The Man in the Well, Part 3a: Roman Catholic Priest
“Do, Father,” I urged. “Tell me what must I do in order to get out of this well?”
“First of all, you must know that the Roman Catholic Church has many traditions, which though not found in the Bible, are nevertheless binding and authoritative. Then too, the priest of the Catholic Church are called ‘Father’ and are forbidden to marry.”
“As for you, my son, you must never eat meat on Friday, or during Lent.”
“Now I want you to accept this rosary from me, and with it say your prayers. You must repeat as many prayers as there are beads, fifty-three ‘Hail Marys’ and six ‘Our Fathers’. It was the Virgin Mary who gave the rosary to St. Dominick.”
The Man in the Well, Part 2: Jewish Rabbi
“Well, then, my son,” began the Rabbi, “if you would be delivered from this well and inherit the world to come, you must, first of all, do as Rabbi Alazar, quoting from Rabbi Abina, says, namely, ‘Any one who repeats David’s Psalm of Praise (Psalm 145) three times daily is sure to inherit the world to come'” (Talmud, Tractate Berakhoth 4b).
“Three times a day!” I exclaimed in dismay. “Then I cannot get out at once.”
‘”Patience, my son, patience. There is plenty of time.”
The Man in the Well, Part 1: Greek Orthodox Priest
“While walking across the fields one night, I suddenly fell headlong into a deep, but empty well. I was stunned by the force of the fall, but as I gradually recovered and realized the seriousness of my predicament, I began to wonder how I could get out!
Save for a single shaft of light that shone through the opening far above me, I was in pitch dark. I felt the walls of the well and found them wet and clammy. I shuddered at the apparent hopelessness of my plight …”
Positive Confession, or Word Faith
Positive Confession is the belief that if a believer speaks “spiritual” or “faith-filled” words then he can have what he says. Unfortunately, this influence has invaded the church and continues to cause much turmoil and confusion.
Many of the teachers of the word-faith movement believe that words are so powerful that they can influence the physical and spiritual worlds.
For example, In The Tongue, a Creative Force (1976), positive confessionist Charles Capps teaches that there are powerful “spiritual” words. Such words, which are ordinary words, can under certain circumstances, become vehicles for creative or supernatural power.
The BAD Bible
In their past, the Watchtower Society has published the King James Version and the American Standard Version. These are highly regarded translations.
But these translations put the Watchtower in the position of defending their false doctrines using these translations that actually refuted Watchtower doctrine. Thus, beginning in 1950, the Watchtower began publishing their own Bible, The New World Translation.
LDS (Mormon) Two Sticks Prophecy
Did Ezekiel prophecy the Book of Mormon? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) does indeed believe this. How do biblical Christians respond to this belief?
“The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, ‘Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” –Ezekiel 37:15-17
Joseph Smith the Storyteller
Mormon history is beset with conflicts from its very beginning in New York. Joseph Smith was a storyteller who got himself in trouble numerous times with his imaginative stories.
> There was the “glass-looking” arrest where Smith was charged with defrauding people by claiming to find treasure with a “seer stone.” He was given “leg bail” which means “get out of town and don’t come back.”
Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
Dear Lord, Heavenly Father,
You, O Lord Jesus, are the Lord of glory. I thank you for the being the God of faithfulness and truth. Your Word the Bible gives me hope, joy and peace. Because you, Lord Jesus, are the Prince of Peace and the way maker. Your word is filled with so many promises. You said, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10). You are coming soon. You are the Bridegroom who is preparing for our wedding feast. Your kingdom will be completely at peace. Fear and war will be no more. What a glorious day it will be to reign and worship You forever and ever.
Spiritual Abuse
Spiritual abuse victims share the same symptoms as victims of incest. The common denominator between the two is that the parent and the spiritual leader are both the most intimate caregivers, and the boundaries they cross are the most intimate. Therefore, the damage is far greater, it strikes at the very soul of a person.
The victims then withdraw from the source of their injury whether it is the opposite sex or the spiritual leader. They fear letting themselves be ‘touched’ again. In the case of spiritual abuse, the church represents trauma not refuge. This is why so many abuse victims leave church and don’t come back for years or never.
NOAH: Salvation & Redemption
God invited Noah to “enter the ark.” The Hebrew word for “enter” is bo which means “to come, to go, to enter.” This is the first time the word “come” is used in Scripture. God’s invitation to Noah reminds us of the gospel call.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)
“Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.’” (Luke 14:23)
NOAH: Why Did God Bring the Flood?
