Medication Is Not Witchcraft

 Here's an idea that you might not consider unless you found some of these fringe YouTube videos, the idea that medication is witchcraft.

You're thinking, "What?  Where in the Bible does it say that?"

Their Proof Texts

Firstly, my stance is that medication is NOT witchcraft, but first, let me give you the proof texts people use to prove that medication is witchcraft:

Galatians 5:19-20 (KJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Revelation 9:21 (KJV)

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Revelation 18:23 (KJV)

23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Now, what do these three highlighted words have in common?  They are all from the Greek word "pharmakeia", which is where we get our English word "pharmacy."  And indeed, "pharmakeia" literally does mean medication, according to Strong's Dictionary:

From G5332; medication (“pharmacy”), that is, (by extension) magic (literal or figurative): - sorcery, witchcraft.

So, on the surface, it would appear as if medication of all types, even Tylenol, were evil.  In fact, the root word (G5332) (the people behind the "pharamakeia") is used in Revelation 21:8 as among those who go to Hell:

Revelation 21:8 (KJV)

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

So, does this mean that all pharmacists are going to Hell, simply because of their distribution of Tylenol, Advil, even Ozempic?

NO!

This is why.  

It's Not What Goes In, But What Comes Out

Look at Mark 7:14-23 (I will stop in between to give explainers):

Mark 7:14-23 (KJV)

14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Look at v. 15.  There is NOTHING from without a man, that entering INTO him can defile him.  Let us continue to verse 19:

16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

Jesus gives the specific reason why most of the things you consume do not defile you.  It is because it doesn't go into the heart.  It goes through the stomach, and then is exited via #2! ("goeth out into the draught").  In and of itself, nearly nothing you put into your body can lead you to Hell (I'll get to the one exception in a moment).  

Now, yes, Jesus was mainly talking about food, and not medication such as Tylenol.  Still, Tylenol also does not enter the heart, but into the stomach, and some of it can come out as #2. (Not all food is expelled as waste either, but the context is mainly of anatomic geography).  Again, Jesus is not saying that "FOOD isn't bad because of where it goes".  He is saying that "Food isn't bad because of WHERE it goes".  Based on the context, it's not the KIND of thing that defines undefilement, it's the GEOGRAPHY of the thing.

It's like I Timothy 5:8, where Paul says that anyone who doesn't support their own family is worse than an unbeliever.  Again, Paul is stating FACTS based on the present application of widows.  You don't have to wait for your mother to be a widow to support her!  If you don't support her, even if her husband is still alive, you're STILL worse than an unbeliever!

So, Jesus' FACTS on where food goes can also apply to medication, because the geography's the same.  It is also a FACT that WHATSOEVER THING FROM WITHOUT (outside the body), and that means ANYTHING, cannot defile a man.  Not even dirt (Although I personally wouldn't recommend eating dirt, not a biblical teaching, just a personal opinion).

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

This is where Jesus defines the concept of defilement.  v. 22-23 essentially list sins, you know, the things which, unless repented of, CAN ACTUALLY SEND YOU TO HELL!

This also where Jesus defines the heart when He mentions "evil thoughts".  Jesus was not talking about the blood-pumping organ, because a blood-pumping organ can't think (see v. 21).  If anything, the organ that is more closely associated with the "heart" is the brain, whose pre-frontal cortex literally thinks.  So, in this context, the heart is more of a thinking and perceiving thing. 

Mark 7:14-23 debunks the concept of modern medication leading you to Hell, because "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

Consuming Blood Still Forbidden

Now, I did mention one thing that can be consumed that, unless repented of, can ACTUALLY lead you to Hell: consuming blood.  The Law of Moses repeatedly forbade the consumption of blood, not at all because of anatomical geography, but because of something completely different.  Leviticus 17:14 says it quite clearly:

Leviticus 17:14 (KJV)

14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

Be warned:  This is not some "Law of Moses" thing that can be done away with because we're under grace.  A REASON, a FACT is given why we should NEVER EVER consume blood.  Because THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE.  In fact, this command is repeated in the New Testament as a starter command to new believers:

Acts 15:28-29 (KJV)

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Now, in conclusion, I don't exactly know any evidence off the top of my head what "pharmakeia" really is, other than what the Bible translators rendered it is, whom most agree is witchcraft.  However, what I do know is that medication is not witchcraft, simply because of where it travels in the body.  If it is still witchcraft despite this fact, then Jesus is a liar, and you know that He is not.

