Author: hillturnfs

Have you ever been in church and the pastor asks the congregation to please open your Bibles to book, chapter and verse so and so? It’s easy to spot the people who rarely read their Bibles because they’re the ones frantically flipping the pages of their Bibles because they don’t have a clue where to look. They have no familiarity with their Bible and they’re not fooling the other Christians around them. They usually sneak a peek at the person next to them in the pew for some clue where to look.

As the pastor starts to read the verses upon which his sermon will be based the congregation is supposed to be ready and reading the Bible along with him. All those people who still haven’t located the right verse by then suddenly stop looking so as not to appear obvious. These people then stare straight ahead and act like they found the right verse. They all hope nobody will notice. How do I know this? Because I’ve done it myself and seen it a hundred times in church before I became familiar with my Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Titus 2:7 – In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.

Even if you are saved, if you’re not well-versed in God’s Word you’re not worth your salt, which means as an instrument of God for the good of the kingdom you are essentially worthless. God will put you on the shelf until such time as you become useful to him. You can only become useful to God by knowing your Bible. Only then can you be obedient to the commands of God. Once you’ve accepted God’s grace unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior you become a servant of Christ for as long as you live. That is your reasonable service to the God who made you and needs your help to witness for Christ and to do good works. As one of God’s foot soldiers, not knowing your Bible is like not having any bullets in your gun or not having any arrows in your quiver.

If you don’t understand your responsibilities once you become a Christian you may wind up on spiritual milk your whole life and fall short of the plans God has for your life. Once you’re saved by faith you’ll still go to heaven even if you do nothing constructive with your faith but you’ll suffer great loss of heavenly rewards that could have been yours for the taking. Salvation is always by faith alone, apart from any works. But to receive any rewards in heaven once we get there we must have served the Lord by being obedient to his word. When you stand before Jesus on the last Day, having done nothing with the precious gift of salvation God gave you, don’t expect Jesus to be pleased with you. Don’t expect Jesus to say, “Well done good and faithful servant,” because that won’t happen. Don’t try telling Jesus you didn’t know what was required of you because you should’ve known and you could’ve known with a little effort. Ignorance is no excuse before the God of creation. Being a lukewarm Christian is displeasing to God so I urge you to go “all in” and serve the Lord with all your heart.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

1 Peter 1:17 – And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.

Revelation 3:15-16 – (God speaking) – I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

When you do the minimum works for God during your lifetime you’ll receive the minimum rewards from Jesus on the last Day. Is that really what you want? Think about it. Do you want to go through eternity knowing you missed out on a boatload of rewards because you did not serve God adequately during your brief lifetime here on earth? What a waste of a precious life! Whatever rewards you do get in heaven will be for all eternity so why not use your time here constructively and wisely to strive for greatness? You have no excuse for failure because God has given us all we need for success. God has given us his word, the Bible, so that we can know God and do what’s required of us.

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

All it takes is a little effort on our part. Is that too much to ask from the God who made us; from the God who loves us? It’s up to us to know what it is that God commands us to do in order to please him and build up treasures in heaven. The Bible confirms that the blind cannot lead the blind, or both will wind up in the ditch. If you don’t know your Bible you’re walking around like a blind man. You cannot please God by stumbling around in spiritual darkness and only God’s Word can remove your spiritual blindfold so you can see the light of the truth of God. If you don’t even know what God’s commandments are it’s imperative that you study the Bible for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. You cannot “do” the will of God until you “know” what it is you have to do. Biblically speaking, understanding is defined as, “the avoidance of evil.”

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

The Bible is the wisdom of God and is the key to fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We must first know what to do, which is where the Bible comes in, and then we must obey God’s commandments to the best of our ability. If you haven’t read your Bible all the way through start immediately. If you don’t study your Bible start today, right where you are. Meditate (think) about God’s Word and how the Scriptures relate to your life. Remember, when we read the Bible God is talking to us individually so listen carefully. As a child of God, the Bible was written just for us and speaks to our heart.

Proverbs 8:34 – Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.

Ruth 2:12 – The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.

Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of God.

Revelation 22:12 – (Jesus speaking) – And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

I’m not saying all Christians need to be Bible scholars but we should all have a basic familiarity with the Bible. I’m saying that as Christians we should be really excited and joyous knowing we have been given the greatest gift in the universe, which is salvation unto eternal life in heaven with God the Father. I’m saying we should love and “fear” our heavenly Father because of what he has done for us. We should honor, praise and glorify the Lord, not only with our lips, but by reading the Bible every day and meditating on God’s Word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We can’t fulfill God’s plans for us if we don’t listen to him and do our part; and that comes by reading the Bible along with prayer. Let us begin the journey without delay.

Psalm 119:97-99 – Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me.

I recommend you use a new King James version (NKJV) of the Bible for the reading and studying of God’s Word. The editors of some of the newer international versions of the Bible have been known to change the wording of some Scriptures and omit others altogether. You know you’re getting the unfiltered word of God if you stick with the King James Bible. Make sure your Bible is tabbed by book because it’ll save you lots of time as you study God’s Word. We know that the Bible has 66 chapters. The Old Testament comes first and has 39 chapters followed by the New Testament which has 27 chapters. Your Bible is roughly three quarters Old Testament and one quarter New Testament. In my NKJV giant print Bible the Old Testament is 1295 pages long and the New Testament is 352 pages long.

Isaiah 33:6 – Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

Try to memorize the books of the Bible, their order and which testament they are in. The goal is to know the right testament and the general placement of each Bible book by category. We know that the Bible was written over a span of 1500 years. Moses wrote Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, around 1400 BC and the prophet Malachi wrote the last book of the Old Testament, that bears his name, around 400 BC. The Old Testament was written over a 1000 year period between 1400 BC and 400 BC. We know the 39 books of the Old Testament are broken up into categories.

1 Chronicles 22:19 – Now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God.

The Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy), also known as the law of Moses, was actually one continuous narrative. Due to the physical limitations of the scrolls they were written on they had to be broken up into five segments for manageability. The Pentateuch started with creation and chronicled God’s relationship with the Israelites, his chosen people, up to their entry into Canaan, the land God promised to give them.

Joshua 24:15 – Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, but as for me my house, we will serve the Lord.

The next Old Testament category is the historical books (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Ester). These books covered the Israelites conquest of Canaan up to the restoration of the Jews during the Persian period (400 BC). This is followed by the books of poetry and wisdom. The Psalms and Song of Solomon are considered poetry and Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are considered to be wisdom books. Wisdom is contained in every book of the Bible but is concentrated in these three books which are noted for the wisdom they contain.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 – I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.

Psalms expresses hymns and prayers to God and they touch on every emotion the believer encounters in life and how we are to deal with them. The Song of Solomon is a celebration of marriage and the love of a spouse. The book of Job is all about suffering and how we are to deal with it. Ecclesiastes deals with the meaning of life. Proverbs gives advice on moral issues and ordinary matters; written primarily to the young man so that his life will be successful and fulfilling.

Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.

The last section of the Old Testament is the sixteen books by the Prophets bearing their names. There is also the book of Lamentations, which has been attributed to Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet.” I won’t name all the prophets here; they are listed in the front of your Bible starting with Isaiah and ending with Malachi. Each prophet was chosen by God to speak to the people of Israel on his behalf. This was how God chose to communicate with his chosen people. Each prophet’s message from God was tailored to fit God’s plan and that particular time in the history of Israel. The enduring theme of the Old Testament is God’s love for man and the promise of Christ to save a fallen mankind.

Psalm 35:9 – And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.

If the Old Testament is Christ promised then the New Testament is Christ fulfilled. It was written after the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the promised Messiah. The New Testament begins with the gospel of Matthew (although Mark was written first around 50 AD) and ends with the book of Revelation written around 95 AD. The New Testament starts with the four gospels and describes the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). This is followed by the book of Acts which describes the activities of the early Christian church. Then we have the 21 epistles (letters) from men of God that further interpret, clarify and reveal the truth of God to men. These chosen Bible writers were all Apostles and disciples of Christ. All of the New Testament writers were Jewish except for Luke, who was a Gentile. Luke wrote the gospel that bears his name along with the book of Acts which tells the story of the early Christian church.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

The last book of the Bible is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which is the prophecy about the end of time and the second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the earth on the last Day to punish the nations seeking to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish people. At that time Jesus will come down from heaven and set foot on the Mount of Olives to judge all of mankind and and establish his millennial kingdom on the earth. Because of its importance, Revelation is given a category all by itself but in reality it’s just another epistle, written by the Apostle John shortly before his death in 95 AD. Knowing the categories of the Bible books and their general placement within the Bible makes it easy to open your Bible fairly close to the right spot. The more you study the Bible the more deft you become at locating Scriptures in your Bible.

The prophet Jerimiah is one of my favorite prophets of God because he is a shining example of perseverance and obedience to the commands of God. Jeremiah wrote his Old Testament book around 586 BC. As a prophet of God Jeremiah’s 40-year ministry, from 626 BC to 586 BC, centered on God’s message of judgment to the unresponsive Jewish people of Judah. Because Judah repeatedly rebelled against God and refused to turn from their sin after many chances God finally said he would punish Judah by sending the Jews into 70 years of Babylonian captivity. People don’t like to hear bad news and Jeremiah became a pariah to the Jews because he was the bearer of this bad news. Jeremiah is the longest prophetic book of the Bible (1,364 verses) because God had a lot to say during this tumultuous time in the history of Israel.

Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.

Being a prophet of God was considered to be a hardship in Jeremiah’s day and many of the Old Testament prophets resisted God’s call to service. For example, Moses was a stutterer and he didn’t want to be the one to deliverer the Israelites from Egyptian bondage but God twisted his arm. Jonah ran away from God because he didn’t want to preach to the people of Nineveh and he wound up in the belly of a whale for three days before relenting to God’s service. The prophet Elijah was in such despair and fear for his life at one point that he wanted God to end his life.

Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

God chose Jeremiah as his prophet while he was yet a young man. Jeremiah tried to refuse based on his youth but God dismissed that objection. God always gets what he wants and does as he pleases because God is omnipotent. As believers what we have to remember is whatever God wants us to do is always in our best interests. There are no exceptions because God is for us. God loves us dearly like a father loves his firstborn son. God’s will is perfect and so is his justice. Whatever God does is going to be the right thing so don’t waste any time worrying about it. Just accept God’s perfect will and persevere.

Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

Isaiah 46:9-10 – Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.

Can you imagine the threats, discouragement, persecution and rejection Jeremiah had to endure his whole life? Think of the heavy burden Jeremiah had to carry and the weariness he must have had to deal with. Yet through it all Jeremiah remained faithful to his God and his commission to the end of his life. Jeremiah was the prophet of, “the word of the Lord.” One hundred and fifty seven times Jeremiah proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s declaration.” As an Old Testament saint Jeremiah had his commission from God just like all believers today have their commission from God. Our job today is to match Jeremiah’s faithfulness to God by witnessing for Christ with the same obedience and perseverance that the prophet Jeremiah exhibited all his life.

