QUESTION
LIST #3:
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Is it wrong to drink
alcohol? Can I lose my salvation?
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A man's family will not
leave a false church. What Scriptures might help?
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How can I handle my anger?
What does God's Word say?
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Is the New Testament
writings of Paul inspired by God?
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What is Hell, and where
are the dead now?
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Question #5
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What is hell, and where are the
dead now?
Frank writes:
I heard someone say that nobody is in hell yet because hell isn't until
after judgment day. If this is true then where are evil people after they
die. If they are in the grave then are the good people who died also still
in their graves sleeping or what? Thank-you, I like your bible studies,
they are well researched.
Answer:
Hello Frank, thank-you for the kind words about the studies. Your
question was if upon death, do "bad" people go to hell and do
"good" people go to Heaven. The answer is that every soul (both
good and evil) goes immediately back to the Father (God) that gave them: "Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return
unto God who gave it." [Eccl 12:7].
For judgment day does not occur till after the thousand year period
(millennium) in [Rev 20:4+5]. God is totally fair, and plays no
favorites. It would be unfair to send someone to hell without
judging them first. Though some are hell bound, it is not yet
time for their punishment, many of the lost will be found during that
thousand year period. See: Millennium.
I won't include it here, but read the story of Lazarus and the rich man
[Lk 16:19-31] and you will see that after they died, the rich man
was across a gulf, separated from the side that Lazarus was on with
Abraham. But they were both in Heaven. Heaven is simply wherever God is.
In the end, all will be judged at the same time [Rev 20:12-15] and
for the righteous, Judgment Day is a day of rewards, but for those who did
not overcome, Judgment Day is a day to be blotted out from existence, as
though they had never existed, we who overcome will retain no memory of
them. You will notice that they will be cast into the lake of fire and
then "there was no more sea." [Rev 21:1]. The
lake of fire and all within it cease to exist.
Rev 20:10-15
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall
be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire.
CHAPTER 21
Rev 21:1
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (KJV)
Contrary to popular misconception; there is no eternal torture chamber
called hell where Almighty God enjoys the eternal pain and
suffering of His disobedient children. He loves us all, but some will
forfeit the right to live eternally with God. This is the 'torment for
ever and ever' spoken of, for they will never ever be again, and the
torment is them knowing prior to execution of judgment that they will
forever be separated from God and denied eternal life in Heaven. For at
the time of Judgment day, we will all be in spiritual bodies and we will
be able to see the beauty and majesty of the throne of God. We will all
have full knowledge of God's plan and the three earth ages, it is then
that many will realize what they had thrown away for 60 or so years of
living deliciously on earth in the flesh.
What we commonly refer to as hell, is really the blotting out of our
soul forever. So complete will this blotting out be that even all memory
of the existence of those so judged will cease to exist - as though they
had never existed - for in reality, they will have never have been. Think
about the thousand year millennium and then that protracted march into the
Lake of Fire, they will know that they are going into oblivion.
Now on this earth, with all the pain and suffering that some
experience, being blotted out may not seem so terrible. But remember, at
the time of judgment and the march into the fire, they will be in
spiritual bodies having full knowledge that they are dying the second
death - the death of a soul.
What they wouldn't do for a second chance, but there isn't any more
chances for them - this is the saddest of sorrows. So sorrowful will it be
that our small flesh brains cannot even begin to comprehend the horror of
it. This, my friend, will be the truest hell there is.
Satan knows that is to be his fate, that is his torment. One of satan's
many names is "the son of perdition," He is the only soul named
at this time who has been judged to eternal death, and the
word "perdition" means just that: To perish, cease to exist,
become blotted out. It does not mean to be kept alive forever by God
so that torture may be preformed upon him eternally. Our God is a loving
Father, not a Nazi war criminal. Below is satan's fall and judgment. Satan
was once one of God's favorites, but then he thought that he should be God
and he led a revolt and overthrow attempt against God in the first earth
age. One third of the souls at that time joined satan in that revolt, and
God gave us this second earth age (in the flesh) to make our choice for
ever. In verse 18 below you see a description of the blotting out. It is a
total consumption by fire from within, it is final, and for satan it is
set and shall be carried out at the appointed time. We still have time to
make the right choice. God is not playing games here!
