GOD'S CREDIBILITY BY STEVE FINNELL

God's credibility is not predicated by a vote of confidence by the majority. God does not need to have His truth validated by the masses. The Bible and the Bible alone is God's truth to mankind. No creed book, Bible commentary,  nor congregational church vote is needed to affirm God's credibility.

The entire population of the world disbelieved God when He told them if they ate from the tree in the middle of the garden or touched it, that they would die. (Genesis 3:4)

Adam and Eve died even though the majority opinion was in their favor. God's truth was not voided because the total population of the world disbelieved it.

Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Jesus said he who has believed shall be saved. The vast majority of the world disbelieves that. The majority opinion does not invalidate the words of Jesus.

Jesus said he who has been baptized shall be saved. The majority of the world believes water baptism is not essential in order for men to be saved. Majority opinion is not necessary to affirm, establish, or validate the words of Jesus Christ.

God's credibility does not depend on the majority of the world's population to confirm, validate, endorse, nor corroborate His truth.

GOD'S WORD IS FOUND IN THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ALONE. The truth in the Bible is not subject to affirmation by a majority vote.       

THERE IS ONE GOD! by steve finnell

There is one God in the form of three persons. God the Father. God the Son. God the Holy Spirit.

There is one God: James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe---and tremble! (NKJV)

There is one God in three persons: 1 John 5:7 For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.(NKJV)[THREE ARE ONE]

GOD FATHER: 1 Corinthians 15:23-24 23....who are Christ's at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (NKJV)[Jesus is not God the Father]

GOD THE WORD: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.NKJV)

Jesus was with God the Father in the beginning and Jesus was God. Jesus was the Word and the Word was God.

Jesus is God: Acts 20:28 ...the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.(NKJV) [Jesus is God.]

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD: Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 "While  it remained, was it not sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."(NKJV)

When Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit he was lying to God.

1John 5:7 For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.(NKJV)

There is on one God in three persons: GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the one God in three persons. They are all God, but they are not the same person.

LET US: Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image...(NKJV)

God the Father said let Us make man. Us is more than one person.

ONE GOD IN THREE PERSONS!    


   

THE BIBLE SPEAKS! by steve finnell

The Bible speaks the truth, but is your hearing impaired?

John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". (NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in John 3:3?

A. Unless you are born the first time from your mother's womb you will not see the kingdom of God.

B. SEE: John 3:3

John 3:5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.(NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in John 3:5?

A. Unless a man is born of amniotic fluid and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

B. SEE: John3:5

Will the hearing impaired enter the kingdom of God?

Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism  into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.(NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in Romans 6:4?

A. We were therefore buried with him through baptism, sprinkling or pouring into his death through the glory of the Father, because we have already been living a new life due to the fact we were saved the minute we believed Jesus was the Christ.

B. SEE: Romans 6:4

Will the hearing impaired be raised to live a new life?

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be  condemned. (NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in Mark 16:16?

A. Whoever believes will be saved and whoever is baptized may join the denomination of their choice.

B SEE: Mark 16:16

Will the hearing impaired be saved?

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.(NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in John 3:16?

A. God so loved the world that he selected a few individuals to believe and be saved, and selected all others to burn in hell.

B. SEE: John 3:16

Will the hearing impaired have everlasting life?

Acts 2:38 Peter replied: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in Acts 2:38?

A. Repent so your sins may be forgiven. Be baptized because your sins were forgiven when you believed. You were saved when you said the sinner's prayer. You receive the gift Holy Spirit before you repented and were baptized in water.

B.SEE: Acts 2:38

Will the hearing impaired have their sins forgiven?

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way--the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father except through me.(NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in John 14:6?

A. Jesus answered, "I am one of many ways---one of many truths. Others may chose different ways to the Father. There are many avenues to salvation besides through Me.

B. SEE: John 14:6

Will the hearing impaired find their way to the Father?

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (NIV 19783)

What are you hearing in Matthew 28:18?

A. All authority on earth is given the Pope.

B. SEE: Matthew 28:18

Will the hearing impaired understand who is the authority in the church of Jesus Christ?

