BAHAISM and the Spirit of the Antichrist

 The Bahai concept of religious unity and international government is closely linked to the many other religious groups involved in the ecumenical movement, and at times associated with the "New Age" movement.  They are highly evangelistic in promoting their views.  Bahaism began in Persia as an offshoot of Islam, with Mirza Ali Muhammed (1819-1850).  In 1844 he announced that he was the Bab (the Gate) who would be the forerunner of the "Promised One" who would be a manifestation of God.  After his death, one of his followers, Baha'u'llah (the Glory of Allah), came to believe that he was this "Promised One".  Bahaism is considered a heresy by most Muslims and thousands have been murdered by fundamentalist jihadis.

Baha'u'lah claimed himself to be another manifestation of Christ and the fulfillment of the prophecy by Jesus in John 14:16-17 in which there was to come a SPIRIT or Comforter which would be with us forever.  Baha'u'llah however died in 1892 at the age of 75 and no longer with us.

Baha'u'llah's son, Abdul Baha, brought the new religion to the United States in 1912 and built a $2.5 temple in Wilamette, Illinois.

Bahai temple in Wilmette, Illinois

In Bahaism the Biblical and historical version of Christianity is modified.  Christ is robbed of his incarnate deity by placing him on the same level as the other religious teachers.  He is also accorded a position inferior to that granted to Baha'u'llah.  Bahais do not believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, the inerrancy of the Bible, eternal punishment, a literal Hell, the blood atonement of the cross, nor Satan and his demons whom Jesus dealt with throughout his ministry.  Yet, they claim that Baba'u'llah taught the same things as the Bible.  Jesus' true believers have to deal with the Devil and resist his demons (Mark 16:17-18).

The Bible tells us the true Comforter, or Holy Spirit, came to us at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:21) and gave power and supernatural gifts to the believers as a witness for God's kingdom.

Bahaism is a prime example of Jesus' words in Matthew 24:11, when he spoke of the end of this present age.  "And man false prophets will arise and will mislead many."  Then concerning the Bahais plea for world peace they avoid apostle Paul's warning of the true visitation of the Day of the Lord.  "While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thess 5:3.

Apostle Paul wrote these extremely strong words concerning those who would follow after a false gospel, "But even though we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:8-9).

The Bible says in John 3:36, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Therefore, it is necessary that we repent of any false gospel and turn away from any sin or deception, and "be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall received the gift of the true Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that otherwise we shall die in our sins and be thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death or Hell. (Acts 2:38, Rev. 20:15, 21:8)

Bahai Temple, Haifa, Israel

Why Benjamin Franklin became a Deist

Why Benjamin Franklin rejected his Presbyterian roots

There are many reasons a politician might reject being affiliated with a particular religious denomination.  In his early teens Franklin had exhausted the books in his fathers library which for the most part were related to bible study and religion.  He left home at seventeen looking for work in the printing business and ended up in England for over a year.  Returning to America in 1726 he was about twenty years old.  As he began to prosper in the printing business he was consumed by reading.  Though he seldom attended church he never abandoned his belief in God.  His view of the Presbyterian religion however he came to reject.

"I had been religiously educated as a Presbyterian; but though some of the dogmas of the persuasion, such as the eternal decrees of God, election, reprobation, etc., appeared to me unintelligible, others doubtful, and I early absented myself from the public assemblies of the sect, Sunday being my studying day, I never was without some religious principles.  I never doubted, for instance, the existence of a Deity- that he made the world and governed it by his providence - that the most acceptable service of God was the doing good to man - that our souls are immortal - that all crimes will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter."

In Philadelphia, a Presbyterian minister encouraged him to attend his church but it was short lived. "Had he been in my opinion a good preacher, perhaps I might have continued...but his discourse were chiefly either polemic arguments, or explications of the peculiar doctrines of our sect, and were all to me very dry, uninteresting, and unedifying; since not a single moral principle was inculcated or enforced; their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens."

After five Sundays of this experience he gave up on public assemblies and pursued his own studies on Sundays with the help of a liturgy and form of prayer of his own that he composed (1728) entitled, Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion.  He admitted that his conduct might have been blameable but he made no apologies.  Of his thirteen virtuous goals the final was to imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Reverend Whitefield came to preach from Ireland in 1739 Franklin became one of his great admirers and supporter.  Whitefield was not shy about calling out the errors of clergymen who shut him out of their churches.

When it came time for the Americans to pick up weapons to defend themselves against their enemies Franklin was more than a bit frustrated by the hypocrisy of the pacifist Quakers.

The Rock ain't Peter

Who is the Rock?

So this is what the Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken. (Isa, 28:16)

According to Roman tradition
 Peter is the rock and  foundation of the church. 

 But what does the bible say?

Throughout the bible the rock is actually God.  A few examples make it clear.  In the Song of Moses (Deu. 32:4) we read, "The Rock!  His work is perfect."  This is certainly not something we could say about Peter who was prone to jumping to conclusions and being carried away by peer pressure.  Apostle Paul had to rebuke him publicly for hypocrisy (Gal. 2:11)  Who did apostle Paul say was the rock? "and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ" (1 Cor. 10:4).  So neither Moses or Paul thought Peter was the Rock.

Psalm 62:1-2

"My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken."

Notice that God is our salvation, not the church.

A Psalm of David reads, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge." (2 Samuel 22:2-3, Psalm 18:2)

Those that prefer Peter as their rock apparently do not read the Old Testament or care what it says.  When one places there faith in a church or person rather than Christ they are setting themselves up for a painful disappointment.

Esoteric Truth

Can you judge a CD by its cover?

So when the name of a city from the Book of Mormon shows up on a CD cover what does this mean?

The Mormons use many things to promote their cult.  They use names like this from the Book of Mormon to merchandise their religion and neutralize any critical thinking.  Google Zarahemla and watch what comes up.  There is more than one way to skin a snake.

Dangers of the Occult

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,  or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.  You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.  For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.  (Deu. 18:10-14)

Training for Life

How to bear much fruit and avoid the burn pile

Fruit trees on large commercial farms are shaped and trained from saplings to meet the needs of the harvester in later years.  This is an ongoing process that must start when the wood is green and pliable because after a few years there is no bending wood that has become hard.  Though this is costly and time consuming it has been proven that it saves the farmer labor costs and medical bills that may accrue when pickers once climbed tall ladders harvesting large trees.  Now much of the tree can be harvested from the ground or from a short ladder which also helps keep the fruit from being bruised during the process.

This is much like teaching small children good habits and social skills.  Once they have become set in their ways it is very difficult for them to unlearn bad habits.  Antisocial behavior costs society because there is a spillover affect.  Many innocent people may be harmed and ultimately everyone has to pay the price for reckless behavior.  Insurance costs go up and more police and first responders have to be hired to deal with the fruit of unruly people.  Churches and social workers often find themselves at their wits end trying to help people function in a civilized society.

When the Rapture never came

Americans are often citing verses about the rapture with the idea they will be delivered from persecution in the last days.  For fourteen hundred years Muslims have been burning churches and slaughtering Christians for whom the rapture never came.  Even in our day Christians in Muslim countries are having their throats cut, burned to death, raped and sold into slavery while western Christians live in a fantasy world of video games and Hollywood fiction.  And many talk big words of faith and power yet they have never been to a third world country where they would be killed for being a Christian.  It is easy to talk big until the fire gets turned up.