Psalm 18:30 – As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

In his book the prophet Jeremiah God was speaking directly to the Jewish people of Judah and indirectly to all men of every generation individually. By the grace of God believers have been given the precious gift of salvation unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have been charged with a “Great Commission”, which is to witness for Christ to all peoples and all nations. This is a command from God to us his servants. We don’t have a choice in the matter if we want to please God, and pleasing God should be our top priority in life.

Proverbs 23:12 – Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.

Our treasures in heaven are being built up and stored based on our obedience to God. Our eternal standing in the halls of heaven before God and his saints will depend primarily on our obedience to the thing dearest to God’s heart, which is to witness for Christ in order to save lost souls. Don’t get me wrong, good works count for something in heaven but their importance pales in comparison to the “Great Commission.” Witnessing for Christ is the ultimate good work because it could result in the salvation of someone for all eternity.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Over the years I’ve had many favorite Scriptures. Like any kid in a candy store I loved everything I saw (and read). As I’ve matured as a Christian over the years I’ve identified Jeremiah 29:11 as one of my (really) favorite Scriptures. It’s the one Scripture I have on an index card at my desk so I can read it every morning as I drink my pot of coffee and meditate on God’s Word. Let’s break down this Scripture into its parts to see what God is telling us:

1. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you” – We mean something to God. We are important to God because he is thinking about us; not just occasionally but continually. God didn’t use past tense and say I “thought” about you; he said I “think” about you which is present tense, meaning it’s an ongoing continuous process. You don’t continually think about something unless it’s important to you and it’s the same with God. I’m gratified to know God is thinking of me because it shows God loves me. It’s just another proof of God’s love toward me. It’s corroboration for what God says over and over in his Word.

Hosea 13:4 – Yet I am the Lord your God…there is no Savior besides Me.

In Jeremiah 29:11 God is not making a general statement about all men; God is speaking directly to all men. Twice in this verse God uses the personal pronoun “you” which means God is speaking directly to the person reading the Scripture, whether it was in 586 BC or 2021 AD. In writing, personal pronouns are used to represent the reader’s name for brevity and clarity. In a statement a person’s name and a personal pronoun like “you” mean the same thing; they are interchangeable. If you reread Jeremiah 29:11 and replace the pronoun “you” with your name the meaning of the verse comes into sharper focus without changing the meaning. You still have the truth of God. In the Bible God is speaking directly to you, the reader, as if the Bible was written for you alone and no other. That’s why the Bible is a living thing. The Bible is holy not only because it is the power of God unto salvation; the Bible is holy because it is how God speaks to each of us on a personal level.

2. “Says the Lord” – Every word in the Bible is already what God says so when Scripture is reinforced by the use of this this terminology you know God is saying something we better pay attention to because it’s important. God is making a solemn declaration to us that must come to pass. God cannot lie and God’s Word cannot be broken. That’s the truth of God that we can stake our life on. It’s the equivalent of us raising our hand and saying, “I solemnly swear what I’m telling you is the truth.”

3. “Thoughts of peace and not evil” – It’s one thing to know someone is thinking about us, but the question is what are those thoughts? Is that good or bad? Will that help or hurt? We know God is good and he cannot abide evil so therefore God cannot have evil thoughts or he wouldn’t be God. Biblically speaking, we can have both peace with God and the peace of God. In fact, when we have one we have the other. They come as a package deal. When we become believers it ends the enmity that exists between us and God. Our salvation then allows the restoration of our fellowship with God because our sins have been forgiven through the blood of Christ, allowing our righteousness to be restored. When we have peace with God he is then able to give us his peace. There is no peace in this life apart from God in our lives.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The peace of God is a harder concept to understand and I’m not sure I fully understand it myself. As believers God reveals his peace to us. God gives us his peace. God ordains that all believers will have his peace. We no longer have anything to worry about in this life because we have the assurance that we’re going to heaven one day to live in the presence of the Lord forever. We know that we’re loved by God and we’re safely tucked into his hands and nothing can ever change that. That’s real peace of mind that can only come from Almighty God. To know the truth of God is to have his peace within your soul.

Psalm 29:11 – The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Isaiah 26:12 – Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.

Jeremiah 33:6 – Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.

4. “To give you a future and a hope” – If God is thinking about us all the time what exactly is he thinking? God is thinking about our future which can only be eternity in heaven in his presence. Our spirits are eternal and there are only two possible destinations for our immortal souls, heaven or hell. There’s no future in the lake of fire, only eternal spiritual death. When God mentions our future he’s talking about heaven. Just think about how long God has been planning our life in heaven and the untold riches we’ll be showered with when we get there. Whatever we could ever have wished for or even imagined is possible in heaven will be exceeded a thousandfold. That is our future.

Philippians 2:13 – For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Biblically speaking the word “hope” means salvation. The words are interchangeable in the text of the Bible. God not only planned for us to live with him in heaven for eternity he also planned how we would get there. This hope is salvation unto eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus paid our sin debt which allowed our sins to be forgiven by a loving and just God. All men have the same opportunity to secure a future in heaven based on their faith in Jesus. This hope is a free will choice we all must make. We can choose to accept God’s mercy and grace and live in heaven forever with God or we can reject God and keep our sins, for which we must be judged on the last Day.

Hebrews 6:19 – This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.

Think of our sins, and we all have them, as a ticking time bomb sitting in our laps. Sooner or later the bomb is going to go off and we’re going to die a horrible death. We can either sit there and wait for the inevitable explosion to happen or we can do something about it. The bomb is an integral part of who we are so we can’t run away from it or throw it aside. The only way to get rid of the bomb in our lap is if someone takes it from us. That someone is Almighty God, who alone has the inclination and the power to take the bomb out of our hands and dispose of it. The bomb in this metaphor is our sins and of course the someone who can take away our sins is God. God will do this for us because of his love for us which he proved beyond any doubt when he sent Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, to die for us.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

The trick is you must ask God to take your bomb (your sins) and you do that through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Without the forgiveness of our sins by a merciful God the ultimate fate of all men is to spend eternity in the lake of fire. We’ve all seen the countless movies where the good guy is in peril because he’s on a slow moving conveyor belt that is moving toward dangerous machinery or a furnace. That analogy is an exact representation of our lives. Every man born of woman is on the conveyor belt of life that leads to the pit. God in his love, mercy and grace has devised a salvation plan for man so we can get off that conveyor belt and save ourselves from impending spiritual death. In the Bible God tells us exactly what we have to do to be saved; which is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What are you waiting for? The choice is a no-brainer so open your eyes and take action while there’s still time. Forgiveness from God is free for the asking so what’s stopping you? God’s Word has all the information you’ll ever need to know God and accept his saving grace. I hope you’ll take advantage of it by reading the gospels.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

Jeremiah wasn’t all doom and gloom. Six hundred years before it actually happened Jeremiah prophesied that God would graciously save his people through a new covenant written on their hearts. Jeremiah 31:31-34 clearly links God’s Old Testament promises to Eve, Abraham and David to the New Testament fulfillment of those promises in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Jeremiah 31:31-32 – Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:33- But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Jeremiah 31:34 – No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord”, for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

God has fulfilled the promises he made in Jeremiah. Salvation unto eternal life is as easy as asking God to forgive our sins through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. God has graciously provide us his Holy Spirit to indwell us, to save us, and be our helper during our walk with God. In addition, God has provided us his word in written form, the Holy Bible, so that we can know God and his salvation plan for man. God has thought of everything and made it as easy as he possibly can for us to find him and eternal life. The last step is one God won’t make for us. We must make the free will choice to serve God or serve Satan.

Isaiah 1:18 – Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Ezekiel 36:27 – I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Just for fun, let’s say you wanted to be in the Guiness Book of World Records for building the largest jigsaw puzzle in the world. A jigsaw puzzle so big that it has 40,000 pieces and covers an area the size of a basketball court. You came up with the idea of making the puzzle; you’re the architect; only you know what the final picture will look like. It’ll take a lot of hard work so you decide to contract the work out. You draw up the blueprints yourself and you decide to hire a general contractor (GC) who will use your blueprints to finish the puzzle to your specifications.

The general contractor you hired decides he needs to subcontract the job to forty people working in many different locations to make 1,000 jigsaw pieces each. The GC then selects those he wants to work on the project. Each worker is given explicit instructions on the size, shape and color of the pieces they are responsible for making and they are then micromanaged by the GC so that the work is done properly. The forty workers have no idea how many others are working on the same project. They don’t have a clue who is working on the pieces of the puzzle adjacent to them and they can’t fathom what the final picture will look like. Their individual knowledge of the project is limited in scope.

It’s the GC’s responsibility to ensure each worker finishes their pieces of the puzzle on time and that the pieces interlock precisely with each other and also with the jigsaw pieces made by the workers on the sections of the puzzle adjacent to them. The GC is tasked with ensuring that each worker makes a seamless puzzle section that will represent a perfect portion of the overall picture. Statistically speaking, it’s virtually impossible for all forty men working independently on this project to have the same vision; to come up with a jigsaw puzzle section that meshes seamlessly with everyone else and contributes to a clear overall picture. The only way to create such a clear picture and build a perfect jigsaw puzzle of this magnitude is if one person is in charge of everything about the project and then personally coordinates and oversees the work of each of the builders to ensure the puzzle pieces and the picture are perfect.

The analogy I’ve just given you is basically how the Bible was created. God, of course, is the builder and architect of his word and the salvation plan for man. God decided to put his wisdom, his word, in written form to reveal himself to us, his creatures, and also as a guide so we can find salvation unto eternal life and have fellowship with God the Father. The Holy Spirit is the general contractor in our analogy. The forty workers hired by the GC represent the forty writers of the 66 books of the Holy Bible. These writers were holy men of God selected by Jehovah to write down the word of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Each book of the Bible reflects not only the personality of the individual writer, it also says exactly what God wants to reveal, down to the last word, letter and punctuation mark. The Bible is the eternal and perfect word of God. The Bible is the truth of God.

Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but delights in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

1 John 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Like the people building the jigsaw puzzle, the forty Bible writers didn’t know how many other writers were also working on this project or even who they were for the most part. Many of the Bible writers never read what the other writers had written, especially those who wrote books in the Old Testament. The Bible was written over a period of 1500 years (1400 BC to 100 AD). The Holy Spirit was appointed by God to be the equivalent of the general contractor and he was charged with overseeing the writing of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit made sure none of the Scriptures walked over each other or contradicted each other in any way. The Bible is the inerrant word of God. Critics have tried for 2000 years to find errors in God’s word and they’ve all been unsuccessful.

