...This I Know, For The Bible Tells Me So

If you have spent any time as a child in a Christian Sunday School, no doubt at one point or another, you have heard the song by William B. Bradbury (1816-1885) called, Jesus Loves Me. This tune originally appeared as a poem by Anna B. Warner (1827-1915) in a book called Say and Seal, written by Anna's sister, Susan Warner (1819-1885).  The poem was published in 1860 and the hymn with music was written 1862 by Mr. Bradbury. So very close together. No doubt since these both take place so close together that the book must have been a popular work to catch the attention of Bradbury.

If you look at these dates in history and the history preceding these dates of when the poem, book, and tune was written, this was a turbulent time in American Church history. Many different religions, sects, and cults rose up at this time, which is commonly called The Second Great Awakening between 1790 and lost steam early 1850's. But no doubt left a deep imprint of religion in America.

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church started by Ellen G. White, formerly established in 1863, came out of the Millerite Movement. The Millerite Movement, started by William Miller, who in 1833 publicly shared his belief that the second coming of Christ would happen between 1843 and 1844. This no doubt did not happen and should have been deemed a false prophet.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormonism, which was started by a young Joseph Smith (1830-1844) in which after received gold plates from the Angel Moroni and decoded them to produce a written copy of the Book of Mormon in 1830. Mormonism continued to flourish after Smith's death and when Warner's book was written, the LDS church was moving to the mid-west under the leadership of the second Prophet and President Brigham Young.

Another cult that came about around this time was the Jehovah's Witnesses,which was started in 1870 by Charles Taze Russell which was a splinter group of the Bible Student Movement. Who have for almost 150 years have denied the biblical trinity, falsely predicting Christ's coming multiple times, and proclaiming false prophecies about the end of the world.

Through the Second Great Awakening memberships skyrocketed in the Wesleyan, Baptist, Shaker and other Protestant congregations. It was one of, if not the greatest religious revival in American history.

So when this poem, book, and hymn were written, was very interesting especially with the words, "for the bible tells me so".

Which brings me to the point of this article. For those who claim to be Christian, much of the, "this I know" does not come from the bible, but through their own personal feelings, experience, and logic. Why is that? Because people do not believe that the bible is authoritative, written by the creator of the universe. Each of these cults and false religions had their own bent towards the bible, or rejected the bible as flawed or outdated. That there needs to be some sort of extra-biblical revelation attached to it.

"Please excuse my dad. He's a bigoted, grumpy old man who is outdated, not in touch with today, and doesn't know what he's saying."

It is why in my previous post that professed Christians are apologizing for something they have no right to apologize for. It is as if they are holding up their bibles and saying, "Please excuse my dad. He's a bigoted, grumpy old man who is outdated, not in touch with today, and doesn't know what he's saying." To apologize would be admitting you're wrong. These same people do not regard the words as supernatural, holy, and powerful. We need to read the bible for what it is, the words of God. God breathed. It is perfect, and without error. We need to study the bible, interpret it according to proper hermaneutics, and then apply it accordingly. It doesn't matter what you say, or I say about a particular bible verse, but what it says according to the person from which God commanded to write it down. Our feelings or personal beliefs should not matter when it comes to our interpretation of the bible.

Are We Lovers...or Prostitutes?

"Lover or Prostitute?” The Question that Changed My Life

By David Ryser

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across a... quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this: Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.

Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old--barely out of diapers--and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the import of the last line, so I clarified it by adding, “An enterprise. That’s a business.” After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha’s raised hand, “Yes, Martha.” She asked such a simple question, “A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?” I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was, “Yes.” She continued, “But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?”
The room went dead silent. For several seconds no one moved or spoke. We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were on holy ground. All I could think in those sacred moments was, “Wow, I wish I’d thought of that.” I didn’t dare express that thought aloud. God had taken over the class.
Martha’s question changed my life. For six months, I thought about her question at least once every day. “When a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?” There is only one answer to her question. The answer is “Yes.” The American Church, tragically, is heavily populated by people who do not love God. How can we love Him? We don’t even know Him; and I mean really know Him.