Topics I Wish To Cover In The Future

On the smartphone I have, I write down a lot of notes, especially when they come to me.  They are usually things that I wish to talk about concerning the Bible, so I want to share those with you:

On The Hard Road To Heaven (2 Timothy 2:3)

Exposing The Salvation Army (they reject baptism and the Lord's Supper)

What The Bible Says About Fools (a lot)

Don't Get Involved in The Affairs Of This Life (2 Timothy 2:4)

Medication Is Not Witchcraft (on the Greek word "pharmakeia")

Then I decided to look at my very first blog post and expand on it.  There were some teachings that I wanted to clarity, and I also wanted to clarify the inspirations behind my interpretation of Scripture and especially why I want to be an INDEPENDENT Bible student.  I recommend you check out the update.

So, I might get to these topics, or I might not.  It all depends.

My Take On The End Times (Without Using Much Scripture)

There's a reason I'm not using much Scripture in this blog post, because I don't want to get it wrong.  I'm definitely motivated by the following passage:

Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV)

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

So, why am I talking about the End Times?  Because I hear it all around me:

"The end times are being fulfilled all around us!"

"Watch carefully at what Israel is doing."

"This is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy."

OK, here's my take:  I don't immediately say that what's happening in the world is not fulfilling Bible prophecy, it likely is.  Any time something happens to Israel, it is likely that something Biblical is going on, because it's Israel, God's chosen people!

So, from one video I saw, the idea is that Israel has a rough time because Satan wants to wipe Israel off the map, that is, every single Jew.  If there are no Jews, then that means that God is a liar in saying that Jesus will return to save the remnant of Israel.  I also hear that part of the end times involves all the Jews returning to Israel.

Is all this likely?  Sure.  I just need to look it up in Scripture to make sure.  The author of that video suggested the book of Ezekiel.

Here are some other things I heard in this video:

There will be so much war and chaos, that the people of the world will cry for peace.  That peace will come in the form of a one-world government, a one-world religion (Hmm, there's a certain sci-fi franchise that preaches the gospel of a "United Earth".  In fact, Stacey Abrams herself played its president one time!)  This whole "one-world government" will be a big part of the end times.

Now, as for the Mark of the Beast (another common theme in end times discussions), first, let me lay out the given Scripture for everyone to see:

Revelation 13:16-17 (KJV)

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

I've seen other videos about it, one in which paying for groceries with your hand (There was another one about Whole Foods that I think is already doing it, but that's just your palm.) is either it or close to being it.

OK...how about an example where you can pay by showing your forehead?  I say "showing" because I don't think Revelation 13:16 is talking about a "payment method", but rather a method of identification.  Could it be a "payment method" and/or a "method of identification"?  I don't know.  Again, don't want to say yea or nay because of the first Scripture mentioned in this blog entry.

The point is this:  In the Mark of the Beast, the forehead is an option.  If a payment system or any kind of transaction doesn't even mention your forehead, it's NOT the Mark of the Beast, period, because to say that it is, and denying the option of the forehead takes away from the Book of Revelation as mentioned in that aforementioned Scripture.  It's in there!  To say that it's not is taking away from the Book of Revelation!

Now, yes, you and I should read up more on Bible prophecy, including the Book of Revelation, and compare the world's events to Scripture; it's a wise thing to do anyway (2 Peter 3:18).  Still, even if you haven't gotten to that point yet, at least do these:

Job 28:28 (KJV)

28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV)

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

The World Is Still Tempting.

 I've mentioned this verse time and time again: "Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  It's so seared into my brain that I didn't even bother to get the exact KJV or ESV wording.  It's in I John (let me look it up again...I John 2:15.

When I talk about the concept of "having a life", I mean "embracing the world as if you're a member of it."  That is, being so rooted in this world that the world would easily consider you a citizen.  In fact, Jesus says in John 15:19a:

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own:"

As a kid, and even as a young adult, I've always felt like I've been on the inside looking out, wanting to join my high school peers in whatever adventures in the world they're going on.  Of course, now that I'm in my mid to late 30s, I realize that those peers have since settled down, so I didn't see the point in chasing their company (these days, there's little need, I work with two members of my college graduating class every day!).  In fact, the two co-workers themselves have settled down with families of their own, so they wouldn't exactly invite me to a beer, they're too busy themselves!

So, who's "inviting me to a beer" now?  Who is tempting me to embrace the world and live a little?  Someone who doesn't exist in real life, yet, if I met the actress who played her, the two could seem identical.  