The continuity of the Bible message is maintained throughout each book, which is God’s love for man and the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth to redeem a fallen mankind. Only God knew the canon of the Christian faith would eventually contain 66 books, all written by apostles, prophets, men of God and disciples of Jesus Christ. The Bible writers came from disparate backgrounds ranging from scholars to illiterate farmers and fishermen. The life experiences of the Bible writers were wide-ranging yet the continuity of the Bible’s theme remained constant. The Bible reads like it was written by one person because it was. God is the author of the Bible. A perfect God gave us his perfect word. God said all that he intended to say and then stopped. God’s word is now complete. There will be no more holy Scriptures sent from God because none are needed. God doesn’t make mistakes therefore God doesn’t need to make later additions to his word because everything God does is perfect the first time. God has perfect knowledge of every circumstance that may arise.

2 Peter 1:21 – For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 1:1-2 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.

Romans 15:4 – For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

In Old Testament times God spoke to the people through his prophets and Jesus Christ was not only the Son of God but also a prophet of God. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is a finished work. After the time of Christ and the apostles there will be no more prophets from God because none are needed. Anyone who comes claiming to be a prophet of God is a false prophet sent by Satan to fool the elect. Today God speaks to us directly through his son Jesus Christ and through his written word, our Holy Bible, which God in his love, mercy and grace has provided to us so that we might know him and find salvation unto eternal life in its pages. We cannot see an invisible God but we can see a physical book with pages and written words (the Bible) that cannot have been written by man. Anyone reading the Bible can clearly see the wisdom, truth and spiritual power shining forth from its pages. Millions of people have given their testimony that the Bible is the word of God and that their lives have been changed for the better by obeying the commandments of God and living by the precepts of the Bible.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

In the above verse of Scripture God reveals to us the power he has placed in his word. Nothing is impossible with God and he has chosen to endow the Bible with immense spiritual power. Let’s break down the verse above into its various parts:

1. The Bible is a book of written words composed by men led by the Holy Spirit. God is the author of the Bible.

2. The words of the Bible invoke the power of God for those who believe in him. It pleased God to gift eternal life to man through the reading of his word in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

3. When the gospel of Christ is read the Holy Spirit of God is always present and ready to convict the tenderhearted of their sin and translate the eternal spirit of the sinner from eternal death in hell to eternal life in heaven through a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

4. And in much assurance means God has assured us many times in his word of promises that he cannot break. God cannot lie. God is ever faithful. God promises that believers will have eternal life in heaven and he will do it. The disciples of Jesus Christ are left on the earth to continually give assurance to the nonbeliever of God’s love for man and God’s willingness to accept all his children unto salvation if they would just believe on the name of Jesus.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

The Bible is a book unlike any other book. What makes the Bible special is that God has decided to put his power there, along with his Holy Spirit, as the conduit through which God talks to man and the mechanism through which God saves man unto eternal life. The Bible is special because in it God makes a covenant with us, promises that he cannot break if we claim those promises by professing our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. God will continue to send out his saints among the nonbelievers until the last Day to give further assurance that God loves them and wants to save them. If anyone asks why the Bible is so special please go over 1 Thessalonians 1:5 with them and point out the promises of God.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (i.e. the Bible).

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).

Ephesians 6:19 – And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

Jehovah God tells us the Bible is his word. If you need more proof there is corroborating evidence right there in the pages of the Bible. Prophecy is nothing more than history written in advance, which is something only God can provide because he’s the author of history. One of the reasons God made the Bible one third prophecy is to prove that he is God. There are over 1000 prophecies in the Bible, over 500 of which have already been fulfilled and documented as historical fact. This includes over sixty prophecies concerning God’s Christ, the promised Messiah, that were fulfilled by the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Matthew 7:18,20 – (Jesus speaking) – A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I might add that all of the fake religions and false gods that have existed throughout history have all been sponsored by Satan and not one of them has ever produced even a single good fruit or fulfilled prophecy between them. They can’t because Satan is not God. Satan is a bad seed; a bad fruit; and it’s impossible for Satan to write prophecy or produce any good fruit. One of the spiritual truths of God is a bad tree can only produce bad fruit and a good tree can only produce good fruit. This is true of God as well as religions, angels, demons and man. According to the book of Proverbs, a wise person is one who evaluates all of the evidence that proves Jehovah is good and the one true God of this world and then seeks God’s grace unto salvation and eternal life in heaven.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to them that are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Proof is nonexistent for all the fake religions and false gods but the proof of our God, Jehovah, is overwhelming. Over 99% of people who read the Bible twice with an open mind will come to the realization of the truth of God and accept his saving grace. Most people only need to read the Bible once to know the truth of God. Anyone who ignores all the evidence of the truth of God and doesn’t give God a fair hearing deserves their fate. They’ll spend eternity in hell, in the lake of fire God made for Satan and his fallen angels. Everyone sent there will be in constant pain and anguish forever. A trillion years is just the blink of an eye in eternity!

Isaiah 46:9-10 – Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.

Many times the writers of Scripture didn’t fully understand what the Holy Spirit was having them write down and their life experiences certainly didn’t qualify them to expound on the subject they referenced. It wasn’t a requirement for the Bible writers to fully understand the spiritual truths they were writing down. For example, the Bible said Israel would be reborn in a day and that came to pass on May 14, 1948, when Israel declared itself once again a sovereign nation from the city of Jerusalem. Such a thing had never happened before then or since, so we can’t say it was a lucky guess or easily foreseen. The following Scripture was written prior to the destruction of Israel and the dispersion of the Jewish people to the four corners of the earth.

Isaiah 66:8 – Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation (Israel) be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.

The Bible tells us the earth is round and hangs in space supported by nothing. The Bible tells us all material things are made up of things that are unseen (invisible atoms). We didn’t know any of these things scientifically until thousands of years later. In ancient times people thought the bottom of the oceans were smooth and sloping, like a bowl. Scripture tells us the ocean floor has mountains, canyons, ocean currents and fresh water volcanoes. All these facts were later verified by advances in human knowledge over a span of many hundreds of years and even thousands of years in some cases.

Isaiah 49:22 – It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.

Isaiah 43:15-16 – I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters.

God even gave us the name of the very person who would free his people from their seventy years of Babylonian captivity before it ever happened (King Cyrus). These prophecies and predictions are too numerous and too precise to be lucky guesses. They can only be revelations by Jehovah God, the author of history and the creator of the universe. I don’t know what else God has to do to convince the ungodly that he is God and there is no other; that salvation unto eternal life is through Jesus Christ and no other. For those who have eyes, let them read what I’m writing and understand the word of truth, which is our Holy Bible. If you’re a nonbeliever it won’t be easy to start your journey of faith, but start you must, because the fate of your eternal soul depends on it.

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Satan will resist you at every turn. Satan has put blinders on the nonbeliever so they cannot see the truth of God without great effort. Those who cannot overcome the wiles of Satan will suffer eternal death. All is not lost; you have help available to you. As you start your daily Bible reading pray for God’s help in keeping Satan at bay long enough for you to give the Bible a fair hearing. Pray for God to reveal himself to you, even if you haven’t reached the point where you believe in God yet. God is good, fair, merciful and gracious to all who seek him. God will help you if you ask him. I know this to be true because God says so in his word and God cannot lie or break a promise. Give it a shot. What do you have to lose, other than your immortal soul!

Isaiah 44:28 – Who says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, you shall be built, and to the temple, your foundation shall be laid.”

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

I blog because I have an unquenchable thirst for God. God commands that I witness for Christ and my blog is my platform for passive witnessing for Christ and it’s my reasonable service to God. God predestined me to be a Christian blogger before he laid the foundation of the world. There are millions of other Christian writers who have been called by God to fulfill Psalm 45:1, each in their own way as prescribed by God. I want to be great in heaven and that’s something we should all aspire to be. The Bible tells us repeatedly to do good works on earth, which will be rewarded in heaven one day. The Bible also tells us if we want to be considered great in heaven it will come by our witness for Christ while on earth.

Psalm 45:1- My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Luke 7:27-28 – (Jesus speaking) – This is he of whom it is written, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet that John the Baptist.

Everyone considers the greatest prophet and Christian to be the Apostle Paul, including me. After all, Paul was appointed by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and establish the early church. Paul wrote more than half of the New Testament. You would think God thinks as we do but you’re mistaken. As we learn in Luke 7:27-28, the greatest prophet of God is John the Baptist. Why? Because John the Baptist, as the forerunner of Christ, got down to the nitty gritty of personal witnessing for Christ throughout all Israel and brought many of thousands of Jews to salvation. All John did was witness for Christ for less than a year and Jesus proclaimed him the greatest prophet because of it. If witnessing for Christ is God’s top priority it should be ours as well. When we get to heaven our greatness will not be not be defined by our good works. Our witness for Christ, both sowing the seed of the gospel and reaping souls for the kingdom of God, will determine our rewards in heaven and our standing among the saints and before God. I exhort you to be “all in” when it comes to the business of God, which is witnessing for Christ, with determination and perseverance.

God’s Word, our Holy Bible, is a living thing and the most powerful force on our physical plane. In his love, mercy and grace, God has reached across from the spirit world and given mankind his wisdom in written form, which is the Bible. The destructive force of a nuclear bomb pales in comparison to the spiritual power contained in God’s Word. The Bible contains all the wisdom we’ll ever need to live a successful, prosperous and fulfilling life before the God of creation. The Bible is the only weapon we’ll ever need to defeat Satan and the powers of darkness in our world, who are bent on our destruction. The Bible is the only source that can answer all the questions we have about our lives. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? How do I get there? A loving God would not have created us without giving us an instruction manual for how we are to live our lives and also instructions on how we can have fellowship with our Creator. The Bible is the gift of God that provides us with this information.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joint and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Romans 15:4 – For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (i.e. by reading the Bible).

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

It’s obvious the answer to the mysteries of life is simply for us to read and apply the Bible, yet many people who profess to be Christians know very little about the Bible. All they know is what they’ve heard or what they’ve been told to believe. Only 10% of Christians who attend church regularly have read the entire Bible and fewer still have actually taken the time to study the Bible for knowledge and understanding. Without knowledge and understanding of the Bible there can be no true wisdom with which to live our lives. Those without intimate Bible knowledge and continual study of God’s Word are doomed to live unsuccessful lives; or at least lives that are not as successful as they could have been. The Bible is God’s wisdom and we need it in our lives in order to be all we were meant to be.

It’s an astonishing fact that so few take advantage of God’s wisdom and there’s simply no excuse for it. How can anyone call themselves a true believing Christian without having read the Bible, the foundational document of our faith? There are no Cliff Notes for the Bible. There are no shortcuts. Each person must discover the mysteries of God on their own. The Bible is the conduit through which God talks to us just as prayer is the way we talk to God. If we don’t pray we aren’t talking to God and if we’re not reading the Bible every day then God isn’t talking to us. Without a regular two-way personal conversation with God there won’t be a deepening personal relationship established with God. You will not be in fellowship with God and you won’t be receiving all the blessings from God that you could have had. When we get to heaven we’ll be amazed at the potential blessings God had ready for us that went unclaimed because we didn’t ask for them.

