The Church of Scientology placed a “free personality test” — Scientology’s “Oxford Capacity Analysis” — as a paid insert into The Tennessean newspaper Jan. 7 asking in a large typeface, “Are you curious about yourself?”

Though named the “Oxford Capacity Analysis,” the 200-question Scientology assessment was not developed by Oxford University nor does it have any tie to the famed university. The Scientology “personality test” is described by various Internet sources as a Scientology recruitment tool used worldwide on Scientology websites, in Scientology churches and in public settings such as fairs and festivals. It also has been criticized by psychologists as not a bonafide personality test.

Scientology is listed among “New Religious and Cults” on the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board’s website… (Online source)

For more information on the cult of Scientology see: Is Scientology Compatible With Christianity?

The evil influence of the egregiously ecumenical Emerging Church aka Emergent Church—morphing into Emergence Christianity (EC)—which is a cult of postliberalism now firmly within mainstream evangelicalism—have blurred crucial distinctions within the church visible. One of these concerns apostate Eastern Orthodoxy, which has been further confused with recent Manhattan Declaration debacle.

With this in mind, here’s the very first testimony of its kind that we have received and it’s published with permission. Scott, again I thank you very much for sharing this with us and I do believe it will be an encouragement and blessing to the many who have yet had the chance to read it:

Pastor Ken

I had been a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC) for about 5 years and had been ordained into the Eastern Orthodox sub-deaconate. I had been accepted into the late vocations program to become a deacon, yet I knew in my heart of hearts that something wasn’t right.

I was introduced to the EOC when I was in the Balkans on a deployment with the military, and it seemed to offer the stability I craved. By and large I was ignorant of Reformation doctrine, oh I knew the basics about salvation, but other than that I was completely in the dark. I had left my particular Baptist denomination disillusioned. In my mind the Protestant Church seemed to grab on to every fad and gimmick. No more preaching about sin, it was more about entertainment.

I read about Peter Gilquist’s journey to the EOC it seemed logical (although aspects of his denominations’ mass conversion to the EOC were disconcerting) and I read Frank Schaeffer’s book (a very angry man by the way) “Dancing Alone”. The EOC like Catholicism claims to have an uninterrupted line of succession from the Apostles to the present day, they hold “holy tradition” on par with Scripture and use it to interpret Scripture. They also lean heavily on the writings of the Early Church Fathers. So I switched…”I came home” a popular catch phrase that is used by converts to the EOC …and I went all the way.

However, after the novelty of the ” smells and bells” and the pageantry wore off, I was left with more questions than answers. The major selling point of the EOC that you’ll hear from most Protestant converts is that of the harmonious communion that all Orthodox share as the real body of believers and true Church. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This is not a unified body of believers that contains the “fullness of the faith”. This is a fractured denomination split along national and ethnic lines. It is rife with “Byzantine intrigues” and power politics. Maintaining the status quo and acquiring political power and influence are the hallmarks of the EOC, particularly in former communist states.

The EOC in North Americas is comprised of many jurisdictions and is primarily a Church for immigrants. Most “converts” are dissatisfied Protestants not new believers. The EOC in North America does not like to proselytize, it is close-knit and clannish. The Church is obsessed with maintaining the cultural and ethnic heritage of it’s immigrant members not spreading the Gospel.

Unlike Protestant Churches who instruct Christians to apply the teachings of our Lord in their daily lives; the Orthodox Christian’s life revolves around participation in the liturgy which is highly ritualistic and filled with mysticism. Consequently, most Orthodox do not have a clear understanding of the scriptures or of the full meaning of Christ’s atoning work on the cross. Many can quote chapter and verse from the teachings of the Early Church Fathers, or from the lives of various of “saints” however, if you ask them to back up these teachings with Scripture they are hard pressed.

This is not in anyway meant to minimize the contributions of the Early Fathers, however the measuring stick for all doctrine and teaching must be the Scriptures. Moreover, the practice of contemplative or centering prayer is encouraged. “The Jesus Prayer” is a simple two line prayer in which the practitioner is instructed to repeat over and over and over in conjunction with a pattern of controlled breathing.

As you can see I was in a spiritual quandary so it was no coincidence that I stumbled on Apprising Ministries and Slice. The articles at Apprising Ministries have given me a great education. I would read one of Pastor Ken’s articles and would follow up with study and my own research. I would have to say that Pastor Ken’s work has shown me that there are still Bible Believing Churches and Christians out there. It is incumbent on us as Christians to seek out like minded believers and Churches’ who value God’s Word above all.

More importantly however, AM has taught me that it is every believers’ responsibility to take the necessary time to seriously study God’s Word for themselves. My Biblical knowledge and familiarity with Reformation Doctrine has increased exponentially over the last year and it is because of the work at AM. There would be so much less heretical garbage if only every believer would like the Bereans, examine the Scriptures daily to see if what they were being taught was true.

God Bless you, Pastor Ken, you, your wife and your church, you have made a difference in this believers’ life. Your ministry has brought me “Back Home” to the Reformation and the simple message of the Gospel.

