How Can I Discern Jesus’ Voice After Prayer

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

Bible Question
(BIBLE QUESTION) We as Christians pray to Jesus. However my question to you is, how would I know it is Jesus speaking back to me rather than satan, as he comes as an angel of light. How would I be able to determine or discern it is Jesus rather than satan after I have prayed?

(BIBLE ANSWER) The God of the Bible will always answer in accord to the message of the Bible. Furthermore, to pray about something which God has already told us about can be DANGEROUS, for if God answered it would always parallel Scripture. Therefore there is NO NEED TO PRAY ABOUT SOMETHING GOD HAS ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT IN HIS WRITTEN WORD (the Bible). For example, if a person “prayed about” the Catholic Marian apparitions at Fatima where the Catholic Mary says she is our “refuge” and “the way” to God, instead of comparing that message to Scripture (Psa. 18:2; Jn. 14:6), he would be wide open for satanic deception! The devil can give a person a feeling, dream, vision, etc. to lead astray, if possible. The devil works through deception and lies. Since the Bible is pure TRUTH, knowing its message is the best way to identify the devil’s lies and stay safe. Again, there is NO NEED to pray about the things God has already told us about. [That truth also includes the unnecessary need to pray about the Book of Mormon, which Mormon missionaries will stress. Remember that.]

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Revelation 2 and 3

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

If you ever wondered how Jesus would speak to the Christians of our hour, if he would choose to do so in writing, it would be safe to assume it would be very close to Revelation 2 and 3! In those two chapters, the seven churches of Asia are addressed and five were told to repent! Only two were not told to repent, which is drastically different than the way many false prophets of our day would speak out a message supposedly from the Lord stating he is “pleased” with his children! The norm seems to be that the Lord Jesus is NOT pleased with most people, who were previously saved, if Revelation 2 and 3 is typical. Most would not have heard Jesus say to them, well done good and faithful servant!

Seven Churches Of Asia – Only 2 Not Told To REPENT

Sometimes silence can be deafening and shouts out a clear message. That is what we observe in Revelation 2 and 3. Not even once did the Lord Jesus ever mention the glorious paradise of God to be a “done deal” for any of them because they were previously saved! revelation2-3Remember that! Instead, he promised the crown of life, access to the tree of life, etc. only to “he who overcomes.” It is also crystal clear that none of them had already overcome in that sense. That is vitally significant in our day with the rampant HERESY of once saved always saved. Ponder the clarity of his statement:

Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Rev 2:10,11)

If once saved always saved was true, then Revelation 2 and 3 would have to be rewritten to include such a heretical concept, but it is never inferred! Furthermore, if once saved always saved was true then Jesus couldn’t have seen their sins, because of his blood and grace (as they want us to believe), but he did! He could see their sins so that means their future sins were not already forgiven before they committed them. Jesus also wanted the Christians to know they could still go to the lake of fire (or the second death), according to Rev. 2:10,11. They didn’t have their spiritual fire insurance, as some have been deceived to think is theirs. They would have to be faithful to the point of death to not be hurt by the second death. Their faithfulness to God was emphasized and not God’s faithfulness to man! Jesus never assured them the essence of his John 10:28 promise, that no man could pluck them out of his hands and they would never perish, especially since John 10:27 shows that wonderful promise is only for the continuous tense follower of Jesus. John 10:28 doesn’t apply to an obvious backslider or even a church goer who needs to repent, as shown here in Revelation 2 and 3.

Highlights From Revelation 2 and 3

Jesus’ teaching of repent to five of the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3 are most stirring and relevant for us today.

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Christian

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

In our day, people use the term Christian in many ways that it shouldn’t be used. Christians were not like what many think! Let’s take a close look at the three times the term is found in Scripture. The first time is in Acts 11:26:

Jesus’ Disciples Equals Christians

… The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

The term Christian is what the original “disciples” of the Lord Jesus were called. So what were their qualifications? In Mt. 12:48-50, they are shown to be doing the will of the heavenly Father (Mt. 12:48-50).Christian In Lk. 14:33, disciples give up everything they have. In Mt. 28:19, one is made a disciple before he is water baptized. Those truths clarify a real Bible defined follower of Jesus and possessor of eternal life! The second that term is used in the Bible is at Acts 26:28.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

King Agrippa said that to Paul after he shared his personal salvation testimony, which occurred on the road to Damascus in his pursuit to persecute saints of God. Paul’s message was that people should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. (Acts 26:20) All of that led to Agrippa’s question to Paul in Acts 26:28. The third time the term Christian is used in the Bible is at 1 Peter 4:16:

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

Peter just contrasted suffering as an unsaved person would for wickedness to suffering as a Christian over doing good. So that’s the difference between the original usage of the word Christian and how it is flippantly thrown about in our day. Many church people call themselves Christians and they don’t meet the qualifications cited in Scripture. They will, in part, be the fulfillment of Mt. 7:21:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Are You a Real Christian

Are you a Bible defined follower of Jesus or just one who would like to think of yourself as one? Without Jesus as your Lord, you do NOT have eternal life!

