False Prophets

Scriptural Warning of False Prophets (Teachers)

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(Matthew 24:11)

Throughout all scripture is the theme of the many and the few… and we need to understand that when Christ speaks of the many he is speaking of the majority.  When he speaks of the few, he is speaking of a minority.  Many and few — big group and small group.  Sounds elementary doesn’t it?  Well it does get more difficult… in that “the many” never means “the minority”.

I want to repeat one more time… many means many… as in a lot… as in the most of… the majority.  Conversely, few means few… as in a small amount… the minority… the little group.  I should probably repeat it some more but let’s keep going… just remember the relationship of the many and the few.

Harold Camping
I hear comments by people referring to Camping (and others like him) to the false prophets we are warned about in scripture.  Let’s look at all the words.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(Matthew 24:11)

How many Campings would you say there are?  Would you say many?  … and how many people are being deceived by these types?  How many people do you personally know… and how many of those people are so easily deceived?  Would you say many?

It is true that Harold Camping is a false prophet.  Inspired prophets tell the truth… false prophets lie… but is Camping the type that scripture warns us of?

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Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made….
(Genesis 3:1)

This word subtil means cunning, crafty, prudent… all in a bad sense, ok?  This creature was created more subtil, cunning, crafty, and prudent (in a bad way) than any other of God’s creatures… including you, me, and everyone else.  Does that make sense?

Can we begin to see that people like Harold Camping, who hasn’t fooled many people at all, isn’t so subtil, cunning, crafty, or prudent (in a bad way)?  Would you say he has many followers or a few?  Has he deceived many or a few?  Do we honestly believe that this is the level of deception that God warns us of in scripture?

Let me show you the level of deception that God warns us of in scripture:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world…
(Revelation 12:9)

How can I emphasize enough the level of deception within the abilities of the great and old serpent?  Do not think that you have uncovered the serpent’s evil plot or foiled his plan by exposing such people as Harold Camping… because the great serpent deceiveth the whole world.

I’m sure you have been genuinely deceived, scammed, or tricked in your lifetime… someone has led you into believing a lie… and since you have come out of that deception you are now aware of it.  Does the subtlety of Harold Camping even compare?  Do you think Harold Camping is cunning?  Were you almost fooled?  Do you believe that Camping represents the depths of deception used by Satan who deceives the whole world?

This is a short paper so I am ending with a few scriptures regarding the false prophets we are warned about in scripture.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(Matthew 24:11)

Many (not a few) will say to me (Jesus) in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (taught, preached) in thy name (Jesus)? and in thy name (Jesus) have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name (Jesus) done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(Matthew 7:22-23)

For, many, will come upon my name, saying(that)—I (Jesus), am the Christ,—and will, deceive many.
(Matthew 24:5)

Who teaches in the name of Jesus, casts out demons in the name of Jesus, and performs many wonderful works in the name of Jesus?  The Jews?  Muslims?  Atheists?  Really?

Who professes that Jesus is the Christ, yet deceives many?

Do many of the TWO BILLION CHRISTIANS in the world today, “teach, preach, cast out demons, and do many wonderful works in the name of Jesus Christ?”

If wonderful thoughts, words, works, and actions (in the name of Jesus) are not enough… are you willing to search the scriptures for what’s missing?

The Natural Man

Many believe that man was created as a perfectly righteous being that experienced all that was good until committing the first sin.  Is this biblical?

There is a natural and a spiritual… a physical and a spiritual… flesh and spirit… earthly and heavenly.  Equally unrecognized is the old and the new… letter and spirit… and this is God’s order… first the natural, physical, fleshly, earthly, old, law, and letter… and then comes the new, the heavenly, the spiritual.

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
(1 Corinthians 15:45-49 KJV)

First is natural… earthy.  Only afterward is spiritual.  I know this sounds like a simple thought but so many miss this.  Without this understanding it is impossible to understand God’s word.  This is God’s order… his plan… the way it is, was, and will be.  When you read the verse above, meditate on ALL of the words.  What does natural or earthy mean?

…It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
(1 Corinthians 15:42-44 KJV)

Let’s look at another:

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
(Philippians 3:21 KJV)

This says the natural man is sown in corruption, dishonor and weakness… a vile body.  Was it actually created this way though?

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope…
(Romans 8:20 KJV)

“Was made subject to” comes from two Greek words, hupo and tasso, and means:

to subordinate; reflexively to obey: – be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.

This word “vanity” comes from the Greek “mataiotes” and means:

inutility; figuratively transientness; morally depravity: – vanity.
It root and base words mean empty and profitless.

Man was created spiritually weak… too weak to resist sin… to weak to be righteous… to weak to have any feelings for God other than hate.  How many scriptures do we need?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
(Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(Romans 3:23 KJV)

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(Romans 3:10 KJV)

Because the carnal mind is enmity (means hatred) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
(Romans 8:7 KJV) (emphasis mine)

We didn’t become spiritually weak after partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… we were created spiritually weak from the beginning.