Scott M

See also:

EASTERN ORTHODOXY

BRIAN MCLAREN AND THEOSIS

WHY ALISTAIR BEGG DIDN’T SIGN MANHATTAN DECLARATION

JAMES WHITE: FURTHER THOUGHTS ON THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION AND A RESPONSE TO FRANK BECKWITH

JOHN MACARTHUR ON THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION

JAMES WHITE: TROUBLING ASPECTS OF MANHATTAN DECLARATION

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH PREACHES A DIFFERENT GOSPEL

And among the false teachings that Emergence Christianity ala Brian McLaren and Rob Bell is trying to drag back into the visible Christian church are many originating the Eastern Orthodox Church.

So for the interested reader CRN provides this link to more information on Eastern Orthodoxy. There you will find the answers to some basic questions regarding the theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as many articles for further study.

As to the video below, the intro tells us that Eastern Orthodoxy:

needs to be addressed on the media. This is clearly done in this program as Richard Bennett interviews Stuart Quint. Photos and graphics of Orthodox churches and personages are inserted.

We practitioners of different faiths can work together for world peace when we view different religions as essentially instruments to develop a good heart – love and respect for others, a true sense of community. The most important thing is to look at the purpose of religion and not at the details of theology or metaphysics, which can lead to mere intellectualism. I believe that all the major religions of the world can contribute to world peace and work together for the benefit of humanity if we put aside subtle metaphysical differences, which are really the internal business of each religion.
(Online source)

But the genuine Christian knows that according to the Word of our Creator in the Bible the highlighted above is the fundamental flaw in his pie-in-the-sky dream of Utopia. Those of us in Christ are well aware of just how evil the human heart is — The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

And not simply before conversion; no, according to the inspired Apostle Paul it’s because we’ve been literally been regenerated i.e. born again that now:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:14-25)

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ’a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law — a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’ … Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” (Matthew 10:34-36; Luke 12:51-52)

Ah, That’s Just What The Bible Says

It seems that with each passing day the time in which we live grows more interesting. Recently Louis Farrakhan, head of the quasi-Muslim group Nation of Islam “declared Barack Obama to be a messiah” (Online source). We need to remember there will be no shortage of false messiahs (Greek: Christ). A reader just informed us that they heard an ad today on KFBK, which is a well-listened to station in Sacramento, announcing that the messiah awaited by the world’s religions was coming. It ran complete with a phone number and even a website:

Many now expect the return of their awaited Teacher, whether they call him the Christ, Messiah, the fifth Buddha, Krishna, or the Imam Mahdi. Millions now know that the Teacher who fulfills all these expectations is already living among us…

[He] has not come alone, but with a group of wise Teachers who have long guided humanity from behind the scenes. They are returning to the everyday world to help us solve our most critical global problems. Maitreya is not a religious leader, but an educator in the broadest sense. He is here to inspire us to create a new era based on sharing and justice, so that all may have the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, health care, and education. (Online source)

Yes, it does sound like Rick Warren, but it isn’t. And no, it’s not Rob Bell either. Turns out it’s “Maitreya, the World Teacher, [and h]is open mission in the world is about to begin. As Maitreya himself has said: ‘Soon, now very soon, you will see my face and hear my words.’”

For more information on Maitreya Apprising Ministries suggests the following from Deception In the Church which come from Maitreya’s website in order that you see for yourself what this antichrist teaches:

The Christ Has Presented His Credentials to the Media, New Age Organization Says

The Emergence of Lord Maitreya, The World Teacher

Questions and Answers

A Compilation of Teachings from the World Teacher, Maitreya the Christ

Maitreya Buddha’s Emergence

Chapter Four Update: Maitreya from Reinventing Jesus Christ by Warren Smith will prove helpful as well.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not”
(Matthew 24:23-26, KJV).

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Corinthians 10:19-22)

So, Did God Somehow Stutter When He Spoke Uniquely In The Bible?

The following quote from Abdul Saleeb (pseudonym) comes from The Dark Side of Islam by Saleeb and R.C. Sproul. We are informed that Saleeb “was born and raised in a Muslim country in the Middle East” and was a Muslim himself until he “eventually converted to Christianity” (backflap). The point is that he knows quite well what Islam teaches.

Saleeb writes:

Islam rejects not only the death of Christ on the cross and the doctrine of the atonement, but also the deity of Christ. Jesus Christ is the dividing point between Christianity and Islam. Following are several passages from the Qur’an on Christ’s deity:

They do blaspheme who say: “Allah is Christ the son of Mary.” But said Christ: “O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode” (Sura 5:72).

Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth, They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the Truth! (Sura 5:75)

…the Christians call Christ the Son of God. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth (Sura 9:30). (73)

And among those who are “deluded away from the Truth”; who are now under “Allah’s curse”, and are among those whom “Allah will forbid” entering “the Garden” and make “the Fire” their “abode” would be professing the Christians who signed A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word Between Us and You’.