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Eternal Life and Catholicism

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

The most important subject in the entire Bible to learn about is salvation or how to get eternal life. If one is teaching wrongly about that, everything else he declares is worthless, as far as getting one into God’s kingdom. Regarding that subject and eternal life, the Roman Catholic church teaches even more error:

Bogus Catholic Eternal Life

According to the teaching of Holy Writ, eternal life is the reward for the good deeds performed in this world Eternal Life and Catholicism(Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Dr. Ludwig Ott, 1974, p. 268)

Ott cites Mt. 19:29; 25:46; Rom. 2:6 and James 1:12 for support, but none of those verses are solid backing for this Roman Catholic teaching about eternal life. What he claims is from Holy Writ (the Bible) isn’t in the Bible at all! As a former Roman Catholic, I can testify their gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is without the needed power to change a person from within and set him free from his sin addictions. Their unfounded and dangerous emphasis on Mary, the sacraments, being a Catholic and good deeds has misled even the most sincere Catholics.

Catholicism is blinded to the fact that everlasting life is a present-tense possession for true believer’s (followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 6:47; 1 John 5:12,13; etc.). Catholicism is also unaware that Jesus is eternal life (1 John 1:2). If their Eucharist, which they “worship as God,” was really the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, then when they “receive” it (swallow it without chewing), they would be receiving eternal life, but they surely aren’t. John 1:12 says we receive Christ when we believe on him, referring to the type of faith James wrote of in James 2:14,17, etc. If good deeds could result in eternal life, as nearly 1 billion Catholics are told to believe, then there was no need for Jesus to die in such a horrible way for our salvation. He could have stayed in heaven and been spared the terrible misery he went through for us.

Eternal Life Truths

Even some non Catholics are misled about saving faith and its inseparable connection with good deeds. Some free grace people (antinomians) think one can have saving faith and eternal life without any good deeds or even repentance, while the Catholics (and others) have gone to the other extreme with much too little emphasis on having personal faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation. They know about Jesus in a sense, but their other doctrines have detoured them away from the Biblical 100% trusting and faith in him for salvation and everlasting life, as they obey Jesus. [Dan Corner is a former Roman Catholic, who got saved. He now has a burden for those in Catholicism.]

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Should Christian Women Wear Pants

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

Should Christian women wear pants? Various so-called holiness groups believe the answer is no. Their brand of holiness is one in which Christian women are not allowed to wear pants. To them it would be a horrible sin for a professing Christian woman to wear pants! They base their view on a misuse of Deut. 22:5, but seem unaware of its misuse. Let’s examine that key passage to note what it says and what it doesn’t say:

Women’s Pants Are NOT Mentioned In Deut. 22:5women wear pants

A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this. (Deut. 22:5)

Only a person who has been trained to connect Deut. 22:5 to forbidding a Christian woman from wearing pants could think there is any connection between the two in that verse. Deut. 22:5 doesn’t say pants (or trousers) anywhere. It says a woman must not wear men’s clothing. To equate men’s clothing to women’s pants is only a church tradition and nothing more. Women’s pants are not mentioned in that passage. It is astonishing that any sincere truth seeker would say otherwise. Too many people have read into that verse what is not there causing more problems than necessary for God fearing holy Christian women.

Deut. 22:5 Condemns Cross Dressing

That passage actually condemns what a cross dresser (or transvestite) would do. A man is not to dress like a woman and a woman is not to dress like a man. That Scripture has no connection with a woman wearing women’s pants any more than it condemns a woman wearing a woman’s robe because men wear robes too! Robes were worn by both godly men (Job 1:20; etc.) and women (2 Sam. 13:18) in the Bible, yet that was not a violation of Deut. 22:5. That is a significant truth related to this subject of Christian women wearing pants, which shows the same type of clothing can be worn by both men and women.

Now that it is clear that Deut. 22:5 does NOT condemn a Christian woman wearing pants, another Scripture mentions dressing modestly in inexpensive clothing (1 Tim. 2:9)! If a Christian woman wears women’s pants, which are modest (not form fitting) and not expensive, she has the right to do so and should not be looked down upon by any Christian group. However, a Christian woman should NOT wear pants, or any type of clothing which is not modest and may incite lust. Causing another to sin is very serious (Lk. 17:1-3).