James 4:2 – Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Romans 10:17 – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Bible is the key to everything in life because it tells you exactly what you must do to please God and pleasing God is the point of our existence. You must believe Jehovah is the one true living God of this world and you must love, honor, praise and worship your heavenly Father. In Job 28:28, God actually defines wisdom as the “fear” of the Lord. The word fear in the biblical context means to look upon God with awe, deep respect and reverence. Once we have that kind of fear we’ll automatically obey God’s commandments out of love and we’ll depart from evil because we’ll have knowledge, understanding and wisdom from the Bible. You must believe the gospel of Christ; that Jesus came down from heaven and died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. You must believe Jesus arose from the dead after three days and those who believe in his name will be resurrected in like manner on the last Day. You must believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who ascended back to heaven to sit at the right hand of Father God in heaven.

Job 28:28 – And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe the He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

2 Corinthians 5:9 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Hebrews 6:10 – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

The Bible is the key to our walk with God because we can only be transformed spiritually by the renewing of our minds and that is achieved through the Bible. The Bible is the key to the doors of heaven through which we all must pass if we want salvation unto eternal life and fellowship with God. First, read the Bible every day to hear what God has to say to you personally. The Bible is alive because it speaks to you directly as if you were the person it was written for, because it was. When you read the Bible you’re having a personal one on one conversation with God the Father. Let that sink in. You’re having a conversation with the Creator of the universe. Why on earth would the King of the universe take the time to give you an audience? Because once you become a believer you become a child of God and every parent makes time for his children. Wouldn’t you do the same thing?

In his love, mercy and grace, God gives us the gift of salvation unto eternal life through faith in his son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As believers, we have unfettered access to the very throne room of Almighty God at any time through Bible reading and prayer. Let the Word of God become a part of your being and you’ll experience an unquenchable thirst for God. Have a Bible reading plan and stick to it. Study God’s Word so it becomes your best friend and you know it like the back of your hand. Second, memorize Scripture and the earlier you start the better off you are. You are what you continually think about and what you say with your lips so meditate on God and speak his truths. Writing things down helps me to remember so I put Scriptures on index cards so I can work on memorization.

Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Ephesians 1:13 – In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance.

Third, meditate on Scripture, which simply means to think about what you’ve read. Fill your mind with the truth, meaning and application of the biblical text you’re meditating on and how it pertains to your daily life. Fourth, pray the Scriptures. Let’s face it, we really don’t know how to pray or what we should pray for. We just wing it and hope God understands. The Holy Spirit indwells all believers and he helps translate for us when we pray to God. When you pray to God using his own words, the language of Scripture, you can’t go wrong. By praying Scripture we are both honoring God with our lips and transforming our souls in the process (sanctification). By praying Scripture we appropriate its truths into our thought patterns and our affections, which renews our minds and draws us heavenward. We all know how the human mind works. If you say something over and over long enough the mind starts to believe it and then the body starts to act on those beliefs.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Colossians 4:2 – Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.

Hebrews 13:15-16 – Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Fifth, repetition is the key to keeping our faith strong. The more often we receive the preaching of God’s Word the stronger our faith becomes. Regular church attendance, personal and group Bible study and one on one counseling are just a few of the ways to ensure your mind is always saturated with the message of the Scriptures for your continued edification on the Word of God. If you’ll notice in the Bible, God repeats biblical truths multiple times not only to highlight the importance of a spiritual truth but also to cement that knowledge in our brain. Satan is the god of this world and he has put blinders on the nonbeliever so that the Bible is foolishness to them. Satan has sponsored all the fake religions and false gods throughout history to lead man away from the truth of God’s Word. Satan has been very successful at it because most of the world is on the path straight to hell.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Corinthians 4:3 – But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

The Bible makes it clear in the above verses that without the gospel of Christ we will all perish. That includes nonbelieving Jews. Therefore, as Christians we’re to spread the gospel message to nonbelievers and the Bible is our witness guide and instruction manual for spreading the gospel. The Bible is also our best proof of God to the nonbeliever because the Bible is something they can touch, read and hear, which helps bridge the gap between the physical world they can see and the spiritual world they can’t see. Don’t witness haphazardly; prepare for it.

Make your Bible a witness Bible by tabbing the Scriptures that can walk the nonbeliever through a natural progression of biblical truths to the logical conclusion of God’s saving grace. If you do that you’ll be prepared to share your witness for Christ any time. There are numerous Scriptures that have helped people find salvation unto eternal life. When I witness I prefer to use what is known as the “Roman road.” I like to go through, in order, John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8 and Romans 10:9. I also keep a witness card in my wallet in case I’m somewhere without my Bible and an opportunity arises to share my personal witness for Christ. The Bible commands us to always be ready to witness.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (God loves you).

You have to convince people God cares about them before they’ll listen to what God has to say and God does that in this famous Bible verse. I like to start off with John 3:16 to remind people that God loves them.

Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (all are sinners)

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (sins must be paid for)

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us. (Jesus paid our sin debt)

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (accepting the gift of eternal life)

To be successful in witnessing for Christ you must have a plan and the discipline to follow the general outline of your plan. The more you witness the easier it will get and the better you will become at witnessing. If you’ve ever been in sales you know what I mean. Practice makes perfect. A good salesman has to believe in what he’s selling. In this instance, you’re a salesman for God and your product is hope (salvation). People desperately need what you have to offer but they don’t know it. What you’re offering is eternal life in heaven with God the Father. Your job is to make them aware of what God has to offer them and that the gift is theirs free for the asking. Salvation is the most valuable thing any salesman could ever sell and the price is right (free). Your commission is literally out of this world (treasures in heaven). The most important good work any believer can do is witnessing for Christ. Without witnessing for Christ all our other good works will amount to nothing.

As with any plan you make for witnessing, you also need the flexibility to go off script when necessary; to adapt to any unforeseen questions that may arise because everyone is different and nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Nobody has all the answers so don’t try to fake it. If you don’t know something admit it. The important thing is to let the person you’re witnessing to see your passion for God. That can’t be faked. Have no fear when witnessing; the Holy Spirit is with you. You’re there to answer whatever concerns the nonbeliever may have so you need to know your stuff. That’s why overall Bible knowledge and understanding is so vitally important to effectively witness for Christ. As a Christian sowing the seeds of the gospel we might be the last best chance for a nonbeliever to change their eternal destination from hell to heaven.

Psalm 42:1 – As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God.

2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Matthew 5:16 – (Jesus speaking) – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

You owe it to the nonbeliever, and to yourself, to be as prepared as possible when you witness for Christ so you’ll have no regrets. You know the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” Our job is to lead the horse to the holy water of life. Whether or not that person drinks the water by accepting God’s saving grace is between them and the Holy Spirit. God calls the nonbeliever and if their heart is ready to receive God the Holy Spirit will convict them of their sin. Remember that the Holy Spirit does the saving; we’re just the messenger, the helper. God doesn’t really need us but he’s allowing us to participate in his redemption plan for man. Each person has the free will to accept or reject God’s saving grace. Either way, we’ll have done our part by sharing the gospel message with them. Whether we’re sowing the seeds of the gospel or reaping souls for the kingdom of God, we’ll be rewarded equally by Jesus on the last Day for our obedience.

Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also the Greek (Gentile).

1 Peter 1:17 – And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Titus 3:8 – This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Before Jesus ascended back to heaven he charged his disciples with spreading the gospel of Christ to all nations and all peoples. That “Great Commission” has been passed down to all believers since we’re also disciples of Christ. We don’t have a choice in the matter. It’s a direct command from God which we’re to obey. Witnessing for Christ is the main reason God leaves us on this earth after we’re saved. The Bible contains 129 direct commands from God to the believer (although some are redundant) but the number one command is to witness the gospel of Christ because God wants to work through us to save as many lost souls as possible. Saving people from hell is God’s top priority which means it’s also our top priority. If you love what God loves and hate what God hates you can’t go wrong. We are also to do good works so men will see the light of God in our actions and be attracted to the truth of God and his saving grace.

Titus 2:7 – In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Galatians 6:9-10 – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Once we become aware of the truth of God and accept his grace unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior it’s only the beginning of our walk with God. Our spiritual journey, the individual race God has assigned to us, is just starting. What are we supposed to do at that point? How do we go about it? Not to worry; God has left us explicit instructions on what we are to do and how to go about doing it. God is very thorough and he has left us his Word, our Holy Bible, as our guide through this life after we have become children of God.

In numerous places in the Bible God commands us to continually read, study and meditate on God’s Word for knowledge, understanding and wisdom that only the Bible can provide as the wisdom of God. That means we’re to read our Bibles daily along with prayers to God the Father asking him for revelation of his Word through the Holy Spirit of God. That means reading the Bible completely through from one end to the other, not just once, but multiple times. In fact, never stop reading the Bible. I try to read the entire Bible every year because I want to know it like the back of my hand. I want the Bible stories to become so ingrained in my soul I recognize them instantly, like an old friend.

God wants fellowship with us. God wants us to know him. That happens when we talk to God in prayer and God talks to us when we read the pages of the Bible. When we don’t read the Bible God can’t talk to us and fellowship is broken. When you read the Bible God is speaking to you individually through its pages, as if the Bible was written for you alone. The Bible is a living thing. As you read the Bible the Holy Spirit emerges to sit on your shoulder to help you understand what you’re reading. You’re never closer to God than when you’re in his Word. The more you read the Bible the more you’re getting to know God.

All professional athletes who run competitive races have to train for it. Believers are spiritual athletes and intense Bible study is the training we need to put in to complete the work God has for us to do. We can’t effectively run the spiritual race God has given us without preparation. Knowledge is power and when you know the Bible you have the power and wisdom of God at your fingertips. We need this power and wisdom to confront Satan and the powers of darkness that control this world. We’re in enemy territory until we return home to God so we must never let our guard down.

Besides knowing God and fellowshipping with him, the other reason we need to know the Bible intimately is so that we can obey the commands of God in general and the Great Commission in particular. Before he ascended back to heaven Jesus told all his disciples to preach the gospel of Christ to all the world and, as believers, we are those disciples. We have been appointed to do the work of God here on earth. We don’t have a choice in the matter if we want to please God. In addition to sharing our witness for Christ we are to do good works so that men will see the light of God in our actions and be drawn to the truth of God. The key to pleasing God and obeying his commandments is to study his Word so you know how to witness to the nonbeliever and you’re ready to go whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Listen to me carefully. I’ve been studying Christianity for 20 years and I know this stuff. Every believer will one day stand before the bema judgment seat of Christ. One of the first questions Jesus will ask you is, “Have you witnessed the gospel of Christ and if so, how often?” Another question is, “Have you saved anyone to the kingdom of God through your witness?” You need to be able to answer yes to both questions. Another question Jesus will ask is, “What good works have you done?” Everyone will have done some good works but your goal should be to have a ton of good works on your ledger so you have treasures awaiting you in heaven. One last note, good works won’t help you at all if you haven’t first witnessed the gospel of Christ effectively while on earth. Our salvation in heaven is secure through our faith in Jesus but our rewards in heaven will depend on our works in the flesh. We have the choice in this world to serve God and to obey his commands. We need to do both to please God. Our position in heaven and our standing among the saints of heaven depends on what we do for God here on earth. Whatever honor and glory we receive in heaven will last for eternity and vice versa.