Is the experience of evil necessary?
It is God’s plan.

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
(Ecclesiastes 1:13 KJV)

A better translation of this verse according to the original Hebrew words is by the Concordant version:

I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.
(Ecclesiastes 1:13 CLV)

Man could not have experienced good before partaking of the knowledge of good… AND evil.  Man cannot understand hot without the knowledge of cold, rough without the knowledge of smooth, or the goodness of God without the knowledge of evil.  God has given us this experience to humble us by it… to know him by it.  What was God’s reaction to humanity after gaining knowledge of good and evil?

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil…
(Genesis 3:22 KJV)

Isn’t that the purpose… to become like HIM…  to being created in his image?  Does Genesis 3:22 not indicate that man had become closer to the image of God with some basic knowledge of good and evil?  If you believe that man was created and complete (past tense) in the image of God… look around you.  Do you honestly believe that man represents the image of God?

Let me address one thing quickly that should make you think… and that is the verb tense used in Hebrew and it’s awkwardness in the translation of the King James and many other Bible translations.  Verb tense, mood, and voice of the Hebrew or Greek is difficult to translate into English, especially if the translators are biased toward their own doctrine.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
(Genesis 1:27 KJV)

This created however in Hebrew is as the English imperfect tense.  The Concordant Version more accurately translates this verse into English as:

And creating is the Elohim humanity in His image. In the image of the Elohim He creates it. Male and female He creates them.
(Genesis 1:27 CLV)

The natural man is far from the image of Christ… but is being created… Christ is creating humanity into his image.  This is a process… and the experience of evil is a part of this process.  God’s plan is unfolding exactly to plan… evil was not something that God didn’t see coming.  Evil was not an unforeseen occurrence that ruined God’s day.  The vast majority of the Christian church believe in a God that cannot bring about his own good pleasures due to the constant annoyance of one called Satan and man’s God thwarting free will.  What a weak God they have.

DOA
The natural man was always subject to death.  He was not created with immortality… and he is not immortal… he dies.

Yet from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you are not to be eating from it, for in the day you eat from it, to die shall you be dying.
(Genesis 2:17 CLV)

Read the following verses about the soul of man in Ezekiel:

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
(Ezekiel 18:4 KJV)

The soul that sinneth, it shall die…
(Ezekiel 18:20 KJV)

But do we believe these scriptures?  No, the vast majority do not.  Instead they believe the first lie ever told:

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
(Genesis 3:4 KJV)

Think what you have been taught… what is the doctrine which has been handed down from generation to generation since the serpent told the woman, “Ye shall not surely die”.  To the many in the Christian Church, being dead means being alive somewhere else!  This is a lie!  It has always been a lie and the many in Christiandom have never gotten past this very first lie of false doctrine.  When you die, you are dead.  Is it really that complicated?

Jesus stated that the serpent was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth. (John 8:44)  So who do you believe?  Christ and the very word of scripture or The Deceiver when he states, “Ye shall not surely die”?

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing…
(Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV)

Naked is figurative language for being without sound doctrine… truth.
Adam and Eve were naked, before their knowledge that they were naked.  Having the knowledge of their nakedness they tried to cover their nakedness. (Genesis 3:7)  This is universally true of the natural man – then, today, and tomorrow.  Man is however, unable to cover his nakedness.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
(Revelation 3:17 KJV)

The first sin?
Did man sin before breaking the commandment of God to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?  Was he a righteous, spiritual being prior to this point?

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
(Genesis 3:6 KJV)

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(1 John 2:16 KJV)

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
(Genesis 3:6 KJV)

Man was created spiritually weak… to weak to resist sin.  Knowledge, sin, and death are all according to plan.  This is just the beginning as God’s plan will bring about the salvation of all.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
(Romans 8:20-21 KJV)

The Cove, Movie Documentary

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
(Jeremiah 17:9 KJV)

Moving.  Disturbing.  True.

5 Stars
The Cove
Rated PG-13
Director: Louie Psihoyos

I Never Knew You

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.   (Matthew 7:22-23 KJV)

These verses should bring chills to those that attend brick and mortar churches of men.  Are you willing to examine the doctrines of the Christian church against the one true doctrine of scripture?  Which do you love the most?  The doctrine of God or the doctrines of men?  These are tough questions that will offend many.

Let’s look closely and what Jesus is saying.  The preceding verse, verse 21 tells us that Jesus is speaking of our spiritual position relating to the kingdom of Heaven.  This is spiritual.

Verse 22 begins, “Many will say to me…”  The relationship of the many and the few is that many does indeed mean many, as in the majority… and the few really means a few, or in comparison to the many… the minority.  You will notice this relationship of the many and the few throughout the Bible.

