Confessions of 349-18-5171 by Ken Nordine

This jazz poet certainly made some interesting spoken-word tunes. One of these was about the ease of going with the crowd. It's hard to be a maverick and march against the tide of the world. But like he said in this piece, "Poof! There goes perspiration." Check out his tune here

As Christians, we're called to follow Christ and not the world. What he said in Matthew 7:13 and 14 (Bible in Basic English) is his criterion for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. "Go in by the narrow door; for wide is the door and open is the way which goes to destruction, and great numbers go in by it. For narrow is the door and hard the road to life, and only a small number make discovery of it."

We no longer belong to this world but are the property of Christ. Religious folks don't have his word abiding in them as we do. As Jesus told the ultra-fastidious Pharisees in John 8:43 and 44 (BBE), "Why are my words not clear to you? It is because your ears are shut to my teaching. You are the children of your father the Evil One and it is your pleasure to do his desires. From the first he was a taker of life; and he did not go in the true way because there is no true thing in him. When he says what is false, it is natural to him, for he is false and the father of what is false."

Neither do we wage jihad as do radical Islamists. As our Lord told Governor Pilate in John 18:36 (BBE) "Jesus said in answer, 'My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom was of this world, my disciples would have made a good fight to keep me out of the hands of the Jews: but my kingdom is not here.'"

And of course Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 (BBE) how we must adopt the mind set of Christ toward worldly things. "And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God."

The Doors: "Riders on the Storm"

I've heard that this is the last track Jim Morrison sang on before his death in Paris. It certainly was a good finale to his career. Too bad he passed away as he was a genius poet and songwriter.

Listen to this song here:

I once heard an announcer question what the line, "His brain is squirmin' like a toad," meant. It's obvious from the song that psychopaths have agitated minds.

Wicked people tend to act out on their plans. As Proverbs 12:5 (Bible in Basic English) tells us, "The purposes of upright men are right, but the designs of evil-doers are deceit".

And as we're reminded in Micah 2:1 (BBE) evil people plan out their wicked actions. "A curse on the designers of evil, working on their beds! in the morning light they do it, because it is in their power."

Some people are mentally ill while others are abused by Satan for his perverse ends. But God made good come of one man's possession by evil spirits in Mark 5:15 (BBE). "And they came to Jesus, and saw the man in whom had been the evil spirits seated, clothed and with full use of his senses, and they were full of fear." By the way, this man became the Lord's first evangelist.

Others, such as false teachers, seem sane but are insanely against the truth. As Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 8:44 (BBE), "You are the children of your father the Evil One and it is your pleasure to do his desires. From the first he was a taker of life; and he did not go in the true way because there is no true thing in him. When he says what is false, it is natural to him, for he is false and the father of what is false."

What is obvious from Scripture is that the Lord isn't the one who drives people mad. Some folks have chemical imbalances but Satan uses those to destroy his victims.

If our beloved Master hasn't returned by Monday, I hope to post about how change is unavoidable.

Led Zeppelin: "Your Time Is Gonna Come

This legendary band of the late sixties and early seventies put out some of the finest rock music ever heard. This song is one example of that. It's about a man who warns his girl that he'll leave her if she doesn't stop cheating on him. Listen to it here:

This song reminds me of a cruel supervisor at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. After many complaints from us and after the school superintendent found her missing from the dorm one night, she was fired on February fifth, 1970. What revenge that was for all her mean words and heartless actions toward us!

Christ's harshest critics were, of all people, the Pharisees. Instead of recognizing him as the Messiah, they had him crucified.

We read in John 7:33 and 34 (Bible in Basic English) how he told the temple leaders their time would come. "Then Jesus said, 'I will be with you a little longer and then I go to him who sent me. You will be looking for me, and you will not see me: and where I am you may not come." Of course they didn't get his ultimate meaning that he would be in heaven and they would be in hell.

Neither did they figure that Jeremiah 29:13 (BBE) applied to them. "And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart." No wonder the Pharisees missed that metaphorical boat.