Because at last check e.g. postevangelicals like Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, or Wesley Granberg-Michaelson a contemplative who is general secretary of the Reformed Church in America, as well as Emerging Church leaders such as Guru Brian McLaren and Tony Jones still at least give lip service to believing that Jesus Christ is not simply a lesser prophet than Muhammad but rather really is the unique Son of God.

A real tough spot for Christian compromisers: Damned by Yahveh Elohim, the one true and living God if they don’t believe this; and yet damned by the demon god Allah of Islam if they do.

What The Scripture Says

The intent of this work here at Apprising Ministries is drawn from an adage by one of the greatest illustrative Bible teachers the Church has ever known, Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse who said a — “The goal of the good Bible teacher is to get the hay down out of the loft onto the barn floor where the cows can get at it.”

And while I could certainly make this much more complex, I have chosen to make this information as accessible as possible. This way, if you are interested in teaching someone in The Way International about Who Jesus Christ of Nazareth really is, or if perhaps you are a member of the Way who is seeking this information for yourself, then you will find this look at Philippians 2:5-6 to be of value.

That said, let’s zero in on verse 6. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. This is a critical verse to really become familiar with, as you begin to share your faith in Christ in this postmodern culture. More and more people around us today truly have no concept of the actual Person and nature of our Lord. You first need to understand that there is a plethora of wrong views about Jesus that are currently being taught in our society, as there is no shortage of misinformed people running around claiming to speak words from God.

How Can We Know For Sure What Is True?

The important question that we need to ask, and to encourage others to ask as well is: How do we know if what these people say about God is really true or not? Well, the prophet Isaiah tells us when he explains that people who claim to speak for God must teach what agrees with the Law — [Holy Scripture] — and [with] the testimony — [previous doctrines or teachings that have already been developed from the Bible].

God the Holy Spirit further tells us in the Scriptures – If they do not speak according to this Word, they have no light (Isaiah 8:20). The fact is that there are so many today who are speaking from darkness and then go on to claim that it’s from God. But the Lord plainly warns us — Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:16).

In this postmodern era we do have to be very careful just who we listen to. For as the old saying goes — “this is not a drill.” And the Bible tells us emphatically to a — Test everything. Hold on to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The wise man then is going to ask: Well, what do we Test everything by? The answer to this vital question is found right in Acts 17:11, which is Dr. Luke’s book about the early history of the ancient Church — Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

We can certainly see from this God thinks it is noble, good, and righteous to, Test everything you are taught about Him by His Word in the Bible. And that’s why a true minister of Jesus Christ will always encourage you to look up in the Holy Scriptures, for yourself, the things they teach you. They will want you to be of more noble character then those who don’t. Can you see that? And it’s also for their own protection as well.

Christ Is The Very Essence of God

Let’s go back to our text in Philippians 2:6. It’s clear from the preceding verse that we are talking about Christ Jesus here. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Now we’re going to spend a bit of time just on the A part, or the first part, of this verse — Who, being in very nature God. In the footnotes to the NIV Study Bible, Dr. Richard Gaffin, Jr. correctly points out that in very nature God is “affirming” that Jesus is fully God.” And further, the word “nature” here (morphe in the Greek) is “the sum of those qualities that make God specifically God” (1985 ed., 1805).

Ontologically, what we are saying is, that in this verse of Holy Scripture the Bible is unmistakably teaching that Jesus of Nazareth by being in very nature God is literally made of the same essence that makes God Who He is. And you will come to see this very clearly before we are through. Let me illustrate. Now, you and I are human beings in our nature. Are we not? And as such we are made up of all of the stuff (essence) that comprises a human being.

Here in Philippians 2:6 — the Apostle Paul is telling us that Jesus is made of the same essence—Deity—that God is made of. Does this begin to make sense? In other words, the Babe we think of each Christmas season lying in that manger, Who then grew up as the earthly Son of Mary and Joseph, is God Himself also living as a human man in a real body. Paul is telling us that the Man—Christ Jesus of Nazareth—is fully God, in addition to being fully Man. So, therefore, Jesus is both the Son of Man and the Son of God.

You must understand that the historic orthodox Christian Church didn’t just make this up. And by the way, when you see the word “Catholic” in the ancient creeds of the Church, the Greek word katholikos, which was used there. means “universal”; and does not at all refer to the “Roman” Catholic Church. No; the universal Church-the Body of Christ has always proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth is our Creator—the LORD God Almighty Himself—come into His own creation because this is what is all over the pages of the Bible. And, this is what the cardinal doctrine of the Messiah (Mashiach—in Hebrew), better known to us as the Christ (Christos—in the Greek) truly reveals to the world.

The Bible teaches that right after mankind fell into sin in Genesis 3, God announces that He was going to come into His world as the Savior of our fallen race. For the LORD God said to Satan — And I will put enmity — [hate] — between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers — [and then God hints at the crucifixion of Jesus and His triumph over the Devil as the LORD God—Jehovah Elohim—further says] — He will crush your head and you will strike His heel (Genesis 3:15).