What do I mean when I say “really know Him?” Our understanding of knowing and knowledge stems from our western culture (which is based in ancient Greek philosophical thought). We believe we have knowledge (and, by extension, wisdom) when we have collected information. A collection of information is not the same thing as knowledge, especially in the culture of the Bible (which is an eastern, non-Greek, culture). In the eastern culture, all knowledge is experiential. In western/Greek culture, we argue from premise to conclusion without regard for experience--or so we think.

An example might be helpful here. Let us suppose a question based upon the following two premises: First, that wheat does not grow in a cold climate and second, that England has a cold climate. The question: Does wheat grow in England? The vast majority of people from the western/Greek culture would answer, “No. If wheat does not grow in a cold climate and if England has a cold climate, then it follows that wheat does not grow in England.” In the eastern culture, the answer to the same question, based on the same premises, most likely would be, “I don’t know. I’ve never been to England.” We laugh at this thinking, but when I posed the same question to my friends from England, their answer was, “Yes, of course wheat grows in England. We’re from there, and we know wheat grows there.” They overcame their cultural way of thinking because of their life experience. Experience trumps information when it comes to knowledge.

A similar problem exists with our concept of belief. We say we believe something (or someone) apart from personal experience. This definition of belief is not extended to our stockbroker, however. Again, allow me to explain. Suppose my stockbroker phones me and says, “I have a hot tip on a stock that is going to triple in price within the next week. I want your permission to transfer $10,000 from your cash account and buy this stock.” That’s a lot of money for me, so I ask, “Do you really believe this stock will triple in price, and so quickly?” He/she answers, I sure do.” I say, “That sounds great! How exciting! So how much of your own money have you invested in this stock?” He/she answers, “None.” Does my stockbroker believe? Truly believe? I don’t think so, and suddenly I don’t believe, either. How can we be so discerning in the things of this world, especially when they involve money, and so indiscriminate when it comes to spiritual things? The fact is, we do not know or believe apart from experience. The Bible was written to people who would not understand the concepts of knowledge, belief, and faith apart from experience. I suspect God thinks this way also.

So I stand by my statement that most American Christians do not know God--much less love Him. The root of this condition originates in how we came to God. Most of us came to Him because of what we were told He would do for us. We were promised that He would bless us in life and take us to heaven after death. We married Him for His money, and we don’t care if He lives or dies as long as we can get His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God into a business, merchandising His anointing. This should not be. We are commanded to love God, and are called to be the Bride of Christ--that’s pretty intimate stuff. We are supposed to be His lovers. How can we love someone we don’t even know? And even if we do know someone, is that a guarantee that we truly love them? Are we lovers or prostitutes?

I was pondering Martha’s question again one day, and considered the question, “What’s the difference between a lover and a prostitute?” I realized that both do many of the same things, but a lover does what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love, but only as long as you pay. Then I asked the question, “What would happen if God stopped paying me?”

For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover my motives for loving and serving Him. Was I really a true lover of God? What would happen if He stopped blessing me? What if He never did another thing for me? Would I still love Him? Please understand, I believe in the promises and blessings of God. The issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is the condition of my heart. Why do I serve Him? Are His blessings in my life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have earned or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any conditions? It took several months to work through these questions. Even now I wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by my attitude and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed with God and angry that He has not met some perceived need in my life. I suspect this is something which is never fully resolved, but I want more than anything else to be a true lover of God.

So what is it going to be? Which are we, lover or prostitute? There are no prostitutes in heaven, or in the Kingdom of God for that matter, but there are plenty of former prostitutes in both places. Take it from a recovering prostitute when I say there is no substitute for unconditional, intimate relationship with God. And I mean there is no palatable substitute available to us (take another look at Matthew 7:21-23 sometime). We must choose.

Dr. David Ryser
Responses to this article are welcomed. You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com
 

The Silver Bullet

In the old monster movies there were which seemed to be an invinceable foe, a monster that could not be killed. Then one day from studying old documents in a library, someone found out how to kill it. Like the warewolf, which once struck fear in the hearts of the townspeople there was now hope in that the enemy can be killed and the townspeople saved.

