An Eye-Opening Appeal …

       The following is an excerpt from an address by the cardinals in the Roman Church to Pope Pius III. (Note: Pius III lived in 1503.)

       “Of all the advice that we can offer, Your Holiness, we must open your eyes well and use all possible force in the matter, namely, to permit the reading of the gospel as little as possible in all the countries under your jurisdiction. Let the very little part of the gospel suffice which is usually read in mass, and let no one be permitted to read more. So long as people will be content with the small amount, your interest will prosper; but as soon as the people want to read more, your interest will fail. The Bible is the book, which more than any other, has raised against us the tumults and tempests by which we have almost perished. In fact, if one compares the teachings of the Bible with what takes places in our churches, he will soon find discord, and will realize that our teachings are often different from the Bible, and oftener still, contrary to it.”

Speaks volumes, doesn’t it?!?

(From: The National Library of Paris, folio No. 1068, Vol. 2, pp 650 and 651.

My Source: The Sower, Vol. 51, No. 5, September/October 2006)

“The Bible Is Full Of Lies!”

Jarrod Jacobs

            Have you ever heard someone say that the Bible is full of lies? I have. Have you ever considered the fact that in a sense those who say this are right? Yes, the Bible records several lies that were told ….

            For example, Satan lied when he told Eve that she could eat of the forbidden fruit and would “not surely die” (Gen. 3:4). Because of this and many other lies, Christ called Satan the “father” of lies (Jn. 8:44).

            It is apparent that many prophets have lied through the years. Peter said “there were false prophets also among the people ...” (II Pet. 2:1). Yes, the words of the false prophets, the lies they told, are recorded in the Bible that we might hear and fear!

            Ananias and Sapphira lied when they pretended to give all their money to the apostles to benefit the poor saints. They didn’t actually do that, though (Acts 5:1-11).

            Hymenaeus and Philetus were guilty of lying to Christians when they told them “the resurrection is past already” (II Tim. 2:17-18).

            Let us heed the warning of John who said that one who would deny that Jesus is the Christ “is a liar” (I Jn. 2:22).

            Also, the apostle Peter lied when he said he did not know Christ (Matt. 26:74; Mk. 14:71).

            Yes, the Bible records many who lied, but for all of the lies, we find God’s Truth is there to defeat and denounce each and every lie (Jn. 17:17; Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2)! Don’t be guilty of lying. Rather, speak the truth with all (Eph. 4:25; Col. 3:9)!

Convenience-Store Religion

Jarrod Jacobs

            In far too many cases, we find religious groups willing to cater to the whims and wishes of men. How many times have we heard people say, “Choose the church of your choice”? The end result is a nation of people who think they can just “drop in” to any church they please, “get what they want” and hurry on back to their life with no fuss, no obligations, no guilt, no exhorting to do right, and no expectations. Is this the way God pictured His people? By no means!

            The Bible says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). There is no stronger word in the English language than the word “must”. What God expects of men is not an option! We “must” worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” How is this accomplished? Not by doing things to my satisfaction, but in worshipping God the way He directs (Acts 2:42, 20:7; Eph. 5:19; I Cor. 16:1-2; etc.). God has told us what He expects. We do not “pick and choose” what we like, but wholeheartedly obey all His word (Rev. 22:14; I Cor. 15:58).

            Cornelius told Peter, “Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by God” (Acts 10:33). Do we have this attitude, or do we go “hither and yon” until we find a preacher and a church who teaches what we want to hear? (II Tim. 4:3-4) Friends, the religion of Christ is not a religion of convenience, but of conviction! Have you been convicted of your sins (Acts 2:37)? Are willing to change, and stand strong for the Lord in all things (Acts 2:38; I Cor. 15:58)? Few do this (Matt. 7:13-14). What will you do?

A Dangerous Thing: Bible Ignorance

Jarrod Jacobs

            I remember reading a news report some years ago that stated that children who lack Biblical knowledge are “at a huge educational disadvantage” in school. In an article for the Religion News Service, Helena Andrews said her findings reveal that “students without Bible knowledge take more time to teach.” In fact, the non-profit group called “Bible Literacy Project” based out of Fairfax, VA, did a similar study in which it was discovered that children who do not have a basic knowledge of Scriptures are at a significant disadvantage in school. The reason is because classic and modern literature is full of Biblical references. For instance, William Shakespeare’s works contain over 1300 Biblical references. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick begins with the statement, “Call me Ishmael” (See: Gen. 16:15). The “Bible Literacy Project” is now trying to get schools involved in an academic study of the Bible so that young people will be able to comprehend the many Biblical references that are found within our literature.

            When I first read this article, I remembered a statement a dear friend of mine made. He said, “You can spend many years in school acquiring degrees, but unless you have a knowledge of the Scriptures, you are not an educated man.” This fact was stated by David in Psalm 119:98-100. The apostle made it clear that the Scriptures make one “wise for salvation” (II Tim. 3:15). Further, we must not be “foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).

            Notice that when people push the Bible out of their lives, it not only affects their souls (Hos. 4:6), but other parts of their lives as well! If you wish to be truly educated, then learn and obey the words that “shall not pass away.”

All Things That Pertain To Life And Godliness

Jarrod Jacobs

            “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (II Pet. 2:3). We are in the habit of saying that God has given us in the gospel everything that is essential to life and godliness; but Peter goes a little farther than that and affirms that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. There is a difference. To illustrate: There are certain things that are essential to an automobile; and there are other things that pertain to an automobile; but are not essential to it. When you have all things that are essential to an automobile, you can go to a supply house and purchase a lot of extras that pertain to an automobile. But suppose you have all the essentials of an automobile, and then you add all the things that pertain to an automobile, nothing else could be added that would make it any more complete. God has not only given us all things that are essential to life and godliness, but he has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

            Do religious people believe it? If so, why all these questions about things that God has said nothing about? If you will read the verse again, you will notice that he has given us all these things through the knowledge of Christ. The knowledge of Christ means the knowledge that has been revealed about him — the gospel of Christ. Hence, through the gospel God has not only given us all things that are essential to life and godliness, but all things that pertain to life and godliness. If there is, therefore, anything in your religion that did not come to you through the gospel, it does not so much as pertain to life and godliness. Is it not time to check up on our religion and see if we have anything that we cannot find in the New Testament? Any person of intelligence can do that for himself.