1. What do you think the biggest threat to mankind is?
Without a doubt the biggest threat is the teaching of "Evolution". Evolution is only a theory. However there is so much that is taught as if evolution is proven. I have no problem admitting that my faith in Jesus Christ and the creation of this world through His hands is by faith. Believers in evolution have to believe by faith that their theories are true. In actuality an evolutionist has to have as much faith in their belief in "Evolutionism" as I do in Jesus Christ. Neither of us can go in to a lab and prove our beliefs. In fact real science and the bible do not clash. And there are things that exist in nature that actually go against The THEORY of evolution.
2. Which Denomination of Christianity is correct?
There is only one true denomination and that is the "Body of Christ" I will not use this spot to bash or promote any one individual denomination. The important factor is to remember that Jesus Christ is Lord of us all and if your denomination promotes the idea of shunning someone because they are not of the same denomination, then I'd advise you to find a new denomination. Anything that builds walls and divides the Body of Christ which is the true church is a destructive force and is not of the Lord. Personally We here at Sword Wielding Ministries remain undenominational.
3. Do you believe in "Baptizing" people in the Holy Spirit?
I have had a lot of people ask me this because most of them come from a "Denomination" that teaches that you receive the Holy Spirit when you become Born Again. So lets look at two things in the scripture to answer this question. In Acts chapter eight Philip is preaching. in verse 14 word came to those in Jerusalem that Samaria had received the word of God. It is obvious though that those in Samaria had not received the Holy Spirit as of yet even though they had already accepted Christ. Samaria did not receive the Holy Ghost until Peter and John arrived from Jerusalem and laid hands on them. Also it is obvious that when the Holy Spirit is received that there is something evident that one is receiving the Holy Ghost. How do I know this. In verse 18 Simon the sorcerer saw Peter and John lay hands on the people of Samaria and he witnessed them receive the Holy Ghost. What ever the reaction of the Samarians was it was worth money to Simon to try and obtain the ability to lay hands on people so they could receive the Holy Ghost. I do not believe everyone needs to have hands laid on them to receive the Holy Ghost, but I believe some do. I also believe that not everybody can pray and lay hands on someone to receive the Holy Spirit. Otherwise I believe Philip would have already done that for Samaria and Peter and John would not have had to make the journey to Samaria from Jerusalem.
4. How old do you think the earth is?
If you read the bible without any modern day influences or distractions, you can in no way think the earth is millions or billions of years old. If you trust and study the bible you will find the earth is between 6000-10,000 years old. I personally believe the earth is a little over 6,000 years old. The big discrepency is caused by the poisonous influence of the religious belief I call "Evolutionism" The days in creation are debated as being either six literal days verses six time periods spanning thousands of years. The bible actually does declare that the earth was in fact created in 6 literal days. Right in the Ten Commandments themselves . Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:....... This verse is telling mankind that God worked six days and rested and His creation is no better. We too should work six days and then rest on the seventh. Too many people treat the bible like the entire book is a deep mystery that needs a lifetime to decode. Nothing is further from the truth. The fact is people who are confused by the bible, or misunderstand it do so because of a lack of a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. Another bit of scriptural truth that proves a literal six day creation is the creation passage itself. During each day of creation in Genesis chapter one, the Lord concludes each day of creation by declaring that each day consisted of one morning and one evening. Only a literal 24 hour period consists of just one morning and one evening.
5. If you believe the earth is only a little over 6,000 years old, then how do you explain dinosaurs?
Well first of all this earth is covered in dinosaur bones and fossils. So it is obvious that they existed. The question is when did they exist. Again lets allow the bible to be my guide to show what I believe. Dinosaurs have always existed with humans. I truly believe that this is where all of our stories of dragons come from. We have only called them dinosaurs for a little over 150 years. Before that they were called dragons. Today dragons are considered a mythical creature, and of course the way they are portrayed in the entertainment industry are mythological. Dinosaurs existed from creation and they were even on the Ark with Noah and his family. The conditions of the earth after the flood made radical changes to the atmosphere causing dinosaurs to be stunted and then to slowly die off. In fact if you study some literature like text books, dictionaries and such from roughly 130 years ago you will see that some taught that some dinosaurs still existed. So where is the biblical proof? It does not matter when dinosaurs died off. What matters is that it is clear that dinosaurs did not live and die before mankind existed. 1 Corinthians 15:21 clearly shows that death did not exist until man sinned. How could dinosaurs exist and die before death existed? The first animal death is recorded in the bible in Genesis 3:21. The life of an animal is the same in Gods eyes as the life of a human being. This is why until Christ came animals paid the price for our sins.