What does all this have to do with fake religions and false gods? Like I said earlier, we know knowledge is power. We need to know the basic beliefs of the followers of fake religions so we can effectively witness to them by countering the tenets of their faith, whatever they may be. We earn their respect when we know what they believe and they’re more likely to listen to us. Studying fake religions only increases our faith in God so it serves an additional purpose for us. I’ve included in this blog series a brief synopsis of the top 16 fake religion in the world (out of about 4200 religions) that are the most important to us here in the United States. Become familiar with these fake religions in case you ever have to witness the gospel to one of their followers. There are about 10,000 atheists in this country and maybe 20,000 agnostics. The number of believers of fake religions is hundreds of times greater than that so you’re much more likely to witness to a believer of a fake religion than you are an atheist or agnostic. I’ve summarized the fake religions covered in this blog series below:

FAKE RELIGIONS

1.Islam – Two billion followers. The majority religion in 51 countries of the world primarily in the Middle East, North Africa and a large swath of southern Asia.

2.Hinduism – 1.3 billion followers, mostly in India. Hindu is also the majority religion in Nepal and Mauritius.

3.Buddhisism – 500 million followers. Buddhism is the majority religion in ten countries of southeast Asia.

4.Shintoism – 113 million followers. A Japanese religion.

5.Sikhism – 28 million followers. An Indian religion centered in the Punjab region of India.

6.Taoism – 20 million followers. A religion of China and Taiwan.

7.Mormonism – 14 million followers. Half in the U. S. and half abroad.

8.Jehovah’s Witnesses – 8.5 million followers. Half in the U. S. and half abroad.

9.Korean Shamanism – 8 million followers. A ethnic religion on the Korean peninsula.

10.Confucianism – 6-10 million followers. A Chinese religion.

11.Caodaism – 4-6 million followers. A Vietnamese religion.

12.Jainism – 4-6 million followers. An Indian religion.

13.Bahaism – 5 million followers. Originated in Iran but because of persecution now in India.

14.Zorastrianism – 130,000 followers. Originated in Iran but now in India.

15.Christian Science – 50,000 followers. An American religion.

16.Scientology – 31,000 followers. An American religion.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Christian Science is an indigenous American religion developed by Mary Eddy Baker in New England in the nineteenth century. In 1879 a charter was granted to found the Church of Christ, Scientist. The mother church was built in Boston in 1894. The Christian Science church considers themselves to be a Christian denomination but they aren’t. Legitimate Christian denominations do not claim them. At the peak of their popularity in 1936 there were 270,000 followers of Christian Science but membership today is less than 50,000 people. The church puts out its own newspaper called the Christian Science Monitor.

Eddy adopted the belief of many eastern religions that the material world is an illusion and reality is purely spiritual. Eddy believed all sickness and disease was a mental error of faith rather than a physical disorder and should be treated by prayer. Christian Science says they believe in the Bible as God’s Word but Eddy disputed some parts of the Bible. You can’t pick and choose which parts of the Bible you like. It’s all or none. There is no supplication in Christian Science prayers. Eddy believed Jesus did not die on the cross for our sins and there is no doctrine of the soul in Christian Science beliefs. Eddy referred to God by the feminine pronoun “she”. According to Eddy heaven and hell are a state of mind and not real places. According to Eddy when someone dies that individual continues his probationary state until he has worked out his own salvation by proving the truths of Christian Science.

Christian Science has four main beliefs that differ form mainstream Christianity:

1. Rejection of original sin – The divine is completely good and all creation reflects that perfection. Humans are not born in sin but are part of a divine and flawless reality.

2. No ordained pastors – Ministers are replaced by studying the Bible and the doctrine of the faith, “Science and Health.” Members elect a “First Reader” to run church services which consist of reading selected Bible passages and quotes form Science and Health.

3. Salvation is an everyday process – Christian Science doesn’t believe salvation by faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior is a one time event. They believe in salvation-by-action to reform our lives here on earth rather than a pardon for sins.

4. Emphasis on spiritual health – Prayer is the first line of treatment when one suffers disease. Christian Science doesn’t prohibit the use of Western medicine by its followers but it does emphasize spiritual healing.

Notable celebrities who were either raised Christian Science or currently practice Christian Science include the following:

Those raised Christian Science who didn’t practice it as adults: Marilyn Monroe, Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Williams, Elizabeth Taylor (converted to Judaism), Audrey Hepburn, Earnest Hemingway, Kelsey Grammer, Henry Fonda, Robert Duvall and Daniel Steele.

Those who actively practiced the Christian Science faith: Ginger Rogers, Doris Day, Joan Crawford (converted from Catholicism), Jean Stapleton, Carol Channing, Val Kilmer, Alan Shepard. Jim Henson was an ex-Sunday School teacher for Christian Science before he left the faith.

This is a fake religion, a cult, that believes man is basically good and capable of saving himself. That’s a hallmark of fake religions. Followers don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and they don’t believe in the gospel of Christ or a physical heaven or hell or a final judgment by God. Christian Scientists believe man is his own god capable of saving himself. The wrath of God will fall on all followers of Christian Science on the last Day.

SCIENTOLOGY

Scientology is a set of beliefs invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). Scientology has variously been defined as a cult, a business, and a new religious movement. There are about 25,000 followers in the United States and another 6,000 abroad. Hubbard initially developed a set of ideas he called “Dianetics”, intending it to be a science. In 1952 he repackaged his ideas as a religion he called the Church of Scientology. Scientology has three fundamental beliefs:

1.Man is an immortal spiritual being

We know from the Bible that this is correct so nothing new here.

2.Man lives more than a single lifetime

We know there is no such thing as reincarnation. The Bible confirms we only have one life to live and after that we stand before God for judgment.

Hebrews 9:27 – And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.

3.Man’s capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized

The Bible confirms man is sinful, corrupt, wicked and totally lost on their own. Left to their own devices man would ultimately destroy themselves if not for God’s intervention at the second coming of Jesus Christ to save us from destruction.

Mark 13:20 – (Jesus speaking) – And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

Scientology calls our spirit “Thetan” and says we have had innumerable past lives on other planets. Hubbard also believes Xenu, the ruler of a confederation of planets, brought billions of aliens to earth and then killed them with nukes. Like all fake religions Scientology say man is good and the highest principle of Scientology is survival. Scientology does not preach or impose a particular idea of God but people are left to discover their own truth. Like all fake religions, Scientology glorifies man as good and capable of reaching a higher existence on their own therefore god is not needed.

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

John 8:24 – (Jesus speaking) – Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

The Bible tells us that God has put eternity in the hearts of men so that we will seek his face. God has left an obvious void in our souls that only he can fill. It’s like our soul has a special lock on it that can only be opened with one key, and God is that key! You can try all other keys to no avail. You’ll never be truly happy until you’re reunited with Jehovah, the God who made you. As we all begin our own personal search for the truth of God the first place we should look is the most obvious place. Christianity has 2.5 billion followers, more than any other religion. God’s Word, our Holy Bible, is almost 2,000 years old and has never been disproven and is inerrant even though critic have tried for centuries to find fault. Over the centuries there have been millions of Christians who have provided their personal testimonies that Jesus Christ had dramatically changed their lives for the better.

Instead, we have some people ignoring the obvious; choosing to follow fake religions like Scientology without a shred of evidence. If these lost souls would just do their homework they’d realize the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, was one sick puppy. Here was a man who had a failed Navy career and was so mentally disturbed he sough psychiatric help. L. Ron Hubbard didn’t receive any spiritual revelation. He freely admitted he invented “Dianetics” as a science but later repackaged as a religion because religion sells. Here was a man who was in and out of bankruptcy court a number of times and whose business dealings were shady to the point of being illegal or on the verge of being illegal. Here was a man sought by law enforcement from several countries and Mr. Hubbard often had to go into hiding to avoid arrest. All in all, I’d say Mr. Hubbard had a rather dismal and unhappy life.

And we have a number of people today still following L. Ron Hubbard and his fake religion, Scientology. Do people really believe Mr. Hubbard had some spiritual insight into how the universe works and the answers to our questions about God? Contrast the failed life of Mr. Hubbard against Christianity and the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ and the wisdom of God’s Word and there is no comparison. The followers of Scientology and all the other fake religions of the world have truly been blinded by Satan to the truth of God. They’re headed straight to hell and as believers we must be prepared give our witness to them if we get the opportunity. Our hope is that we can change their eternal destination from hell to heaven.

Scientology is one of those trendy religions that draws a host of celebrities as followers. As a group, the Hollywood elites are a bunch of lost souls who are unhappy and looking for some meaning in their lives but they’re looking in the wrong places. Here is a list of notable celebrities who follow or have followed Scientology:

John Travolta, Kelly Preston. Tom Cruise, Kristie Alley, Ann Archer, Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, Christopher Reeve, Sonny Bone, Karen Black, Catherine Bell, Leah Remini, Isaac Hayes, Edgar Winter, Elizabeth Moss, Juliette Lewis and Greta Van Sustern.

JAINISM

The three ancient religions developed on the Indian subcontinent are Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Of the three, Jainism is the oldest and smallest with 4-6 million followers. Jainism is one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions. Jains are found mostly in India. All three of these Indian religions share many beliefs and practices. Devout Jains follow three main principles:

1. Non-violence – This is the main principle of Jainism and the highest religious duty of all followers. Jains believe without this commitment to non-violence all religious behavior is rendered worthless. Jains believe violence destroys the soul. Jains will not kill any living thing, both plant and animal, no matter how small. Jains will not swat a mosquito or even sweep the floor in case they accidentally kill an ant. Jains will not eat root vegetables because you have to kill the plant to get the root. Jains believe all living things have souls. Of course this means Jains are strict vegetarians.

2. Many-sidedness – This second principle of Jainism says there is no absolute truth or reality. Truth and reality are complex, have multiple aspects and are ever changing. To Jains this equates to tolerance of all other religions. Jains worship numerous deities like the Hindus. Jains believe in the birth, death and rebirth cycle of reincarnation just like Hindus and Buddhists. The Jains are big on repeating religious mantras during their services because they believe it accrues them merit for rebirth.

3. Non-possessiveness – Jains disavow all worldly possessions. They keep what is necessary for survival and give away the rest.

