Stabilize Cont.
Was Christ real?
The problem with denominationalism is that they share enough common ground that they become as preferential flavors instead of opposing doctrine. There are a few tenets that most Christian churches share, and among them salvation seems to be a fairly consistent concept. So even though my frustration boils occasionally in this work rest assured I fully support the importance of teaching salvation through Christ even if it was from a dirty church. The fact is that many people focus so much on that small window of time when Jesus paid the price that it clouds their vision of the total plan of salvation. There is an overall plan and we can examine it to determine if traditions have taken it out of context. The depth of salvation is the culmination of the Word but the obtainment of it is as simple as knowing and accepting who Jesus is. He was not some new idea that became popular out of the blue. His story did not start in the New Testament. We knew who He was going to be from studying the Old Testament. Having a Christ come here to lock in the plan of salvation was something understood. Coming as the Savior would imply the wheels of salvation were well in motion thousands of years before Jesus debuted in Jerusalem. The question is what made these people zero in on this man? Why did they believe it enough to break away and build Christianity? It was their own documentation that gave them the insight they needed. In the Old Testament there are many scriptures written about Christ. All the Jewish heritages studied a doctrine that taught about the coming of a Messiah. Christians believe that Jesus was the One. Here's one of the scriptures they pulled from to help determine this was Christ's coming:
Isaiah 7: 14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Fast-forward to the time of Jesus. The Jews knew a Messiah was going to come but the official church didn't think Jesus fit the various prophesy. Others thought Jesus was the Christ and they documented their evidence (the New Testament) so we would be able to compare their notes with those of the Old Testament to verify from "before and after" that God came here just as we do. The first four books in the New Testament in particular cover great detail that indicate Jesus was as written:
Matthew 1: 18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
What does it mean that the birth was "on the wise"? This is a hint to you that God is about to reveal something important. It's a message to those familiar with his plan. Since wisdom comes from God a person that is wise as described here would also be one familiar with the Word… in this case being familiar with the scripture quoted from the scroll of Isaiah. That is one of the scrolls they taught and studied. Why didn't they see it? Why didn't they believe Mary became pregnant before she consummated her marriage to Joseph? If she was still a virgin then it had to be by the Holy Spirit. Even Mary and Joseph knew enough of the Word to give Him the correct name:
Matthew 1: 23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. That means Joseph more like a step-dad to Jesus because he was not the biological father. Jesus' body housed God's soul while God was here in the flesh and this works just as your physical body houses your soul while it is here. This is exactly what they were looking for back in Isaiah where it said that he would be named Immanuel (transliterated to Emmanuel in the New Testament). They were looking for "God with us". The church knew what to look for they just didn't see the signs. They thought all the commotion over Jesus was circumstantial and becoming dangerous because these new Christians were stretching the scriptures to fit their man. There was no stretching. There was identification. Just as the title Eth Ha Adam in Genesis identified a specific individual from the ranks of humanity (the very Adam of the garden versus the Adam that means mankind). The title of Christ combined with the name Emanuel should make it pretty clear that the people who recognized Christ and participated in his life knew what they were doing.
We say Jesus because the New Testament is mostly Greek and the name Jesus is Greek for "help of Jehovah" or "savior". He wasn't called Jesus when referred to in the Old Testament because the Old isn't written in Greek. The word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, which comes from the root of "anointed". Combined the name and title Jesus Christ is telling us that this Jesus was the anointed one they were waiting for. Surely with the past 2,000 years hindsight and all the relative histories to pull from it seems obvious that this very Jesus was the Christ this whole Bible thing is centered around. Not just Christianity, but several religions and timelines.
Christian predecessors of the same faith failed to recognize Him and they keep looking today for the first coming. Some from their group have meandered to the point they believe God is some force that is a part of everything but in itself not an entity or individual. How they recognize, study, and stare at artwork while denying there is an artist is a testimony to a failed heritage. Even within the Christian groups there has always been strong division and many fakes spawned over time. Many fakes are feeding us today. All related to the same guy and the same scriptures.