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in Matthew 28:19/

A. Baptize them in the name of Jesus only.

B. SEE: Matthew 28:19

1 Corinthians 15:24-28.....27 For God has put everything under his feet. Now when it says that everything has been put under him, it is clear that does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so God may be all in all. (NIV 1973)

What are you hearing in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28?

A. Jesus is God the Father? Jesus is God the Father and the Holy Spirit?
B. SEE: 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 

Is a hearing impairment a problem in understanding who Jesus is and is not?

Can pride cause hearing loss? Can pride be the reason men do not understand God's terms for pardon?

PRIDE DEFINED: Pride is when men believe they are smarter than God. 

          

THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN! BY STEVE FINNELL

 What is the unforgivable sin?

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin.

How is the unpardonable sin committed?

THE EXAMPLE OF THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN!

Mark 3:22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He cast out the demons by the ruler of the demons."

Mark 3:28-30 "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"---30 because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

These scribes were committing BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT because they said Jesus was casting out demons by the power of an unclean spirit, when in fact it was by the power of THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is proclaiming that Jesus was possessed by Satan and using Satan's power; when in fact Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit.  

  

ONE MEDIATOR BY STEVE FINNELL

How many mediators are there between God and men? Who is qualified to act as a mediator between God and men?

What is a mediator? A mediator is one who mediates. Definition of mediate: To bring about an agreement, accord, truce, peace, as an intermediary between parties.

THERE IS JUST ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN!

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

If you believe there is one God, then, why would you not believe there is one mediator?

The Virgin Mary nor any dead saint is qualified to be a mediator between God and men. No priest, preacher, elder, pastor, pope, nor Christian dead or alive can mediate between God and men.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY MEDIATOR!

(Scripture quote from: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE

PREDESTINED CONFUSION! by steve finnell

John Calvin and his followers honestly believe that God predestined certain individual to be saved and all others to be lost. To believe that God selected you to be saved and that God chose your next door neighbor to burn in hell gives hubris a bad name.

The proof-text offered to confirm predestination. Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless  before Him. In love. 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intentions of His will,(NASB)

God predestined all who would become Christians to become holy and blameless through Jesus Christ. God did not select the individuals who would become Christians.

The church of Christ was predestined before the world was formed. The individual members of the Lord's church were not selected before the foundation of the world. Every man has a choice to believe in Jesus or reject Him.

Salvation is available to all  those who meet God's terms for pardon.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.(NASB)

God's grace is available to all who meet God's terms for pardon, not just a select few.

TERMS FOR PARDON: Faith John 3:16, Repentance Acts 3:19, Confession Romans 10:9, and Water Baptism Mark 16:16   

EXAMPLES OF THE APOSTLES by steve finnell

What do know of the actions and beliefs of the apostles after the Day of Pentecost AD 33?

Names of those apostles after the Day of Pentecost. Simon , who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the Tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, Mathias, and the apostle Paul.

What do we know of the beliefs and lifestyles of these apostles after the Day of Pentecost?

1. How many apostles said that water baptism was not essential to salvation? Answer, not one.

2.How many of them of lived a homosexual lifestyle? Answer, none.

3. How many of them said once you are saved you can never be lost, even if you live an unrepentant lifestyle? Answer, not one single one of them.

4. Which apostle said, "Sprinkling, or pouring water on a person is Biblical baptism?" Answer, no apostle made that claim.

5. How many of the apostles were getting drunk, but claiming getting drunk on special occasions did not make them drunkards? Answer, not one.

6. What is the name of the apostle that said, "Jesus is one way to get heaven, but not the only way? Answer, no apostle made that statement.

7. How many apostles were guilty of adultery post 33AD? Answer, not one.

8. Who were the apostles whom stated, "You do not have to baptized to have your sins forgiven, but you must be baptized to join the denomination of your choice?" Answer, no apostle ever claimed that was a fact.

9. Names of the apostles who were unrepentant thieves? Answer, none of them fit that category.

10. Which apostle said "Denominational  churches should write their own creed books because creed books explain the errors found in the Scriptures?" Answer, not one.

11. Did any of the apostles direct Christians to pray to the Virgin Mary and other dead saints? Answer, no, none did.

12. Which apostle continued in swindling his fellow man? Answer, not one.

13. Did the apostles teach that the church had the authority to change the Scriptures. Answer, no.

14. Did the apostles claim the apostle Peter was the first in a long line of Popes? Did they say Peter was the head of the Lord's church? Answer, no, they did not.

