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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
A White Puff of Smoke
We don’t make fun of other people’s beliefs. No good can come from doing so. Yes, there are some “far out” ideas in this world, both in religion and politics, but it does little good to make fun, to ridicule them.
That said, Matthew 7, Romans 16 and Colossians 2 warn us that “false prophets” shall arise and that we are to oppose them and reveal their error.
Note the following Bible passages:
“..there shall be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies..and bring on themselves swift destruction,” 2 Peter 2:1.
“Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many… many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many,” Matthew 24:5, 11.
These plain, simple, but alarming words from the Apostle Peter and Jesus Christ, along with many others in the Bible, warn us that false claims, false statements and false doctrines, supposedly given in the name of religion, will be commonplace, and we must not be deceived by them.
No, we don’t ridicule or make fun of the beliefs of others. However, since we are Christians, we must oppose any and all false doctrines, because believing and obeying false doctrines will bring “swift destruction” upon those who do embrace them.
For several weeks, the world watched as John Paul II lay dying. We do not applaud his death, nor do we seek to bring more grief to any of his followers. We have no choice, however, but to deny that his “office” is a biblical one, that neither he nor any other human is the “vicar” of Christ on earth. There is no biblical authority for any man to occupy the position John Paul II claimed.
Thousands, yea millions of people call him their “Holy Father.” In plain words Jesus forbade the use of such religious titles as “father.” Read carefully the context of the following:
“Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven,” Matthew 23:9.
Countless news reporters have called him the “head of the church.” Yet, scripture calls Jesus Christ the head of His church, Ephesians 5:23. Again, referring to Jesus Christ, Paul – by inspiration of the Holy Spirit – states what God the Father did:
“He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church,” Ephesians 1:22.
How then, can any man claim to be head of Christ’s church? I don’t deny John Paul II was head of the Roman Catholic church, but he was not head of the church Jesus built. Jesus always has and always will occupy that position. No one else, regardless of his sincere life or generous deeds, can be equal to or remove Christ from His position as head of His church.
As kindly and gently as I know how, I must pose some questions for those who follow the dictates and doctrines of Catholicism. I do not question the depth of their beliefs, their sincerity or their devotion to those beliefs. However, sincerity has never been a proper substitute for the truth that is found in God’s Word, Acts 23:1, John 17:17. Please consider these questions, and seek answers from scripture, from the Bible, not from human “authorities”:
- By what authority does any human being assume the office of “Pope”? And from whence came such a “title” as Pope?
- Knowing their claim that Peter was the first “Pope,” where does Peter make that claim or give credibility to such “office”?
- Where did Jesus ever suggest or even hint that a human could or would succeed Him as head of His church?
- Where in the Bible is any authority given to a body of “Cardinals” either to exist or to be authorized to choose today’s “head of the church”?
- The Holy Spirit gave qualifications for those who serve in the position of elders/ “bishops/pastors” in Christ’s church (See 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). When and where does scripture authorize men who are not so qualified to usurp these offices?
- Biblically, what support is given to the principle of “apostolic succession”, originated and accepted by Catholicism?
- Jesus said man would ultimately be judged by His words, John 12:48. But the papacy claims the authority to propose and demand obedience to doctrines declared by the Pope. How is this contradiction to be resolved?
- Why would anyone want to be part of a church so void of Bible authority, so different from the church described in the Bible?
We have tried to speak kindly yet plainly in our remarks, but there is no support in scripture for the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church. None!
Yes, many people do believe in that church, give their money to that church, place their eternal destiny in its practices, doctrines, traditions and demands. But truth has never been determined by the number of people who accept or believe it, Exodus 23:2.
If the Bible is true – and it is – the reverence given the Pope is woefully misplaced. I submit that those who ignore the Bible’s teachings and accept the Pope’s false doctrines will be lost eternally. See 2 Peter 2. “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16)
Now, a white puff of smoke has declared Joseph Ratzinger to be Benedict XVI, the new “Holy Father,” elected by humans, yet claiming to be head of Christ’s church.
We do not hate this man or the people who follow this man. However, If we love our religious neighbors, we will seek to prevent the “swift destruction” Jesus said awaits all those who follow false doctrine. The way to prove we really love them is to teach them God’s Truth!
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“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth,”
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Why Many Intelligent Folks Reject
Claims Based on the Bible
Do you remember: when it was safe to walk the streets at night without fear of being mugged or assaulted…when you could leave your house unlocked, and when a “Club” was something you carried with you when you went walking to beat off the dogs…when families usually remained intact, divorce was shameful, and single parent families were almost unheard of…? Do you remember when gay meant happy, and when rap was something someone did on your front door when they came calling…when the problems we faced in schools were chewing gum, getting out of line, or skipping classes? If you do, then likely you can remember…when each school day was begun with a devotional and a prayer, piped into each classroom via the intercom… when neighbors talked to each other over the fence…when two-week gospel meetings were common and cottage classes were conducted on a regular basis…when church attendance on Sunday morning and evening were the norm…when we discussed religion with our fellow employees, and encouraged an open examination of one’s beliefs in light of the Bible… when mission work was increasing each year…when preachers gave a “thus saith the Lord” for all that we did in religion…when the church was united, standing upon the Bible, and preaching and teaching the same. Do you suppose there is any correlation between all of these things?
Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that serving God is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). I realize that there are a number of factors that have entered into the present social atmosphere that rejects God, Christ, the Bible and things spiritual. Perhaps religious perversion has done more to discredit Christianity in the eyes of an unbelieving world than perhaps any other single effort on the part of Satan. I have made seven trips into Russia proper, and at least half a dozen or more into the Ukraine. Most of those with whom we studied during those mission trips were very superstitious and/or ill-informed on Bible topics. In 1992 and 1993, I was asked about a certain “prophet” who had predicted the end of the world in 1993. As you can see, that so-called prophesy did not come to pass. The dawn of this new millennium has brought with it a number of prognosticators who predicted the return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom. These, too, were false prophets. Bobby Duncan, now deceased, once made this observation with regard to so much foolishness that goes on in the name of Christianity: “Is it any wonder that so many intelligent people reject anything that claims to be based on the Bible? When people claiming belief in God and allegiance to the Bible take such ridiculous positions, it causes people who are unfamiliar with the Bible to think the Bible is a ridiculous book.”
Now, I have said all that to say this. We have been blessed to experience the Christian faith as it should be! As members of the Lord’s body, we recognize not only the simplicity of New Testament Christianity, but the sound reasoning behind it, and the beauty of it. In fact, it is members of the Lord’s church who reason correctly on matters pertaining to faith and practice. That being the case, who else should be telling the world about God, Christ, the church and the plan of salvation? And yet, it seems that members of the Lord’s church are, more often than not, less vocal in their faith than our denominational counterparts. The Bible says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy,” Psalm 107:2. Let us be about the task of teaching the lost about Jesus.
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