Spirituality or God

 

In their pursuit of finding God and spiritual fulfillment, some people search for spiritual truth in several religions.  Their reasoning includes the following thoughts:

I'm not afraid to go outside of my comfort zone - visit a Muslim Mosque, sit beside a bahaii in their fireside and experience God there.  Faith has a lot to do with not applying a critical mind to things.

1 Corinthians 13 says there is faith, hope and Love - but the greatest of these is love. By applying this scripture we move into a real non-judgmental state of unconditional love. But this can't happen in the mind, the mind is a powerful tool but it is not a home or a friend, it is in the heart where God resides.

My Jesus has arms wide open; he also said it is finished! Shame, guilt, & regrets don't live for me; they don't peddle fear or project this onto others. What lives for me and what I truly believe in is Love; for me that is truly believing in Christ and what he stood for. The name we call Him or Her is not important; it is only a name - Hashem, God, Allah, or Divine Light.

 

First Challenge

Let’s challenge one of the key thoughts in the above statement.

Faith has a lot to do with not applying a critical mind to things.

That is not the definition of faith at all; it is the definition of foolishness.  Here are some examples to illustrate what I mean. 

There is a wide, swift river flowing by my house.  I believe I can build a bride over it.  I believe I can purchase or cut the lumber needed.  I believe I can acquire the tools and parts needed.  I believe I can learn or hire the skills necessary to build a bridge.  I believe I can build that bridge.  That is what faith is.  It is believing what does not yet exist or seen, based on knowledge, intelligence and experience. 

On the other hand,  using the same swift river, my three year-old daughter comes along, and she believes she can get across that river by throwing her doll into it, jumping in after her doll, and letting her doll carry her across.  That is not faith.  It is childish action taken by “not applying a critical mind to things.”

The Bible says the same thing in Hebrews 11:3,

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

This faith is not a silly little thing such as believing the earth sits on the back of an elephant which stands on a turtle which swims in an ocean (that is belief without a critical mind).  Instead, with a critical mind, the ancients considered the earth and heavens, its workings, its seasons, and its consistency, and came to this conclusion:

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

Did you see the word “knowledge” in that verse?  It is not “uncritical mind.”

Now let’s walk through the rest of the above statement and apply some logic and scripture. 

Proposition 1
When a person attends several religions to worship god, that means he is a spiritual person.  He believes in the spirit.  He believes in god. He probably also believes in angels. 

If a person believes he receives communication from god, then he has got to believe communication and instruction from god is both possible and is indeed happening to him.

Therefore, if a person is worshipping god and god tells him to do something or to act in a certain way, it is imperative that person does what he is told by god; otherwise he is sinning and he is a blatant hypocrite.  Such a hypocrite – one who believes god but does not obey god – deserves no recognition from either god or man.

That to me seems obvious, and I assume you or anybody must agree with it because it is just that obvious.

Definitions
I guess now I should define my terms.  This is what I mean when I use the term.

spirit – a spiritual entity without a body. 
We also call them spirits, angels, souls, gods, unclean spirits, or evil spirits.  Spirits think and act; they have a will.  They are just like you and me, but without the body. (A soul is a spirit with a body.)

god – a spirit that claims to be a chief spirit

God – the one and only creator God. 
Since God is a spirit and claims to be a chief spirit, he is also a god.

Proposition 2
If a person worships at or finds solace at different temples and religions, then he must believe spiritual wisdom comes from outside of himself and not from within.  Otherwise he would worship at home. 

The person who worships in churches, temples and mosques of various religions believes that other people also have godly wisdom and he goes to where they are to get what they’ve got.  Even if he believes that god whispers to his own heart, even that is not from within himself; it is from god outside of him giving wisdom into him. 

Therefore, if you believe there is spiritual truth and significance in what other people tell you – whether spirits or men – then you should listen to what they say and heed them.  Otherwise, you find yourself to be a hypocrite, a base fellow who lies even to his own soul.

Proposition 3
Since we have already testified in our hearts that other people and religions hold spiritual truth, let us see what they say.

Every religion holds that there are evil spirits.  They are called evil spirits, unclean spirits, devils, demons, and Satan.