In addition to the three principles mentioned above Jains also take an oath not to lie or steal. Jains also practice sexual continence. Jains may not abstain from all sex but they try to remain as chaste as humanly possible. Jains believe the function of all souls is to help one another and this aspect is the most common and basic component of the prayers of the faithful. Jains don’t believe in heaven or hell or judgment by any one creator god. Jains believe purification of the soul can be achieved by man himself by following the path of the four jewels:

1 . Correct view – How they see the world.

2. Correct knowledge – Know their religious scriptures called Agamas.

3. Correct conduct – Follow their main principles and vows.

4. Correct ascetics – Their self-discipline in avoiding worldliness and sensual pleasure.

Jains have temples all over India. There are two sects within Jainism and there are monasteries for both sects. In one sect the monks go around naked. They don’t own any clothes at all. The women of the sect are a little more discreet; they wear white sarees. In the other sect the monks and nuns both wear only white clothes. In the Bible God makes it clear that all the plants and animals are provided for man to eat. Non-violence is basically a good idea but it’s not required by God because sometimes you have to defend what’s yours from evil people. Not lying or stealing are also commandments of Jehovah, the one true God of creation. While some of the principles of Jainism are admirable the followers are still pagans worshipping many gods. They don’t know or believe in Jehovah or his Son Jesus Christ so they will feel the wrath of God on the last day just like all the other people of the world who engage in paganism. Jains are violating God’s first commandment to all men, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

BAHAISM

In 1844 Ali Muhammad Shirazi (1819-1850) said he received a revelation from god and started preaching a new interpretation of Shia Islam in Iran. Shirazi became the self-appointed “Bab” or “gate” for his new religion. The Bab taught that all religious faiths are fundamentally unified but simply have different manifestations of god through their founders who were actually prophets of the one god who progressively revealed himself to mankind. The Bab preached that god would send a new prophet after Muhammed with a further revelation from god and he would be the last and favorite messenger that god would send. The followers of this new religion were persecuted by Islam and Shirazi was executed in 1850. His followers fled to Iraq and under the leadership of Bahaullah, a Persian religious leader, they established the Bahai religion. Bahaullah claimed to be the prophet from god foretold by Shirazi.

Bahaism is the newest independent global belief system and the second most widespread religion after Christianity and they span the globe working to unite all religions into one. There are about five million Bahai followers who worship one all-powerful inaccessible god. While virtually all religious faiths claim exclusivity and salvation is only possible through their god, Bahaism has taken the opposite approach by being inclusive and embracing all religions under their god. Bahais see the founders of all the other religions as earlier prophets god has sent to progressively reveal the truth of god to mankind. So to the Bahai Muhammed and Jesus were both prophets of god and so were Abraham, Moses, Zoraster, Confucius and Krishna. Bahaism stresses that all people are essentially good.

The three guiding principles of Bahaism are: unity of god; unity of religion; unity of humanity. Bahaism was persecuted early on in Iraq so they then moved their worldwide headquarters and primary shrine to Haifa, Israel, where they are today. Letters from Bahaullah have been assembled into a canon of holy Bahai scripture. The Bab originally prescribed a world-embracing collective security agreement for the establishment of a temporary era of world peace referred to in Bahai teachings as the Lesser Peace. Bab preached that for the establishment of a lasting peace in the world and the purging of the overwhelming corruption it would be necessary that all people in the world unite under a universal faith; and that faith he proposed was Bahaism.

Bahaism teaches universal peace, the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people while rejecting racism and nationalism. At the heart of Bahai teachings is the goal of a, “unified world order,” that ensures world peace the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds and classes. The Bahai are working to bring all religions under the banner of Bahaism so that there will be one world religion in the end, theirs. The problem is Bab overlooked three fundamental flaws of Bahaism:

1.Bahai followers are to believe their prophet is a man of god who is greater than Jesus Christ. We know from God’s revelation to man in the Bible that Jesus Christ is not only the last prophet of God but also his Son and the author of Christianity. The work of Christ on the cross, by his sacrificial death, for the forgiveness of the sins of man is a finished work. Anyone claiming to be a prophet after Jesus Christ is a false prophet and the pawn of the devil.

2.Bahai teaches that Buddha, Muhammed, and Jesus were all equally prophets of god just like many others including Abraham, Moses, Zoraster, Confucius and Krishna. The problem with that is the teachings and beliefs of all these people are very different; some are polar opposites. If you look at it logically, we can be wrong about all the men listed above being prophets of god but they can’t all be right because of their differing views. The Bahai god couldn’t reveal progressive truths to man by sending prophets with conflicting messages.

3.Bahai denies the fundamental truths of both Islam and Christianity so the followers of both religions could never abandon their faith to follow Bahaism. Bahaism denies the fundamental truths of Christianity by denying the Trinity, the virgin birth of Jesus, the incarnation of Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus. The Bahai also don’t believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ to set foot on the Mount of Olives on the last Day.

Hebrews 1:1-2 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the worlds.

John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Colossians 2:9 – For in Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven (except Jesus) given among men by which we must be saved.

What scares me about Bahaism is its beliefs mirror that of the one world religion foretold in the book of Revelation. I’m comforted by the fact they only have five million followers plus the fact I can’t see either Islam or Christianity giving up the core tenets of their respective faiths to go follow Bahaism. Bahaism doesn’t acknowledge Jehovah as God. Bahaism certainly doesn’t accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior like the Bible says everyone must do to have salvation. Bahaism considers Jesus to be only a prophet and not the Son of God. Bahaism misses the point that Jesus is the God Jehovah incarnated on the earth to save a sinful mankind from their sins which then allows them to have eternal life in heaven. Bahaism is a fake religion and the god they worship is a false god. All followers of Bahaism will be condemned on the last Day by Jesus Christ and sentenced to the lake of fire for all eternity.

ZORASTRIANISM

This religion has been practiced for 3500 years, making it probably the oldest continuously practiced religion in the world. This religion was based on the teachings of the Persian philosopher and prophet Zoraster who lived around 1500 BC. Zoraster claimed to have received visions from god; the one supreme creator Ahura Mazda. Zorastrianism was the first monotheistic religion and the forerunner of other religions. Zoraster was the first religious leader to recognize that the world was divided into good and evil forces, making him an inspiration to a millennia of philosophers. Zorastrianism was the state religion of the three great Persian empires of antiquity and at one time boasted millions of followers. After Alexander the Great defeated Persia the religion languished.

Zorastrianism only has 130,000 followers today. Because of Islamic persecution only 10% of Zorastrians remain in the Middle East. India has 80% of all followers of Zorastrianism and the United States has the remaining 10%. I included Zorastrianism in this study of fake religion not because of the number of followers but because of its historical significance. Wherever religions are studied the name of Zoraster and Zorastrianism will crop up so I wanted everyone to be familiar with it. There are seven primary beliefs of all Zorastrians:

1.Avesta are the sacred scriptures of the faith; they believe in the goodness of man

2.Ahura Mazda is the supreme god who is worshipped (although there are other gods)

3.The evil spirit Anga Mainyu opposes god

4.Ritual prayer must include the use of fire; in their temples a fire burns continually

5.After death the deeds of men are judged to decide whether they go to heaven or hell

6.Three future prophets will come just before the end of the world by a flood of molten metal

7.You can be defiled by handling a dead body so Zorastrians don’t bury their dead they just mount the corpses so scavengers can dispose of the human remains

SHINTOISM

Shinto means, “way of the gods,” and is the religion of the indigenous Japanese people dating from 300 BC. Shinto is more of a belief system and way of life than it is a religion. Shintoism is a nature religion that has no founder, no sacred scriptures, no dogmas and no preachers. There are no worship services of any kind. Worship is done by each person individually. Shintoism is polytheistic and revolves around the worship of over 300 “kami” (gods or spirits) which are supernatural entities believed to inhabit all things. The kami are worshipped at household shrines, family shrines and at over 80,000 public shrines throughout Japan. The key Shinto concepts of purity, harmony, family respect, and subordination of the individual needs to the needs of the group have been so ingrained into the Japanese character that Shintoism is a part of everyday life.

Buddhism entered Japan in 552 AD and amalgamated with Shintoism until the early 1900’s when Imperial Japan separated the two and created State Shinto to encourage the worship of the Emperor as a divine being. After WWII Shinto was formally separated from the state. Shinto is the largest religion in Japan and is practiced by 80% of the Japanese people (113 million). Buddhism is the second largest religion in Japan. Most of the country takes part in both Shinto and Buddhist activities because in Japanese culture the beliefs and practices of different religions need not be exclusive. The Japanese people see themselves as a secular people. Shintoism is non-denominational but there are three Shinto sects. Shinto followers make four affirmations: to love and honor nature, to strive for physical cleanliness, to worship ancestors and to maintain family values and traditions. Shintoism is paganism and its followers are pagans who will not see eternal life in heaven according to God’s Word.

KOREAN SHAMANISM

According to the dictionary a Shaman is, “a person who is believed to be able to contact good and evil spirits.” Shamanism has been the primary religion of the indigenous people of the Korean peninsula since prehistoric times. It consists of the worship of many gods, various spirits and ancestors. Shaman temples are located throughout North and South Korea, usually in the rural areas because Shamanism is important to the largely rural and peasant population. There are approximately eight million followers of Shamanism split equally between North Korea and South Korea. There is no priesthood for Shamanism. There are no religious texts or dogma. Koreans believe the gods simply choose who will be Shamans from among the people and then give them a special ability to reach the gods.

Shamans, who are usually women, act as the intermediary between the gods and man and their rites are known as “gut”. Do you remember the movie Ghost? In that movie Whoppi Goldberg played the part of Oda Mae Brown, a fake spirit medium who, for a price, would summon a dead relative from the spirit world so they could answer questions from their living family members. The dead relative would supposedly enter Oda Mae Brown’s body and speak to the living relative and answer their questions. Of course it was all a big con game to bilk money out of gullible family members who desperately wanted to ask questions of their dear departed loved ones.

These Korean Shamans work the same way. They can come to you but usually you have to go to their office like you would go to a doctor’s office. The Shaman’s office has a waiting room and once you get inside to see the Shaman there is an elaborate stage set to impress whoever comes to see them for answers from the gods. The Shaman’s have their own team of people to help them set the mood. Musicians are playing their instruments. There are a number of apprentices assisting the Shaman to put on the show. The Shaman makes her grand entrance onto the stage all decked out in an elaborate costume and then goes through her practiced theatrics. The Shaman will then go into a trance which allows whichever god the person is seeking to enter the Shaman’s body so she can respond to the person seeking answers to whatever questions they have. Apprentices serve for years learning how to be a professional con artists; how to act the part; and how to mimic receiving spirits in a trance. It would be funny if not for the fact that so many people are taken in by these frauds. Shamanism is paganism at its worst and its followers are gullible pagans who are disobeying the true God Jehovah’s first commandment to man, ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.” Sinning against God will result in condemnation on the last Day and being sentenced to the lake of fire forever.

