyway.

Do People in Heaven Have Physical Bodies?

Mormons believe that there are physical people in heaven as well as spirits. Doctrine and Covenants Section 129:1-3 reads, "There are two kinds of beings in heaven, namely: Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones— For instance, Jesus said: 'Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.' Secondly: the spirits of just men made perfect, they who are not resurrected, but inherit the same glory."

Firstly, angels aren't resurrected saints. Hebrews 1:7 (KJV) explains, "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."

Secondly, Matthew 22:30 (KJV) reads, "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." He didn't say we'd be identical to  angels but that we will be like them in that they never marry. He wouldn't have said so if they were actual humans who received their resurrected bodies as Joseph Smith claims.

And how could we have bodies before the resurrection when the Apostle Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV), "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."?

We also know that a third of the angels followed Lucifer and became demons. How then can they, if they had material bodies,  inhabit people? Mark 16:9 (KJV) reads, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils."

Joseph Smith also wrenched Hebrews 12:23 (KJV) out of its context. "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," How could they be flesh-and-blood people if they are spirits?

I'll be writing more defenses of the Bible and what God revealed to us in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? We need to know how to defend God's word from error or we'll be misled. I hope I can help at least some people out of error as I was led to the truth.

Will We Be Married In Heaven?

In researching this subject, I find that Mormons believe that marriages performed in their church last forever. This doesn't square with what Jesus taught. In Matthew 22:30 (KJV), the Sadducees asked him who would a fictitious woman belong to if she had seven husbands who all died.   He replied, "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

Mormons, on the other hand, look to Doctrine and Covenants as their guide. Section 132:19 reads, "And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by  my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting  covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise,  by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto  them—'Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection;' and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities,and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be  written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and  commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done  unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time,  and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out  of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which  are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been  sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fullness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever

What we'll be doing in heaven before the resurrection is continually praising our heavenly Father and rejoicing in Christ's salvation of us. What a glorious time that will be. As 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) explains, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

I'll be writing in another post about the blasphemous LDS doctrine of being gods in our own right. It'll be part of my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Only the Trinity is eternal whereas we mere creations had a beginning. Therefore, I oppose any sect claiming that we are gods and I want everybody to be warned about such blasphemous lies.

Saturday Song: Cream, "White Room"

Train stations can be lonely places when you have nobody to greet you. Additionally, people tend to use trains for transport to work in urban centers so the crowds aren't in the happiest of moods.

This song reminds me of the loneliness I felt in October of 1968 while at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. The bully was merciless in his ruining of any good time I had. The weather was rainy as well, perfectly fitting my emotional gloom. This song made me wish I could catch a train home and never set foot in that horrid institution again. Even so, I loved the song.

Here "White Room" here.

There are many lonely people in this world. Even famous folks feel lonely and purposeless. This is why some even kill themselves to escape the gut-wrenching sorrow of having no true friends.

But there is somebody who does care for anybody who wishes to befriend him. Solomon mentioned him in Proverbs 18:24 (KJV). "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Jesus Christ is that friend. He said in John 6:37 (KJV), "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

That's what I did in August of 1969. I confessed that I was a sinner and asked the Lord to forgive me. I gave the running of my life over to him and he's led me ever since. How I wish all those lonely souls knew Jesus like I do. They'd be eternally joyful.

Well, what do you think of the song and what I wrote? Please comment below. But if you'd rather not, please have a nice weekend anyway.

Does the Bible Promote Polygamy?

Though the LDS church has renounced polygamy since 1890, their Doctrine and Covenants book still contains Joseph Smith's proclamation of it as being needful for true believers to practice. But some splinter LDS sects still hold to the notion of multiple wives.

In a round-about way, Doctrine and Covenants excuses plural marriage because Abraham had two wives and descendents of both sons became numerous. Section 132:34 and 35 reads, "God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife And why did she do it?  Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This,therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises. Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily I say unto you, Nay; for I, the Lord,  commanded it."

But God didn't command that Hagar be given to Abraham so he could father the son of promise. Isaac was that son and he was born by Sarah. Neither was it "the law" that Hagar be given to Abraham.

Moreover, Abraham experienced plenty of grief from having two wives. So did others who had multiple wives. These examples weren't placed in the Bible as commandments to us but as warnings of what sin does.

Jesus proclaimed the proper relationship of marriage in this life while discussing divorce with the Pharisees. Matthew 19:6 (KJV) quotes him regarding a young man and a woman, "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 also touches on what Mormons call celestial marriage where people wed in their church are united throughout eternity. The Bible nowhere teaches that.

I'll be writing more about LDS beliefs in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People must know the true gospel so thoroughly that when a false one is preached, they won't be fooled. My hope is that God will let my writing be his warning to straying Christians.