If you visit Thailand (a Buddhist country), you’ll see many homes have little houses on pedestals in the yard facing the main room of the house.  These are called spirit houses.  The human residents put food and flowers on the porch of these houses.  These houses, they believe, accommodate spirits, but not just any spirit.  They house evil spirits, and the food and the flowers are given to appease the evil spirit.  If the spirit is happy, the resident has good luck.  If the spirit is unhappy, the resident has bad luck.

If you visit Africa (an Animist country), you’ll see those who worship totems and images do it to appease evil spirits… not any spirit, but evil spirits.  If they appease the spirit, they will have good luck but if they offend they spirit, they will have bad luck.

If you visit India (a Hindu country), you’ll see their millions of gods are all called demons and devils.

If you read the Q’uran (Koran) or learn from Islam, you’ll learn that Islam teaches there is a devil and evil spirits. 

If you read the Bible (Christian) or the Tanach (Jewish), you’ll learn those books and their religions teach there is a devil and evil spirits. 

Therefore, if you receive spiritual instruction from any religion in the world, you must believe in evil spirits, unclean spirits and demons.  If you don’t, then you are lying to your own soul either that you believe other religions when you really don’t, or that you don’t believe in evil spirits when you really do.

Conclusion 1
If you believe religions and spiritual men have spiritual truth and lessons, then you must believe in evil spirits, because those teachers all teach there are evil spirits.

If a person believes in evil spirits, then why would he act as if there are no evil spirits and believe any spiritual thing he hears without a critical mind?

If you believe in evil spirits, then would it not be wise to heed your own knowledge and take care not to be influenced or fooled by them?

Lesson 1
Let’s compare Islam and Christianity, or rather, the Q’uran and the Bible.

The Bible says in 1 John 2:22-23,

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 

The Q’uran says in Sura 5:72-73, 5:75

They do blaspheme who say: “God is Christ the son of Mary.” They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a trinity: for there is no God except one God Allah. If they do not desist from their word of blasphemy, verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.

Christ the son of Mary was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him.

Here we have a situation where the Bible declares Allah is an antichrist, and the Q’uran declares that worshipping the god of Christians and Jews is blasphemy (for even Jews call God “Father.”) 

Both gods disavow the other.  Both gods claim they are not the other.  That is, both gods, both bibles, and both religions claim you cannot have both.

If a person says Allah and God are both the same god, he's under a curse by both Allah and God, by both Islam and Judaism/Christianity.

If you are worshipping gods at both mosque and church, then you are toying with an evil spirit at one of them, because there is no god who will contradict himself.

If you call yourself a Christian and believe in Christ, then when you worship at a mosque, you are worshipping the antichrist, the devil.  I don’t say that from myself, as my own opinion; that’s what both the Bible and the Q’uran say.  I just reported it to you.

Lesson 2
Let’s review a few other things the Bible says about worshipping God versus gods in other religions. 

The Jewish name of God, YHWH, is variously translated as LORD and Jehovah.  It is the literal name of God.  Allah is the literal name of Islam’s god.  Each disavow the other.

Isaiah 42:8

I am YHWH, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another

Joshua 23:7-8

You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, but you shall hold fast to YHWH [not Allah] your God

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

That word above, “deceiving,” is planos (Greek).  It means deceiving, seducing, corrupting.

 

Lesson 3
Do you know what “deceiving” or “seducing” means?  It means something is designed to look good when it is really bad. 

Let’s say you’re walking down the street and, if you’re heterosexual, you see this absolutely gorgeous prostitute.  If you’re gay, you see this stunning male prostitute.  You want him and he invites you to come on in.  Shortly thereafter you come down with AIDS or another sexually transmitted disease. 

Another scenario: you’re walking down the street and you’re hungry.  You see pictures of mouthwatering hamburgers, chicken or tacos.  You go in and eat it. It’s so good, you make a steady diet of it.  In a few years, you’re obese and have diabetes. 

That’s what seduction and deception are.  It is something designed to look good and appeal to you but actually it is bad for you.  That is what God warns you about in other religions.  Sure they look good. And they feel good, but

Proverbs 14:12,

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

That’s what God says Satan is, a beautiful angel that looks gorgeous and desirable; but he is the way of death.