Judgement Day will be a time of great horror for those who feign belief in our Master. As he described it in Luke 13:24 and 25 (BBE), not all who say his name will spend eternity in heaven. "Do your best to go in by the narrow door, for I say to you, A number will make the attempt to go in, but will not be able to do so. When the master of the house has got up, and the door has been shut, and you, still outside, give blows on the door, saying, 'Lord, let us in'; he will make answer and say, 'I have no knowledge of where you come from.'"

If Jesus hasn't returned by Thursday, I hope to post about how we can't escape God.

Larry Gross: "Junk Food Junkie"

This comical song is about a health food devotee who sneaks out at night for his junk food fix. Have a listen to it here.

Hypocrisy is such an easy sin to be trapped in. Even the best Christian leaders can convince themselves that their dalliances aren't really sins against God Almighty and that nobody will discover them.

Moses figured his fellow Israelites would understand when he killed an Egyptian taskmaster for beating one of his fellows. Exodus 2:12 (Bible in Basic English) shows that he had a guilty mind. "And turning this way and that, and seeing no one, he put the Egyptian to death, covering his body with sand." Of course we know that he fled the country when somebody mentioned his murder.

King David figured he could get away with murder by proxy. But God sent Nathan who told David about a poor man robbed by a rich man of his pet lamb. We read David's reaction and the condemnation on him in 2 Samuel 12:5-7 (BBE). "And David was full of wrath against that man; and he said to Nathan, 'By the living Lord, death is the right punishment for the man who has done this:" And he will have to give back four times the value of the lamb, because he has done this and because he had no pity.' And Nathan said to David, 'You are that man. The Lord God of Israel says, "I made you king over Israel, putting holy oil on you, and I kept you safe from the hands of Saul;"'"

And all through Christ's earthly ministry, the Pharisees kept trying to stone him. We read in Matthew 23:13-15 (BBE) how he condemned those fakers. "But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back.  A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."

If our Lord hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to post about God's holiness and what it means to us.

The Electric Prunes: "Circus Freak"

Here's another song we can all relate to. Some female and male bosses are what the King James Version of the Bible calls "froward." Even church elders and school teachers can be control freaks. Such people can't stand not having total control of situations.

Listen to this tune here:

I certainly have met more than my fair share of perfectionists. One church elder continually corrected me. I felt as if she only listened for my mistakes instead of what I had to say.

That woman didn't understand James 3:1 and 2 (Bible in Basic English) and that verse included her. "Do not all be teachers, my brothers, because we teachers will be judged more hardly than others. For we all go wrong in a number of things. If a man never makes a slip in his talk, then he is a complete man and able to keep all his body in control."

People like that woman should consider Job 9:20 (King James Version) which reads, "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, 'I am perfect,' it shall also prove me perverse."

Hypocrites figure they're right, others are wrong, and that's all there is to it. But Christ blasted the Pharisees for looking righteous rather than being righteous. One of them invited Christ to supper and noted that he didn't wash his hands in the prescribed ceremonial way. We see how picky those religious folks were in Luke 11:38 and 39 (BBE). "And when the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised because he came to the meal without first washing himself. And the Lord said to him, 'You Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the plate clean; but inside you are thieves and full of evil.'"

I pity those kind of foolishly-fastidious folks. They're their own worst enemies. Imagine dining with the Son of God and fussing about an omitted ceremony.

If we don't meet Christ in the air by Saturday, I hope to post about one of my biggest mistakes.

Saturday Song: The Clique, "Superman"

I've found plenty of good records at second hand shops. One person's junk truly is another's treasure. This is one of those songs I discovered when I went used record shopping.

The Clique had a hit in 1969 called "Sugar on Sunday." On the B side was this song called "Superman." Check it out here.

In a way, Christ and Superman have similarities. Both were extraterrestrials. Clark Kent was a foundling baby from the planet Krypton and raised by humans.