Christ Was Already Living Before He Lived On Earth

Now let’s look at the first part of Philippians 2:6 again. Who — [Christ Jesus] — being in very nature God. We’ve already seen that this verse teaches our Lord is made up of the nature—or stuff—of God, namely Deity. But H.C. Hewlett tells us that this phrase being in very nature God uses the “participle hyparchon” in the original Greek. And the way this sentence is constructed it “indicates that [Christ] was already in existence” (New International Bible Commentary, 1444, emphasis mine). The word hyparchon carries the meaning of “existing”—“which always involves a preexistent state” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, 60, emphasis mine).

So, reading this in the original language you’d get the plain meaning — “Who, was already existing in the very ‘form’—nature—or essence of God.” What God the Holy Spirit is telling us here about Jesus Christ of Nazareth is that He is a Being Who was already in existence before He became that Babe in the manger, and He never stopped being God. No; what Christ did was simply to add another nature—this one human—to the nature of God, which He already had!

The Deity of Christ Is Not A Human Invention

The Bible clearly does teach that Jesus has always been God; and when He was born of the Virgin Mary, He then became Man. Now, whether someone wants to believe this or not, is entirely between them and God. However, if they choose not to believe what God’s Word says, then they should at least be honest enough to stop telling people that the Church “made up” this doctrine. Yet, this is precisely what skeptics, the Mind Science cults—like Christian Science and the Unity School of Christianity—are telling people around us.

Others who say that supposedly dishonest clergy “invented” the Deity of Christ are those in the non-Christian cult of Liberal Theology and people involved in the New Age Movement. And then there are others who don’t believe that the one true eternally existing God Himself became man, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormon Church, and The Way International, who continue to insist that the Bible “doesn’t teach this.”

While it is certainly true that everyone has the right to their own views, they are clearly wrong when they say that the full Deity of Jesus Christ is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Our text here in Philippians 2:6 alone refutes that argument. And especially now that we more fully understand the original Greek language in which Paul wrote the words of our initial text concerning—Christ Jesus— “Who, was already existing in the nature—essence—the very stuff that makes God Who He is.”

What The Bible Tells Us About The Historic Person Jesus Of Nazareth

Now if this was just one obscure passage of Scripture by just one human author, then maybe these folks might possibly have a case. Although by definition, to say “Scripture” is to say that God wrote the passage (see—2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). This aside, we go to John 1:1; a verse which is so very important for us to have a good grasp on as we try and witness in these crazy times that we are currently living in.

John 1:1 — In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Here it is again broken down in the original Greek. En arche. In the beginning — before anything originated and began to exist. En ho Logos — was the Word. The Word already was existing. Do you see how this agrees with what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:6? Now John himself is also telling us the Word—Christ Jesus—was already existing.

Then the Apostle whom Jesus loved goes on to instruct us and the Word was with God and — Theos en ho Logos — the Word was God. What God was made of—the Word was also made of. Which is to say, the morphe—essence—form—or the very nature of Deity. As you should now be able to see, all of this really is quite clear in the original text.

Let me quickly point out 2 other verses that are also clear indications of our Lord’s Deity. The first is Colossians 2:9. Here the Apostle Paul tells us — For in Christ pleroma tes Theotes somotikos — in the Greek. This means — “everything that makes God Who He is” lives in the Man Jesus of Nazareth. The full Deity of Christ just couldn’t be written in any stronger language than Paul is using here!

The second verse I’d like to point out is Hebrews 1:3 where God the Holy Spirit tells us — The Son [Jesus] is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His — [the Father’s] — being. Charakter hautou hupostasis — in the original. The substance—or essence—of God’s exact nature—Deity. Once again we learn here that the Father and the Son are identical in their nature, which is what makes them Who they are—and that is Deity—God. And so Christ Jesus really could say — “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Because the Bible categorically teaches that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the exact representation of [God’s very] being. I know it’s all a bit technical, but this is how easily these subtle, twisted, and eternally dangerous lies of the Devil will ensnare unsuspecting prey.

And this brings us nicely around to Philippians 2:6 once again. As you should be able to see by now, if someone really wants to break down a verse of the Bible, there is certainly a whole lot that you can find. The a part of verse 6 once again — Who, being in very nature God. What I want to do now is to reinforce our newly acquired knowledge about the phrase in very nature God, which is that word morphe—in the Greek—that I’ve mentioned a couple of times now.