Ezek 28:11-19 (king of Tyrus is one of satan's
many many names)
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say
unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of
wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was
thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx,
and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in
the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so:
thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in
the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,
till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of
thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as
profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering
cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted
thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground,
I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine
iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I
bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee,
and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them
that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee:
thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
(KJV)
It would seem that the clergy either don't understand that themselves, or
that they have twisted the scriptures in an effort to control the people -
God knows. Maybe they felt that if the people knew that to be judged to
eternal death means to cease to exist that they would have no fear to do
evil, perhaps they are right about people living for today and not caring
about eternity, but what they fail to comprehend is that at the time of
judgment, we will all possess total knowledge, knowledge even of the first
earth age when we all were with God before satan's overthrow, and a clear
sight into the eternity of peace, love , and happiness with God as our
Father, whom we can see, touch, and speak to forever and ever.
Rev 21:1-7 (This is what we commonly refer to as
Heaven)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out
of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his
people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the
water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God,
and he shall be my son. (KJV)
Continuing further on:
Rev 22:1-7
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was
there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded
her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the
Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall
reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord
God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the
things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the
prophecy of this book. (KJV)
I hope that I have done a satisfactory job with that question. Like I
said, there is so much to God's Word that we have not been taught,
sometimes the truth can see remarkable, stick with it and you will
understand.
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Question #4
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Is the New Testament writings of
Paul inspired by God?
BLOOMER ASKS:
Let me pose something:
1. In the gospels, where the scriptures relate what supposedly happened to
Jesus when He was tempted by the devil, who was with Him? (I only
capitalize to show respect to believing Christians).
2. If He was supposedly alone, then He might have recounted the story to
the gospel writer, who then put it into the account.
3. Along these guidelines, then, although it is sometimes claimed that
Jesus wrote no part of the bible, he must have been, at times, the only
source of the information.
4. Therefore, perhaps the accounts are self-witnessed. According to some
gospel accounts, Jesus claims His Father is His witness. There are other
accounts similar, where Jesus had been alone, but the information was
passed to a gospel writer.
Along the same thinking, the accounts written by Paul have been, at times,
classified as being divinely inspired. In the bible, the 'divine'
inspiration has been given in dreams, visions, and at least one account of
direct communication by God Himself.
I haven't been able to discern by which of these methods Paul was inspired
to write to the congregations.
Other than his account of "all scripture is inspired..." in the
book of Timothy. I'm not sure if he meant the Hebrew Scriptures, or he
included his letters to the congregations in that category.
Can you provide more information on this?
Thanks.
Bloomer
ANSWER:
Hello Bloomer, the answer to your question is within the verse you
quote: [2nd Tim 3:16]. It starts out with the word (All).
All scripture, both Old and New testament is inspired from God.
2 Tim 3:16
16 All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: (KJV)
So then you may ask what makes a writing Scripture, as opposed to an
article or a letter? The answer lies in the very definition of the word
Scripture. Below from the Strong's
Exhaustive Concordance, I have supplied the definition of the
word Scripture.
Scripture: Greek Word #1124 graphe (graf-ay');
a document, i.e. holy Writ (or its contents or a statement in it).
Scripture is the inspired (of God) Holy Written Word. God told the
Prophets and Apostles what to say and they recorded it for us in the
Bible. Many things they were moved to speak of could not be understood
until it was the appointed time.
Acts 3:20-21
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached
unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets
since the world began. (KJV)
Jesus makes the statement: "But take ye heed: behold, I have
foretold you all things." [Mark 13:23]. Here He was telling of
the events of the final days, it was not given for the benefit of those He
was speaking to, for they would have been long dead when the end times
came, He was giving it for the final generation (our present one). How
then did He tell us of all things, seeing as how He died some 2000 years
ago? He told us in the Bible of course, and He commanded that the Gospel
be spread throughout the world. This has virtually been accomplished in
our lifetime.