6. Why do Christians hate and persecute homosexuals?
Lets be clear right from the start. To be a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus never hated or persecuted any sinner. And we as his followers should be no different. Anyone who is deliberately persecuting or showing hatred for a homosexual in the name of Christianity is not following in the footsteps of Christ. There is much more to a homosexuals life than just their sexual preferences. A real Christian will love the homosexual as a person. However loving this person does not mean that we accept their sexual life style. God has called us to stand up for His truth (Titus 2:15 "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." ) God wants us to stand up for what is true in His eyes, and rebuke what is sin in His eyes. For us to do anything more than standing on Gods word makes us judges. We are not called to judge Gods people and their sins. When we as Christians call homosexuality a sin, it is because we are basing it on God's judgement. I believe that the big issue of the homosexual community as a whole is not that the church has shown hatred and rejection to the homosexuals, but rather that many homosexuals have declared that "If you do not accept my sexual life style, then you don't accept me at all." If the church hated and rejected people based upon a single sin in their lives, then the church would have to hate everyone, including themselves. Is homosexuality a sin? Yes. Does God love homosexuals? Yes, just as much as heterosexuals.
7. Can you prove God exists?
This is a question, I hear from a lot of people who know I am a young earth creationist who abhors the idea of "Evolution". You see the big issue is trying to place me in a spot to have to bare the burden of proof. Lets look at this on a couple different levels. First of all I am a Christian that believes by faith that Jesus Christ is my risen Lord and Savior. I have no issues declaring that this is by faith. They try to put the burden of proof on me because the FACT of the matter is that any subscriber to evolution and its so called "Big Bang Theory" do not want to admit that their belief in these theories is just as much by faith as my belief in Jesus Christ. The big reason that their beliefs remain theories is for two reasons. One there is no "proof", only facts that may support an idea. The second reason is because there are scientific facts that hinder the theory of evolution. So lets look at the question. "Can I Prove God Exists?" Romans 1:20 says" For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse;". This is telling us that God and His power and the Godhead can be seen in His creation. Lets look at this. God is TRINITY (Father, Son, And Holy Spirit) Three beings yet still One God. Where is this in creation? Lets look at trinities in creation alone. Trinity number one. In order for us to exist we need three things......SPACE, TIME, and MATTER. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning(TIME) God created the heavens(SPACE) and the earth (MATTER). but lets break them down as well to see our Trinity God at work.
SPACE: Height, Length , Width ( Three separate things yet together they are one )
TIME: Past, Present, Future ( Three separate things, yet together they are one )
MATTER: Solid, Liquid, Gas ( Three separate things, yet together they are one )
Is this proof?, Maybe not to the unbeliever, but it is unarguable.
And I know many will try and tell me that "PLASMA" is a newly accepted form of matter. The truth is that plasma holds some pretty different characteristics, but not every professional has accepted it as a new form of matter. Mainly because plasma is nothing more than ionized gas.
8. Why do so many Christians want to violate the woman's "RIGHT" to choose an abortion? After all it is her body.
Is her body her own? Of course it is. This is yet another debate that is ever on going and it is really between Christians and non-Christians. I know this offends some people who believe they are a Christian and still believe abortion is a choice. The the bible is clear that the unborn child is alive and that it is wrong to hurt or kill the unborn. So since this is really a debate between believers and non believers it boils down to evolutionist VS creationists. The evolutionist believes that it is just a bunch of cells in the womb until it is either more recognizable, or until it is born. The creationist believes that it is life right from conception. My argument is this. How can evolutionist believe millions of years ago that a single celled organism in some primordial soup mutated by chance over time to become everything living today? They call this singe cell the "ORIGIN OF LIFE" this one cell that is unprovable to exist is considered life, but a sperm cell and an egg that will unmistakably form a human without any kind of chance is not considered life? So to be blunt in the eyes of God there is no difference between aborting the baby while it is in the womb verses aborting the baby anytime after it has come out of the womb. Is the mothers body her own. Yes. But remember those cells no mater where you are during your nine months are the babies body. One of the safest places a child can be should be in its mothers arms. How much more safer should her child be in her womb? So the question I ask is this......Why does the woman feel so justified to scream "It's My Body", when in reality it is her babies body that she wants to destroy?