As Dr. Robert Lightner informs us:

The term translated nature morphe in verses 6 and 7 is a critical term in this passage. This word (trans. form in the KJV and NASB) stresses the inner essence or reality of that with which it is associated (cf. Mark 16:12). Christ Jesus, Paul said, is of the very essence (morphe) of God, and in His incarnation He embraced perfect humanity. His complete and absolute deity is here stressed by the apostle. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, 653,654)

You will remember that I just showed you from John 1:1 that the Apostle John taught the exact same thing, as did the writer of the Book of Hebrews. Namely, that Jesus of Nazareth was not only a Man, but He was also made of what God is made of—Spirit-Deity. It is critical for you to understand that the Bible is quite emphatic that Jesus never stopped being God, as I said before, He just added humanity to His already Divine nature. Dr. Lightner further points out — “The Savior’s claim to deity infuriated the Jewish leaders (John 5:18) and caused them to accuse Him of blasphemy (John 10:33)” (ibid.). Which you will recall, is the very crime for which Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified.

The Deity of Christ Is A Crucial Issue

We need to remember that the Bible tells us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11). We also must understand that the Deity of Christ is Satan’s prime target of attack. And here’s why. In the Gospel of John 8:24 our Lord says something that cuts to the very heart of all that we have been talking about. Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord of Glory, and the only Savior of this lost world is quoted by the Apostle John who is an eyewitness to this event.

Let’s look at John 8:24 — I told you — [ says our Lord and God] — I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I Am. We must stop right here. If you are reading the NIV, you will notice little brackets after the words I Am. And then you will see the words — “the One I claim to be.” Both the King James and the New American Standard versions have the word “He” in italics, while the New World Translation used by Jehovah’s Witnesses has word “he“ in lower case letters, and in brackets. The reason for that is the translators have added those words to the text in an attempt to “clarify” what Jesus meant. The words “the One I claim to be” and “He” are not in the original Greek text.

What Jesus is actually quoted by John as saying is — I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I Am, you will indeed die in your sins. And you may recall that this is the Divine Name of God as found in Exodus 3:14 when the Lord spoke to Moses through the burning bush. So, what is Jesus trying to tell us here? The Master has just said, that He is the great I Am—the LORD God Almighty—Creator of the universe—and the very Person Who spoke to Moses from that burning bush!

The point our Lord is making here is this: Unless a person comes to Him and acknowledges that it is their own Creator—God Himself—Who is their Savior, then that person will die in their sins, and will have condemned themselves to Hell. And this is exactly what the Apostle Paul is also confirming in our text in Philippians 2:6. The great Reformers of the Church had an important phrase that they used Soli Deo Gloria, which means “to God alone be the glory.”

Can you see now why it’s so harmful to the fate of mankind as the contemporary church “world” (a more apt word than many know) continues this horrific drift away from a true understanding of the all-surpassing greatness of Jehovah Elohim. For you see, because the Church of our Lord has been failing to magnify God to His proper place, people now have a false view of their Creator as simply a slightly more powerful version of man. And in this paralyzing process a vital truth which relates directly to our subject of the full Deity of Jesus Christ has now become obscured. The one true and living LORD God Almighty would never share His glory with another; that glory which is due to Him alone!

Open your eyes and you will see that this long promised Messiah has to be God Himself, and this itself was not unknown to Jewish scholars. As a matter of fact, in the Jewish New Testament Commentary, Dr. David Stern, himself a messianic Jew living in Jerusalem, tells us: “The pre-existence of the Messiah was a familiar concept in rabbinic Judaism… [However, more] problematical for Judaism is the Messiah’s equality with God;…(596, emphasis mine). And this is, in fact, what the orthodox Jewish faith is rejecting even now.

But Does The Way International Say?

And the sad thing is, there are so many more people who are also dying in their sins because they are denying the full Deity of Christ. At this point we turn attention specifically to The Way International. When you meet people from the Way, they will say to you — “We’re Christians too, because we believe in the Savior Jesus Christ.” In fact, on the official website of The Way International we are informed that — “The Way is a fellowship of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Online source). The question that we need to ask is: Which Jesus Christ do they follow: Jesus Christ of Nazareth of the historic biblical record—or one of the myriad impostors?

In order to honestly answer this question we will need to look at what The Way International itself actually says about Christ Jesus. So, let us first consider this from The Way International founder—the late Victor Paul Wierwille—who even wrote a book called Jesus Christ is Not God. In it he says — “The gospel of John established the truth of God’s word that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but not God the Son—or God Himself” (16). The Christian Apologetics And Research Ministry tells us that the Way also teaches — “Jesus was not born of a virgin…that [He] was raised on Saturday and that there were four people crucified with Him, not two.” (Online source).

In The Word’s Way, Wierwille writes — “Jesus Christ’s existence began when he was conceived by God’s creating the soul-life of Jesus in Mary” (37). And then there is this:

Wierwille himself wrote: “I am saying that Jesus Christ is not God, but the Son of God. They are not ‘co-eternal, without beginning or end, and co-equal.’ Jesus Christ was not literally God in the beginning; neither does he have all the assets of God” (Jesus Christ is Not God, 5, cited in Online source).