The writers of the various books of the Bible did not necessarily
eye-witness all of the events written therein, if they had where would be
the inspiration? Anyone could write that which they were present for. But
God, through His Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, touched men's minds and
they wrote of things often time that they did not understand themselves.
Example: Daniel was given prophecy from God (inspired) and he was
instructed to write it down for us. Daniel did not understand what the
things meant and asked for a clear explanation - God said no, for it was
not yet time that it be revealed to the world. In our generation we now
understand the prophecies in the book of Daniel, for it was God's will
that this generation does. This is further evidence that Scripture is
indeed "God breathed".
Dan 12:8-9
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord,
what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and
sealed till the time of the end. (KJV)
And Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible in, say, 1490 B.C.,
but he wrote of Adam in the Garden of Eden which was in 4004 B.C. How
could he have written unless God told him what to write (inspired). And
John wrote the book of Revelation in A.D. 94 which speaks of events future
yet to our present day. How could he have written unless God told him what
to write (inspired).
Acts 3:20-21
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached
unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all
things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets
since the world began. (KJV)
I hope that helps, if you would like some good documentation that the
prophecies in the Bible do come true, see the FAITH
AND BELIEF in-depth Bible study. God bless!
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION FROM BLOOMER:
Thank you for the well researched answer. Still, then, did Paul
anticipate that his letters would become scripture?
Or perhaps, since it is claimed that the letters were Divinely inspired,
that God knew that they would be included in the bible?
ANSWER:
I feel that maybe I am not grasping your question. You ask: "Did
Paul anticipate that his writings would become scripture?" Well Paul
knew that God was telling him what to write, Paul was even taken up to the
third Heaven and shown things by God [2nd Cor 12:1-5] (Paul
speaking of himself in the third party).
When God tells you to write something down, that is Scripture. So yes,
Paul knew that his writing would become written Words from God, the
Written Word of God, the Divinely inspired Written Word of God, a part of
a Holy book that was later to be named in English: "The Bible".
1Thes 1:5 (Paul speaking of himself and his
companions in the ministry)
5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power,
and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of
men we were among you for your sake. (KJV)
You also ask if God knew that Paul's writings would be included in a
Holy book and distributed to His creation for instruction. Not only did
God know this, it was the reason for it, it was God's command. God does
nothing in vain, everything God does has a purpose, there is no wasted
action with God (or Jesus either).
I think maybe where the difficulty arises is in the understanding that
the events and the stories written of in the Bible did in fact occur
historically, but they are also 'types' of things to come:
1 Cor 10:11
11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and
they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are
come. (KJV)
Example: The Babylonian captivity really did happen,
but it is also a 'type' (example, ensample) of the coming captivity in our
end generation to the antichrist (satan). One of satan's many many names
and roles is "the king of Babylon. It is in this manner that the
Bible becomes not only history of the past, but also prophecy of things to
come - all with the same words.
Eccl 1:9-10
9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that
which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing
under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath
been already of old time, which was before us. (KJV)
This could only be accomplished by the power of God and His inspiration
on events, history, the future, and the writings. This is evidence in the
supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit upon the writers of the 66
books we now call the Bible. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was foretold
of in Psalm 22, written 1000 years before the fact. In Psalm 22 you see
Christ's first words from the cross, the mocking of the people and the
chief priests, the piercing of His hands and feet as He would be nailed to
the cross, the fact that not a bone would be broken on the perfect
sacrifice for all time...
The Bible is one long story, the New Testament is the fulfillment of
the Old Testament. You can no more take away the Old Testament from the
New Testament than you can remove your own childhood from your present day
person, one without the other cannot exist.
Now I don't direct this towards you, but people who doubt that the
Bible is the Written Word of the Living God simply have no knowledge of
the Bible. For had any half-way intelligent individual read and studied
the Bible with understanding they could only see in it it's validity and
truth.