There's this version of Star Trek that interested me, it's called "Lower Decks".  It features inexperienced Ensigns of a common starship.  I think I myself was on the bottom rung of the career ladder when Lower Decks premiered, I have since moved up to a position comparable to lower management, or in the Star Trek world, at the very least, a Lieutenant.

The main character is a former senior officer named Beckett Mariner, played by Tawny Newsome.  Mariner is regularly a troublemaker who deliberately tries to remain an Ensign, uninterested in advancing in her career in Starfleet.  She is joined by Ensign Brad Boimler, played by Jack Quaid.  He's the guy that plays by the rules, and strives to one day be a starship captain.  He is a fan of Starfleet legends such as William Riker and Beverly Crusher.

The first time I watched the program, I immediately compared myself to Boimler and any "cool" worldly person to Mariner.  In fact, every single person who has told me, "Come on, live a little!" acts just like Mariner.  She...is the one who would invite me to a beer.  (I can say that because during a high school class reunion, there was one person who in fact invited me to the bar, I'm guessing for a beer.)

My carnal self would definitely want to let loose, and she would be my guide.  In fact, near the end of the first episode, Mariner called Boimler her "cha'dich", which is a Klingon term used to mean "friend/disciple".  Boimler would learn from Mariner in her unorthodox ways of life.

Scripture warns against running around with such people:

Proverbs 1:10-19 (KJV)

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

So yeah, it's not wise to be enticed by someone like Mariner.  OK, what about Tawny Newsome herself?  What's she like?

Let's see, she's 4 years older than me (just like Mariner)...OK, while Mariner reminds me of the troublemaker trying to get me into trouble, Tawny Newsome the actress reminds me of Trek clergy.  According to an article by ScreenRant, Mrs. Newsome has an "impressive knowledge of Star Trek", and she is a writer for a new upcoming Star Trek series.  I call her "clergy" because I have given another Star Trek actor a religious title: Wil Wheaton, whom I call the "high priest of geekery".  The podcast The Happiness Lab called him a "geekvangelist", preaching a gospel of loving a niche of the world with reckless abandon, with the example of the fans of Benedict Cumberbatch being called "cumberb****es.".  It is my opinion that Mrs. Newsome would preach a similar gospel, making Trek disciples of all nations.  Why?  I've heard her on other podcasts recommend starting episodes to get into Trek, just as I recommend starting in the book of Matthew to learn about Christ.

OK, so isn't the solution simple?  Just cut yourself off from Trek entirely? (like in Matthew 10:29)  Or at least Lower Decks?  Just writing that makes me think that's a good idea.  Perhaps the less reinforcement of Trek knowledge, the better.  I still have knowledge of Trek, I just don't want it to consume me.

What?  Is Star Trek evil?  In and of itself, I don't know.  Now, I'm not talking about their misguided vision of humanity (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5 to show what humanity will really be like), but rather the fact that it's of the world.  There is much "lust of the eyes", "lust of the flesh", and "pride of life" in Star Trek.

"Sell Your Possessions And Give To The Poor", We Really Need To Talk About This.

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

This has been something that has been on my mind for quite a while, especially in light of an even more difficult Bible verse:

Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

In other words, sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Jesus told the rich young man to sell everything he owned and to give to the poor in order to have treasure in Heaven. (Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22)  Many would say, "OK, but Jesus just told the rich young man this."  Nope.  Jesus also told this to His disciples, as shown above.  And did not Jesus tell His disciples to teach other disciples to obey all His commands? (Matthew 28:20)

Now, I have to admit, this puzzles me.  Does this mean we are to literally and physically own nothing?  Mind you, that's not a bad thing, but are we sinning if at any point in our Christian walk, we, in the eyes of the common world, own something?  I come to this verse for some insight:

1Co 7:30  And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;

Paul doesn't imply a man is sinning if he has bought something.  He only requires that you don't consider it your own, just like the early church:

Act 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

In fact, nothing is truly our own, as David says:

Psa 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

You see, the forfeiture of worldly possessions, in and of itself, is not the head-scratcher for me.  For Jesus makes it very clear (to me at least):

Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

The head-scratcher for me is the LOGISTICS of it all.  When Jesus told the rich young man, and Jesus' disciples, to sell their possessions and give to the poor, the command was clear:  Exactly, and literally, put up all your stuff for sale, and exactly, and literally, give the money to the poor.  If you simply give the items away at no price, you did not do exactly what was commanded.  If you sold all the items for money and gave the money to the rich, you did not do exactly what was commanded.  If you sold all the items for money and spent it on yourself (or kept back part of the money for yourself, as in Acts 5:1-11), you did not do exactly what was commanded.