While the tribes argued over their scenario a third group rallied to claim the same throne. Their game plan started about 500 years after Christ. This work can be dismissed as quickly as Mormonism for the same reason… they believe someone was sent to them to finish what Jesus didn't. This tactic of continuing the works of God is what allows cults to acknowledge Jesus as a prophet but also lets them put Him the same class as all the other prophets (and that line of prophets just happened to lead up to their guy). If I'm wrong I will gladly pull this statement or make it more politically correct for those who had their feelings hurt, but if I'm proven right then those who show sympathy for these types need to come out of ignorance and mature in the truths being presented. Those in these groups… now's your chance, RUN!
On top of all the diversity in viewpoints regarding Christ and the church we have a huge group in today's society that hates anything that remotely reflects upon God or his plan for us. We have huge movements of ignorant people trying to remove God from our daily lives via legal means. Okay, what I said may sound strong or offensive to some but let's just consider for a moment what I'm saying. Ignorant just means they don't know. It doesn't mean stupid. It doesn't belittle a person's self worth. I am ignorant about a million things. Like what you do everyday. I have no idea. If I made commentary about how you spend your time without knowing what you do I would be ignorant to the facts that lead to my conclusion. The people who are biblically illiterate are no different. The people that saw something that was obviously wrong with a "presented" religion and determined all religions therefore must be just as corrupt are no different. People who got lost in the shuffle and think in the end it doesn't matter have still formulated an opinion and therefore are no different. Being ignorant in America today is not an insult, it's a description of our condition.
Faced against all these odds surely a church that teaches salvation through Jesus Christ doing some good even if they only provide an open door. The person that found this church is lucky and there is an opportunity for them to develop a direct personal relationship with God. That's a start. That's "thee" start. And that start is why I will always recognize and endorse salvation as the hope for any church. They all obtain the grace awarded by standing behind the most quoted verse they share:
John 3: 16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I think most people take it from the perspective that even they themselves would be accepted (that they made it or got in), but I tend to think every person we as saved souls encounter is the hope. Whomsoever could be wheresoever at anytimesoever. The details are past our judgment. Even if people are working in a Christian based church with tainted doctrine we must ensure the doors stay open. It is from within each of these diverse churches today that people are going to wake up from their folly and their church experience is what equips them to challenge that which their church taught. Most people have to face something inside before they can overcome their scenario. That's one reason we never give up because it might be something we did to help them get through. This is how God is getting his people in place for the grand finale. At this point it's a patience game and we just steer the course until called for duty. It is how we simmer until its soup.
Nonetheless if you are on His team's active roster then after salvation the game switches to an individual effort to learn and play your position. How can you ensure you're on the right side of the war during this earth age and not in some mental suspension that God promised he would send? We're not talking about separating good and bad people. Not at all. We're talking about separating good and bad doctrine. The good people with bad doctrine are the roots to the depth of deceit. That's why Paul had to right a second letter to the Thessalonians. Paul is warning that they were not getting what he shared in the first letter and are pursuing these positions to such an extent God would let them believe it. God always has open arms but He won't make you come to them. He has a truth for you, but He can't make you do your homework. He wants to teach you, but He can't stop you from being fascinated by your church's teachings.
2 Thessalonians 2: 10
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
They didn't receive what was made available. Sure we are to challenge and question what we are taught. That's the point of this work. But math is a correctible concept and the scriptures can be leveraged with the very same conclusiveness when rightly divided, those that don't will be allowed to believe what their doctrine demands:
2 Thessalonians 2: 11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
So this is a self-imposed problem (those can usually be corrected)… don't blame God. Is there delusion upon us today? How many different lies are out there positioning for your attention? How many different paths just within the concept of Christianity? Do you want to do God's work or do you want to promote a delusional lie? I don't know friend, the milk of salvation is very sweet but how much more meat is there you need become familiar with? And what happens when you do? Let's say this reaches you and you start to challenge what you have been taught. If your studies start to give you traction then doesn't that put you in a state of awareness whereas you become the target of the enemy? Look what they did to Christ. Do you think they don't wish the same for anyone that follows Him? Even if today's strategy is different you still can't get on the field and not get hit. The good news is can take all the hits the enemy has if you have your Gospel Armor on and in place. The truth is the sword you use and you sharpen it by studying with your church. Don't forget Jesus taught it was a double-edged sword meaning it cuts both ways. Be very careful with this sword of salvation your church flashes around because on one side they do a great service by making salvation available to those seeking our Father but the other side of their sword is such that basic salvation is all they are qualified to teach. They butcher the words they are trying to understand. The result is delusion. A God sent delusion. People that stick with these churches or dig deep enough to consume their doctrine set themselves up to be part of the end time deception. We're going to cover it real close because that is what this has all been building up to over the past thousands of years.