How could David predict the crucifixion in alarming detail 1000 years
ahead of time if it not be that God arranged it? How could Daniel predict
to the year the death of the Messiah had not God made it so? The book of
Daniel was written some 400 years before the fact. REFERENCE: [Dan
9:26]:
Dan 9:25-26
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of
the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the
Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street
shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood,
and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (KJV)
So then, is the Bible a haphazard collection of unrelated stories, or
is it the Divine promise of our Heavenly Father to His children whom He
created and does love?
2 Pet 1:21
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (KJV)
I hope that is the answer you were driving at. God bless your study of
the letter written to all of us from our Heavenly Father - The Bible.
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Question #3
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How can I handle my anger? What
does God's Word say?
Bob writes:
How about a bible study on how to handle anger.
Answer:
Hello Bob, not all anger is a bad thing. We know from Biblical history
that God has the emotion of anger, and when God gets angry He is not
bashful to act upon it. There is such a thing called "righteous
indignation" which means to be angry at something that is wrong or
against what God wishes. For instance, if you sent your child to Sunday
school and they taught him/her lies about God's Word, then you would do
well to have righteous indignation against the one who is misleading your
child about God.
But we will assume that you are speaking of the kind of sudden,
uncontrollable, and unwarranted anger that causes us to say and do things
that we regret later. This type of anger is of course bad. So how can you
control those impulses?
As with any shortcoming we as people may have, we are to first repent
of any wrong that we committed because of the act, and then ask God to
strengthen us in that area of our life. God understands that we as people
are sometimes weak to certain impulses, He understands us better than we
can ever understand ourselves, for he made us.
Uncontrollable anger is not much different from uncontrollable eating
habits, or uncontrollable vices such as drinking and smoking. God knows we
are often weak to stand against certain issues in our individual lives
(and everyone has different problems and weaknesses). God promises us
that if we try to overcome the temptation or the impulse that He would
help strengthen us where we fall short. And in the Scripture below we see
that God also promised that no matter how difficult and impossible it may
seem to overcome the problem or temptation, He always makes it stop short
of the point that we can not handle it. In other words, there is not one
single thing that any of us will ever face on this earth that we can not
overcome. But we need His help, and he is always waiting there to lend a
hand to one of His children who ask Him in faith.
1 Cor 10:12-13
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it. (KJV)
And as always, you pray to God and seal the prayer by stating that you
ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. That documents that you are a believer
in the Son as well as the Father and you pay your respects that way to the
one whom died in your stead on the cross. But Almighty God is always
first, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit coming after. Jesus says
as much in the below Scripture:
Matt 19:14-17
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not,
to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good
but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments. (KJV)
I realize that this is more than you asked in your question Bob, but allow
me to take the opportunity to cover the manner in which Jesus Christ
taught us to pray. We are to pray to God, not to Mother Mary, not Saint
so-and-so, not chanting Rosaries, not to deceased people - but only to
God. Below is Scripture from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself regarding
the manner of prayer that God requires. Forget about the vain traditions
of men that you may have been taught in the corrupted churches of our
time, and learn from the Living Son of the Living God how you ought to
pray:
Matt 6:1-21 (Jesus speaking)
1 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.
2 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.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret
himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen
do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what
things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father
which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto
men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is
in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee
openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (KJV)
God bless you Bob, and I hope that helps to answer your question - always
turn to God when you are struggling - for it is written:
Heb 13:5
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content
with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee. (KJV)
Deut 31:6
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of
them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not
fail thee, nor forsake thee. (KJV)
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Question #2
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A man's family will not leave a
false church. What Scriptures might help?
Antonio writes:
I recently left a church (in good standings) because I knew what was
being taught, through my own study of the word of God, was wrong. Through
my studying I found out that what we were being taught was not sound
doctrine. I don't profess to be a bible scholar, but I know that some of
the things that was taught was very wrong and all for the gain of money. I
left that church and found a church where they teach the true word of God,
but my mother and other family members still attend the previous church
even though the pastor has all but said that he didn't want them there.