So we have many who will say to Jesus, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

Think for a moment who claims to prophesy in the name of Christ?  Who claims to cast out devils in the name of Christ?  Who claims in the name of Christ to do many wonderful works?  Is it the Jews?  Do they claim Christ at all?  How about the Muslims… maybe the atheists?  I don’t think any of those groups have anything to do with Christ… much less do they do many wonderful works in his name.  What group on this earth claims to do many wonderful works in the name of Christ except the so-called Christian Church?  Do you know of one other?  Do you believe these verses in scripture?

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  How can Christ say I never knew you?  This never (Greek oudepote) means: “not even at any time, that is, never at all”.

First we need to realize that man doesn’t really like the truth… it offends him.  As a matter of fact, God offends him.  Natural man hates God and hates God’s truth.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  (Romans 8:7 KJV)

This natural, carnal man also hates God’s plan and God’s order.  God has a plan for the salvation of all… it’s called the good news… and he has an order, and it is foolishness to the carnal man.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  (1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV)

Carnal man prefers his own plan.  Paul speaks of this other gospel… this other Jesus.  I will show in a future post that man has always rejected God… always.  The many reject him and his good news to this very day.

The doctrines of the temples made with hands teaches that we choose God.  We invite Jesus into our hearts… that we claim him… or say a sinner’s prayer.  And in so doing these things we are his… but that is not what the scripture says.  Unlike man’s doctrine, God’s truth is:

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  (John 6:44 KJV)

This draw in the Greek means “to drag”.  It is the Father who drags those of his choosing to the son.  And those that God gives him he knows and never loses.

And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.  (John 6:39 KJV)

…”depart from me, ye that work iniquity”.  Those that Christ knows, he has made alive.  He gives life… quickens the spirit.  Those that do not have life are spiritually dead and dead to Christ.  Until you have been resurrected with Christ you cannot enter into his kingdom.  Even Peter (Matt. 16:23) had not yet been converted when Christ told him “Get thee behind me, Satan”.  Christ did not say to Peter that he would never enter the kingdom… but until the carnal man has died and been resurrected with and in Christ, it cannot.

Brick and mortar churches make claim to people’s lives being changed and the thousands of new members saved each week.  The World Evangelization Research Center states that there are 10,000 new converts each day in China alone.  Which is True?  Christ tells us:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  (Matthew 7:14 KJV)

So which is true? Few, as Christ says… or many as the present day church of man says?  I think the many, as scripture testifies, have been deceived.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.  (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)

The truth is found from all the words of the scripture… not from the pulpits.  You won’t find treasure where it isn’t buried.  Trust in God to show you the mysteries of his word… not the man on the platform.

Easter

A Golden Calf in the Wilderness
What do holidays such as Easter or Christmas have to do with a golden calf?  What does the golden calf represent to us spiritually?  Let’s take a look.

Exodus 32 begins with the Israelites and Aaron during the forty days and forty nights that Moses was in the mount with God.

Exodus 32:1-10 KJV  And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.  (2)  And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.  (3)  And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.  (4)  And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  (5)  And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.  (6)  And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.  (7)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:  (8)  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  (9)  And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:  (10)  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Verse 5 is key:  Aaron states, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord”.
The Concordant version reads: “Then Aaron called out and said: A celebration to Yahweh tomorrow!”

If you grew up in my generation it is hard to read this scripture without the imagery of Cecil B. Demille’s epic movie, The Ten Commandments.  Instead let’s stick to what the scripture says.  We read because of the absence of Moses the people desired something to go before them… in place of the missing Moses.  We need to understand what Moses represented to the Israelites… he was their conduit to an invisible God.  God’s order laid out in scripture is this: first the physical and then the spiritual.  There are countless images, types, and shadows that give way to the real… the spiritual.  Moses himself was a shadow of the Deliverer.  Consider what the Tabernacle and all of its components were but images or shadows of spiritual realities that they represent.  Even God gave the Israelites a physical representation of his dwelling place between the cherubim of the ark of the covenant.  This was part of God’s order but we know that God does not dwell in temples made of hands (Acts 7:48)… these physical images represented something else… and were again, visible objects people directed their worship toward.

This calf, I believe, was borrowed from Egypt’s worship of the Apis Bull.  The nation of Israel had just spent 400 years observing the way of the heathens and for the Egyptians, this bull represented the power and strength of their god.  It was a physical manifestation… an image that they could direct their worship toward.  Think about this… an invisible God requires faith.  Man has always struggled with this concept of the unseen and likewise has attempted to add a tangible manifestation, by the works of their own hands, to the invisible mystery of God.

Acts 7:41 KJV  And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

What has the Lord commanded us?