9. Why do you only read and make references from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible?
There is just so much to be said here on this topic. There is not enough room here to fill in everything that I would like to share on this issue. Most people do not know that different bible versions are translated from different texts. There are two main manuscripts that are used in translating english versions of the bible. The first is the "Textus Receptus" . There are more original versions of this manuscript than any other. And they agree with each other. This is what the KJV is translated from. The second is what's called the "Alexandrian Text" This is a rewrite of the scripture by a group known as the"Alexandrians" 2 things to note about the Alexandrians. One: they did not believe Christ was Deity, so they rewrote scripture to acknowledge Jesus as a great man of God rather than being God. Second: The only mention of them in the bible is when they are arguing with Stephen in Acts chapter six verse nine. Many Modern day versions of the bible have been translated into English with an Alexandrian manuscript. The King James Version of the bible is translated from the "Textus Recptus" and has withstood the tests of time. If you study a KJV and a Modern day version like the NIV side by side you will see that hundreds of verses are downright missing in the NIV and a great many more have been altered to not allow Jesus to be seen as The Son Of God. A Perfect Example of this is Acts 8:37 This verse says " "And Philip said, if thou believes with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD." The NIV omits this verse. Look and see that it goes from verse 36 to 38. Another thing to mention is that most modern day versions of the bible are subject to copyright. The KJV is not. And in order for a company to place a copyright on their bible version it has to be changed enough to differ from other versions. Don't be fooled by believing that these texts like the NIV are written to be better understood. The KJV is written on a childs level and there is a reason why it uses words like "YE & THOU " If you have a hard time understanding the KJV don't change your bible, but rather pray to God for clarity and understanding.
10. There are a lot of "Prosperity" preachers these days. Do you believe in these teachings?
There are many promises that God has given us in His word. To be financially sound and even rich is not one of them. God never promised that our time here on earth would be painless, problem free and a time of bliss. He promised to walk us through our troubles. He promised to lift us above the storms. He did not say he would make the storms disappear. Remember that Philippians 4:19 Says "But my God shall supply all your NEED according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. " This verse says "NEED" not wants and desires. I have looked worldwide at preachers and teachers who preach prosperity. My conclusion is that these prosperity teachers and preachers only live in countries that can financially support their beliefs. By this I mean look at Christians in places like China where they have to sneak and be discreet about truly worshipping Jesus. How many of them are financially prosperous and living the good life. Yet a great deal of them put their lives on the line to follow Jesus and to show their love for Him. Many are imprisoned and or beaten. And I am not just referring to China. There are places all around the world where it is very dangerous to be a christian. Don't get me wrong. God is God. He can financially bless anyone He chooses to. I believe he has blessed some financially. We are humans and our flesh can get the best of us easily sometimes. Read Deuteronomy 8:12-15 This passage refers to people getting all their needs met, and this makes them not feel the need for God in their lives anymore. I believe that Gods goal is to keep us close to Him. And I believe that most of us could become relaxed with our walk with Christ if we were a little over pampered. The prosperity that I want to teach and preach is the fruit that comes from being obedient to the call of Christ. Thats hearts being changed and souls being saved. The bible talks of God bringing prosperity, but we need to be aware that Gods definition of prosperity does not usually mean fast cars, mansions and dollar signs.
11. Is water baptism necessary to gain salvation and go to Heaven?
NO!!! There are many views on baptism through out different denominations of christianity. Simply put baptism is an outward action that symbolizes the death of our old ways and the rising of the new creature we are in Christ. The word baptize actually means to fully immerse, or submerge. Be leery of those who would teach baptism as being necessary to gain salvation. It is heresy. Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." If we get ourselves baptized and that helps us gain salvation and entrance into heaven, then our salvation has come in part through the works of our own hands. Since baptism is something that comes through action, rather than just believing. Romans 10:9 says "That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. " I see no mention of the word "baptism" here. The most dangerous reason to believe water baptism is necessary for salvation is that it conveys the message that Jesus' death and resurrection are not enough. Is water baptism necessary? no. But why wouldn't you want to take the plunge that shows you and the world that you are a new creature in Christ and that you're going to serve Him with your life.
Without a doubt the biggest threat is the teaching of "Evolution". Evolution is only a theory. However there is so much that is taught as if evolution is proven. I have no problem admitting that my faith in Jesus Christ and the creation of this world through His hands is by faith. Believers in evolution have to believe by faith that their theories are true. In actuality an evolutionist has to have as much faith in their belief in "Evolutionism" as I do in Jesus Christ. Neither of us can go in to a lab and prove our beliefs. In fact real science and the bible do not clash. And there are things that exist in nature that actually go against The THEORY of evolution.
2. Which Denomination of Christianity is correct?
There is only one true denomination and that is the "Body of Christ" I will not use this spot to bash or promote any one individual denomination. The important factor is to remember that Jesus Christ is Lord of us all and if your denomination promotes the idea of shunning someone because they are not of the same denomination, then I'd advise you to find a new denomination. Anything that builds walls and divides the Body of Christ which is the true church is a destructive force and is not of the Lord. Personally We here at Sword Wielding Ministries remain undenominational.
