Paradise Lost

As I pondered Friday's post, I began thinking about people's need to think the best of their dearly departed. After all, who benefits from thinking their loved ones are not "in a better place." Funeral after funeral, I heard things like, "at least he's not suffering anymore," or "she's got her wings and she's singing with the angels." Mind you, these are funerals for unbelievers, those who have no hope without Christ.

I don't want to seem unsympathetic here. I know the loss of a loved one is difficult for both believer and unbeliever. However, as a believer, the last thing I want to do is give false hope.

I remember years ago my mom asked me to represent our family at Earl's memorial service and say a prayer or read a verse. According to my mom, Earl's wife, Helen, w a believer...Earl was not. Most, if not all, of Earl's friends were unbelievers as well who paid tribute to him in song (Helen and Earl were part of SongMakers). Helen sang a Hawaiian hymn called Kanaka Wai Wai, but changed a few words. She sang,

Let Earl walk to paradise with you Lord,
Take his hands and lead him there

Again, Earl was not a Christian nor claimed to be.

According to God's Word, the unbelievers lot in eternity will not be paradise but will be consistent with his rejection of the only begotten of the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ; for "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

While searching the web...

Just my response to a link I followed (my comments in bold).

Akin says (responding to James White):

But I am not an anti-Calvinist in the second sense named above since I do not believe that Calvinism is so evil/bad/defective/whatever that it prevents Calvinists from being Christians.

Hmmm...then you must not hold to the Declarations of the Council of Trent which anathematizes those of us who subscribe to Calvinism for such is what Calvinists subscribe to- for such is what God's Word teaches. Since you are opposed to the Councils' declaration, does that mean the church is wrong for decreeing such anathemas?

I am perfectly happy to acknowledge Calvinists as brothers in Christ, even if I disagree with certain points of their theological system. You don't do that. Your level of "againstness" toward Catholicism is such that you think it deprives a person of the status of Christian if they really believe what the Church teaches, and that represents a more fundamental level of opposition to Catholicism than I have toward any form of Protestantism.

And again, you may see us as brothers in Christ, but that is not what Trent means when they say "LET HIM BE ANATHEMA." There is a level of "againstness" for Paul tells us to "encourage with sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:9). Christians are also called to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3). So yes, there is opposition. If you do not have the same opposition, then you are inconsistent with your own worldview. If you subscribe to the teachings of the Church over and above what God's Word teaches (for they are not the same), then what Paul says applies,

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
-Galatians 1:8

Maranatha!

Yeah, it my be a year or two late, but the issues are still relevant for today. Besides, it's late.

Is Doctrine Divisive?

Scripture calls us to "teach what is in accord with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). Contrary to sound doctrines is...yep, you guessed it, false doctrine. Paul warns us that "the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim 4:3).

Benedict XVI, in his latest speech to some "50 Australian leaders of the Anglican, Uniting, Catholic, Lutheran, Maronite and Melkite and Assemblies of God churches," calls Christians to "guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live."

Merriam-Webster defines doctrine as: something that is taught; a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief.

Applied to Christianity, it is the principle teachings or instructions of Scripture.

So what's the problem? Well Benedict ought to know that Catholicism is at odds with Christianity. In fact, didn't they somewhere at some council anathematize the Christian church for their distinctive doctrines? Oh yes, it was the declarations of the Council of Trent.

Doctrine is divisive simply because both groups have two different interpretations, one based on Scripture alone, the other on Scripture and Tradition; one places God's Word as the sole authority, the other the Church- the Catholic church.

Catholicism has continued to teach their perverse doctrines and has not to this day rescinded their anathemas against the Christian church. So what do we have in common? What is the point of attending some ecumenical hash and listen to a man who speaks out of both sides of his mouth?

As a side note, Christians ought not to agree on Benedicts second point about world improvement either. The Christians main objective is spelled out in Scripture- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit -Matt 28:19. The Gospel is the immediate and pressing task of the Christian, not world improvement. The only way the world will improve is through man's subjection to Christ our King.

Somebody's Watching Me

If that songs not already coursing through your mind, perhaps Concetta Bertoldi's new book Do Dead People Watch You Shower? will get you singing...or not!

Bertoldi, who supposedly communicates with dead people, has gotten in touch with some from the Other Side and asked them the questions man has been eager to know for ages- questions like, What happens to us when we die? What do we look like? What is there to do on the Other Side? Will my teddy bear be there to greet me?

According to Bertoldi's sources, death is a transition into a blissful light, whereas here we can spend life in the dark. What we enjoy here we will enjoy there: boardgames, sports, fishing. and voyeurism (unfortunately for some it is the non-entertainment form where you will just smile and be happy, happy that [someone is] experiencing love or maybe just one-night-stand pleasure). The Other Side also offers dancing, regeneration, self-forgiveness, and anger-management courses. All of this created for us by whom...Bertoldi's version of God.

But for those of us interested in rational and truthful answers to the questions of life after death, Bertoldi is definitely not the source of such info.

So where do we look...that's right...to God's Word. We are told by the Apostle Paul, contrary to Bertoldi's house guests, while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, knowing that when we are absent from the body we will be present with the Lord. We = those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. So what about the rest? We read about them in Luke 16:19-31. They are not dancing, nor playing backgammon, nor frolicking in sparkling lakes. And that's just temporary until Rev. 20:11-15.

Nothing good awaits the unbeliever, the atheist, the fornicator, the idolater, the homosexual, etc. (I Cor. 6:8-10). He has nothing to look forward to but torment. This is why our plea to repent and turn from your sins and turn to the Living God who gives life. Don't be mislead by Bertoldi. Her "people" have nothing to offer us but lies, deciet, and utlimately, eternal torment.