This next passage requires an explanation.  It is addressed to the “king of Tyre,” but by its context you can see it is addressed to Satan.  Tyre, a religious city, was in fact ruled by an evil spirit, by Satan.

Ezekiel 28:13-17,

Thus says the Lord God: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers;  I established you;  You were on the holy mountain of God;  You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.  You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.  By the abundance of your trading  you became filled with violence within,  and you sinned;  therefore I cast you as a profane thing  out of the mountain of God;  and I destroyed you, O covering cherub,  From the midst of the fiery stones. your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;  You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground.”

Do you see how seductive – how beautiful and desirable – Satan is?  He is “full of wisdom.” Would you like to have some of that wisdom?  He is adorned with gorgeous clothes, gold and precious stones.  Does that seem appealing to you?  He was the “anointed cherub”  a wonderful angel of God.  He was perfect… until God discovered iniquity in him.  Therefore he was cast out from God.  But he still appears beautiful to people.

Here’s another one,

Isaiah 12:14-18

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”

Here we see Satan wants to be God.  He wants to be over other angels (“stars” is used in the Bible as a metaphor for angels, Revelation 1:20). 

Conclusion 2
The two major religions, Christianity and Islam, disavow each other.  They both say Satan is the god of the other religion.  They both say you cannot find god in both places.  Therefore, if you are worshipping God in both churches and mosques, you have been grossly deceived and seduced, either by evil spirits or by your own deception.

Both gods present themselves as beautiful and desirable.  One of them is a seducing spirit who will, in the end, kill you.

Lesson 4
So why should we believe the Bible?  What not believe the Q’uran?  Is the Bible different?

The Bible is different and has things not found in the Q’uran.

Fulfilled prophecy

The Tanach and New Testament are filled with prophecy, some of which have been fulfilled in the distant past and some of which are being fulfilled in your own lifetime.

For example, Jesus predicted that after his day Jerusalem (a) would be attacked and its people scattered throughout the world (b) yet be drawn back again into a nation.  He predicted that (c) Jerusalem would first be controlled by gentiles and come back again under the control of the Jews (Luke 21:24).

Jesus was crucified around AD 31-32.  Prophecy (a) was fulfilled in AD 70; prophecy (b) was fulfilled in AD 1948; prophecy (c) was fulfilled in AD 1967.

Eye witnesses

The authors of scripture said they reported what they saw, heard and experenced. They said they did not simply make up what they preached.

1 John 1: 1-3

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:16-18

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Deuteronomy 4:12-13

And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

Miracles

When the Jews were questioning Jesus himself, he said words to the effect, “Look, if you can’t believe my words or even your own Bible, then at least look at the miracles I do.  The blind see.  The deaf hear.  The lame walk.  The dead are raised to life.  These testify of me.” 

John 10:37-38

“If I do not do the works of My Father [that is, the works of God], do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

Matthew 11:4-6

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Scientific Accuracy

Since this is such a large subject, I will only cover it briefly and give you a reference for further information. 

Astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross studied and tested the Bible, the Q’uran and other religious writings.  The Bible is the only one that got the creation story right, in the proper sequence.  

Earth was a void with dark clouds covered it (science says).  The clouds began to dissipate, and light came to earth.  Thus the first creating action was “Let there be light.”

Later, as the clouds cleared up even more, the sun, moon and stars because apparent.  Thus the third creating action was visual sight of the universe.

Life first began in the ocean, and that is what the Bible says…

And so on.  For Dr. Ross’ complete story, visit his website at www.reasons.org.

There is no other religious writings in any other religion, including the Q’uran and Islam, that got the creation story right.

Conclusion 3

People who seek god in several religions or spiritual experiences, find spirituality but they do not find God.  They find only seducing (beautiful) spirits who pretend to be God.

Both God and god demand you to be faithful to one only.  If you try to appease both with no critical thought, both say they will reject you.  Thus, without a critical mind, you become fair game for any lying, deceitful, unclean spirit who will capture you and use you in any way whatever.