So while we must say salvation first because it is the qualifier it emphatically is not the finished purpose for you. It is your invitation to participate in something beyond the grace that was shown in your favor. We all depend upon salvation but when we obtain it we also obtain the related obligations. The book of Hebrews tells us to get past what was done and to tune in to what we are here to do:
Hebrews 6: 1
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
That means that we are to go on and get into the depth of our works and not to repeat the same salvation message over and over again. That work has already been accomplished and it tends to make people focus on what they did in their past (requesting continual forgiveness) instead of grabbing the rudder and guiding the group's boat to safety, which is what should happen across the nation as individuals in today's congregations wake up to the facts and take responsibility. There is plenty to do and it is pretty clearly described if we do a little homework. My question to you is what are you going to do when you start to see your church's direction with clarity realizing that the people you know and love most are rowing their boat towards a waterfall? Uh, and doing it as fast as they can! On one hand you don't know if this is "a test for you" as you are tempted to follow their doctrine or if this is "a test for them" if you bring correcting details to their attention. Maybe both? What if you are one of those that was too smart to follow some of the silly things today's churches put forth and now some of the things you read here substantiate your intuition. Keep reading because this homework will also bring clarity to a very tangible scenario we are currently experiencing and that is scheduled to climax real soon. You do have a part in it. Everybody alive does. The question is from what side?
The majority of churches today have some effort or program in their community to help others and spread the news that Jesus really was the Christ as promised. Almost all have a good reputation and are thought of in a good light. That's the skin of delusion because after superficial similarities the details and expectations are extremely varied. It's one thing to maintain individuality or independence within a known path but our churches have adjusted their doctrine resulting in different directions. Confusion about the facts has let their denominations stand. Fervor for their own doctrine has let their denominations grow. These vary too much to all be correct. That is a reality that must be confronted. Another reality is that if it isn't God pulling them down those paths then just who is? You may have family way deep into the church records, but you may also be the one that comes out of confusion to their benefit later. You may have the most charismatic teacher alive, but don't follow a personality when you have solid doctrine to pull from. You are charged to verify for yourself if the direction you are heading is accurate. That is where the war is waging full force.
One of the ways we get insight to the information God has reserved for our time is by the fulfillment of prophesies. Throughout history they have come to pass without exception. And there are plenty written concerning the very time we live in that have yet to happen. Your main tool for such research is the King James Version combined with a Strong's Concordance. You will find this combination accurate enough to clarify what questions you may have regarding the meaning of scripture. If you can accurately breakdown the translation in the scriptures that denominations tend to cling to you will start to develop a valid reason to challenge the possibility of something being written before it happened. That gives possibility to something being written by a higher inspiration because it would take a higher power to know the facts of the future. How could the details of prophesy happen as written? There is no organization enforcing the depiction of biblical drama. Things are happening within the realm of common sense without having to stretch any interpretation. If we can leverage hindsight to see this reality what would make us think that what is written about our time be any less tangible? Is it just because the hints were given way back then? They were given then to ensure the only way you can learn about them today is to study. They were given way back then so your heritage would have the same opportunity to get the truth. They were given way back then so the span of time would be evidence. The biggest difference between back then and now is that in our time your homework is a preceptor to your participation. We're just getting into the heat of the battle. What you do with your truths is measurable. Those that think there is little importance to these details have a very shallow view of some very deep water because the future back then is our present now. The drama about to unfold is what has been passed down for thousands of years and we have more evidence than those who missed the first coming.
Was Christ real? (You are here.)