15. How many apostles said "That all men inherited the guilt of Adam,s sin and therefore were sinner at conception?" Answer, absolutely none of them.

16 Did the apostles baptize unbelieving infants? Answer, no.

17. Which apostle said "That God selected each individual for salvation and selected every person that would be sent to hell?" Answer, that was not said nor taught by any apostle.

18. Which apostle said, God has given the Scriptures, however, we cannot trust any translation of the Bible but the King James Version? Answer, not spoken by any apostle.

19. Which apostle stated that the Bible alone cannot be trusted for God's truth. Answer, not one single one.

20. How many of the apostles said, "The only way to understand God's truth is by reading Bible commentaries, extra-Biblical books, and other books of opinions, and traditions of men?" Answer, no apostle made that statement.

21. Is there one apostle that said, "Men are saved by faith alone?" Answer, no.

22. Did the apostles teach that unbaptized infant who died will be in limbo? Answer, no they did not.

23. Which apostle taught that believers who died without being baptized in water would still be saved? Answer, no apostle taught any such doctrine.

   
Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching...(NASB)

The question is should you trust the apostles' doctrine for your salvation, or should you trust the teaching of your denomination to get you to heaven?    

     

DID NOAH HAVE FREE-WILL? by steve finnell

Did Noah and his family have free-will? Did the rest of mankind living in the time of Noah have free-will? The answer is yes, and yes.

John Calvin said men do not have free-will. If men do not have free-will, then God either forces them to obey Him or forces them to sin.

Did Noah have free-will?

Did God force Noah to be a preacher of righteousness.(See:2 Peter 2:5)NASB

Did God force Noah to be righteous and blameless. Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time, Noah walked with God.(NKJV)

If Noah did not have free-will, then how could he find favor in the eyes of the Lord. If God forced Noah to be a righteous preacher, forced him to be blameless, and forced him to walk with Him, then why would God find that favorable conduct?

DID THOSE WHO PERISHED IN THE FLOOD HAVE FREE-WILL?

Genesis 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.(NASB

If these men did not have free-will, how could they have intent of thoughts of their hearts to be only evil? You need free-will to be evil. If they were evil without free-will, then God forced them to be evil. God does not force people to sin.

Genesis 6:6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (NASB)

If God created these men as sinners without free-will, then why was He grieved in His heart? If God forced them to sin, then why would He destroy them?

Men do have free-will. They can obey God or disobey.

If all men are born sinners and without free-will, then why was Noah and his family spared from the flood?

Yes all men do sin, however, it is by choice. That is why all men need a Savior. Adam and Eve sinned by choice, as do all men. No man will go to hell because of Adam's sin; it will be because of their own unforgiven sin.

Men have the free-will to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior or reject Him.

God wants all men to be saved, however, it is an individual choice. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (NKJV)

REPENTANCE: Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38, and Acts 3:19.

     

FAKE NEWS  by steve finnell

There was fake news from the beginning of time. Eve believed the first fake news story ever told.

Fake News: Eve was deceived by the serpent in the garden. The serpent invented a fake news story and Eve was deceived. When confronted by God, Eve admitted she had been deceived? (Genesis 3:1-13) The problem today is most who believe fake news fail to admit they were deceived even when confronted with the truth.

Fake News: CO2 emissions are a pollutant, and made-made CO2 emissions are causing climate change AKA global warming and are the reason in a large part for snow blizzards, flooding, droughts, increase in earthquakes, melting of polar ice caps, warming temperatures, colder temperatures, lack of snowfall, rise of sea levels, destroying the planet, changing weather patterns in general, increase in tornadoes, and hurricanes, and causing terrorism.

True News: God controls the climate and weather.     Psalms 78:26 He causes the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directs the wind.(NASB) Job 28:25-26 :When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the water by measure, 26 When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt, (NASB) Jeremiah 5:24 'They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps us The appointed weeks of the harvest." (NASB) Psalm 107:24-29 They have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. 25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea........29 He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed. (NASB)

Fake News: Immersion in water is not essential, to be saved, nor in order to have sins forgiven, nor in order to be added to the body of Christ.