 Like the silver bullet for the warewolf, we as evangelists are looking for the silver bullet to bring down the moster of false religions like Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses one step at a time. For years I have been searching for the silver bullet to help young missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) find Christ so that when presented, they would come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been taken captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).

For a long time I really believed that the silver bullet was a myth. But the thing is that there IS a silver bullet, and it was right under my nose the whole time. It was, and is, God's word, the Holy Bible.

God's word is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, seperating even the soul and spirit...(Hebrews 4:12).

We are to share the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

So I thought about this for a minute, what do the Mormons (LDS), and the JW's have in common, they are swayed in not reading God's word for themselves, if at all.  When talking with their missionaries, what do they want to teach you?  It's usually pamphlets, books, or even "another gospel" like the Book of Mormon.  It's never The Holy Bible.  Even when I was a Roman Catholic, I was told not to bother reading God's word, and when I did start reading it, I started to compare it to the Roman Catholic Catechism, and realized I could either be a Catholic, or a Christian, but not both. So, in keeping this blog post as short as possible, please watch this full documentary .

When trying to reach Mormons, JW's, or anyone for that matter, do yourself a favor and leave them with this...challenge them to read the bible like a child. To read it with an open mind, with no preconcieved ideas, and read it for what it is. God's word changes people. It changed me, my wife, and so many others. God bless.

Why I Am Not Catholic Anymore - Somthing About Mary

This is a continuation of my blog series, “Why I Am Not Catholic Anymore”.  One thing that I never quite figured out is that thing about Mary.  After I became a Christian I was attending a mass for my goddaughter who was making her first communion and saw something startling.  As I looked ahead at the front of the church I saw Jesus hanging on the cross.  To the left, there was a statue of Joseph, and on the right, a statue of Mary.  I noticed there were flowers at the mass.  There were WAY more flowers in front of Mary than there are Jesus and Joseph COMBINED.  When I showed this to my goddaughters father all he could say was, “That’s fu@#ed up!”  Why is that?  Let’s have a look. 

Mary Is Worshipped

According to the Roman Catholic Catechism, the church gives special devotion to Mary and is part of their worship. 

“All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship. The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary – CCC 971

So according to the Catholic Church, we are to pray to Mary, and have feasts and holy days to honor her.  Also let’s list some of the titles that the Catechism calls Mary and tell me if they don’t seem like worship to you. Advocate bennefactrix, helper, mediatrix (CCC 969); The New Eve, Mother of the church (CCC 975); Mother of God, Seat of Wisdom (CCC 721); Mother of the members of Christ (CCC 963); and Queen over all things (CCC 966). 

Devotion according to Websters Dictionary, means:

1. The state of being dedicated, consecrated, or solemnly set apart for a particular purpose.

2. A solemn attention to the Supreme Being in worship; a yielding of the heart and affections to God, with reverence, faith and piety, in religious duties, particularly in prayer and meditation; devoutness.

3. External worship; acts of religion; performance of religious duties.

As I passed by and beheld your devotions. Acts 17.

4. Prayer to the Supreme Being. A Christian will be regular in his morning and evening devotions.

5. An act of reverence, respect or ceremony.

6. Ardent love or affection; attachment manifested by constant attention; as, the duke was distinguished by his devotion to the king, and to the interest of the nation.

7. Earnestness; ardor; eagerness.

8. Disposal; power of disposing of; state of dependence.

The bible states in Mary’s own words, that she was in need of a savior, and realized she was a sinner in the eyes of God.   The power was not in herself, but in her God. 

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

(Luke 1:46-49 KJV)

People will call her blessed, not worshipped.  The Greek word here for blessed is makarizo which means fortunate, happy.  In this sense I can honestly say that she was blessed.  The Holy Bible never says to honor a person, let alone Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

Pope John Paul II was known for his fascination of Mary, and has dedicated his entire life to her.  The large M on his crest was for Mary.  He said that she was the one that saved him in the first attempt to take his life, and many times we see pictures of him worshipping her graven image.  This is not simple honor, but pagan worship. 