Christ was born of Mary but he was no mere human. Jesus himself said this when the Pharisees questioned his authority in John 8:22 and 23 (Bible in Basic English). "So the Jews said, 'Will he take his life? Is that why he says, "Where I go it is not possible for you to come?"' And he said to them, 'You are of the earth; I am from heaven: you are of this world; I am not of this world.'"

Superman had X-ray vision and incredible physical strength. He used both to fight crime and help the helpless against tyrants.

Jesus did many mighty miracles, yet the Pharisees hated him. John 10:30-33 (BBE) shows how Christ's sonship with the Father sounded outrageous to the temple rulers. He said, "'I and my Father are one.' Then the Jews took up stones again to send at him. Jesus said to them in answer, 'I have let you see a number of good works from the Father; for which of those works are you stoning me?' This was their answer: 'We are not stoning you for a good work but for evil words; because being a man you make yourself God.'"

On the other hand, Superman is only a made-up character but Christ is real. Ample evidence proves how he died and was resurrected. I could also mention how up to five-hundred witnesses saw him alive again and that many of those folks were still alive a few decades after that awesome event. Any doubter could ask them personally about what they saw. A faked resurrection could be easily debunked but those witnesses all saw Christ alive.

If our Master hasn't returned by Monday, I hope to post about the gospel and why it's good news.

"Why Do You Call Me Good?"

Since Jesus was the Son of God, why did he ask this question of the rich, young ruler? This sounds like a contradiction but it in fact isn't.

In Luke 18:18 and 19 (BBE), we read about this encounter between Christ and a leader from the temple. "And a certain ruler put a question to him, saying, 'Good Master, what have I to do so that I may have eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you say that I am good? No one is good, but only God.'"

Jesus didn't say he was or wasn't God but he doubted the ruler's sincerity. The Pharisees and Sadducees often questioned Christ but it was for a pretence. As Mark 12:13 (BBE) states, "Then they sent to him certain of the Pharisees and the Herodians, so that they might make use of his words to take him by a trick."

Jesus knew who were true believers and who were mere followers of him as long as he said and did what they wanted. As Matthew 2:23 and 24 (BBE) explains, "Now while he was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, a great number of people came to have faith in his name, after seeing the signs which he did. But Jesus did not have faith in them, because he had knowledge of them all."

Our Lord deliberately spoke "hard sayings" so the fake disciples would turn away from him, as John chapter six says. Jesus even knew that Judas Iscariot would betray him. Check out what John 6:70 (BBE) says.  "Then Jesus said, 'Did I not make a selection of you, the twelve, and one of you is a son of the Evil One?'"

Furthermore, Judas was so clever that none of the disciples realized he was false. But Jesus wasn't fooled. John 13:18 (BBE) proves this. "I am not talking of you all: I have knowledge of my true disciples, but things are as they are, so that the Writings may come true, 'The foot of him who takes bread with me is lifted up against me.'"

Because people have such a hard time understanding that none of us are good, I'll have to repeat that truth ad nauseam in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People can't seem to grasp that we all are born bad.

Saturday's song post will be about a good companion to many lonely people: radio. I sure needed it in Jericho Hill School.

The Western Jesus Error

One mistake we western Christians make is assuming that Jesus had western values. By that, I mean that we see him through the lense of our North American norms. What many believers fail to recognize is that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew living two-thousand years ago.

For one thing, Christ was circumcised. As Luke 2:22 and 23 (BBE) explains, "And when the necessary days for making them clean by the law of Moses had come to an end, they took him to Jerusalem to give him to the Lord (As it says in the law of the Lord, 'Every mother's first male child is to be holy to the Lord'),"

Jesus also celebrated the Jewish festivals. As we read in Luke 2:42 (BBE), he went with his parents to celebrate Passover. "And when he was twelve years old, they went up, as their way was, to the feast;"

Furthermore, Jesus attended his local synagogue. We read in Luke 4:16 (BBE) about when he read from Isaiah chapter sixty-two in his home town of Nazareth. "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been as a child, and he went, as his way was, into the Synagogue on the Sabbath, and got up to give a reading."