True News: Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (NIV 1973)

True News: Acts 2:38 Peter replied"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NIV 1973)

True News: Galatians 3:27 for all of you who were united with Christ in baptism have been clothed with Christ. (NIV 1973)

Satan was a deceiver from the beginning. He was the creator of FAKE NEWS!



                 

  

Does God Hate Sinners?

by	Kyle Butt, M.A.

Most religious people agree that God hates sin. Over and over, the Bible stresses the fact that God despises iniquity. God told the prophet Jeremiah to speak to the Israelites about their sin, saying: “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” (44:4). The Proverbs writer listed seven sins the Lord hates (6:16-19). The prophet Zechariah declared that God hates a false oath and evil done to one’s neighbor (8:17). Jesus Himself said that He hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6). The Bible emphasizes that the Lord hates sin.

Some have suggested that God takes His hatred one step further. They believe that God hates the sinner as well as the sin he or she commits. It has been suggested that God loves those who obey Him, and hates all who disobey. Those who teach this idea use various Bible verses to “prove” their case. For instance, Psalm 5:5 says that God hates “all workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 6:18-19 says that God hates “a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” Is it true that God hates sinners and their sin?

Any person who has read the Bible understands that one of its greatest themes is love. The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). It also explains that God showed His love to us while we were still sinners:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

An interesting aspect of this passage is that it stresses that lost sinners were not “righteous” or “good” when Christ demonstrated His love for them.

In the narrative of the rich young ruler, Jesus explained that the young man lacked something necessary to be pleasing to God. Yet even though the young man was lacking and lost, the Bible says that Jesus “loved him” (Mark 10:21). When Jesus mourned over lost Jerusalem, He cried:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37).

Jesus said His affection for the lost inhabitants of Jerusalem was like a mother hen’s affection for her chicks. Such a statement obviously denotes love for the sinners in Jerusalem.

In one of the most well-known “love” verses in the Bible, Jesus said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God’s love for the lost world was shown before the lost believed in Jesus. John further explained this when he wrote: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). From these verses it is clear that God loves lost sinners, and proved that love by sending Jesus.

How, then, can one reconcile the verses that seem to suggest that God hates sinners, but loves them at the same time? One of the most plausible solutions is that the Bible writers are using a figure of speech called metonymy when they write that God hates sinners. Metonymy is defined as: “A figure by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation” (Bullinger, 1898, p. 538). Bullinger further explains that metonymy can be “of cause,” when the person acting can be put in place of the thing that is done (p. 539). For instance, in Luke 16:29, the text says: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.” In reality, they did not have “Moses” or the “prophets,” but they did have their writings. The name Moses is a metonymy that stood for his writings, since he was the cause of the writings. In modern times, that would be like saying, “I hate Shakespeare.” Would the person who said that mean that he hated Shakespeare’s personality? No. We understand he would be saying he does not like the writings of Shakespeare, with no comment on the playwright’s personality.

If we apply that same figure of speech to the passages about God “hating sinners,” we can see that the sinner is put in place of the sin. Thus, when God says He hates “a false witness who speaks lies” (Proverbs 6:19), if metonymy is being used, then God hates the lies, and the one who is doing the lying (the cause) is put in place of the lies (the effect). It is interesting to see how clear this feature can be in other contexts. For instance, Proverbs 6:17 says that God hates “a lying tongue.” Does that mean that God hates a physical tongue, made of muscle and body tissue? No. It means God hates the sin that a tongue can perform. In the same context, we learn that God hates “feet that are swift in running to evil” (6:18). Again, does that mean that God hates physical feet? No. It simply means that God hates the sin that those feet can perform. It is interesting that while few, if any, would suggest that God hates physical tongues or actual feet, they would insist that God hates actual sinners and not the sin done by them.

When studying the Bible, it is very important to keep in mind that the Bible writers often used figures of speech. When we look at the idea that God hates sin, but loves sinners, the figure of speech known as metonymy clears up the confusion. Just as God does not hate physical feet or tongues, He does not hate sinners. These nouns are put in the place of the things they cause—sin.

REFERENCE

Bullinger, E.W. (1898), Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker), 1968 reprint.

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