They complain a lot about the teaching but refuse to leave. What
scriptures could I give them to encourage them to find a church where they
can grow and receive the fullness of God's word.
Answer:
Congratulations on having the courage to stand up for our Heavenly
Father's True Word. While there are good churches out there, there are
also bad ones that do not teach God's Word, but rather they teach the
traditions of men in their own individual little denominations that make
void the True Word of God:
Matt 15:3-9 (Jesus speaking about Corban, the
giving of money to the church that was supposed to be used to support
their parents in their old age - thus leaving their parents broke and
hungry so that the church offering basket can be kept full. In doing
this they disobeyed the fifth Commandment: "Honor thy mother and
father" [Ex 20:12])
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the
commandment of God by your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that
curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a
gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have
ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me
with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men. (KJV)
Mark 7:9 (Jesus speaking)
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of
God, that ye may keep your own tradition. (KJV)
Mark 7:13 (Jesus speaking)
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition,
which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (KJV)
Sadly, many good intentioned Christians who truly do love the Lord stay
in churches that they know are teaching falsely. They stay because it's a
family tradition to go to that particular church or denomination. In time
past it was OK for grandma to go to a church that doesn't warn of the
antichrist because they were not to be alive when the antichrist was to
come. For the people of generations gone by it was sufficient to simply
Praise the Lord. But in our generation there is an added danger. Our
generation is the final generation, and at the end of the final generation
the antichrist (satan) is prophesied to come to this earth first claiming
to be the True messiah. If we are not taught the whole truth and warning
of God's Word then we will be deceived by the imposter satan. It is too
late in the day to be playing church, we need to study the Word of God
in-depth, or how else can we hope to stand against the deception warned of
in the Bible but not commonly taught in the corrupt churches that permeate
or generation. See the THE
ANTICHRIST and the THE
FEELING OF FRUSTRATION SOMETIMES FELT BY THE ELECT and EXPOSING
THE EMERGENCE OF THE FIRST BEAST OF REVELATION CHAPTER 13.
Now we at Watchmen Bible Study group will never direct criticism at any
one particular church building or any one
specific false teacher/preacher, but Jesus taught us how to
determine if a teacher/preacher is good from God and Christ or bad from
satan and the antichrist:
Matt 7:15-23 (Jesus speaking)
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree
bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast
into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity. (KJV)
Antonio, you mention that your old church was simply after the peoples
money and was teaching things contrary to what God teaches in the Bible.
You did well to discern Jesus' warning about the false teachers/preachers
who prey upon God's children in the corrupted churches that are all around
us in these end times. You did what we are all supposed to do, you checked
with your Bible what the teacher/preacher was telling you God said. You
observed that the teacher/preacher was not teaching truly and you found a
church that was teaching the truth. That is why God wrote us the Bible, so
that we would not have to rely on some man at the pulpit for our
salvation, for as it is written, many shall be deceived.
As to why your loved ones do not open their Bible and compare their
Pastors message to what God says, I cannot say. But I would be willing to
guess that they say something like this to you: "I know your
faults, but the Preacher has been teaching God's Word for 30 years, we
will follow him." To them I would say: "What if your
Pastor has been teaching falsely for 30 years, are you willing to follow
him wherever he goes?"
Sadly, due to the structure within most religions, if a particular lay
minister were to attempt to teach something other that what his Church
Hierarchy are paying him to teach, he would be defrocked, fired, and lose
his pension. The only problem is, who is this unseen Hierarchy that
dictates the Sunday sermons for the world?!? Remember Christ' words:
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves." [Matt 7:15], he is telling
you that they are hard to spot, they come disguised and sneakily. In the
below Scripture it is telling us that just as satan will come disguised as
Christ, so too will his evil ministers come disguised as good ministers.
The word "transfigured" in the below verse means disguised.
