Recently, I have heard a new doctrine proposed. It is that unfaithful Christians of this age will not be in the kingdom. That is, they will not participate in the millennial reign of Christ on earth, but will...
In the classic film, "The Ten Commandments," Pharaoh watched his army, chariots and all, suffer complete destruction in the Red Sea after the children of Israel safely cross over. But is this the case? No, it is not. Although the text in Exodus 14:17-18 sounds like Pharaoh died there, we have more absolute proof in the Psalms. Paslm 136:15 states, "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever." Pharaoh died with his army in the Red Sea. To parapharse Romans 3:4, let God be true and every movie be wrong.
I recently saw a picture of an elderly woman, who, when she was younger had surgery done to change some things about her face. She was an odd looking individual. I was reminded about the verse in Romans where it says, "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" (Romans 9:20)
According to an article in today's "Wall Street Journal," cellphone providers in Asian countries are offering many innovative services. In India, Hindu worshippers can send text messages to their god Ganesh at the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai. Ganesh is the god in charge of destroying obstacles that might keep you from successfully completing personal goals (like getting a job or purchasing a house) and he is particularly receptive to requests on Tuesday's. So visitors on that day may wait in a line for up to five hours just to get Ganesh to obliterate the hindrances in their path. However, for only four cents per text message (a fee split between the cellphone company and the temple), participants can use their cellphone to send a text message request which will be printed out, neatly folded, and placed in a box next to the temple's idol--with the hope that he takes time to read them. Presently, about 70,000 text messages are coming in from all over India each week.
Research has shown that 11 million American adults cannot read. That means they cannot pick up the word of God and study it. They cannot pick up a tract and read to find out how to know Jesus Christ. This reminds us of a phrase found in Romans 10:14, which says, "how shall they hear without a preacher". Should these people go unreached because they are not able to read? I think not. Perhaps God's people need to be looking at training others to read. In the mean time, we ought to be thinking of ways to get good tracts, books and other items available in audio format. It wouldn't take much to take good tracts and produce audio files to distribute to those who cannot read. Maybe God will stir some hearts to reach these with the word of God.
An article in the August 19, 2006, edition of "World" magazine tells how the worship of serpents is "present in virtually every country of the ancient world." According to the Bible, there was a time when all people knew the true God, but they purposely turned away from Him and went after images and false gods (Romans 1:21-23). Certainly, Noah's family knew the story of the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden and passed along to their families. Here is just a sampling of the traditions of the snake in cultures around the world. Some of the stories consider the snake to be evil; others take him as the source of wisdom.
