So Many Churches - Which One

Often we inherit a church. Our parents, or at least one of our parents, took us to church when we were young, so we just continue going to the same church without making a choice for ourselves. But the choice of what church to belong to is not a social decision.

We learned what that church had to teach us. Did we even think twice about what we were being taught? Did we check to see what the Bible said about what we were being taught? There are those who would tell you that you can pick and choose what parts of the Bible you should believe and what parts of the Bible you should disregard. Those who would tell you that, would have to first disregard 2Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness".

Some may have questioned but were told "Just believe". Others may not have even thought to question. How could theologians be wrong? The question is better asked, "How can they all be right?" Just look at the variety of their opinions.

Christians alone represent many different ideas of theology. There are those who disregard the Old Testament as archaic, "before Christ re-wrote the rules", they appear to believe. But what about Mathew 5:17-18 in which Jesus says, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Now I add that there are those who cannot differentiate between the ceremonial law and the commandments. Jesus did do away with the ceremonial law, because the ceremonial law was pointing to Jesus. Lambs were sacrificed to point to the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world", John 1:29. But Jesus did not do away with the Ten Commandments. In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus is referring to the Ten Commandments, as in Matthew 5:19 He makes clear, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven". That doesn't sound like Jesus was saying that the Ten Commandments should be "nailed to the cross".

There are those who would teach thae who would teach that they can change the Commandments. But what about what we just read above in Matthew 5:17-19? The Catholic Church claims that they have the power to change the Fourth Commandment, Exodus 20:8-11. But in Exodus 20:8-11 God says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it". That seems to me to be quite clear. And those who say "one day is as good as another, just keep one for God" didn't see that in those few lines God said to "Remember". God begins the Fourth Commandment with the word "Remember". And God repeats what day is the Sabbath twice, and reports what is to be done on the other six days twice. Some don't know that the days of the week have never changed even though some countries have had calendar changes, the seven day week has been kept track of from the beginning, and the Sabbath was from the beginning as we can see in Exodus 20: 8-11, above and also in Genesis 2:2-3, "And on the seventh day God ended His work which he had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made". It seems to me that the Bible makes it clear that the Ten Commandments are permanent and unchangeable, but not all Christians would agree.

Then there are the other variations in Christian belief. The differing of whether Baptism is an immersion or just drops of water, and at what age Baptism should take place. Whether or not there is a secret rapture. What happens to a believer when he dies? What is Heaven? What qualifies someone to go to Heaven? What is Hell? Who or what is the antichrist, and is he here on earth now, or if not, when is he coming? When will Jesus return, and what happens then?

It's all in The Holy Bible. You only have to read it with God's help from His Holy Spirit and you will understand enough so that you are not at the mercy of those who preach in error out of ignorance, or worse yet, for their own profit.

I believe that we are in the last days. But I have no idea how many last days are left. For that matter none of us knows for certain how many days he or she may have left themselves. Any day may be our own last day. But it is possible that some of us alive today may see Jesus return before they die. When asked by His apostles how they would know when it would be soon that He would be returning to take them with Him, He said in Luth Him, He said in Luke 17:26-30, "And as it was in the days of Noe (Noah), so shall it be in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed". This is echoed in Matthew chapter 24. Look also in Luke chapter13 for signs of the last days. There have been, within the last year, those who have told people to expect Jesus to appear at their religious crusades, even though the Bible makes it plain that that is not going to happen. Just this year the false idea of the secret rapture has been circulated. If you don't already know what Jesus has told us and warned us, it is time to find out. The only reliable place to find out is the Holy Bible. No one today is any closer to God than the men who received the inspiration from God to pen the Scriptures. The Gospel is not for any private interpretation 2Peter 1:20. It is to be read and studied by everyone.

Another warning from the Holy Bible says in 2Peter 2:1-3, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not".

If you have been attending church and these passages seem strange to you then you may need to look at the Holy Bible for yourself. Preachers will not be tending the gate to Heaven, God will be. And the father, (God), the son, (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit, only they, through the word of God, can tell you what you need to know. Preachers should be leading you to the word of God, not giving you stories that go against it.

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