But this isn’t what we have just seen from the text of the Bible, is it? Furthermore, in his article The Jesus of the Way International Christian apologist James Walker points out that:

Wierwille teaches that Jesus did not exist except in the mind of God before conception in Mary’s womb, and was at that time “Jesus Christ the Son of God, was made by God.” (Wierwille, Jesus Christ Is Not God, 103-04)

The Jesus of the Way becomes nothing more than a miraculously conceived sinless man. He was not God in the flesh but is reduced to a very special man who became “God’s Son” as a result of divine genetic engineering.

Wierwille explains, “There is no question that the Bible teaches divine conception. Jesus was born sinless, but he also maintained himself sinless as he grew older [Because] the genes with the dominant characteristics came to Jesus not through Mary. They came by way of the creation of a sperm by God and thus Jesus had sinless blood” (ibid, 72-73). (Online source)

Cult researcher Dr. Ron Enroth, writing in the Elwell Evangelical Dictionary, brings to light just where V.P. Wierwille originally went off-track:

In 1958 Wierwille resigned from the ministry, disillusioned with the institutional church, and continued his spiritual search as an ecclesiastical loner. He claims to have had a life-changing experience during which God spoke to him audibly and promised that he would teach Wierwille the Word as it had not been known since the first century.

After this “revelation” encounter with God, Wierwille pursued a career of writing, preaching, and teaching that included the denial of the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, and other major doctrines of orthodox Christianity.

Members of the Way do not accept the deity of Christ. Wierwille regularly asserted, “Jesus Christ is not God, never was and never will be.” The Way teaches that Jesus is the son of God, but he is not God the Son. (Online source, bold in original)

And finally Dr. John Ankerberg and Dr. John Weldon of The Ankerberg Theological Institute conclude this section on what The Way International actually teaches about the Person and Nature of our Lord Christ Jesus—God the Son—when they inform us:

We may summarize Wierwille’s teachings about Jesus under the following seven points.

1. Jesus was first created as a sperm. “Jesus Christ’s existence began when God created the sperm with soul-life in Mary.” (Jesus Christ Is Not God, 117)

2. Jesus is the highest creature. “His position is second only to God.” (ibid., 58)

3. Jesus existed with God in the beginning only in God’s foreknowledge. “Jesus Christ was not literally with God in the beginning; neither does he have all the assets of God.” (ibid., 5) And, “Where was Jesus Christ before he was born to Mary? Jesus Christ was with God in His foreknowledge. … Jesus Christ was with God before the foundation of the world, meaning that God foreknew him…. We, as well as Jesus Christ, were with God in His foreknowledge, but not in existence, before the foundation of the world.” (ibid., 28-29).

4. Jesus is not God. It is crucial that Jesus be only a man. Thus, “When my life is over, I think my greatest contribution may prove to be the knowledge and teaching that Jesus Christ is not God.” (Cited in J. L. Williams, Victor Paul Wierwille and The Way International (Moody Press, 1979), 50; from Mal Miller, “The Way Followers March on New Knoxville Church,” St. Mary’s (Ohio), Evening Leader, October 17, 1977.)

It is important to observe that Wierwille, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians and other cults, connected salvation to the rejection of Christ’s deity. In other words, if Christ is God, the salvation of men and women is impossible. Wierwille’s conclusion here was based on a misunderstanding of the Christian view of the nature of Jesus as fully God and fully man—undiminished deity and full humanity in one Person, He argued that if Christ is God, then He could not represent or die for men.

“If Jesus Christ is God and not the Son of God, we have not yet been redeemed. The difference is that important, that critical…. Our very redemption, the crucial point on which all of Christianity rests, is dependent on Jesus Christ’s being a man and not God. Our passover, which was Jesus Christ tortured, crucified, dead and buried, had to be a sheep from the flock. God would hardly qualify as one of our brethren, yet His Son could” (Wierwille, Jesus Christ Is Not God, 6-7). Of course, if Jesus was fully human, Wierwille’s argument is irrelevant.

5. Jesus is the replacement for Lucifer, “Clearly, Jesus Christ is presently second only to God in power and authority. Lucifer as the morning star was replaced by Jesus Christ who is now the morning star.” (The Way Magazine, March-April 1979, 4)

6. Jesus was not virgin born. Wierwille apparently taught that Jesus was born “dead in trespasses and sins, without hope.” “Why didn’t Jesus come with the spirit upon him when he was born? Because then he could not have redeemed you and me. He had to be born just as we are—a natural man, naturally dead in trespasses and sins, without hope.” (Ibid., Marcy April, 1976, 11; see Wierwille, The New, Dynamic Church (New Knoxville, OH: ACP, 1972), 60)

Wierwille believed that Jesus was born of God’s sperm but that Mary was a virgin only until the conception of Jesus, but not after. During her pregnancy she had sexual relations with Joseph. Citing Matthew 1:18-20, Wierwille declared: “‘Take unto thee’ literally means ‘to take her as a wife,’ not just to take her and watch over her until the baby is born. Mary is already the wife of Joseph so the instruction to ‘take unto him’ would mean something more; it means intercourse.” (Wierwille, The Word’s Way, 166) But Wierwille apparently forgot to read the next few verses. The reason why Christians refer to the virgin birth, not the virgin conception, is because the Bible states plainly that Joseph “had no union with her until she gave birth to a son” (Matthew 1:25).

