Didn't Jesus say that all believers should embrace each other and everyone else's belief's too? So when Christians don't they are haters right? There are many paths to God right? Don't we all worship the same God?

The short answer is no.  If you are a real Christian you believe the whole Bible is true, that Jesus is God come in the flesh and his blood was shed when he died on the cross in your place, and you do not worship the same God as "everyone else".  

Our God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism.  The Jewish Messiah was Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) and He fulfilled the prophecies perfectly.  Jesus said that the only way to the Father is for you to believe that He the Messiah, that He is God made flesh and that he offered Himself as a sacrifice in the place of each of us as individuals (Jesus flesh was the final blood sacrifice to God the Father, the third part of the Trinity of the personalities of ONE entity known as "God",  because this is required for redemption because He said) .  We are born as sinners (everyone is, you had no choice) because of the sin of Adam in the Garden in the book of Genesis. Their gods are pagan gods, and Allah falls in this category. 

Jesus was not just a man and a dutiful child of God.  He was God.  Here are the scriptures proving that He is God: 

Jude 1:25, Isaiah 49:7, John 17:11, John 8:58, John 10:30

A real Christian believes that Jesus as deity came in the flesh to become the final sin offering (back to Himself as God the Father) so that when we die or are taken by Him, we do not have to be separated from God.  Those who reject this are the ones who will be forever separated from Him.  The scriptures that reflect this tenet from the Bible are found in 1John 4:1-6.  We believe anyone who doesn’t think that Jesus is deity is from a spirit of antichrist.  This is what these scriptures say.  To believe the Bible is the Word of God, you can’t pick and choose the scriptures you want.  You should accept and embrace all of scripture, or reject it.  But chopping it up is destructive and is at the root of false prophets and the errant teaching found in cults.  The apostle John is telling us here how to recognize a true Christian from one who is not.  This is why we reject certain people’s beliefs who say they are Christians.  These people fall into that category: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Masons, Chrislamists (those who want to merge Christian beliefs with Islam), and anyone believing himself to be Christ returned to us – because when Jesus returns the second time, you will definitely know it.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Jesus Christ come in the flesh from God indicates that something from God other than a man is clothed in flesh.  This is deity.

This is the collective interpretation from the eariest Church fathers, and all the modern commentaries and theologians.   My references are the KJV version of the Holy Bible, the Geneva Study Bible c. 1560, the Scofield Reference Notes, c.1917, Mathew Henry's Commentary on the whole Bible c. 1706, Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament , John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament,  Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown 1871.

Be VERY wary of anyone adding or subtracting from the Old and New Testaments.  This is what a cult does.

Anyone who takes an allegorical view of the scripture, tends to pick and choose the scriptures he/she believes.  This is very dangerous, because essentially it boils down to calling God a liar if you don't take everything he says in this book literally. 

Come let us reason together

Well today is May 21, 2011 and we're all still here.  Hopefully most Christians reasoned this out before 12:01am by actually READING the Book!  NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY OR HOUR for any of these events.

"Come now, and let us reason together" the Lord says, going on to explain redemption alluding to Christ.  Why did He preface redemption with a plea for reason?  That's very intriguing in light of the current lack of religious tolerance for Christians.  According to the false prophet Harold Camping, today was supposed to be Judgment Day, and of course...not.  This doesn't exactly help us get the Word out there, nor does it encourage these poor misled Believers.

Anyone who claims we can ever know when the Rapture, the 2nd Coming of Christ, or Judgment Day is coming is ignorant of basic scripture and you shouldn't listen to them.  Never believe ANYONE without searching the scriptures for yourself.  Compare and make sure they're quoting accurately - then find two or more scriptures to support the interpretation (Matthew 18:16).  If Harold had really read the Book - then he would have known this.  So, this is how you prove them true or false, by finding at least 2 or 3 more scriptures to support the interpretation

Remember there are always going to be different interpretations of scripture out there because people approach Bible study from several different angles.  I think Harold could only see numbers.  Chuck Missler says your hermaneutics will determine your eschatology.  If you don't take a literal view of the Bible, then you're open to all sorts of wacky things.  Of course, the Bible says that the test of a TRUE PROPHET is to just wait and see whether what he predicts comes to pass...and, well here we are on 5/21 and nothing has happened.  In Jesus day they would have stoned Harold Camping to death probably before the sun went down.  Woe be to him if he's caused anyone else to stumble (Matt 18, also Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2)

Here are the scriptures from the KJV Holy Bible that show we cannot know these dates:  Matthew 24:36 & 44, 25:13, Mark 13:32-37, Luke 12:40.   So don't worry.  I only feel sadness for these poor misguided people who gave up their lives and automobiles and houses because they believed in this man.  It's happened before, google "the Millerites", and are just the nearest example I can remember.  I know there are others.

In another book and verse the Lord says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" Hosea 4:6.  That whole chapter is very interesting, but goes off in a different direction than I'm going here.

However, no one should expect anyone to learn from this.  Those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.  Can't think of who said that, but it's a goodie.

Remember to reserve judgement of Mr. Camping and his followers for God (maybe if you get lucky he will let you judge some angels in the Millennium :)   Don't naively think that if only this false prophet hadn't reared his head the general population would respect Christians more.  Jesus said in the book of John 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

Lord God, in the name of precious Yeshua (Hebrew name for Jesus), guide my keystrokes and let me do honor writing about your Word.  Let me give encouragement and help to others.  Keep me from stumbling or impressing my own views instead of Yours, because it's all about YOUR will not mine. Amen


For the record, I quote from the KJV version of the Holy Bible.  Any constructive and appropriate thoughts on this subject are welcome.  Maranatha!


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