Definition supplied from the Strong's
Exhaustive Concordance:
Transformed: Greek word #3345 metaschematizo
(met-askh-ay-mat-id'-zo); to transfigure or disguise;
figuratively, to apply (by accommodation).
2 Cor 11:13-15
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed
as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to
their works. (KJV)
Ok, so your question was: "What scriptures could I give them to
encourage them to find a church where they can grow and receive the
fullness of God's word."
Well, the entire Bible attests to how much God dislikes a false
teacher/preacher and the people that follow them instead of God. But
probably the best thing you could do is show them the particular
Scriptures that their false church is corrupting. If they do not care
about that, maybe you could show them the Scripture below which states
that if the attend and/or support a false church then they are enabling
satan to deceive more of God's children through that false church. In
other word's, they will answer to God on judgment day for supporting His
enemy satan and helping him to steal souls away from God:
II Jn 1:9-11
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath
both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him
not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
(KJV)
And show them the awesome damage that a false teacher/preacher can cause a
soul, maybe then they will realize that it is a bad thing to treat God's
Word lightly, and it is a terrible thing to corrupt the Word of God [Rev22:18-19]
to His beloved children who think they are learning right:
Matt 23:15 (Jesus speaking. Proselyte means to
convert them to your teaching)
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass
sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him
twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (KJV)
Antonio, if they will not listen after that then you can only pray that
God intercedes in their behalf and touches their mind with wisdom and the
truth. Some people God wakes up sooner and some later, God is in control.
And don't split your family apart over this, they may really think they
are learning the truth - God knows. I know it is hard, but if you can not
be too overbearing on them, and always document what you say with
Scripture, then some day they may come to you and ask you to show them
more. Just because someone is deceived at this time does not necessarily
mean that they are going to you know where. God is in control,
and man is not to try to do God's judging for Him. Do a little side study
on "spirit of slumber" in your Bible, for it is God
Himself that blinds some people to His truth during the great tribulation
because there is a certain innocence in ignorance. By this means God shall
save many of the deceived from the lake of fire. Trust God and pray,
because as the Bible says: "The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much." [James 5:16]. I know you believe
Antonio!
P.S. Some Scriptures relating to the spirit of
slumber: Romans 11:7-11, Romans 11:25, Duet 29:4, Isa 6:8-13, Isa
29:9-16, Mark 4:9-12, Luke 8:9-10, Acts 28:26-29, John 12:37-40.
P.S.S. There is only one Ministry that we at
Watchmen Bible Study Group fully recommend. It is on television, cable,
satellite and short-wave radio worldwide. Perhaps you could check it
out, and if you approve of the teaching then you would recommend it to
your loved ones. They could stay in their church for now, and learn the
true Word of God from the below Ministry:
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Question #1
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Is it wrong to drink alcohol?
Can I lose my salvation?
Joseph writes:
I know it's wrong to get drunk, but is it wrong to drink any alcohol?
Can I lose my salvation? Can I return to my vomit without repentance and
die in my sin and still expect to go to heaven?
Answer:
Hello Joseph, before we answer your question about drinking alcoholic
beverages, let's clear up what appears to be a misconception on the part
of many about the verse concerning "return to vomit." It seems
that some think that returning to your vomit has something to do with a
hang-over or getting physically sick from consuming too much alcohol. I
believe that the verse you are pulling from is [2nd Peter 2:22]:
2 Pet 2:20-22
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are
again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog
is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire. (KJV)
God teaches us by analogy (parable), when The Bible alludes to vomiting
from strong drink, the deeper message is about false doctrine. In other
words, just as getting drunk from a night of partying will avail you
nothing but shame and a nasty sickness; filling yourself with false
doctrine will leave you ashamed on that great and final day of our Lord
when you must face Him, having spent your life believing and teaching vain
doctrines of men rather than the perfect Word of God. Getting drunk may
give you a hangover but following false doctrines will leave your soul
sick on that final day. False doctrines, like the rapture doctrine for
instance, will cause you to worship the false christ (antichrist) when he
comes before the True Messiah Jesus Christ. So that when Jesus really does
come, and you are worshiping the false one, you will be sick to your
stomach and ashamed beyond belief. Those are the people written of below:
Rev 6:15-17
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich
men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and
every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the
mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to
stand? (KJV)
Rev 3:14-17
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;
These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou
wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have
need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked: (KJV)
Let's take another look at our Scripture mentioning "vomit,"
and this time we will add some explanation. Following this, we will supply
the eight occurrences of the word "vomit" in the Bible, so that
you can get a feel for how it is used as an analogy.
