June 17, 2014
Let me begin with this article posted on
June 13th from the Jewish news outlet Arutz Sheva .... "Pope condemns
religious fundamentalism" ... His interpretation was this ... "A
fundamentalist group, even if it kills no one, even if it strikes no one, is
violent. The mental structure of fundamentalism is violence in the name of
God."
OK .. Where do I start? ... How about the
definition of 'Fundamentalism.' .. Webster's Dictionary says it is
"Religious beliefs based on a literal interpretation of the Bible."
... All right, according to Webster's
definition, that is me, and what seems like a dwindling number of others in the
world's Christian community. ... The pope's interpretation must be the Vatican
version. ... And let's also remember the source ... this is the same world
church leader that is trying to pull all religions together into one big happy
family who worship the same God. .. I mean this guy is inviting everyone to the
Vatican to pray with him ... Mormons, Muslims, Christian 'fluff' teachers ..
you name it ... they have either been invited, or are on their way soon! ...
Obviously, fundamentalists like me will NEVER agree with this thinking and
hence are viewed as the 'enemy!'
Let's for a moment look at this 'new age'
thinking the pope, and many others are espousing as the 'true way' to the
heavenly gate. ... They are using words like 'interspirituality' to attempt to
link us all together under one God, basically saying that God is in all things.
... Here's an example quote from new ager Scott Peck. .. "Christianity's
greatest sin is to think that other religions are not saved." ... I as a
fundamentalist totally disagree! .. Here's why ... John 3:16, one of the
Bible's most well-known verses says, "For God so loved the world that He
gave His ONE and ONLY Son, that whoever BELIEVES in HIM shall not perish but
have eternal life." ...Then there's
John 14:6 ... "I am the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH
ME." ... Just one more for now .. Acts 4:12 is clear .. Salvation is found
in No ONE ELSE, for there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by which
we MUST BE SAVED." (emphasis mine
throughout) ... Now all these folks can play with these words all they want,
but the bottom line is this ... There is NO ONE ELSE but Jesus Christ! ....
Period. .... Guess it just proves I'm a fundamentalist ... but that is
literally what it says! ...
Another hot-button buzz-word out there
right now is 'Contemplative,' used in either reflection or a form of prayer.
... In contemplative-promoting literature, one can find numerous statements
that either belittle or actually condemn the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. ..
Here's two examples:
... "Unfortunately, over the course
of the centuries, this (Christianity) has come to be presented in almost legal
language, as if it were some sort of transaction, or deal with God; there was this gap between us and God,
somebody had to make up for it - all that business. We can drop that. The legal metaphor seems to have helped other
generations. Fine. Anything that helps is fine. But once it gets in the way, as it does
today, we need to drop it." ..................................... and then
this ......
... "The fundamentalist continually waves one or two out-of-context
gospel passages in front of us, stretching them beyond all valid interpretation
and meaning. Thus the quotation "No
one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6) is often used to
declare that no one except the Christian can attain to God - or for that matter
be 'saved.' This we know is
nonsense. When the Divine Mother gathers
up her harvest during the decades ahead, the chaff of fundamentalism will be
separated from the good wheat of the new consciousness and left by the
wayside."
What?! ... The only way to God is through
His Son Jesus Christ is nonsense?! ... The Divine Mother?! .. Pardon me but
thank God I am one of those pope-referred 'hater fundamentalists!'
I've got to share just one more quote
from these false prophets ... this one is from Sue Monk Kidd .. she says this
... "The minister was preaching. He
was holding up a Bible. It was open,
perched atop his raised hand as if a blackbird landed there. He was saying that the Bible was the sole and
ultimate authority of the Christian's life.
The sole and ultimate authority. ... I remember feeling a rising up from
a place about two inches below my navel.
It was a passionate, determined feeling, and it spread out from the core
of me like a current so that my skin vibrated with it. If feelings could be translated into English,
this feeling would have roughly been the word 'no!' ...... It was the purest
inner knowing I had experienced, and it was shouting in me no, no, no! The ultimate authority in my life is not the
Bible; it is not confined between the
covers of a book. It is not something
written by men and frozen in time. It is
not from a source outside myself. My
ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul, period!"
She pretty much summed up her
non-fundmentalist position when she said "The ultimate authority in my
life is NOT the Bible." .... And this seems to be the overwhelming trend
in most of America's churches today. .. Even the discussion of whether or not
to allow the sin of homosexuality into our fellowships is the beginning of the
erosion of the fundamental teachings of our Holy Bible. ... Whether we like it
or not and whether society has changed or not, the Word of God is the ONLY
teachings we are to follow ... and that my friends is the 'fundamental' view.
... Anything else is false doctrine!
Let me back that up with these scriptures
... Matthew 24:11 says that "many false prophets will appear and deceive
many people." ... 2 Timothy 4:1 states that ... "The Spirit clearly
says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving
spirits and things taught by demons." .. Then, 2 Peter 2:1 says, "But there were also false prophets
among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift
destruction on themselves." ...
There's more, but the point is made .. if we are to 'literally' interpret these
scriptures, the end result is not good for those who try and 'adjust' any part
of the Holy teachings of our Lord.
OK, I need to put a cap on this ... but
before I leave you this week, let me tell you that I come into contact with
many folks who are struggling with their churches as they drift ever closer to
the heresies that are rampant out there right now. ... Let me tell you first
that the TRUE teachings of scripture warned us that in these final days, many
false teachers and teachings would inundate our societies. ... 1 Timothy
6:20-21 says .. "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of
what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in doing so
have wandered from the faith." .. and finally, 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says this,
.. "For a time will come when men will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear. They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." ...
Doesn't get much clearer than that! ....
and, there are a few churches left out there who are sticking to the
Bible's 'literal' teachings. ... Pray
and seek, and you will find. ...
Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life, and only a few find it." ..... Very specific and clear, isn't it? .... We
'fundamentalists' (literalists) may not be very popular in today's world, but
if you remember, neither was Jesus or His apostles ... and how about Paul? ....
I know I've used a lot of Scripture
today, but hey, I have no intent of trying to re-invent the Word of God. ...
Those God-inspired words in the Bible are what we true Christians have come to
trust and love ... and use as our daily guide to life ... Hallelujah! ...
Praise the Lord that we have them as our guide! .... Remember this last one as
I close .... Use it as a guide for today ... "Watch your life and doctrine
closely. Persevere in them, because if
you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Timothy 4:16) ..... Hallelujah!
Until next time,