Did Jesus Preach in Hell?

One doctrine common among aberrant sects is that Jesus descended into hell when he died. They claim that he did because of what was written in 1 Peter 3:19 and 20. "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water."

But how could this be? Luke 23:43 (KJV) says, "And Jesus said unto him, 'Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.'"

I agree with Hank Hanegraaff that Christ preached through Noah while he built the ark. The same holds true today when we preach what Jesus said. After all, 2 Timothy 3:16 plainly states, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

But Mormons believe that God sent messengers to those souls in "spirit prison" to preach to them the gospel. According to Joseph Smith, he wondered how these spirits who hadn't heard the gospel could be preached to by Christ so quickly. Doctrine and Covenants Section 138:29 and 30 reads, "And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my  understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among  the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth,to teach them; But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to  them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead"

As I pointed out before, hearing the gospel is only allowed in this life. Once people die, there is no way that sinners can repent. The unforgivable sin Jesus spoke of is a continuous rejection of his work on the cross until death.

This is the main motivation for writing my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Christ will separate the wicked and the righteous into two groups on the day of judgement. He will send those who rejected his generous offer of salvation to hell and let the righteous into heaven forever.

Saturday Song: Badfinger, "Cary On to Tomorrow", movie version

I'll admit up front that The Magic Christian movie isn't edifying. Even so, it does make some good points. The chief concept is that people will do practically anything for money.

The film begins with billionaire, Guy Grand, (played by Peter Sellers) adopting a homeless teenager (played by Ringo Starr) off the street to be his sun since his wife is barren. They then set out to see how far folks will go to earn some cash.

Hear the start of the movie and the song here.

In a way, Guy Grand's adoption of the homeless man to be his son is like how Christ adopts those who give their lives over to him and follow after him. We're unable to save ourselves from eternal damnation so we need a saviour. As the scripture  in Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

And as Christ declared in John 14:6 (KJV), "Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'"

Better still, we become family members when we yield our wills to his. Look at what Romans 8:15 (KJV) promises. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

And this song has special meaning to me since we really need to "Cary On To Tomorrow" as we await our Lord's return. May that day come soon.

So, what do you think of this post and song? Please leave your comments below.

Is Baptism for the Dead Scriptural?

One of many aberrant doctrines of the LDS church is baptism for the dead. They get this notion from 1 Corinthians 15:29 (KJV) which reads, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?"

As you can tell from the context of the chapter, the Apostle Paul is speaking about the hope of resurrection. He only threw in that aberrant notion of certain first-century cults to make his point about the hope of our physical resurrection.

As I pointed out in my previous post, baptism doesn't save any one. Even so, Mormons are taught that they can be baptized for those who would have believe had they heard the gospel.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 137:7-9 reads,  "Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: 'All who have died without a knowledge of this  gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it,who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.'"

But the Bible says that death is the cut-off point. Discussing Christ's death paying, once for all, for the sins of those who ask his forgiveness, Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) reads, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

Then there's the part of Luke's gospel, chapter sixteen, which describes what happens after death and that nobody can cross from hell to heaven. That "great gulf" allows no exceptions.

This reality of eternal damnation is one reason for writing my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Blasphemous teachings like the baptism for the dead lead people to think that preaching the gospel isn't vital in this life. As we know, hell is one topic Jesus was absolutely serious about in his warnings to believers.

Mormonism Vs. the Bible on Baptism

Since I've found so many serious errors in the LDS church doctrines, I'm taking another month to examine them. For example, Mormons have a different belief about Baptism than what the Bible teaches. In Doctrine and Covenants section 19:31, and in many other places in their scriptures, it says, "And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost."

They base this doctrine on Acts 2:38 which reads, "Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'"

This remission of sins happens when people repent, giving control of their lives over to Jesus. Baptism is a believer's first act of obedience and has no bearing on their salvation.

If baptism was part of salvation, what would have happened to the believing thief on the cross? Luke 23:43 (KJV) says, "And Jesus said unto him, 'Verily I say unto thee,  To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.'" How could he be in paradise if being baptized is part of the salvation process?

And as some Christian denominations believe, Mormons say baptism is part of joining a church. Doctrine and Covenants says in Section 20:37, "And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits,and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church."

Mormons believe they're the only true church so that means they're baptized into the only church of Christ. I've proven in past posts that their doctrines are aberrant and that they're the ones who aren't real Christians. No matter how high-sounding LDS words are, the truth is that they mean different things to those members.

More of these interesting facts will be included in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Just as their are "knock-offs" of high end products, the Devil has counterfeit denominations and religions which seem to be Christian but aren't so. I wish people would take time to examine the "fruits" of these groups and to study the way the Bareans did.