Even during his three-and-a-half-year ministry, he often taught in synagogues. As we can read in John 6:59 (BBE) where, "Jesus said these things in the Synagogue while he was teaching at Capernaum."

Christ also healed people in the synagogues, much to the displeasure of the Pharisees. As Luke 6:6 (BBE) relates, "And it came about, on another Sabbath, that he went into the Synagogue and was teaching there. And a man was there whose right hand was dead."

Jesus knew his Old Testament scriptures well. As he said to the pharisees in John 5:39 (BBE) about his authority from the Father, "You make search in the holy Writings, in the belief that through them you get eternal life; and it is those Writings which give witness about me."

Jesus also outsmarted the Sadducees, who say there's no resurrection, regarding marriage and heaven. Mark 12:26 and 27 (BBE) says, "But as to the dead coming back to life; have you not seen in the book of Moses, about the burning thorn-tree, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: you are greatly in error."

Even the way Christ prayed and broke bread was unmistakeable to his Jewish disciples. In Luke 24:30 and 31 (BBE), two of Christ's disciples recognized him from how he blessed the bread on the evening of his resurrection. "And when he was seated with them at table, he took the bread, and said words of blessing and, making division of it, he gave it to them. And then their eyes were open, and they had knowledge of him, but he went from their view."

So we can tell from just these verses that Jesus wasn't Anglo-Saxon but a real descendent of Abraham. I'll point this out, providing I remember, in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People have a flannel board idea of Jesus when they ought to understand the culture and time he walked in Israel.

On Saturday, I'll post about how little kind words can make a huge difference in people's lives.

The Tithing Error

This is one error many churches make. They read about tithing in the Old Testament and assume it must be done today.

When God led the descendents of Abraham out of Egypt, he initiated the tithe so that the Levites could minister without having to do secular work to survive. Israel was a theocratic nation with God as king.

But that wasn't good enough for the people. They wanted a visible king. As 1 Samuel 8:7 (KJV) records, "And the LORD said unto Samuel, 'Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.'"

Another thing tithe proponents don't consider is that there were other tithes than the first fruits and a tenth of all the produce. Deuteronomy 14:28 (KJV) says, "At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates:"

Additionally, Matthew 23:23 (KJV) is used by them to bludgeon believers into giving. "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

Christ hadn't died on the cross yet and neither had he initiated the new covenant when he spoke those words. He was speaking to the religious leaders too, not the laity.

The same is true of Malachi 3:10 (KJV). God spoke through that prophet to the priests and said, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

People also misapply the second half of the verse, assuming that giving a tithe of money to their church will bring them a hundred-fold blessing of riches. That's not in the verse, neither is blessings merely monetary.

I'll be touching on these mistakes in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Tithing is often viewed as a mark of holiness by those who believe in works righteousness. As I've pointed out so many times, it's trust in God which gets one into paradise.

On Thursday, providing that the Lord doesn't return first, I'll post about how people contend for the worst pre-conversion testimony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7LjeUX3SUw

What About People Who Were "Good" All Their Lives?

In past posts, I've established that the Bible says that people who refuse to repent and ask Christ to save them are bound for hell. I've also established that we can't go to heaven on our own merits since no person is without sin. Even so, some folks seem to have lived such righteous lives that they ought to be in heaven after they die.

The Pharisees appeared likely candidates for Heaven. According to their outward show of piety, they must have seemed like extremely holy people to the general public of Christ's day.

But Jesus wasn't fooled by their outward religiosity. Look at the parable he gave them in Luke 18:9-15. Here's how the Bible in Basic English renders the story:

9   And he made this story for some people who were certain that they were good, and had a low opinion of others:
10   Two men went up to the Temple for prayer; one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-farmer.
11   The Pharisee, taking up his position, said to himself these words: God, I give you praise because I am not like other men, who take more than their right, who are evil-doers, who are untrue to their wives, or even like this tax-farmer.
12   Twice in the week I go without food; I give a tenth of all I have.
13   The tax-farmer, on the other hand, keeping far away, and not lifting up even his eyes to heaven, made signs of grief and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
14   I say to you, This man went back to his house with God's approval, and not the other: for everyone who makes himself high will be made low and whoever makes himself low will be made high.