Jeremiah 10:2 KJV  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen…

Deuteronomy 12:30 KJV  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

Leviticus 20:23 KJV  And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Leviticus 18:3 KJV  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

Are Easter and Christmas rooted in paganism?
Today’s vast amount of Christian members believe that holidays such as Easter and Christmas represent true worship to The Lord.  Did God command us to observe these days… or any day as holy?  A truth that most tend to ignore is that we have been commanded not to observe days, months, seasons, or years (Galatians 4:10)  Minimal research of Easter or Christmas will bring to light the pagan roots of these Christian holidays.

Easter was originally a name associated with Queen Semiramis (Astarte or Ishtar), the wife of King Nimrod.  It is King Nimrod, who after his death, became known as the various sun and fire gods Baal, Baalim, and Molech.  A son born to Semiramis after the death of Nimrod, named Tammuz, was hailed as the reincarnation of Nimrod… the savior promised by God.  Semiramis became a goddes of fertility while Tammuz(See Ezekial 8:12-14) was worshipped as a god of renewing life, primarily of the Spring season.  Does this all sound a little far-fetched?  Yes it does… and this is the foolishness of man.  Look it up for yourselves.  The history of this topic goes far beyond this post as it all ties in with Babel, the source of so many pagan religions and practices.  A little study into this subject and you’ll find the beginnings of the Easter rabbit, Easter eggs, and sunrise services which have absolutely nothing to do with Christ… but do in fact have everything to do with the pagan roots of this celebration day.

Christmas (See Jeremiah 10) is no different in origin as it is derived from Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun… or as the Romans called this celebration of the Winter Soltice, Saturnalia.  Like Easter, this observed day was celebrated long before the birth or resurrection of Christ.  The day was filled with gluttonous eating and gift-giving.

We must realize that a we cannot take a pagan day… associate it with the name of our Lord, and consider it holy –  no matter what our intention.  Every man-made holiday (holy-day) is derived from the heathen.  These so-called holy days are celebrations of “the works of our own hands“.  These are pagan days that we have adopted to worship our Lord.  That is the purpose of this article… not to give a complete and accurate history of the origins of these days… but to show that we cannot keep the Lord’s commandments by observing any day… much less adopting the ways of the heathen.  There is no biblical authority for the observance of these days and to keep observance of them is following human commandment and tradition… and God says this is done in vain.  God is to be worshiped in the way that God commands… not in the way man decides.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 KJV  (29)  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;  (30)  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.  (31)  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.  (32)  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Jeremiah 10:2-3 KJV  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.  (3)  For the customs of the people are vain…

Everyday Poisons

Everyday the body is exposed to toxic substances above and beyond the processed dead foods and tainted water we consume.    In addition to the herbicides, pesticides, fungicides in our foods and the chlorine, fluoride, and previously owned pharmaceuticals in our tap water, we are subjected to environmental pollutants, radiation, electromagnetic fields, and toxic building materials.  Many of us are being poisoned with mercury fillings inserted right into our own teeth.

Here are a few everyday poisons to learn more about:
Refined Sugar
Refined Flour
Alcohol
Nicotine
Sodas
Aspartame
Adulterated Dairy
Adulterated Meat
Additives & Preservatives in Foods
Pharmaceutical Vaccines and Prescription Drugs
Household Cleaners
Cosmetics
Tap Water
Contaminated Air
Dental Amalgams and Other Sources of Mercury (i.e. big ocean fish)

Each day we are exposed to large amounts of small amounts of poison.  All of these small amounts add up.  Manufacturers of these poisons, with government backing, will individually declare them safe… or even good for you.  These poisons however, put stress on our body’s filtering systems and lower our overall immunity.  Remember, health starts with the cell.  What may be considered safe for the collective… that’s us… is certainly not healthy for the individual cell.  The body cannot make good health out of any amount of poison.

I’ll give you one example.  Take a look at your commercial toothpaste.  Are you aware of the warning label?  Here is a typical toothpaste warning label:

WARNING
Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for bushing, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately. As with other toothpaste, if irritation occurs discontinue use.

So my point is this:  If toothpaste is poison to a small human under the age of six… how much more poisonous is it to the very small human cell?

During the last hundred or so years we have greatly increased the toxins in our everyday lives.  We cannot expect overnight solutions, but we can begin to make changes.  Remember, every time you scan a product through the store checkout you are casting a vote. Begin by reducing the quantities of unhealthy products purchased and add healthier all natural or organic items.  Every purchase tells merchants what we want more of on their shelves.  However, if we vote by buying Big Macs, Twinkies, and soda pop, we can be sure of their availability next time we crave a dose of toxic chemicals.

Have we forgotten everything we learned in the last several thousand years?
We are at a point in this country where the life expectancy of our children may be less than our own.  The chronic diseases that are now attacking both adults and children are consequences of the above listed poisons, excessive lifestyles, and the Lemming like behavior when directed by Big Brother, Big Agra, and Big Pharma.  If we believe the priorities of those big three are anything other than their own personal gain then we truly are gullible and foolish.