TAOISM (pronounced Daoism)

Taoism is a philosophical and spiritual tradition of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao. The Tao is the source, pattern and substance of everything that exists. We’ve all heard the term ying and yang, the male and female, which is used to represent the balanced forces of nature within the Tao. Taoism has had a profound influence on Chinese culture and the roots of Taoism go back to around 550 BC. Taoism is a major religion in both China and Taiwan with an estimated 20 million followers who identify as “Taoists.” Taoists recognize a pantheon of gods and goddesses, none of which they acknowledge as being omnipotent or eternal. Taoism worship rituals are never spontaneous. They are carefully scripted and choreographed down to the last word and movement. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wrote the founding text of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, which describes the, “the Way of the Tao and its Power,” which is the interplay between the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

Taoists believe that the spirit within our bodies is immortal and it will join the universe after we die. Taoism is the way of the universe and all living creatures should live in harmony. Behind the nature of all things is the guiding principle of, “the way of the Tao.” Taoists believe the purpose of human life is to live according to the Tao which requires passivity, calmness and non-strife, which is referred to as “We Wei”. The three jewels of the Taoist philosophy are compassion, moderation and humility. Taoists believe in doing what’s natural and going with the flow. Taoism has no central authority and their teachings stem from the founding text by Lao Tzu plus two other writings considered to be sacred texts. Taoism is just another form of paganism that has been toned down to include nature. Taoist don’t acknowledge Jehovah as God or Jesus Christ as the Son of God so they will feel the wrath of God on the last Day along with all the other worshippers of fake religions and false gods.

CONFUCIANISM

Confucianism is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China in the sixth century BC. Confucianism developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC). Confucianism developed in China in response to Buddhist and Taoist influences in China and was later embraced by the Song dynasty (960-1297 AD). Confucianism is variously described as a tradition, a philosophy, a religion. a way of governing or simply a way of life. Confucianism emphasizes the importance of family and social harmony over otherworldly spiritual values so it’s not technically a religion and Confucius himself didn’t see his teachings in the context of starting a new religion. It’s estimated there are 6-10 million people in the world who identify themselves as followers of Confucianism and they primarily live in China.

Romans 3:20 – Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Confucianism recognizes no gods, however followers do worship the spirit of Confucius along with their ancestors. Confucianism is not an organized religion. There are no worship services, no religious hierarchy, no central authority and no dogma. There are Confucian temples throughout China that are used for important community and civic rituals. Think of Confucian temples like we in the U. S. see our civic centers. The important thing to know is that Confucianism laid the foundation for much of Chinese culture. I think Confucianism is a fake religion because Confucius was the first person to lay out the “humanist” manifesto of worshipping man as god. We see the prevalence of that in our world today. As far as I’m concerned Confucianism and humanism are interchangeable. Confucianism was the first humanist by considering human life as sacred and saying man’s moral nature comes from heaven, which Confucius saw as an absolute principle of the universe and not some divine god. In essence, Confucius was saying that man is god.

In the dictionary Confucianism is defined as, “the system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught be Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.”

In the dictionary Humanism is defined as, “a system of thought that regards people as capable of using their intelligence to live their lives, rather than relying on religious belief.”

The above definitions aren’t that far apart. The ethical philosophy of Confucianism is commendable but the problem is Confucianism is based on self-effort of the individual, leaving no room or need for god. Confucianism teaches that man is capable of reaching heaven by his own efforts which is clearly refuted in the biblical teachings of Christianity. If we look at the last 2500 years of human history we can clearly see Confucius was wrong in his conclusions. Look at how much human misery has been caused by all the wars, killing and destruction caused by mankind. Instead of becoming more enlightened man is becoming more evil and depraved as time goes by, Not only does man lack the capability not to do evil, man can’t please the true God Jehovah by his own efforts nor can man attain heaven on his own.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

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

Confucianism, like all fake religions, relies on the works and abilities of man. Confucianism also worships a false god, which is man himself. In Romans 3:23, the Bible tells us that Christianity is the only religion that recognizes that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All believers must rely solely on Jesus Christ because his sacrificial death on the cross opened heaven’s door to all who believe in him and put their trust not in themselves, but in Jesus Christ alone. Those who worship themselves will not have their sins forgiven and when they die they will have to stand in judgment before the Great White Throne of Jesus Christ on the last Day. The wrath of God will fall on them and they will be condemned to the lake of fire for all eternity. For those who have eyes, let them see!

CAODAISM

Caodaism is almost exclusively an ethnic Vietnamese religion. It’s a young religion which started in southern Vietnam in 1926 and currently has 4-6 million followers. Vietnamese who have immigrated to other countries have taken Caodaism with them. In 1921 Ngo Van Chieu claims to have received visions from god in the form of a divine eye. Caodaism has borrowed from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and even Catholicism in forming their religious practices. They have their own church hierarchy that looks much like the Catholic church. They have incorporated reincarnation beliefs similar to the Hindus. They believe in becoming one with god like the Taoists. They believe the path to heaven is by leading a virtuous life similar to what the Buddhists believe. It’s obvious when Mr. Chieu started his religion he picked out what he liked about all the religions he was familiar with and amalgamated them into his new religion.

The followers of Caodaism engage in prayers, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence and vegetarianism. The goal of Caodaism is union with god and freedom from samsara, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth (reincarnation). Caodaists believe in two major gods, god the father (Highest Lord) and the feminine god (Holy Buddha Mother). All other devine beings obey the two creators. To achieve heaven one must cultivate their virtues and devote themselves to spiritual causes. If you do a good enough job you get to go to heaven and join with god. Otherwise, when you die you may end up in one of 3000 other worlds in one of 36 heavenly planes. We only have union with god when we have true liberation and reach Nirvana.

Any religion less than 2000 years old is a fake religion but one less than 100 years old is so obviously a fake as to be laughable. Caodaism is the worship of a pantheon of false gods. It’s a mortal sin to worship false gods before the true God Jehovah, who has commanded all men, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” God couldn’t be any clearer on the subject. All the pagans who worship false gods are disobeying God, which is a sin, and they’ll wind up in hell for it. Those pagans who reject Jesus Christ as the divine Son of God will not be saved unto eternal life in heaven. The only path to heaven is through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior and by rejecting God’s saving grace they’ll face the wrath of God on the last Day.

There are about 4200 religions in the world and two of them, Christianity and Judaism, are from our God Jehovah. All the rest of them are fake religions sponsored by Satan, the god of this world, to lead man away from the truth of God and eternal life in heaven. Judaism is the ninth largest religion in the world with 17 million followers. God gave his laws and his covenants through Moses to the Israelites, his chosen people, at Mount Sinai around 1440 BC after God brought his people out of bondage in Egypt. When Jesus Christ came to earth as the prophesied Messiah the Jews rejected him and crucified him. God then turned to the Gentiles to build his church based on the new covenant of the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. For the last 2000 years of the church age the Gentiles have spread the gospel of Christ. One day Jesus will come in the air to rapture all Christians to the clouds to join Jesus in the air before taking all believers back to heaven with him. In the meantime, all Jews who die without Christ are condemned to hell. On the last Day God will save a Jewish remnant that will enter heaven along with the Gentile believers.

SIKHISM

Sikhism is a religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century. Sikhs believe in reincarnation like the other Indian religions but they differ from the other religions in their belief about god. The Hindus believe in a thousand gods and the Buddhists believe in no god. The Sikhs fall in the middle because they are monotheistic, believing in one god who is shapeless, timeless, incomprehensible and invisible. Sikhism is one of the youngest of the major religions and the fifth largest religion in the world with 28 million followers. The word Sikh means “student” or “disciple” of the guru (teacher).

Psalm 145:20 – The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before Me.

Sikhism developed from the teachings of the first guru, Guru Nanak (1469-1539 AD). He was succeeded by ten other gurus and the last one, Gobind Sing (1666-1708 AD) named the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, as his successor, bringing to a close the line of human gurus and establishing the scripture as the eternal religious spiritual guide for all Sikhs. The first guru taught that living an active, creative and practical life of truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity is above the metaphysical truth. Sikhs believe the ideal man established union with god, knows his will and carries out that will. Sikh ethics emphasize the congruence between spiritual development and everyday conduct.

John 1:1,14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:7 – (Jesus speaking) – And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words.

The core beliefs of Sikhism include faith and meditation on the name of Vaheguru, the one creator; divine unity and equality of all humankind; engaging in selfless service; striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder’s life. Sikhs reject the claims of any particular religious tradition having a monopoly on absolute truth. Most of the early converts to Sikhism came for disgruntled Hindus and Muslims living in northwest India. Mughal rulers of India felt threatened by the new religion so they tortured and executed two of the gurus after they refused to convert to Islam. In 1699 Guru Gobind Sing created a warrior class of Sikhs to protect their religious freedom against outsiders.

Romans 10:9 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13 – For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other.

In Sikh scripture god is “ik onkar”, the formless one. Sikhs say god was never incarnated and he has created life on many worlds. Like the other Indian religions Sikhs believe our physical world is an illusion and the term for the illusion of this world is “maga.” Sikhs believe the world is in a state of spiritual darkness because of man’s love of and attachment to “maga.” Sikhs believe the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment and lust in our lives are distracting and hurtful and keeps us in “maga”. To the Sikhs the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect with god (Vaheguru) by the accumulation of the selfless search for truth. The human body is just a means to achieve this reunion with god through our consciousness.

Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Romans 3:28 – Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart form the deeds of the law.

Joshua 24:23 – Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.

Once truth starts to shine in a person’s heart, the essence of current and past holy books of all religions is understood by the person. Sikh teaching are not founded on a final destination of heaven or hell but on a spiritual reunion with god, which results in salvation, which to Sikhs mean enlightenment and liberation within one’s lifetime. This concept is also found in Hinduism. Although the Sikhs believe in reincarnation they also believe in salvation by god’s grace. The goal of all Sikhs is to get closer to god and avoid “maga” while associating mostly with others of their faith.

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

Psalm 14:1 – The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.

Sikhs are big on reciting scriptures from their holy book and singing hymns during the prayers held morning, evening and at night. Sikhs are very inclusive by accepting the gods of Hinduism and Islam because they consider them to be just alternative names for their god. Sikh temples are called gurdwaras and Sikhs have their own particular festivals, ceremonies and customs. The Sikhs mantra is live and let live. We’ve all seen the Sikhs and wondered what they believe. They always looked menacing to me because they never smiled. They always look immaculately dressed with manicured beards and massive turbans. What I’ve learned from my study is Sikhs are not to be feared. They are friendly but reserved. They just want to be left alone which is fine with me.

Isaiah 32:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

Hosea 13:4 – Yet I am the Lord your God…there is no Savior besides Me.

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

At the end of the day Sikhism is still a fake religion and they worship a formless god that is a false god. Sikhs do not know the true God Jehovah and they don’t believe God came down to earth from heaven in the incarnation of Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of man so we could inherit eternal life in a physical heaven. Sikhs don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father. Sikhs don’t believe in the Trinity. When Sikhs die they will face the wrath of God on the last Day for not believing in Jehovah and the gospel of Christ. All sikhs will end up in the lake of fire for eternity.