7. Miscellaneous. In addition, Wierwille taught of Jesus that, after His death, “for three days and three nights he had no consciousness.” (The Way Magazine, March-April 1977, 6) “The Word of God says that Jesus Christ was dead for 72 hours. How could Jesus Christ be God for God cannot die?” (Wierwille, Jesus Christ Is Not God, 76n) Biblically, however, Jesus was never unconscious for three days, and obviously, the second Person of the Godhead cannot die. But, on the Cross, Jesus’ human nature expired; it ceased its biological functioning. Since this nature was not eternal, but truly human and began at the incarnation (Philippians 2), it was subject to death. (Online source, bold in original).

So, Who Are You Going To Believe?

The problem we run into immediately is that none of this agrees with the historic record of the actual Person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, which we read about in the Bible—the true history of our Lord and Savior—Christ Jesus. This would mean then, according to Holy Scripture, that all people who believe the things that we just read, and who deny His full Deity remain condemned to Hell (see—John 3:36).

You’ll recall that the Apostle John, in his eyewitness deposition we call the Gospel of John, records the real Jesus as saying — “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I Am — [the eternal God Himself come in human flesh] — you will indeed die in your sins.” And so, clearly, we are not dealing with some minor issue here. But rather, this is the heart of the very Gospel of Jesus Christ itself!

We should now be able to see that many who would claim to be Christian really have little idea about what the Bible actually says concerning our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (see—Roman 9:5; Titus 2:13). And they also have no idea just how important it is to tell others where the Bible clearly teaches Who Jesus Christ of Nazareth actually is. Not Who He was, but Who the Master even now is. For He is alive! Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. So we who truly are Christians need to be able to prove from the Scriptures that it was indeed the very Creator of this universe Who hung on that cross.

The Bible tells us that Jesus went to that grisly death for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). And what was that joy set before Him? His unfathomable love for —you. Do you see it? God doesn’t just talk about His love for us. No; the Bible says God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

And no matter when you accept this free gift from the LORD God Almighty it’s still the best present you could ever receive. If you haven’t, won’t you give yourself to Jesus? The truth is your Creator loved you enough to take your place and received the punishment that you deserve. If you hear God calling you, then listen closely and you will hear Him speak to your heart, and you’ll just know that what I say from the Bible is true.

It Was God Upon That Cross

And now we arrive back at Philippians 2:6 — [Jesus the Christ] — Who, being in very nature — God. The question we must ask ourselves is: Who died for the sins of mankind? The answer is—God. And Who has mankind sinned against? God. Therefore, Who is the only Person Who could have forgiven our sins? God. You see, it really is that simple to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, it’s Satan, the ruler of the kingdom of darkness, who attempts to complicate this glorious truth and tries to hide God’s free gift away in his Kingdom of the Cults.

Philippians 2:6 — [Christ Jesus—the glorious Lord of all lords and the King of all kings] — Who, being in very nature God — was already in existence—in the essence and nature of Deity prior to His coming to earth. Hence, the Word—Who became flesh—the Man Jesus of Nazareth—must be Jehovah God in human form because our Lord has always possessed all the very attributes of Deity. And this is exactly what the Apostle Paul is teaching us here in this passage of Philippians chapter 2.

And in summing all of this up; we have clearly seen that the Bible undeniably teaches that Christ was already existing as God before He added a human nature. God the Son—second Person of the Holy Trinity—then took on flesh when He was born of the Virgin Mary as the precious Babe, Who was wrapped in swaddling clothes in that dark and smelly animal manger. Thus, we have the origin of the cardinal doctrine of the historic orthodox Christian Church known as the Deity of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. However, whether someone accepts this or not is another matter entirely at this point.

As has been asked elsewhere: Do you realize that when the very Creator of the universe came into His world there was no room in His world for Him? So, the next time you look at a nativity scene, just think about it. God became man, born as a tiny, helpless, infant making Himself vulnerable to His rebellious creatures. Why? So that He might demonstrate to us what He had said all along in Holy Scripture — the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Can you see it now? For it is written: God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. However, in the Book of Isaiah, written some 700 years before Jesus was even born, Yahweh—or Jehovah if you prefer—the LORD God Almighty says — See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands (Is. 49:16)…then all mankind will know that I — [Yahweh] — the LORD — [Jehovah] — am your Savior, [and] your Redeemer (Isaiah 49:26). Holy Scripture clearly teaches that the LORD—Jehovah God Himself—would become man to save and redeem us from, our sins against Him and to deliver us from the flames of Hell.

And Now The Rest Is Up To You

And as I said previously, whether a person will believe this or not is between them, and their Creator—Christ Jesus. But in the end, they will not be able to avoid the cold, hard Truth: Jesus Christ of Nazareth is Yahweh—Jehovah God Himself—come in human flesh to pay the price for our sins against Him. This is also exactly what the Old Testament teaches the Christ would be. It is exactly what our Lord claimed while He was here on earth. And it is exactly what the New Testament teaches about Who the Savior—the historic Person Jesus of Nazareth—the Christ of God really is.