By giving others the responsibility to decide what is best for us, we have given away our better health.  It doesn’t seem right to know more about sports, American Idol, or Facebook than we do about Earth’s plants and animals.  Ronald McDonald calling it food, doesn’t make it food.  We need to know what we are eating, drinking, breathing, and being exposed to.  Read labels, do simple research, ask questions… maybe it’s time to do some things like Great Grandma and Grandpa did.  We lived better as a civilization prior to all the toxin laced products we are told improve our lives… and we can again.  Start by eliminating one poison at a time from your everyday life.

Hell In The New Testament

The English word “hell” is found in the King James New Testament a total of 23 times.  We learned in the previous post, Hell In The Old Testament, that hell was always translated from one Hebrew word – “sheol”.  The King James New Testament however translates three Greek words into the English word “hell”.  Let’s take a look at each of these words and get a better understanding of their meaning… the Greek words are “hades“, “gehenna“, and “tartarus“.

Hades
The Greek hades is translated as hell ten times in the New Testament.  It is defined as: properly unseen, that is, “Hades” or the place (state) of departed souls: – grave.

That should sound familiar if you read my previous post, Hell In The Old Testament.  We learned in that post the Hebrew sheol means grave, and now we see the Greek hades also means grave.  Hebrew sheol shares the exact meaning as Greek hades.  Let’s look at scriptural proof:

Acts 2:27 KJV  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell(Greek hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Psalms 16:10 KJV  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell(Hebrew sheol); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:27 is referencing Psalms 16:10, and in doing so has made Greek hades the divine scriptural equivalent of Hebrew sheol.  Hades means sheol; hades and sheol mean grave… always.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of hell(hades) in the New Testament:

Matthew 11:23 KJV  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell(hades): for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

If you read the text around this verse you see that Jesus was scolding Capernaum for their arrogance, high-mindedness, and unwillingness to repent considering the mighty works they had seen.  This woe that Christ proclaimed against Capernaum is true for all of the self righteous.  They will be brought low… they will fall from their high pinnacle and they will be humbled and bow before the Lord.  Christ goes on to say that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in judgment than for Capernaum.  How is one verdict of eternal torture more tolerable than another?  Please study these scriptures and see how foolish the hell doctrine really is.

Matthew 16:18 KJV  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell(hades) shall not prevail against it.

We know that all men are appointed to die (Heb 9:27)… but note the word “gate” in Matthew 16:18.  Gates can be open or closed… they can even be locked.  I believe we find in Revelation 1:18 that Christ holds the keys to this gate.  Death and the grave will no longer prevail once Christ opens the gate.  Remember, all men experience hades… all men, but it is only temporary because Christ saves us from the power of death and the grave.

Luke 16:23 KJV  And in hell(hades) he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

This is a parable and is not about a literal hell… it is about Judah and the nations, but most people are so deceived regarding the hell doctrine that it will require a post of it’s own to explain.  This is in fact the last of a five part parable that begins in chapter 15.

Revelation 20:14 KJV  And death and hell(hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Uh-oh!  Hell was cast into hell?  I wanted to include this verse because many people believe that the lake of fire is also the fiery, torturous hell of most Christian doctrine.  If that were so it would be rather difficult to throw hell into hell, wouldn’t it?  The lake of fire is certainly not hell either but that will also require a separate post.  Most will be shocked to learn who or what the lake of the fire really is.

One more interesting fact.  There is one time in the New Testament that King James’ translators translated the word hades correctly:

1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV  (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave(hades), where is thy victory?

Now ask yourselves why they didn’t translate hades to hell in this one and only instance.  I would love for all who come across these truths to see and hear… but sadly it is prophesied that most will stay behind the veil of deception.  Pray for understanding and a love for the truth.

Gehenna and Gehenna Fire
Twelve times the King James translators translated the Greek word gehenna to our English hell.  So what is gehenna?  Of Hebrew origin; valley of (the son of) Hinnom; gehenna (or Ge-Hinnom), a valley of Jerusalem.

Gehenna is a transliteration of the Hebrew Gai Hinnom, the Vally of Hinnom, or the Valley of the sons of Hinnom.  Reference to this exact New Testament Gehenna is found in the Old Testament eleven times, such as:

Nehemiah 11:30 KJV  Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley(Hebrew gai) of Hinnom(Hebrew Hinnom, originally a Jebusite).

This valley of Hinnom, gai Hinnom, or Gehenna(Greek) is the location where idolatrous Israel passed their children through the fires in the worship of Molech.