Before Noah steps onto the scene, Genesis describes what the world was like in Noah’s days. It was corrupt, violent, completely lost and in opposition to God. So, how does the Bible describe the world at the time? Even Jesus, in reference to His coming kingdom, warns us of the “days of Noah” concerning what is still in our future and many would argue were in when Jesus walked among us and the days in which we continue to live. See Luke 17:20-37.
NOAH: Who Was He? Part 2 - Not a ‘Feel Good’ Preacher
These days, many Bible teachers are guilty of “soft” preaching, that is a unwillingness to preach against hard cultural and social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, or other hot-button topics. Instead Pastors teach of a god who wants people to be happy, successful, and who will receive many blessings. They prefer to focus on positive messages of love and acceptance; that all good people will be saved. The sermons come off as comforting self-help messages masquerading as the Gospel.
Here are some short examples:
NOAH: Who Was He? Part 1
Before Noah steps onto the scene, Genesis describes what the world was like in Noah’s days. It was corrupt, violent, completely lost and in opposition to God. So, how does the Bible describe the world at the time? Even Jesus, in reference to His coming kingdom, warns us of the “days of Noah” concerning what is still in our future and many would argue were in when Jesus walked among us and the days in which we continue to live. See Luke 17:20-37.
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Have One True God?
The next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses come to your door you may ask them, "Does your organization teach more than one true God?"
Almost without fail the sharp Witness will reply, “We only believe in one true God, Jehovah.”
Explain that you agree with this statement saying, “I also believe in only one true God and all other gods are false gods.”
Then ask, “How do you understand John 1:1 that teaches, ‘the Word [Jesus] was God?’”
Israel & the Watchtower Society
The Watchtower Society says today that the ‘Israel’ in Romans 11 is the 144,000 and not ethnic Jews or national Israel. However, the problem for Jehovah’s Witnesses comes further down in this same chapter when Paul says that the Jews (the Watchtower’s 144,000) are “blinded” (verse 25), and “enemies” of the gospel (verse 28). With these statements she realized that Paul could not be talking about the 144,000 when he calls them blinded and enemies. They must be ethnic and national Israel.
Book Review: Unveiling Grace, …Our Way Out of the Mormon Church, Part 3
THE PRE-EXISTENCE: “… before the creation of the world, Heavenly Father had sired and Heavenly Mother had borne millions of their spirit children. After the world was created, these spirits eagerly awaited to come to earth to receive physical bodies. Only the righteous spirits who had followed Jesus (not Satan [Jesus’s brother]) in the pre-existence war in heaven were allowed … to come to earth. They longed to be born into a “righteous” family (Mormon), in which they could learn the “true gospel of Jesus Christ” (Mormonism).” (p. 45)
Book Review: Unveiling Grace, …Our Way Out of The Mormon Church, Part 2
When the dark suited, well-groomed young men arrived at their door in the Wilders’ early married life, they began to present their flip charts of the time sharing what the Mormons wanted them to know about the Church.
Lynn says, “My analytical brain never slept peacefully back then. …I was so ignorant about Christianity, I didn’t even know intelligent questions to ask… The questions I conjured up came from what they presented to us.” (p. 39)
Book Review: Unveiling Grace Part 1
Unveiling Grace, by former Brigham Young University professor, Dr. Lynn K. Wilder, is an intimate look into not only her life and that of her family’s, but also of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church.
Lynn and her husband, Michael, joined the Mormon Church as young adults, newly married. Both had been raised in Christian homes, but Lynn, unschooled in the Bible, drifted in college when introduced to Freud, Darwin and Skinner among others. Michael, who believed in Jesus growing up, just couldn’t find a church that suited after leaving home.
Prayer of Anguish for Unsaved Loved Ones
Dear Lord, Heavenly Father,
It saddens me and my heart is anguished to see the ones closest to me that haven’t accepted You to be the Lord of their life, nor turned away from the things of this world. Lord, You declare, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19, NKJV) How much longer must I wait for the same love You showered upon me to save my loved ones from condemnation?
Why I Cannot be a Jehovah’s Witness, Reason #4
The Watchtower teaches that Jesus is the mediator only for the 144,000, not for the Great Crowd.
The WT teaches that the 144,000 are all believers from the time of the Apostles until 1935. They comprise the “Church,” the spirit-begotten believers who will go to heaven. There are only about 9,000 of these people alive today. [Our understanding is that there are very few left. The last ones would be from 1935 (or 1931) when they closed this group. After this point someone had to drop out for another person to take their place.]