True Holiness in the Bible

True holiness in the Bible is directly related to heart purity (Mt. 5:8) which the Bible stresses. To make clothing the ultimate issue, when it isn’t, is to overlook the female church people who don’t wear pants, but are lustful, hateful, greedy, deceitful, slanderous, etc. and will be sent to hell unless they repent and get their hearts purified before God! Today’s Christian women can wear women’s pants, which are modest and inexpensive and be holy. A female can wear pants, have true holiness and have eternal life. Holiness in the Bible does not forbid Christian women from wearing pants in Deut. 22:5.

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Context Of 1 Cor. 6:9,10

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

[BIBLE QUESTION] You have cited 1 Cor. 6:9,10 extensively in several of your gospel messages. Why did you not include verse 11 which places Paul’s admonishment in its proper context?

[BIBLE ANSWER] The passage in question (1 Cor. 6:9,10) [and the verse afterwards] from the New American Standard Bible reads:

1 Cor. 6:9,10 and 11

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?1 cor. 6:9,10 Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11, NASB)

The context of 1 Cor. 6:9,10 goes back to 1 Cor. 5 and the sexually immoral man there (v. 1), who Paul said was wicked and should be expelled from their congregation (v. 13). It also includes those who were wronging and cheating others through disputes taken to court (6:1-8). Paul said in 1 Cor. 6:9,10 (the next two verses) that such people are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God! That is the true context. He was showing the lethal severity of those sins. [Paul didn’t believe there are Christian fornicators or Christian swindlers, like the once saved always saved people do.] Verse 11 shows that when a person gets saved he turns away from doing such vile things and his spiritual identity also changes through God.

The Unrighteous of 1 Cor. 6:9,10 and Eph. 5:5-7

NOTE: The sins listed in 1 Cor. 6:9,10 are always deadly and are NOT restricted in being lethal only before getting born again. In other words, if a Christian would turn from God to that degree, he will experience spiritual death (lose his salvation). Eph. 5:5-7 is very clear in showing that and overlaps the list of sins mentioned in 1 Cor. 6:9,10:

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. (Eph 5:5-7)

Saving Faith is Consistent With 1 Cor. 6:9,10

Paul did NOT teach once saved always saved. True saving faith has nothing to do with that heresy. 1 Cor. 6:9,10 applies to all, both before and after initial salvation (getting born again). Let no one deceive you with empty words about 1 Cor. 6:9,10 and the unrighteous.

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Cain

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

Cain and AbelCain was the firstborn of Adam and Eve, but he was also the first murderer mentioned in the Bible. In fact, Cain murdered his only brother, righteous Abel, because God looked upon Abel’s offering to God with favor, but not his own! Stunning! After Cain’s vile example, why should we be shocked at a news report in our day stating someone murdered his own family member! It happened way back in Genesis. (Our society is evil and it has been that way for thousands of years.) After God told Cain how to be accepted by him, he plotted and murdered Abel:

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (Gen 4:7)

Heb. 11:4 tells us more about the sacrifices of Cain and Abel:

By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

Don’t Be Like Cain

Cain offered fruit to God, while Abel, by faith, offered fat portions from the firstborn of his flock (Gen. 4:3,4 cf. Heb. 11:4). A New Testament warning was issued to Christians not to be like Cain:

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. (1 John 3:12)

John knew Christians could turn away from God to that degree and murder another! That is why he told them not to be like Cain. He also informed his readers that no murderer has eternal life in him (1 John 3:15). [Hence, John didn’t believe in once saved always saved, since such a warning is not compatible with that doctrine.]

We hear of Cain one last time, when Jude mentioned him. He said of the false teachers who change grace into a license to sin: Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain (Jude 11). What exactly is the way of Cain, is not explicit there, but since the same false teachers taught one could have salvation in sin, it amounts to EASY RELIGION. Perhaps that is what Cain did with his fruit offering to God, that is, maybe he gathered some fruit that was easy to get, wasn’t desirable and wouldn’t be missed to give to God. King David had the opposite view and something which is very appropriate. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing (2 Sam 24:24). We can learn from that, if we are willing. Don’t be like Cain.

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New Christian

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

A new Christian is a spiritually blessed person, who has recently been washed and freed from his sin addictions because of his repentance and obedient faith in Jesus. A new Christian is exciting to observe. He is usually “on fire” with holy zeal and has an unquenchable hunger to be taught God’s word. A new Christian’s sincerity is evident and too often church “leaders” of our day perilously place such a child of God in spiritual leadership, especially when there aren’t too many men to fill such a needed position. To prematurely place a new Christian in leadership is D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S for all involved. Why? Because the new Christian will be elevated to a high position and become proud:

He [the overseer] must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. (1 Tim 3:6)

New Christian
That new Christian will be lifted up in pride because of his immaturity! But there’s more. Then Paul, the grace teacher, mentioned something the eternal security advocates reject. Their Bibles must have 1 Tim. 3:6 scissored out of it because it says he will fall under the same judgment as the devil. But what does that mean? How serious is that? According to the once saved always saved teachers, it should say he will lose his fellowship with God or rewards, but it doesn’t! It says something altogether different and very disastrous to that new Christian. The answer to what it means is revealed here:

Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Mat 25:41)

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev 20:10)

The same judgment or condemnation of the devil means that pride caused that new Christian to lose his salvation and consequently he will be cast into the lake of fire (where the devil will also be)! Therefore, for Timothy to place a new Christian in the office of overseer would be counterproductive to his goal! It would be destroying a precious SOUL by giving him more than he can handle.