Tax collectors were the most hated people in Jewish society since they worked for the occupying Roman empire and they extorted extra money for themselves. Pharisees were thought of by the public as being the most holy temple members. Jesus pointed out that it's penitent sinners who are justified by God, not self-righteous people who place their heavenly hope in what they do.

Self-righteous attitudes are what condemn people, even ones who seem to be doing many good works. It's the intent of their hearts which God knows and he's not fooled by outward acts of charity.

This is why I'm writing my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? No matter how laudable people's deeds are, they're only for show if their lives aren't given over to serving Jesus Christ.

How Must We Invite the Less Fortunate?

Now that I've broached the subject of charity, what kind of action must we take to help less-fortunate people? According to Christ, it isn't by making a big production number out of our donations.

Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 6:1-4 (KJV). "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

It certainly is tempting to tell everybody about what great deeds we've done in helping the poor. But neither should we fear that we'll lose a blessing if our charitable giving is discovered by others.

What Christ attacked was the deliberate seeking of praise which the Pharisees did daily. He's calling all of us to be humble rather than proud of how we helped others.

The best example we have of how not to help disadvantaged folks is provided by governments. They make a show of helping the poor while wasting money doing it. Politicians are especially prone to blowing their own trumpets to show how much they seem to be accomplishing with our hard-earned money.

Let's not be like them but rather let's help when we can without press releases and photo opportunities.

I'll be writing more about humble giving in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven.  Pride, even while doing meritorious deeds, is what will bring many people down on the day of judgement.

Did We Exist Before Our Birth?

Believe it or not, there is absolutely no mention of humans existing before their births. I've read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation twenty times and nowhere was there a mention of us existing prior to our conception.

People who believe in reincarnation often claim to be somebody important in a supposed previous life. They somehow get a vague idea of being in a certain place before and their over-active imaginations fill in the details.

The only being in the universe who existed before his birth was Jesus Christ. He obliquely mentioned this in John 8:56 (BBE) when he said to the Pharisees, "Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day: he saw it and was glad."

Mocking his apparent mistake in claiming that Abraham saw his appearance on this planet, the Pharisees asked in verse 57, "Then the Jews said to him, 'You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?'"

Our Lord hinted at his pre-existence in verse 58.   Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am.'" Those final words, "I am," was the holy and unspeakable name of God Almighty. That's why the Pharisees picked up stones to stone him to death. His time hadn't come yet so he slipped through the crowd of enraged religionists. They knew what Exodus 3:13 and 14 said about what God's name was."And Moses said unto God, 'Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, "The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you;" and they shall say to me, "What is his name?" what shall I say unto them?' And God said unto Moses, 'I AM THAT I AM:' and he said, 'Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.'"

I once joined an errant house church, unaware that it was a cult. Its lay minister taught many blasphemous doctrines, one of which was that we existed as space aliens before we were born into human bodies. Check out my book, How I Was Razed, at Amazon and discover how wonderfully the Lord freed me..

Why Do Religious People Resist Truth?

What I wrote in my previous post often gets Christians of the charismatic persuasion upset. Why does this happen? In a word: pride.

We can see this pride in the Pharisees when Jesus spoke to them. A splendid example is the eighth chapter of John's gospel. In verses three to nine, we can see the hostility and intellectual malice toward Jesus.

"Now the scribes and Pharisees came, with a woman who had been taken in the act of sinning against the married relation; And putting her forward, they said to him, 'Master, this woman has been taken in the very act of sinning against the married relation. Now in the law Moses gave directions that such women were to be stoned; what do you say about it?' They said this, testing him, so that they might have something against him. But Jesus, with his head bent down, made letters on the floor with his finger. But when they went on with their questions, he got up and said to them, 'Let him among you who is without sin be the first to send a stone at her.' And again, with bent head, he made letters on the floor. And when his words came to their ears, they went out one by one, starting with the oldest even to the last, because they were conscious of what was in their hearts: and Jesus was there by himself with the woman before him."