2 Pet 2:20-22
20 For if after they have escaped
the pollutions of the world*1
through the knowledge of the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ*2,
they are again entangled therein, and overcome*3,
the latter end is worse with them than the beginning*4.
Explanation from above verse: *1
False doctrines of men and church traditions that are not found in the
Bible. *2 The Gospel and truth taught by
Jesus Christ and written in the Bible. *3
Read as: "(and) they are again entangled therein, and (they
are once again) overcome". (by those false doctrines) *4
If you believe and follow a false doctrine in ignorance without
knowing it is wrong there is a certain innocence in your ignorance of
the truth. But if you know that a particular doctrine, teaching, or
belief is contradictory to the Word of God and you still follow it and
teach others to follow it, then you are held very accountable for that
on judgment day. You are worse off because you openly defy God and
cause His other children to stray by your false teachings and example.
This is one of the most serious of sins!
21 For it had been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn
from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog
is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her
wallowing in the mire. (KJV)
Explanation from above verse: It seems
that men like to add false traditions to God's Word. They create their
own little ceremonies and traditions and it seems that they feel that
they should have written the Bible. They make a goddess out of Jesus
Christ's flesh mother, they invent false fly-away rapture doctrines .
. . (This list could go on and on). Most of the peoples of
the world will worship the false christ
(antichrist), throughout all the Bible, God states that they will.
This must come to pass because it is written, and everything will
come to pass exactly as it is written in the Word of God. But your
individual fate is not set, every person has free will to follow false
doctrines and eventually the false christ, or
true Doctrine and the True Messiah Jesus Christ. The choice is ours
individually.
Above in verse 22, it is saying that this great apostasy will come to
pass because people won't be able to discern the true from the false. They
are not being taught the truth in most churches much less in the
synagogues and temples. And they will be like the dog who re-eats his
vomit and the pig that after being bathed, goes right back into the mud
and feces to roll around in it. The dog and pig just don't know any
better.
Sadly, what with all the false teachers/preachers gone out into the
world, God's beloved children will not know any better that to be tricked
into worshiping the first supernatural entity who comes to earth claiming
to be the Messiah. The problem being that the first supernatural entity
that comes to earth claiming to be the Messiah, is satan, in the role of
the antichrist. See the THE
ANTICHRIST. So you see there is so much deeper a message in
the above Scripture than that if you drink too much you get a headache and
are sick to your stomach. Look on it in a spiritual sense not fleshly.
All occurrences of the word
"vomit" in the Bible (KJV)
Job 20:15
15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God
shall cast them out of his belly. (KJV)
Prov 23:8
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy
sweet words. (KJV)
Prov 25:16
16 Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for
thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. (KJV)
Prov 26:11
11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his
folly. (KJV)
Isa 19:14
14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst
thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a
drunken man staggereth in his vomit. (KJV)
Isa 28:8
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that
there is no place clean. (KJV)
Jer 48:26
26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the
LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in
derision. (KJV)
2 Pet 2:22
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb,
The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to
her wallowing in the mire. (KJV)
And one occurrence of the word
"vomited" (KJV):
Jonah 2:10
10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah
upon the dry land. (KJV)
Now for your main question: "is it wrong to drink any
alcohol?" The short answer is no, but if we don't back it up
with Scripture then our answer is vain, becoming nothing more than one
man's opinion. Let's see what the Word of God says about it.