2 Chronicles 28:3 KJV  Moreover he(King Ahaz) burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

Take note that this practice of burning children in fire was “the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel”.  God has always given strict warning to his people not to worship in the way of the heathen.  Almost all pagan doctrines, customs, and traditions can be traced back to Egypt… and God warned Israel not to practice these beliefs.  God’s people are to be separate from these worldly things.  We have to see how blasphemous it is to associate such a pagan doctrine of burning children to our mighty God.  He does not do the very thing he gave strict orders for us not to do.  The Christian Hell Doctrine is not only unscriptural but it is an utmost sin to accuse our Lord of such a thing.  God’s judgment is never about purposeless torment and torture but about correction.

Gehenna in Jesus’ day was no longer used to burn children, but the fires still continually burned for the destruction of Jerusalem’s refuse.  Jesus spoke figuratively of these fires as the destruction associated with the judgment of God.  God’s judgment is not about burning for all time in endless torment… but of burning the chaff, wood, hay, and stubble from the gold, silver, and precious stones of our lives.

Matthew 3:12 KJV  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 KJV  (12)  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  (13)  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  (14)  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  (15)  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The instances of hell translated from Gehenna confirm the above scripture:

Mat 5:29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell(gehenna).
Mat 5:30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell(gehenna).

This is figurative language.  What good would it really do to cast an eye or a hand into hell?  The eye means perception and the hand represents works.  It is the false doctrines and works of the flesh that must be cast into the fire.  The lusts of the flesh have to be burned away because “flesh and blood do not enter the kingdom of God”. (I Cor. 15:50)

The scriptures tells us over and over that we are saved by fire and that God is a consuming fire.  It is an evil and blasphemous idol of the heart to associate God and his means of correction into the Hell Doctrine of Satan.

As I asked in my post Hell In The Old Testament, where do we see mention of condemned souls, devils, punishment, Satan, being separated from God, evil, misery, or torment?  We don’t see those evil doctrines in the holy scriptures and Israel did not see them in the oracles of God… these doctrines and practices were and still are the ways of the heathen. (See Lev 18:3, Deu 12:30, Jer 10:2)

Tartarus
Regarding the Greek tartarus which only appears in II Peter 2:4 – Tartarus was derived from mythology as a place of restraint, an abyss.  II peter 2:4 is speaking of angels and reserving them or restraining them until judgment, a time in the future.  This concerns the judgment of angels… not ours.  (See Jude 1:6)  A better translation may have simply been abyss or the original Greek word as we have no English word for it.

I hope that a look at hell in both the Old and New Testament of the King James will open your eyes and ears to God’s truth, and create in you a desire to study scripture as we are commanded to do.  The Good News is actually good, and so is God… unlike what so many believe.

Here is a listing of all verses that translate hades to hell:
Mat 11:23, Mat 16:18, Luk 10:15, Luk 16:23, Act 2:27, Act 2:31, Rev 1:18, Rev 6:8, Rev 20:13, Rev 20:14

The one time they got it right, hades to grave:
1Co 15:55

Here is a listing of all verses that translate gehenna to hell:
Mat 5:22, Mat 5:29, Mat 5:30, Mat 10:28, Mat 18:9, Mat 23:15 , Mat 23:33, Mar 9:43, Mar 9:45, Mar 9:47, Luk 12:5, Jas 3:6

Here is the verse that translates tartarus to hell:
2Pe 2:4

Here is a listing of all Old Testament verses referencing Gai Hinnom or Gehenna:
Jos 15:8, Jos 18:16, 2Ki 23:10, 2Ch 28:3, 2Ch 33:6, Neh 11:30, Jer 7:31, Jer 7:32, Jer 19:2, Jer 19:6, Jer 32:35

Hell In The Old Testament

Hell is defined as the eternal fate of unrepentant sinners after this life.  Many people believe a soul that has not accepted Jesus will burn without end… and this is justice.  So let’s take a look at the word “hell” in the King James Old Testament.  Hell is found 31 times… and every time translated from the Hebrew word “sheol”.  So knowing only that, one might believe that “sheol” means “hell”.  Coincidentally though, the Hebrew word “sheol” is also translated to the English word “grave” 31 times.  Here we have within the King James Old Testament the Hebrew word “sheol” being translated to the English words “hell” and “grave” exactly 31 times each.  Does it occur to you that hell and grave do not share the same meaning?  If not, you can ask you church leaders if the words “grave” and “hell” are synonymous within the Holy Scriptures.  A simple followup to their response of “no” might be:

“Then why are both the words hell and grave translated from the single Hebrew word sheol?“

Every instance of the word sheol should be translated to the word grave.  Let’s take a look at just a few examples of sheol being translated correctly to grave.

1 Samuel 2:6 KJV The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave(sheol), and bringeth up.

If sheol had been translated to hell in this verse it wouldn’t fit Christian doctrine very well would it… is it believed by the church of man that God sends souls to hell and then brings them back or restores them from there?  This correct translation of grave confirms that sheol is not an eternal place at all… but a temporary place that God resurrects us from.

Job 14:13-14 KJV  O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave(sheol), that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Job was aware that sheol would only last until his change come.