The official biography of Dalai Lama, “maintained and updated by The Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London,” fills us in on just who he is considered to be:

His Holiness the 14th the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was born Lhamo Dhondrub on 6 July 1935, in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, and thus an incarnation Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion.

The Dalai Lamas are the manifestations of the Bodhisattva (Buddha) of Compassion, who chose to reincarnate to serve the people. Lhamo Dhondrub was, as Dalai Lama, renamed Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso – Holy Lord, Gentle Glory, Compassionate, Defender of the Faith, Ocean of Wisdom. Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Yeshe Norbu, the Wishfulfilling Gem or simply Kundun – The Presence. (Online source)

Among other things, in the video clip below the Dalai Lama talks about how the Buddhist conceives of Heaven:

very happy; very pleasant, is best place to further development of the spiritual practice… For Buddhist, final goal is not just to reach [Heaven], but become Buddha, oneself—be Buddha… [Heaven is] not the end… If you behave well, remain [a] compassionate person, then you’re future destination is Heaven. If you do negative things; harm on other[s], create pains on other[s], then your future is [pointing down] Hell.

You’ll also hear Dalai Lama teach that, “If someone do very badly; kill, or steal, he could be [re]born even [in an] animal body.” But it’s not all bad because Dalai Lama also says that if one is, for example, a good dog in the next life he could be then reincarnated next time as a human again.

Dalai Lama also tells us, “So the highest Nirvana [enlightenment] — that’s Buddhahood. So completely eliminated all the negative emotions; that automatically brings enlightenment.” In the end says Dalai Lama the purpose to life is to be happy through “warm-heartedness” and the “inner strength” and “self-confidence” of compassion. There’s no reason for God because human beings simply accomplish themselves through Buddhist teachings and the practice of meditation.

Now you know some of the so-called “deep wisdom” of this pagan religious teacher referred to with titles worthy of God alone. And you should also know that this Buddhist idol, who is leading millions away from true Wisdom in Jesus Christ and into an eternal Hell forever shut out from the presence of God, will be imparting these doctrines of demons to your youth with an able assist from Emergent Church pastors Rob Bell and Doug Pagitt:

See also:

DALAI LAMA, DOUG PAGITT AND ROB BELL AT SEEDS OF COMPASSION INTERSPIRITUAL EVENT

Postevangelicalism and the emerging church will often speak of learning about God from other religions and how He’s working within them. According to the Bible, He isn’t. No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.
(1 Corinthians 10:20)

Well, from an interview in Reuter’s where he’s promoting his new book, here’s the “Jesus” of popular New Age guru Deepak Chopra:

According to spiritual guru Deepak Chopra, there are three interpretations [of Who Jesus is]. In his book "The Third Jesus," published this week, Chopra says there is a "sketchy historical figure," a second "abstract theological creation" and a third Jesus with the highest level of enlightenment — what Chopra calls God-consciousness.

"I want to offer the possibility that Jesus was truly, as he proclaimed, a savior," Chopra wrote. "Not the savior, not the one and only Son of God. Rather Jesus embodied the highest level of enlightenment. (Online source)

Chopra’s “Jesus” is actually “Jesus” number 6 in this Apprising Ministries piece WILL THE REAL JESUS PLEASE STAND UP?

Musician Dawud Wharnsby believes everyone has their own way of making a difference in the world.

“Some people are able to donate their money to good causes; some people are able to donate their time,” he said. “For me, music and expression through song has always been the tool that I use.”
(Online source)

And sure enough the audience picked right up on this “message of peace” as being the typical banal bletherings of the universal mush god of human design:

“Music can really reach your heart. You can feel it in your soul. It doesn’t matter what God you believe in or what church you belong to”… I felt the spirituality in the man…[because] a positive message is more important than the religion it comes from. [hello Joel Osteen] “It’s not about religion; it’s about a message of peace,” [an audience member] said. “My children can make their own choice on religion, but I definitely want God in their lives.” (ibid.)

Really; and just which god will they believe in? No doubt the “god” of positive peace who lets you do whatever you feel is right in your heart – Every man’s way is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 21:2). Let’s get this straight once and for all, the god of Islam is absolutely not the one true and living God of the Bible.

Not only that but the Quran calls “pagans” those of us Christians who believe in the Triune nature of God and that Christ Jesus (the Messiah) is God Himself in human flesh:

Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah himself said, “O Children of Israel, you shall worship GOD; my Lord and your Lord.” Anyone who sets up any idol beside GOD, GOD has forbidden Paradise for him, and his destiny is Hell. The wicked have no helpers.

Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is a third of a trinity. There is no god except the one god. Unless they refrain from saying this, those who disbelieve among them will incur a painful retribution. (Surah 5:72-73)

See also: Keeping You Apprised of: Islam