What was the first miracle Jesus preformed? You got it, He turned water
into wine. And that wine was not for medicinal purposes, it was for the
enjoyment of those at the wedding feast at Cana. The Scripture twisters
will try to tell you that Jesus really turned the water into grape juice.
This of course is laughable for Jesus turned the water into "oinos"
which is a Greek word of Hebrew origin (Hebrew word #3196 "yayin")
which is defined in the Strong's
Exhaustive Concordance:
Wine: Hebrew word #3196: yayin
(yah'-yin); from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as
fermented); by implication, intoxication: KJV-- banqueting, wine, wine
[-bibber].
This was also such a good brew of wine that the Governor of the feast
said that usually at wedding parties, they put out the good wine first,
and then when everyone is half way 'buzzed' they put out the cheaper wine
because it wouldn't be noticed as cheap wine, but the wine Jesus made was
the very best - of course.
John 2:7-11
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And
they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of
the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine,
and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water
knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set
forth good wine; and when men have well drunk,
then that which is worse: but thou
hast kept the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and
manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. (KJV)
Also, Jesus was called a winebibber (one who drinks alcoholic beverages)
by the Hypocrites (the same ones who, while they were all too holy to ever
dare drink an intoxicating beverage, had no problem forcing Pontius
Pilate's hand into murdering the Son of God). Jesus was not fond of
Hypocrites.
Matt 11:19 (Jesus speaking)
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a
man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But
wisdom is justified of her children. (KJV)
Remember, this was all before the bread and wine of the last supper.
The 'holier than thou' Scripture twisters just cannot accept the fact that
Jesus made wine for the enjoyment of those drinking at a wedding feast.
The Bible also says to take a little wine for an
upset stomach:
1 Tim 5:23
23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy
stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. (KJV)
So are we saying that Bible says it is OK to be the town drunk - God
forbid. Everything in moderation. If you enjoy a few beers during a
football game or wine with your dinner you are not Hell bound for
it. In reality, getting drunk is a violation of the food laws, not the
laws that govern your soul. It is just like eating unclean food (like Pork
for instance) that is still to this day a violation of God's food laws,
but it won't get you to Hell. We notice that Jesus didn't tell
His Mother Mary that He would make wine for the feast, but that the people
better repent after drinking it or they risk Hell.
We now know that many diseases are caused by the eating of Pork
products, well God knew that the day he made us. And if you violate the
food law against eating Pork, you risk heart disease. . . In the same way,
if you get drunk you are liable to have one heck-of-a hang-over. The
punishment for violating a food law is physical, but the punishment for
violating a moral law is spiritual (soul).
And besides, it is not the drinking of the wine that is the sin, it is
the things that we do when we are drunk that are the sins. Too much
alcohol will cause you to do things that you normally would not do, bad
things. There is a reason that they call alcohol "spirits," and
it isn't good spirits they are talking about!
Moderation, control, and common sense is what it is all about, a little
wine is good, a lot of wine is bad, because it enables you to easier sin
against your Heavenly Father. I wonder how many marriages were ruined
because of an adulterous indiscretion committed under the influence of too
much alcohol, or traffic fatalities. . .?!? Now you see where the sin
comes into play.
When you see the term "strong drink" in the Bible, what it is
saying is "too much wine." In other words, getting drunk. Is it
not ironic that the hypocrite false teachers/preachers among us that teach
their congregations lies in God's name are the same ones who are too
"holy" to have a beer or a cigarette? But on the holidays they
are the first ones in line to dig into the ham platter - Hypocrites, plain
and simple. Those who drink, smoke, or eat pork harm their bodies, but
those who teach false doctrines hurt souls who become mislead and easy
prey for satan. Corrupting God's Holy Written Word will get you to Hell
a lot faster than going on a drinking binge ever could. [Rev 22:18-19]
Moderation and good judgment in all things, God bless you Joseph, and
if anyone has a problem with addiction, ask God to give you the strength
to overcome - He will, He promises us He will always help us in our
infirmities (weaknesses/sicknesses) if we only but ask, try, and
believe!
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