Psalms 49:15 KJV  But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave(sheol): for he shall receive me. Selah.

Certainly evident why the believers of a hell doctrine wouldn’t want sheol translated to hell in this one.

Psalms 88:3 KJV  For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave(sheol).

King David knew that upon his death he would be in sheol.  I don’t think he was expecting fiery torment in an eternal hell-hole, do you?

Psalms 89:48 KJV  What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave(sheol)? Selah

In fact all men go to the grave… or do all men go to hell?

Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave(sheol), whither thou goest.

This verse describes the state of the dead… being no perception whatsoever.  Certainly not perceivable, endless torture.

Hosea 13:14 KJV  I will ransom them from the power of the grave(sheol); I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave(sheol), I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

It doesn’t get any clearer than this.  God ransoms those from sheol, will be the very plague of death, and is the destroyer of sheol.  While that doesn’t agree with the Christian hell it certainly agrees with the rest of scripture.  (see Rev 20:14)

I can no longer hesitate to mention a truth that most Christians fail to believe.  Dead people are dead… not alive somewhere else.  Many people continue to be deceived by the very first lie ever told.  (see Gen 3:4)  God says the soul that sinneth, it dies… but most prefer, to this day, the lie Satan told Eve in the garden. So I ask, does the resurrection of the dead mean anything?  When we die we are in the grave(sheol) dead, and dead we will be until the resurrection.

Let’s think back on hell in the Old Testament again.  We need to start asking ourselves some questions and pay attention to the words in scripture.  Have you thought – if such a terrible place as endless torment exists, why didn’t God warn anyone about it?

Genesis 2:17 KJV  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Hey, that sounds familiar… or did Paul tell us that the wages of sin is hell?  Of course not!  Paul confirms that the wages of sin is death… not endless, burning torture.

Genesis 3:19 KJV  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

We may refuse to accept death… but that is the price we pay for sin.  Death is what we are saved from… not a fabled hell derived from pagan Egyptian beliefs.

Was Cain warned of endless punishment?  How about anyone prior to the flood being warned of an endless punishment?  Is it mentioned once?  No!  Neither was it mentioned to Abraham or Moses.  Even the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were not threatened with a place called hell.  The truth was given to us from the beginning… that if we sin, we die.  And what is death?  Does it really mean alive somewhere else as the brick and mortar Christian Church teaches?

Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing…

The dead know not any thing.  Certainly not that they’re burning… because they know not anything.  They are neither in heaven nor hell but dead awaiting resurrection.

Sheol means grave and always means grave.  It doesn’t mean grave one minute and a place of merciless torment the next.

We can look at some verses in the Old Testament where sheol is translated as hell… and each time the translation should have been grave.  This is because sheol is about death.  It is the place or state of the dead where there is no perception.

Psalms 16:10 KJV  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell(sheol); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

All people are in sheol at death… all people.  David knew this… why don’t we?

Proverbs 9:18 KJV  But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell(sheol).

Sheol is the place for dead people… not people who are alive burning in fiery torment.

We can examine every instance of the word hell in the King James Old Testament and we see that sheol pertains to death and dead people… not living, conscience people tormented for all time.  Not once is there a mention of an endless punishment.

Jonah 2:2 KJV  And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell(sheol) cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

Jonah rightly believed that the belly of the fish would be his grave, but it certainly wasn’t a burning, eternal hell.

We could examine each instance of the word hell and never see any mention of condemned souls, devils, punishment, Satan, being separated from God, evil, misery, or torment… not once.  The state of the dead and God’s plan for the salvation of all however, is present.

To be complete I must mention that sheol is also translated to the English word pit three times.  Each time it also is in relation to death or the state of the dead.

Study the scriptures as God commands.  Pray for understanding and a love for the truth.  Start asking questions… and find the answers in God’s Word.  A good tool to do any word study is eSword or most any concordance such as Strong’s.

Here is a listing of all verses that translate sheol to hell:
Deu 32:22, 2Sa 22:6, Job 11:8, Job 26:6, Psa 9:17, Psa 16:10, Psa 18:5, Psa 55:15, Psa 86:13, Psa 116:3, Psa 139:8, Pro 5:5, Pro 7:27, Pro 9:18, Pro 15:11, Pro 15:24, Pro 23:14, Pro 27:20, Isa 5:14, Isa 14:9, Isa 14:15, Isa 28:15, Isa 28:18, Isa 57:9, Eze 31:16, Eze 31:17, Eze 32:21, Eze 32:27, Amo 9:2, Jon 2:2, Hab 2:5

Here is a listing of all verses that translate sheol to grave:
Gen 37:35, Gen 42:38, Gen 44:29, Gen 44:31, 1Sa 2:6, 1Ki 2:6, 1Ki 2:9, Job 7:9, Job 14:13, Job 17:13, Job 21:13, Job 24:19, Psa 6:5, Psa 30:3, Psa 31:17, Psa 49:14, Psa 49:15, Psa 88:3, Psa 89:48, Psa 141:7, Pro 1:12, Pro 30:16, Ecc 9:10, Son 8:6, Isa 14:11, Isa 38:10, Isa 38:18, Eze 31:15, Hos 13:14

Here is a listing of all verses that translate sheol to pit:
Num 16:30, Num 16:33, Job 17:16

Continue reading my next post, Hell In The New Testament.