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

Proverbs 12:15 – The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.

ISLAM

The followers of Islam are referred to as Muslims. Islam is the second largest religion in the world with two billion followers and also the fastest growing religion. Islam is the majority religion of 51 countries in the world. The prophet Mohammed (570-632 AD) started Islam in the early seventh century on the Arabian peninsula. In 610 AD Mohammed claimed he had received “revelations” from god and began preaching in Mecca. The local authorities ran Mohammed out of town so he then went to nearby Medina where people were more receptive to his religious message. Islam officially began in Medina in 622 AD. The Islamic message of brotherhood, equality and exclusivity under one god appealed to the Arabian tribesmen and they flocked to his banner. Those who did not willingly convert to Islam were converted by the sword. Within 200 years Islam had spread from Iberia in the west (modern day Spain) to the Indus River in the east (modern day Pakistan).

The most populous Muslim majority country today is Indonesia with 12% of all Muslims. 31% of all Muslims live is south Asia, 20% live in the Middle East and North Africa and 15% live in sub-Saharan Africa. There are also sizable Muslim communities in China, Europe and America. There are two denominations in Islam; Sunni (85-90%) and Shia (10-15%). The two denominations have a difference of opinion on the succession to Muhammed plus there are other minor differences in some of their religious practices. Islam has borrowed from Jewish history by claiming the angel Gabriel was sent to Muhammad from Allah and that Jewish patriarchs are actually all prophets of Islam.

According to Islam, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus were all prophets of their god Allah. According to Islam, the final and most important prophet of Allah was Muhammed, who reconciled and corrected all the misconceptions of previous prophets and gave us the final revelation of god. Islam had to accept that Jesus lived because it’s a historical fact but they’ve twisted it around by saying god (Allah) saved Jesus from crucifixion by the Jews and he died a natural death. Jewish and Roman historical records say otherwise. Satan knows if he can get rid of Jesus Christ as the resurrected Son of God in the eyes of man he can get rid of Christianity itself. If there’s no resurrected Jesus that means we can’t be resurrected either and we won’t spend eternity in heaven. Satan is intent on leading us all straight to hell if we let him.

John 14:9 – (Jesus speaking) – He who has seen Me has seen the Father.

John 10:30 – (Jesus speaking) – I and My Father are one.

God is perfect. God doesn’t make mistakes. For Islam to claim the prophet Muhammed had to correct and clarify mistakes made by earlier prophets doesn’t ring true. A prophet of the true God doesn’t need correction. Islam is referring to Jesus as the prophet who needs to be clarified and corrected. We are left with two prophets saying different things (Jesus and Muhammed). They can’t both be true so one must be a false prophet. Who is true and who is false? Let’s look at the evidence. We have Jesus Christ who fulfilled over sixty prophecies in the Bible. We have Jesus Christ with the personal testimony of the many millions of people who have testified that a personal relationship with Jesus has changed their lives for the better.

Then we have Muhammed with no fulfilled prophecies and no personal testimonies to back him up. All we are left with is the testimony of one man, Muhammed himself, on which to base our decision whether he is a self-proclaimed prophet of god or not. The evidence is clear that Islam is a fake religion and Muhammed is a false prophet. The evidence is also clear the Jesus Christ is a prophet of the true God Jehovah. Jesus is not only the last prophet of God, he is who he says he is, the Son of the living God and our Lord and Savior.

John 6:47 – (Jesus speaking) – Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.

John 11:25-26 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

Christianity is Christ. The reason for our very existence and the purpose of human history is God coming to earth in the flesh in the incarnation of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and eternal damnation. God’s Word begins and ends with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the author of our faith and the high priest of Christianity who sits at the right hand of God in heaven. Without faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we cannot please God and we cannot have our sins forgiven. Without God’s forgiveness we cannot enter heaven but are condemned to hell for eternity. Satan’s tactics usually include lies that contain just a shred of the truth but just enough to be plausible while ensuring our destruction. Satan is not an original thinker but he likes to mimic what God does and he twists the truth of God just enough to fool us into following the path to hell. Islam does not acknowledge the Trinity.

Isaiah 42:8 – I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another.

Psalm 145:20 – The Lord preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

Islam is a religion that seeks to regulate both the spiritual and temporal aspects of life into one by following a set of rules known as Islamic law, or Sharia. A Muslim cannot separate the two aspects of life if they want to go to heaven. In Islam Allah has all the attributes we ascribe to Jehovah. There is heaven and hell and eternal judgment by god. According to Islam the angel Gabriel gave Allah’s revelation to Muhammad who recorded it in the Koran as the direct word of god. According to Muslims, Allah has commissioned them to convert the entire world to Islam through the jihad (holy war). Islam discriminates against other religions by making them convert to Islam or pay a special tax levied against all infidels.

According to Islamic religious concepts and practices there are, “five pillars of Islam.” These five pillars of the faith are obligatory and all are required for the Muslim to enter heaven:

1. Shahada (profession of faith) – There are two shahadas which must be recited verbally for one to become a convert to Islam and be considered a Muslim:

A. There is no god but God (Allah)
B. Muhammad is the messenger of God

This profession of faith is what Muslims say when they are at prayer five times a day at the prescribed times. The shahadas are the first things said to a newborn and the last thing said to a person who is dying.

2. Salah (prayer) – Muslim prayers are required five times a day. Muslims are required to wash their hands, face and feet and face toward the holy Kaaba shrine in Meccas. Muslims go through a series of positions as they recite scripture from the Koran. Prayers times are announced loudly for all to hear at dawn, noon, afternoon, evening and at night.

3. Zakat (almsgiving) – Well to do Muslims are expected to give 2.5% of their income to support the Islamic community which is used for the upkeep of mosques and holy places as well as helping the needy. Givers must declare their gift to god and distribute it in the local community. The giver must not exaggerate how much they give. While the wealthy pay a portion of their income to support Islam those who are without financial means are required to do good deeds and exhibit good behavior toward other Muslims.

4. Sawm (fasting) – Muslims are required to fast during the holy month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset. No food, water, sex, or cigarettes are permitted during the day but there are no prohibitions at night.

5. Hajj (pilgrimage) – This is the only pillar of Islam actually mentioned in the Koran. All the other pillars of the Islamic faith have evolved through the combined efforts of Islamic leaders over the years. During their lifetimes all Muslims are required to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca. Once there all Muslims dress identically in white. Once in the sanctuary of the mosque pilgrims walk seven times around the Kaaba, the large square black stone (box) in the center of the sanctuary. Pilgrims also throw seven stones at stone pillars representing Satan to express their hatred of Satan. Pilgrims then have to travel seven times between to small hills outside the Kaaba that are 300 meters apart. Pilgrims go back and circle the Kaaba seven more times and they have completed their required pilgrimage to Mecca. Walking represents travelling the path of Muhammed.

According to the Koran there are four sources of Islamic law and thinking;

1. Summah (tradition) – This is tribal law, some of which even predates the Koran and includes the Hadith, the recorded words and deeds of Muhammad.

2. Ijma (consensus) – To overcome individual and regional differences by creating one consistent spiritual truth. The canon of the faith is set and no further questions or opinions are allowed.

3. Ijtihad (individual thought) – Religious leaders can add revelations to the body of Islamic law.

4. Paradise (heaven) – In Islam heaven is a pleasure garden of sensual delights and the satisfaction of all bodily desires. In Islam we have all the wonderful food to eat and each man in heaven gets 72 virgins to pleasure him forever. My question is what do the poor women in heaven get? Heaven sounds like the ultimate “man cave” and women are only chattel. This version of heaven was obviously made up by a man to fill his wildest dreams. In no way is this version of heaven a product of the true God. In Islam women are clearly second class citizens and chattel. Where is Islamic equality for women? I find it hard to keep up with one woman and I’d be terrified at the prospect of trying to continually satisfy 72 women. What were they thinking when they made all this stuff up!

Proverbs 14:25 – A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

Isaiah 45:5 – I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.

In summary, Islam is a fake religion and Allah is a false god. Allah was originally the name of the moon god for one of the desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula and Muhammed simply borrowed it for his new religion. Satan has cleverly designed Islam to compete with Christianity for the souls of mankind by coming up with his own fake version of god, heaven and hell. Satan got a good look at Christianity for a few hundred years before he came up with Islam. Satan is a good mimic and he gives the appearance of reason most of the time but his version of heaven is way over the top and any rational human being should be able to see it as a fake version of heaven. Faith in God as the only prerequisite for heaven rings true in our souls whereas following a set of prescribed actions to get into heaven rings false to everyone who will take the time to stop and think about it both spiritually and logically.

Joshua 24:23 – Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.

Isaiah 32:11 – I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.

In the end times we know there’ll be one world religion that worships one god. That world religion will persecute the Christian faithful by requiring them to renounce their faith and take the mark of the Beast or be beheaded. There will literally be millions of Christians executed for keeping Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and not renouncing him. We’re in the end times now and it usually takes hundreds of years to start and spread a new religion worldwide so the one world religion has to come from what already exists. Even with the speed with which society is changing today there’s simply not enough time for any new world religion to take hold.

Of the top four religions Hinduism, at number three with 1.3 billion followers, is the paganistic worship of a thousand gods so they don’t qualify as the one world religion. Buddhism, the number four religion with 500 million followers, worships no god so they are out of the running as the one world religion. The only two religions left standing as candidates to become the one world religion are the top two, Christianity with 2.5 billion followers and Islam with 2.0 billion followers.

Hosea 13:4 – Yet I am the Lord your God…there is no Savior besides Me.

Isaiah 45:22 – Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other.

Even though the Catholic Pope is indeed a false prophet of God I don’t believe he’s the false prophet mentioned in the book of Revelation. Since the saints martyred in the end times are Christians it is highly unlikely Christians would kill their own people for worshipping the God they all represent. That is a bridge too far to contemplate. That leaves Islam as the only possible candidate for the one world religion foretold in the book of Revelation which will partnership with the antichrist. Currently Islam does not have one supreme religious leader but that could all change if someone appears on the scene who proves he is a direct descendant of Muhammed or if the lost Mahdi shows up, according to legend, to lead Islam to world domination.

Either of those two would qualify as the false prophet of Revelation. Muslims execute by beheading and the fact the one world religion will use that same method of execution just confirms my conclusion that Islam is the one world religion of the end times. Islam is not the peaceful religion they claim to be. The Koran is clear that everyone in the world will ultimately be required to worship their god Allah and convert to Islam or face the blade. All Muslims are aware that they’re to participate in this jihad (holy war). We Christians need to know Islam for the dangerous and fake religion it is and keep a close eye on it. Christians need to understand Allah is a false god and not just another name for our God Jehovah.

Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before Me.

Matthew 6:7- (Jesus speaking) – And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.