Glen Head
History is important for so many reasons. Being able to see something as it develops and how it stands the test of time can help build trust, or it can help see the deceptiveness in it. When one considers the Word of God it is a book that begins at the beginning of time. Throughout the pages of the Bible one can read of how it flourishes with words of eternal wisdom and the history of God’s people. Then coming into the New Testament one can read about the life of Christ and can consider the words that He spoke pertaining to eternal life. In those words we can understand what God expects out of mankind and what happens when God is ignored. We can be assured that we can know all things pertaining to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) In word, and in deed, we know how our behavior should be as Christians, not only in the words of Christ, but by looking at His example while He was dwelling among men.
The point: God has not changed over time. Holiness, purity, and sovereignty over all is shown of God throughout the history of the Bible. Even Christ said of the Father, “And I know His commandment is life everlasting.” (John 12:50) God has stood and will stand the test of time. After all, He created time!
Now the disappointment. Man fails. Time after time man fails the test of time. Some men learn from their mistakes, yet most don’t, or don’t care. Religion should be something that is consistent and stands the test of time. Since the birth of the Church, Christianity has stood the test of time and will until Christ returns. Yet religion in general has failed to stand that test miserably. Why? The doctrines of men rule in the hearts of men. In religion, the Bible (the words of God) is the pattern – the standard. It is what all men will be judged by. Yet in the world, powerful and selfish men with ungodly motives have diverted from the Truth and have turned many away from the Gospel. Paul’s letter tells of such in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
Many warnings are given in the book of Acts and in the epistles. (Acts 20:28-31, 2 Thess. 1-12, 2 Peter 2, 3 John 9-11, Jude, etc.) Many doctrines of men have spread like wildfire, but none more vicious and rampant as Catholicism. While looking back through time one can see the inconsistencies and deceitfulness of this movement. Catholicism takes the lead in being the head of the monster where most other denominations originate. It has taken precedent in shutting God out of men’s lives and filling the void with pomp and circumstance. The article below was taken out of another bulletin. It doesn’t even begin to touch the hem of the garment concerning the deceitfulness of men in this man-made religion. Glen
The “Cardinal’s” Advice
The following advice was given to Pope Jules III of Rome in 1550 by his Cardinals. It is found in the National Bibliotheque in Paris, France: The Volume is Reserve 22719, Pages 101-102.
“Of all the counseling we can possibly give, to your Holiness, we reserve the more important of it to the last. We must hold our eyes well open and intervene with all of our power in the affairs we have to consider.” “The reading of the Gospel must be permitted as little as possible, (especially in the modern languages, and in the countries under your authority). The very little that is read generally at the Mass should be enough and it should be prohibited for anyone to read more. (As long as the people are content with that small part, our interest will prosper; but from the moment that the people desire to read more, our interests will begin to suffer.)
Here is the book that more than any other provoked rebellions against us, storms that have been risky in bringing us loss, in fact, if anyone reads accurately the teaching of the Bible and compares what occurs in our churches, he will soon find out the contradictions, and will see that our teaching is far removed from that of the Bible and more often yet is in opposition to it.
If the people realize this, they will provoke us without rest until all become unveiled and then we will become the object of ridicule and universal hate. It is necessary that the Bible be taken away and snatched from the hands of the people, however with much wisdom in order to not provoke trouble.”
Editor’s note: God commands each of us to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God” (2 Timothy 2:15, John 5:39, Acts 17:11, 1 Thess. 5:21 etc.). Only by such honest investigation can we hope to remedy Satan’s blinding lies (2 Cor. 4:4) and overcome the error of man-made doctrine (Matt. 15:9). We urge every individual to examine their own beliefs in the light of God’s Truth. “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