Cells

Consider human cells as unique living creatures… because that is exactly what they are.  Like us they eat, drink, expel waste, grow, multiply, and eventually die.  While we think of ourselves as individuals, we are in fact a collective of an estimated 100 trillion cells.  Each of these 100 trillion cells are individual living organisms.  Our health, as the big cell, is dependent upon the health of these tiny lives within us.

In regards to better health we must begin by thinking of the health of the individual cell.  The cell, the building block of life, is also the building block to better health.  If the cells are healthy, we are healthy.  Sadly, most people in this country live in a way that lowers cell vitality.  We do this by overworking, over-indulgences, poisonous pharmaceuticals, surgical operations, and harboring negative thoughts or feelings.  Additionally, our cells are deprived of the nutrition needed due to the dead foods of our poisonous diets.  The blood and lymph streams that feed our cells lack necessary mineral elements and instead contain an overabundance of waste matter.  This waste or morbid matter accumulates as a result of the diets that produce it and the weakened cell’s ability to eliminate it.  This is the beginning of disease… the cell’s attempt to right itself.

Cells are obedient to their purpose and fight very hard to keep us healthy.  There are two ways in which cells die… either by injurious agents or suicide.  When faced with an injury or infection it cannot recover from, a cell will sacrifice it’s own life to prevent replication of the abnormal condition.  This process of programmed cell death is call apoptosis.

It may surprise you that cells do not die from natural causes or old age… and it may surprise you more to know that neither do we.  We are cells.  With the exception of physical trauma, we die from conditions in our body that we ourselves are accountable for… and unlike the cells in our body, we are not so committed to a purpose that fulfills our best interest.  We have sacrificed our health, whether knowingly or not, to live life in ways outside the Creator’s design.

Cold Brew Coffee

Drinking coffee has always been a relaxing experience for me.  Few things beat a quiet early morning with a fresh cup of hot coffee.  Occasionally I may have a cup after dinner too.  After studying the pH effect of foods and beverages, I have made an attempt to decrease the amount of coffee I enjoy.  Coffee is extremely acid forming and contains caffeine.  Whether caffeine itself is beneficial or harmful I am really undecided.  What I did decide was to make coffee a beverages I have in moderation… and I’m still working on that.

I have however discovered a way to reduce the acidity level of coffee by two-thirds and caffeine by approximately one-third.  That sounds like a great improvement to me.  Cold brewed coffee: here’s how I do it.

Take a bag of your favorite coffee beans and grind them on a course setting.  I grind a whole bag at once when I buy it at the store.  Dark roasts seem to work best – but be creative.  At this point it gets really low tech.  Simply take your coffee and soak it in cold water over night while you sleep and voila it’s done.  Sounds simple doesn’t it… and probably a little weird too?

A French Press Similar to Mine

I purchased a french press, or bodum as it is sometimes called, that holds about 32 ounces.  I start by adding two-thirds cup of coffee grounds and on top of that pour two and a half cups of water.  This is roughly a 1:4 ratio.  So whatever works best for you – 1 part coffee to 4 parts water.  Then I slosh it around a bit and let it be with the grounds floating amongst the water in the press.  This sits overnight.  It really needs about 12 hours so I try to remember to prepare this at dinner time so it will be ready when I wake up the next morning.

In the morning, start some water to boil.  Press the pot plunger and the grounds to the bottom of your pot leaving something even better than coffee… coffee concentrate!  At this point the ratio is reversed… one part concentrate to four parts HOT water.  I pour about two ounces of concentrate in an empty cup followed by approximately 8 ounces of HOT water.  This produces a very smooth cup of coffee.  The taste is much less bitter since the grounds were not subjected to the steaming water… only the concentrate.  The bitter acids and oils in conventionally brewed coffee stay in the grounds which you can later throw on the compost heap.

If your coffee is too weak or too strong, adjust the ratios above to suit your taste.  I have also noticed that once I push the plunger down in the press I leave it there and try not to swish it around too much afterward.  This keeps the actual concentrate from having a silt in the mix.  If this is a problem you can always run it through a regular coffee filter and then keep the concentrate in the fridge… I just keep mine on the counter because it is usually gone within two days anyway.  This concentrate can also be used to make iced coffee by adding milk or cream over ice.

Give cold brew coffee a try for great tasting, smooth coffee with two-thirds less acid and one-third less caffeine.