So what's the problem?  Why not just follow Jesus' commands to the letter, every time?  There are a few examples in Scripture where righteous men were commended for forsaking their worldly possessions, yet did not follow the exact procedure Jesus gave the rich young man and the disciples.  This is where we all need to pray for wisdom (James 1:5).  Anyway, the examples:

1. Zacchaeus

 Luke 19:2-10 (KJV) And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Zacchaeus didn't exactly sell his goods and give the money to the poor.  He simply gave half of his goods to the poor, and gave a quadruple refund to his victims of fraud.  Jesus called him SAVED.

2. Lawsuit Defendants and Victims of Theft

Mat 5:40  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

Luk 6:29  And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

These are also commands of Jesus.  If you are sued for something, or if someone takes something from you, allow them to have more.  Jesus never mentioned asking for money for it.  These are "turn the other cheek" moments.

3. Victims of Confiscation/Raids/Spoilings/Civil Asset Forfeiture, Etc.

Heb 10:34  For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Again, no mention of a "sale" is present in this text.

4. Mary Magdalene (forgot about her)

John 12:1-8 (KJV) Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

Mary reserved the ointment for the purpose of anointing Jesus.  Jesus commended this, and ordained that this account be included in the Gospel (Matthew 26:13, Mark 14:9)

So, at the very least, if there are worldly possessions in our hands that is not being or has not been stolen, surrendered, etc., it is eligible to be literally sold and given to the poor.  At the very least, start with the unneeded and unused goods so that aid to the poor (keep it a secret, says Jesus in Matthew 6:1-4) will start to flow.  Then, pray about the rest, hoping that you will need less and less over time.  Remember, all this in the name of obeying Christ.  A hint:  Your car, your house, your cell phone, your laptops and computers, your TVs, your tools, ALL OF THAT is eligible to be sold and the proceeds given to the poor.  I haven't gone that far, but Lord willing, in time, I will.  This is why I don't say to you "YOU MUST DO THIS!", but rather, to seriously consider it.  Don't take my word for it.  Read the Bible and obey what it says.

And speaking of a house, one final thing to consider:  George Carlin has a comedy routine called "A Place For My Stuff" in which he says: "If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house!  You could just walk around all the time."

Even for sleeping, the Christian must consider the possibility of having no central place to sleep, no house, no apartment at all.  Yes, I mean HOMELESSNESS.  Again, hear Christ's words:

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Should We Scare People Into Christ?

I've always heard this when I was growing up, that I never scare someone into believing in Christ.  If I do, then that will drive them away from Christ.  And for years, I've believed this.  I don't anymore.

I believe that fear is EXACTLY what people need to come to Christ.  Let me explain.

I've mentioned time and time again that we have to fear God (Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:5, etc.).  I've also mentioned that the fear of God is real and literal:

Isa 8:13  But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

But let me share with you some verses that show the positive effects of fearing God:

Job_28:28  And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Not only is the fear of God the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10), and of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7), but it is also wisdom ITSELF.

Pro 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. 

The fear of God is also the means by which people run away from evil, which is also the definition of understanding (Job 28:28), something that we must attain "with all our getting" (Proverbs 4:7).

Pro_19:23  The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. 

Those who fear God tend to go to Heaven.  In addition, those who fear God will, according to the ESV, "will not be visited by harm".

So, the fear of God is GOOD, and it keeps you SAFE.  Why wouldn't we want to teach people to fear Him?

Let me remind the reader of this again, because it's eternally important:

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
(Luk 12:4-5)

Did you get that?  We must fear the one WHO CAN SEND US TO HELL!!!!!

 

So what does it mean to "scare someone" to Christ?

Well, the most basic way of doing it is to tell them that they are a sinner that's headed to Hell, and that they need Christ.  In my Christianity page on The Sweeping Developer, I go through the basic facts of a man's spiritual condition.  Let me show it to you again:

• There is a judgment coming on all humanity (Revelation 20:11-12).


• None of us are good enough to pass muster (James 2:10). No one is righteous. (Romans 3:10)


• We deserve death because of our sin (Romans 6:23)


• If even the righteous die in the body (Hebrews 9:27), then another death is prescribed for the unrighteous.
  This is referred to as the 'second death', what we call Hell, in Revelation 20:14. A literal lake of fire.


• Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life, as v.15 says, will be cast into this Hell.



• So how can anyone escape this terrible place? In Acts 16:30, the jailer asked what he must do to be saved. Peter and Silas' response? :
  
  

  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." --Acts 16:31



• What does it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?
  