Mary As Co-Redemptress

Let’s say that you have cancer.  A brain tumor and you need to get it out.  You call the hospital, and they patch you through to the Oncology department.  They go to set up an appointment with one of the doctors, when you tell them that you want to speak with his or her mother.  Why would you need to speak with his mother?  What can she do, that the doctor can’t do himself?  It sounds strange if you put it that way, but then again, this is essentially what the Roman Catholic Church teaches.  That Mary helps Jesus save souls. 

The RCC says that Mary is co-mediatrix, which salvation is made through Christ and Mary. 

"This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." – CCC 969

So how does this work?  According to the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Catholics pray to Mary for her to pray for them.  It also says that from earliest times Christians have sought for her help, but it does not say when this started.  If it started from earliest times, this practice would be consistent with the first century church and mentioned in the gospels and, or epistles of the New Testament.  But it is not mentioned anywhere in scripture. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(John 3:16 KJV)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(John 14:6 KJV)

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

(Acts 4:12 KJV)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

(1 Timothy 2:5 KJV)

 There is no salvation in anyone else but Jesus Christ.  Not Mary, the Pope, Saints, nor anyone else holds that title but Jesus Christ.  Praise God we don’t have to look for salvation in anyone else, nor look to anyone else to come close to the throne room of God.  Just in the work that was already done on the cross.

The Bodily Ascension Of Mary Did Not Happen

In November of 1950, Pope Pius XII declared what is called “The Assumption of Mary”.  It was the idea that Mary did not die, but was taken up to heaven bodily and is alive and well as Jesus is.  If you look in the previous section in CCC 969 it says Mary was, “Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation”.  In the award winning volume set, Catholicism, by Catholic Theologian Richard P. McBrian, he indicates that the event never took place, and that it was just an idea that had caught on and believed in the church. 

“From the beginning of the sixth century various churches celebrated Mary’s bodily assumption into heaven.  The belief originated not from biblical evidence, nor even patristic testimony, but as the conclusion of a so-called argument from convenience or fittingness.  It was “fitting” that Jesus should have rescued his mother from the corruption of the flesh, and so he “must have” taken her bodily into heaven.” (McBrien, Vol II, 873) 

And he is right.  Nowhere in scripture does it mention the bodily ascension of Mary, the mother of Jesus.   Before Jesus died on the cross he told the apostle John to take care of His mother. 

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

(John 19:25-27 KJV)

Here John would have been around 18 years old, the youngest of all the apostles and outlived them all.  He wrote the Gospel of John, the Epistles of john (I, II, and III), and also the book of Revelation which wasn’t written until 70 years after the crucifixion.  If anyone would have known about the bodily assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus, John would have written about such a glorious event.  But he didn’t.  Not only that but if Jesus were planning on taking His mother back to heaven, why take the trouble of giving her to John to take care of especially if Jesus had other brothers to do so.  Not only does scripture not record the event, nor anywhere else in any historical record, but it just doesn’t make sense. 

Mary’s Prayers Don't Deliver Souls

It is also here in CCC 966 that her prayers deliver souls.

"Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death." The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:

In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death. – CCC 966

The Holy Bible says exactly the opposite, those prayers to the dead, or anyone else but God, is not biblical, and an abomination.

Conclusion

So why all the fuss and emphasis about Mary?  I honestly can’t tell you.  I have no idea.  All I know is that  I knew when I was faced with the decision to continue being Catholic, or becoming a bible believing Christian, that the issue of Mary, and the worship and devotion that I have given her over the years would come into play.  Though I simpithise with those who are Catholic and maybe looking at the idea of Mary for the first time may be a bit hard to swallow.  My prayer is that you would seek yourselves.  Look at your bible, and your Catholic Catechism and search them diligently.  Eternity is a long time to be wrong. 

Stay tuned for the next segment, “Why Can’t I Just Be a Good Muslim?”.