Furthermore, to have a new Christian in spiritual leadership too quickly would also jeopardize all under his influence as they observe his example (adversely affected by pride) and/or hear his teachings. It is crystal clear that 1 Tim. 3:6 was a hell warning referring to new Christians (not mere professing Christians). They would be protected from the greatest danger by Timothy when not placed in such a high office. Timothy’s negligence, on that point, would be spiritually disastrous to a new Christian! The seal of the Holy Spirit or grace wouldn’t prevent loss of salvation! Remember that. [On that point alone, once saved always saved is destroyed, since that new Christian wasn’t always saved!]

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Suicide

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

David’s testimony (mp3)

Suicide is another name for self-murder and its source is clearly the devil. Suicide is not the way of escaping problems and pain, but of making things much worse. No one, regardless how discouraged, should ever entertain the idea of suicide, even for a moment!
Suicide
Again, let it be emphasized that suicide is murder. Since murder is a sin and will send one to the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8), then God could never be the spiritual source behind suicide. Just like other sinful temptations, the devil tempts one to sin by committing suicide. The Bible clearly says, God doesn’t tempt with evil (James 1:13), but the devil certainly does! In the Scriptures, it is interesting to observe various direct connections between the devil and suicide. Here are four:

1. Judas Iscariot was possessed by Satan before he committed suicide by hanging himself:

As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him (John 13:27).

In Mat 27:5, Judas committed suicide by hanging himself.

2. Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple (Mt. 4:6). While that was a temptation to test God, it was also a temptation closely connected to suicide.

3. The father of the boy, who was possessed by a demon spirit, reported:

“It [the spirit] has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him ….” (Mark 9:22)

If successful, it would have appeared the boy was a suicide, when a demon was behind it.

4. When Jesus cast the legion of demons out of the man, those demons entered into 2,000 pigs, which ran into the water and drowned. For any animal to commit suicide is very strange and rare, but this was a herd of 2,000:

When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. (Luke 8:33)

The Tempter will especially try to seduce discouraged and hopeless people to commit suicide. He might also do that through people who have had Near Death Experiences or are proponents of the teaching of once saved always saved. Personal testimonies prove both to be the case. That helps to reveal the covert source behind the contradictory Near Death Experiences and the fine-sounding but false once saved always saved teaching.

Regarding the latter, two indisputable examples in our day can be cited. In the 801 page, NO eternal security book, The Believer’s Conditional Security (pages 456-460 ), Maria called the Bible Answer Man and was assured by the eternal security teacher answering questions that if she was ever saved and she committed suicide, she would go to heaven! (That was after she said, if she knew she would go to heaven she would do it!) Another example and connection between once saved always saved and suicide is from George Sodini, a 2009 murderer and suicide, who was also a staunch once saved always saved proponent.

Finally, unlike other types of sins, a suicide can’t repent and get forgiven for his sin. The devil is clearly behind the temptation to commit suicide, but many can’t see it!

… no murderer has eternal life in him. (1 John 3:15)

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Body Of Moses

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Eternal Life Blog

A Bible mystery that has caught my [Dan Corner’s] attention for decades revolves around part of a single verse in the book of Jude. As Jude was describing the grace changers, he mentioned in passing the angelic dispute over the body of Moses:
Michael The Archangel

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9)

There is no corroborating verse to directly add additional light about that conflict. We are simply left with an angelic disputation between Michael the archangel and the devil over the body of Moses! We do know a little more from the Old Testament about the body of Moses:

And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deu 34:5-7)

God buried him and no person knows where the remains of the body of Moses are! Seemingly the Michael versus the devil conflict of Jude 9 happened before God buried the body of Moses, but a bigger Bible mystery is What did the devil want with the body of Moses? Taking a guess, maybe the devil was hoping somehow the Israelites would commit idolatry with the body of Moses, since he was such an outstanding leader. IF that is the case, such would parallel Israel’s misuse of the bronze snake erected by Moses for deliverance in Numbers chapter 21:

So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. (Num 21:9)

King Hezekiak, years later, destroyed that bronze snake (Nehushtan) because the Israelites were burning incense to it (2 Kings 18:4)! Again, what the Israelites wrongly did with that bronze snake might be what the devil was hoping would occur with the body of Moses, but God wouldn’t let him have it! [Do you have a Biblical Christian testimony?]

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