Who dies for a lie?
Acts 5: 34 - 39 - "But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown, but if it is of Elohim, you will not be able to overthrow them, or else you may even be found fighting against Elohim."
Its interesting to ponder how many rich and powerful rulers through the ages have claimed to be "gods" but are lucky to be remembered in this day and age. The practice of deifying kings and emperors was pretty common in the ancient east, and to a lesser extent was practiced by the ancient Romans. All the Egyptian pharaohs were supposed to be divine, but how many pharaohs can be named by the average person? Its curious that none of these men are still worshipped today (by the vast majority, maybe there are some crackpots who go to the forest and light candles for king tut). Yet polls suggest that 33% of the world worship Yahushua as Elohim two thousand years after His death. Yahushua to many was a poor carpenter's son born in an obscure part of Roman Palestine and not Elohim Incarnate. Some people will reason that He was a great teacher, but not Elohim. I think C.S Lewis puts this theory to rest in these words....
" I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
So if He can't be a great moral teacher, He either has to be who He claims to be, or He is lying or insane. The problem is He is worshipped still. On top of that He didn't have the resources other people who claimed to be divine had. What He did have was truth though. Truth can't be hidden. Many people died testifying that Yahushua is Elohim. Many of these people could have had their lives spared if they simply renounced what they were preaching. These men chose death. The reason being they knew the were dying for the truth. We modern believers can feel His spirit, and our own souls testify to His truths. Who would die for a lie?
Its interesting to ponder how many rich and powerful rulers through the ages have claimed to be "gods" but are lucky to be remembered in this day and age. The practice of deifying kings and emperors was pretty common in the ancient east, and to a lesser extent was practiced by the ancient Romans. All the Egyptian pharaohs were supposed to be divine, but how many pharaohs can be named by the average person? Its curious that none of these men are still worshipped today (by the vast majority, maybe there are some crackpots who go to the forest and light candles for king tut). Yet polls suggest that 33% of the world worship Yahushua as Elohim two thousand years after His death. Yahushua to many was a poor carpenter's son born in an obscure part of Roman Palestine and not Elohim Incarnate. Some people will reason that He was a great teacher, but not Elohim. I think C.S Lewis puts this theory to rest in these words....
" I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
So if He can't be a great moral teacher, He either has to be who He claims to be, or He is lying or insane. The problem is He is worshipped still. On top of that He didn't have the resources other people who claimed to be divine had. What He did have was truth though. Truth can't be hidden. Many people died testifying that Yahushua is Elohim. Many of these people could have had their lives spared if they simply renounced what they were preaching. These men chose death. The reason being they knew the were dying for the truth. We modern believers can feel His spirit, and our own souls testify to His truths. Who would die for a lie?
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Replies to This Discussion
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FounderPermalink Reply by Cyprium on -
Absolutely the truth Matthew...and in the days to come people will have to be making the choice to either trust their whole life to Him (even if it is to be taken from them) or to deny Him altogether. In the end of all this, there won't be any lukewarm fence sitters..there won't be anyone who just respects Him for being a "good guy". We are either willing to give it all for Him..or nothing.
There isn't anything more important going on in this world than knowing the answer to which side of that line you stand on.
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Permalink Reply by WeightofAudio on
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Great thoughts and points, Matthew.
I know by my own power, I would not be strong enough to face these coming days. I know, however, I can request and receive the appropriate amount of strength from Him to bear it, and fullfill any duties I am assigned. Who can have any amount of proper faith on their own? Evidence we are His is in the simple fact that we follow Him, and acknowledge Him as Elohim.
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve YHWH, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods that your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH."
-Joshua 24:15 (KJV, Proper Names punched in)
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