Why I Am Not Roman Catholic...Anymore (Intro)

One of the purposes of this blog is to show that you should always test the things that you believe. When I go to the streets witnessing, I find more often people are a certain belief because that’s what their parents are, or how they are raised. I may ask, “Why do you believe this?” and they will say, “Well that’s what my parents are.” To which I reply, “I asked you what YOU believed…not your parents.” I hate to say this…but I stopped putting faith in other people a long time ago. The fact is that when you die you will face God on judgment day ALONE, so you best be finding this stuff out on your own to make the best choice.


For the blog series, why did I pick Roman Catholicism? Well, I used to be a Roman Catholic, and what better religion to start with than my previous one. There are a lot of religions out there, but I don’t know any one better than Roman Catholicism. I lived it. I was an Acolyte (Altar Boy) for 9 years, I wanted to be a Eucharistic Minister (which I was turned down), become a priest, and then ultimately become the first American Pope (to which was a long shot…but I could dream). Some childhood friends called me Father Frank, and when I was a boy I used to hold mass for my sisters stuffed animals. I loved being Catholic. I went on retreats, daytrips as an Alter Boy, got paid for serving weddings and funerals, it was great. But as I got older, I was found wanting. I was discontent, and really didn’t know much if not any of the bible. I started asking priests questions and I got multiple answers. In time, found that the Catholic Church couldn’t give me what I longed for…no matter how good the intentions were.

I am not here to bash Catholics. Not in any way. Now I must say I love Roman Catholics. They are some of the most devout, committed, spiritual people I know. In fact on the front line of fighting abortion…I have to say that Roman Catholics take the cake. This blog isn’t about so much against the individual in the pew. It’s against the system that leaves those in the pew guessing, wondering, and ultimately lost. I hope they read this, but it’s to show that their belief system falls way short. In the next few blogs I will uncover some of the things that I believed, in comparison to the bible, and also uncover some of the things that you may find shocking that you never knew about Roman Catholicism. But I ask that you please keep an open mind, and email me here.

If you have any questions, want to correct me, or just yell at me and call me nasty stuff. It’s cool. If you have a problem…I ask that you email me, and we can discuss it as adults privately.

My Sources

I wanted to things the right way, and not just write something from hearsay and then say it’s from the Catholic Church. The sources for Roman Catholicism I will be using is the the Official Roman Catholic Catechism, Vatican II, as my primary Catholic source. It is stamped with the official insignia of Pope John Paul II,
and is written by Joseph A. Ratzinger, who is Pope Benedict XVI, the current Pope today. A fine standard of Roman Catholic doctrine…wouldn’t you agree. If you do not have a copy of the Catechism, you can find this online from the official Vatican website.
Other sources may be used as I see fit as I will be dealing with historical evidences, and such, but will be sited so you can look at them for yourself.

The sources for protestant Christianity I will be using is the Authorized Holy Bible King James Version. It is regarded by all Christian churches and denominations as the primary source of faith and doctrine. Other sources will be added when needed, but primarily, these will be used most. If you don’t own a bible, you can find one online at either here or here.

Closing

I understand that many will be upset with me over this. The reality is you are not mad at me, you are mad at what the Roman Catholic Church has said in their own writings, and what the Holy Bible says. Have you ever wondered what makes different religions different? I agree with some things that the Catholic Church teaches. I believe that abortion is wrong, that a baby is human from conception, and that God is made up of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Trinity). But it’s in the differences that make us different. In the end…one has to win. As you will see…you cannot believe both.

Still not convinced? Answer to yourself these questions:

1. Do you own a bible? If you do, when was the last time you read it, and what did you read?

2. When was the last time you were taught the bible in a Catholic Church? Are you taught the bible every week? If you were…name the chapters and verses.

3. When you went to mass last week…what did you learn?

4. What is the point of standing, sitting, and kneeling in different parts of the mass?

5. Where do you find the word “Catholic” in the bible?

6. Where do you find the word “Purgatory” in the bible?

7. Are you born again?

I’m not here to ruffle feathers over this issue. I just want you to know the reasons why I became a Christian, and left Roman Catholicism. To answer some of the questions that I have had over the years, and that you would know some of what your religion believes. Isn’t it important to examine what your religion teaches and believes? I think so, and so should you.