Since the Pharisees  failed intellectually to defeat Christ, they scoffed at his claims to be divine. In John 8:13, the Pharisees accused Jesus of giving false witness. They thought he was lying.

When Jesus said in verse twenty-one that he was going to a place where they couldn't come, they mocked him by asking if he was going to kill himself. Their hatred was so strong that they couldn't grasp what he really meant.

As Christ explained his relationship with his heavenly Father , the religious leaders who didn't believe him became increasingly abusive. When Jesus told them that they were of their father the Devil in verse forty-four, Their argument became even hotter. Being called the sons of Satan was a huge insult to them, though it was true.

The final reaction to Christ's truth was a desire in the Pharisees to kill him right on the spot. Verses fifty-six to fifty-nine showed how Christ's use of God's holy name, I AM, made the Pharisees lose their tempers. They wanted to stone him for blasphemy because he made himself equal to God Almighty.

This progression of rising rage on the part of religious people happens all the time to those of us who dare speak God's truth. No matter how nicely we talk, people will still be offended by our words. Even Christians become filled with unholy wrath when their pet ideas are challenged. Rather than agreeing to disagree agreeably, religious people soon show their true selves in the light of God's Word.

My next book, You Think You're Going to Heaven? will certainly stir up anger  but I expect that reaction. Pride is what took Satan down and it'll take mere mortals down all the quicker. Even so, I feel compelled to warn readers not to make the wrong choice and go to hell.

Why Didn't They Believe?

Doesn't it seem strange to you that those who saw Jesus do his miracles and heard his teaching still didn't believe? I certainly am amazed, though I know the answer.

Only Jesus of Nazareth could fulfill the more than 109 Bible prophecies about him in the Old Testament. Only he could raise Lazarus who was dead for four days. Only he could have grown missing fingers and other body parts on lepers. And only Christ could rise from the dead after such a brutal crucifixion.

Jesus knew who and what he was. Matthew 12:41 (KJV) reads, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

Worst of all, the Pharisees knew their scriptures and yet they couldn't believe that Jesus was the long-awaited messiah. The Lord's harshest words weren't against sinners such as tax collectors and prostitutes but the religious leaders of Israel.

The reason most people then, as well as today, refuse to believe in Christ is because they don't want to. Look at what he said to the Pharisees, supposedly the representatives of God Almighty, in John 8:44 )KJV.) "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Sad to say, that's the position in which all who won't surrender to Christ are in. This is also why I'm writing a book, warning people who think they're Christians but haven't given their very lives to the Lord. Watch this space for more Bible-based teaching.

Are Churches Filled With Hypocrites?

Most non Christian people assume that there's nothing but hypocrites in churches. To them, Christians go to Sunday services in order to feel superior to those who don't go. Is it fair of non believers to characterize all followers of Christ that way?

People tend to generalize, assuming all members of a specific group are like the few individuals they met. This happens particularly with Christians. Because there are phoney's among church congregations, people assume all Christians are that way.

False Christians and genuine believers in Christ are radically different. The first adorn themselves with the outward customs of their church. The second group love Jesus and want to tell everybody how his sacrifice on the cross freed them from sin.

These two groups are distinguished by their actions. Phoney's love to show how "holy" they are. They, like the Pharisees in Christ's time, love to make long public prayers and show how much money they give to charities.

Genuine followers of Christ are too busy helping others and studying God's Word to show off. Furthermore, they have genuine concern for less-fortunate people. Their actions aren't for show and neither do they go around proclaiming every good deed they've done. Those who assume that all Christians are hypocrites need to meet real followers of Christ.

Sadly, nobody warned me about cults like the church I joined for fifteen and a half years. How I Was Razed shows the way God led me out of that wicked congregation and to a true knowledge of himself. Contact me regarding this wondrous memoir of deliverance from deceit.