  Firstly, you must trust Jesus in everything.
  
  Secondly, Jesus is the Word of God, says John 1:1, 14, I John 1:1, among other places.
  
  He is God's very words, God's very testimony, also found in the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).
  In other words, Jesus is the Bible!
  
  Faith in Jesus means both faith in Jesus Himself and in what the Bible says.
  
  If you believe what the Bible says, and EVERYTHING the Bible says, you believe in Jesus, and you will be saved.
  
  However, if you don't, you will be damned. (Mark 16:16) Jesus is the ONLY way to be saved (Acts 4:12). All other ways (Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, JW, Modern Judaism, Islam, Shinto, etc.) lead to Hell, because they either preach a false teaching about God and/or preach a false Jesus, none of which save (also see Galatians 1:8-9). (I forgot to also list Anglican, Old and New IFB, and other KJV-Only types, seriously, there's a ton of false religions in the world, many under the label of Jesus.)


• Next, get baptized (by immersion). (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:38-39)


• Also, read the Bible and obey what you read. I would start with the New Testament, starting in the book of Matthew.

Some may say that's too harsh, and that I'm driving people away from Christ.  I can only say this about the latter.  They are correct:  I am driving them away...from false Christs.  GOOD!  Because those false Christs will send you to Hell just as much as not even having Christ at all.  Why?  Because such Christs don't have teeth:  They don't send you to Hell (as in Matthew 25:41), they don't teach hard truths (as in John 6:60), they don't teach you to beware of worldliness (as in Luke 8:14), etc.

Some may also say:  OK, then who's the true Christ?  What church has the Truth?  I can only say this about that statement without bias:  Just follow the Bible.  Read it, cover to cover.  Accept the truths of the Bible as plainly and as literally as possible.  This is true faith.  If there are churches that put their trust in the Word of God, for Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1, 1:14, etc.), follow them (I Corinthians 11:1), yet don't trust IN them (Jeremiah 17:5), but IN Christ.

As for all churches, whether true or false, ALWAYS do this:

1Th_5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Finally, I want to share with you something from atheist Penn Jillette.  He presents what Christians OUGHT to be doing in regards to evangelism:

 Two caveats though: Firstly, if it is certain a man will not believe, the standard is not to "tackle them".  The standard is to just stop preaching to them:

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” (Mark 6:11, KJV, also see Matthew 10:14 and Luke 9:5)

Secondly, I believe based on the following two verses, that we are NOT to proselytize to outward atheists:

Psa 14:1a  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...

Pro 23:9  Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

 

 

On Birthdays

Job 3:1  After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his [birth]day.

Today, the topic of birthdays came up, and I just thought I'd share my thoughts on the concept of celebrating one's birthday as it relates to Scripture.

 Firstly, I know of no Scripture that condemns, in an of itself, celebrating birthdays.  However, when I look at Scripture, it seems kinda pointless to me.  I've heard some people write in the past that the wicked celebrated birthdays, while the righteous cursed their birthday.

An example of the former being Herod in Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:21-23.  Herod celebrated his birthday by asking his daughter Herodias what she wanted, because her dancing pleased him.  Herodias, prompted by her mother, asked her father for the head of John The Baptist.  Yeah, that backfired:

Mar 6:26  And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 

However, not everyone in Scripture that celebrated their birthday was specifically counted as wicked.  Take the Pharaoh of Egypt, during the time of Joseph:

Gen 40:20  And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 

Now, an example of the latter, the righteous cursing their birthday, is listed in this post (Job).  Another example is Jeremiah:

Jer 20:14  Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.
Jer 20:15  Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

In fact, the Preacher of Ecclesiastes said that:

Ecc 7:1b ...the day of death [is better] than the day of one's birth.

So, at the very least, birthdays are weird.  

 

But do you know what's even weirder in this world, and possibly downright sad?

According to the Word of God, the observance of Good Friday, and more explicitly, of the Lord's Supper (I Corinthians 11:26) is technically BETTER than the observance of Christmas!

It's sad because people treat Christmas as a much bigger deal than even Easter!  Yes, they're both false holidays because of the worldliness and idolatry associated with the holiday (modern Nativity scenes are just a mash-up of the Truth, in essence creating a false Christ), mixed in with Scripture, but God considers Christmas EVEN WORSE, for that is a celebration of a birth, while Holy Week, leading up to Easter is more closely associated with a death and resurrection!

Now, a caveat:  It is no sin to celebrate a birth, and it is certainly no sin to celebrate the birth of Christ (just not in the way of the false Christian world).  But it's just weird, at least in my opinion.