Hello, Mike,

I came upon your site just recently, and am truly thrilled that I have finally found something that makes sense. I have spent most of my life (many decades) trying to comprehend the oftentimes perplexing Christian teachings and the Bible. I have “belonged” to several different Christian denominations, and considered whether Christians should really be just Jews who accept Christ. I couldn’t understand why the “Good News” was so frightening, and why the God of love should be such an unrelenting punisher. I was also confused about how I was actually to become “perfect” NOW, and “sin no more” EVER AGAIN after accepting Christ. It seemed (and is) an impossible task.

I also have had many a rough road to travel, and wondered how much repentance I would have to do before I was “blessed” rather than “cursed”, since God was obviously displeased.

I can’t believe how simple the concept is – we are here to learn of good and evil, we are inherently carnal, and only through the grace of God through Christ will we be reborn into spirit. (I am still a little leery, though – waiting for the “catch” – can this be RIGHT??? So simple, yet so wonderful???)

A couple of questions, if you can find the time…

Do you think any of the books in the Apocrypha should have been included in the Bible? Also, my understanding is that the original Hebrew Scriptures are somewhat different (the books) than in the Christian Old Testament. Should there be a difference? Have you any info about this?

Also, what do you think “ghosts” or “paranormal activities” are?

Thanks again!

C____

Hello C____,

It is so rewarding to get letters like yours. This is why we are commissioned to witness as we do. Our Lord’s commission is a two-fold commission. It is to 1) edify the elect and 2) to witness against those who have been called but not chosen. When you come to realize how few orthodox Christians are willing to “love thine enemies”, even if they are Arabs, then you begin to wonder with Christ, “When the Son of man returns, will He find faith?”

Yes, it is that simple, as long as you understand that “grace… chastens” (Tit 2:10-12). Once you understand that Truth, then you will never be guilty of “turning grace into lasciviousness.” When you understand that “grace… chastens us to forsake ungodliness and to live godly in this present age”, then you understand what Paul meant when he said:

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

The only reason ‘we can’t out sin God’s grace’ is because God is stronger and more capable than we are. His loving chastening will never fall short of our stubbornness.

No, the apocryphal books are not scripture. I have read them all and it is painfully obvious to me that they have no place in scripture any more than Josephus or Eusebius. They are, in some cases, good history books. They most definitely are not scripture. I will give you one ‘for instance.’ Second Maccabees ends with the admission of the author that he is but a man and has no doubt made several mistakes in his record of events. He humbly asks the reader to allow for this fact and not hold his errors, when discovered, against him. That is a very good humble attitude for any man to have. It is not, however, the way a man under inspiration of the holy spirit writes. Some of the apocryphal books have much good advise but in the final analysis they add nothing to the scriptures. It is God Himself who has worked all things after the power of His own will. It is He, Himself, who has caused men to accept the 66 books in the cannon as scripture. Eusebius verifies that the books we now have in the cannon of the O.T. are the very books accepted in his day. It was not a Catholic council that canonized God’s word. That task was given to God’s own apostles:

2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Peter, and undoubtedly “the apostles and elders and the whole church,” accepted Paul’s letters as being scripture. Paul, would never have accused Peter of writing error to his congregations. What is revealed here is that it was the apostles who had canonized scripture and the later Catholic and Protestant councils simply recognized what was already known and accepted by all. It was in the final analysis God Himself, “working after the counsel of His own will”, who caused the books that we have to be accepted as scripture. This is not something for men to decide of themselves. It especially is not something a sectarian Protestant or a Catholic council would have been entrusted with.

“Ghosts and paranormal activities” are all used by the adversary at the direction of God Himself for the purpose of keeping the ‘King Saul majority’ of the people of God deceived and persecuting the ‘King David minority’ of God’s people. All who believe God’s Word know that even if a witch can cause an evil spirit to masquerade as Samuel, the truth of God’s word is:

Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecc 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Without a resurrection, even the dead in Christ “are perished” because they are indeed “dead.” So much for ‘the paranormal and ghosts!’ As far as God’s Word is concerned, Israel was, and we still are, specifically prohibited from involving ourselves in such Satanic deceptions.

Lev 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

“Regard them not.” Stay away from such demonic activities or you will “be defiled by them”.

Isa 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? [instead of] for the living to the dead?

The modern day obsession with angels is equally condemned in God’s Word:

Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Those who are involved in such may indeed have had some ‘paranormal’ experience. This is not the issue. Whether their experience is something they should be “seeking unto” is the issue. King Saul did indeed see a vision of Samuel, and what that apparition prophesied did indeed come to pass. Those facts do not change God’s command to:

Lev 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

I hope this is of some help to you. God bless your efforts to come to know His mind. It is a mind of nothing but love.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know [the mind of] thee the only true God, and [the mind of] Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Our Lord’s commission is a two-fold commission. It is to 1) edify the elect and 2) to witness against those who have been called but not chosen. When you come to realize how few orthodox Christians are willing to “love thine enemies,” even if they are Arabs, then you begin to wonder with Christ, “When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith?”

Yes, it is that simple, as long as you understand that “grace… chastens” (Tit 2:10-12). Once you understand that Truth, then you will never be guilty of “turning grace into lasciviousness.” When you understand that “grace… chastens us to forsake ungodliness and to live godly in this present age” then you understand what Paul meant when he said:

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

The only reason ‘we can’t out-sin God’s grace’ is because God is stronger and more capable than we are. His loving chastening will never fall short of our stubbornness.

No, the apocryphal books are not scripture. I have read them all, and it is painfully obvious to me that they have no place in scripture any more than Josephus or Eusebius. They are, in some cases, good history books. They most definitely are not scripture. I will give you one ‘for instance.’ Second Maccabees ends with the admission of the author that he is just a man and has no doubt made several mistakes in his record of events. He humbly asks the reader to allow for this fact and not hold his errors, when discovered, against him. That is a very good humble attitude for any man to have. It is not however, the way a man under inspiration of the holy spirit writes. Some of the apocryphal books have much good advice, but in the final analysis they add nothing to the scriptures. It is God Himself who has worked all things after the power of His own will. It is He, Himself, who has caused men to accept the 66 books in the cannon as scripture. Eusebius verifies that the books we now have in the cannon of the O.T. are the very books accepted in his day. It was not a Catholic council that canonized God’s word. That task was given to God’s own apostles:

2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Peter, and undoubtedly “the apostles and elders and the whole church,” accepted Paul’s letters as being scripture. Paul, would never have accused Peter of writing error to his congregations. What is revealed here is that it was the apostles who had canonized scripture, and the later Catholic and Protestant councils simply recognized what was already known and accepted by all. It was in the final analysis God Himself, “working after the counsel of His own will”, who caused the books which we have to be accepted as scripture. This is not something for men to decide of themselves. It especially is not something with which a sectarian Protestant or a domineering Catholic council would have been entrusted.

Mike