3. Do you believe in "Baptizing" people in the Holy Spirit?
I have had a lot of people ask me this because most of them come from a "Denomination" that teaches that you receive the Holy Spirit when you become Born Again. So lets look at two things in the scripture to answer this question. In Acts chapter eight Philip is preaching. in verse 14 word came to those in Jerusalem that Samaria had received the word of God. It is obvious though that those in Samaria had not received the Holy Spirit as of yet even though they had already accepted Christ. Samaria did not receive the Holy Ghost until Peter and John arrived from Jerusalem and laid hands on them. Also it is obvious that when the Holy Spirit is received that there is something evident that one is receiving the Holy Ghost. How do I know this. In verse 18 Simon the sorcerer saw Peter and John lay hands on the people of Samaria and he witnessed them receive the Holy Ghost. What ever the reaction of the Samarians was it was worth money to Simon to try and obtain the ability to lay hands on people so they could receive the Holy Ghost. I do not believe everyone needs to have hands laid on them to receive the Holy Ghost, but I believe some do. I also believe that not everybody can pray and lay hands on someone to receive the Holy Spirit. Otherwise I believe Philip would have already done that for Samaria and Peter and John would not have had to make the journey to Samaria from Jerusalem.
4. How old do you think the earth is?
If you read the bible without any modern day influences or distractions, you can in no way think the earth is millions or billions of years old. If you trust and study the bible you will find the earth is between 6000-10,000 years old. I personally believe the earth is a little over 6,000 years old. The big discrepency is caused by the poisonous influence of the religious belief I call "Evolutionism" The days in creation are debated as being either six literal days verses six time periods spanning thousands of years. The bible actually does declare that the earth was in fact created in 6 literal days. Right in the Ten Commandments themselves . Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:....... This verse is telling mankind that God worked six days and rested and His creation is no better. We too should work six days and then rest on the seventh. Too many people treat the bible like the entire book is a deep mystery that needs a lifetime to decode. Nothing is further from the truth. The fact is people who are confused by the bible, or misunderstand it do so because of a lack of a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. Another bit of scriptural truth that proves a literal six day creation is the creation passage itself. During each day of creation in Genesis chapter one, the Lord concludes each day of creation by declaring that each day consisted of one morning and one evening. Only a literal 24 hour period consists of just one morning and one evening.
5. If you believe the earth is only a little over 6,000 years old, then how do you explain dinosaurs?
Well first of all this earth is covered in dinosaur bones and fossils. So it is obvious that they existed. The question is when did they exist. Again lets allow the bible to be my guide to show what I believe. Dinosaurs have always existed with humans. I truly believe that this is where all of our stories of dragons come from. We have only called them dinosaurs for a little over 150 years. Before that they were called dragons. Today dragons are considered a mythical creature, and of course the way they are portrayed in the entertainment industry are mythological. Dinosaurs existed from creation and they were even on the Ark with Noah and his family. The conditions of the earth after the flood made radical changes to the atmosphere causing dinosaurs to be stunted and then to slowly die off. In fact if you study some literature like text books, dictionaries and such from roughly 130 years ago you will see that some taught that some dinosaurs still existed. So where is the biblical proof? It does not matter when dinosaurs died off. What matters is that it is clear that dinosaurs did not live and die before mankind existed. 1 Corinthians 15:21 clearly shows that death did not exist until man sinned. How could dinosaurs exist and die before death existed? The first animal death is recorded in the bible in Genesis 3:21. The life of an animal is the same in Gods eyes as the life of a human being. This is why until Christ came animals paid the price for our sins.
6. Why do Christians hate and persecute homosexuals?
Lets be clear right from the start. To be a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus never hated or persecuted any sinner. And we as his followers should be no different. Anyone who is deliberately persecuting or showing hatred for a homosexual in the name of Christianity is not following in the footsteps of Christ. There is much more to a homosexuals life than just their sexual preferences. A real Christian will love the homosexual as a person. However loving this person does not mean that we accept their sexual life style. God has called us to stand up for His truth (Titus 2:15 "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." ) God wants us to stand up for what is true in His eyes, and rebuke what is sin in His eyes. For us to do anything more than standing on Gods word makes us judges. We are not called to judge Gods people and their sins. When we as Christians call homosexuality a sin, it is because we are basing it on God's judgement. I believe that the big issue of the homosexual community as a whole is not that the church has shown hatred and rejection to the homosexuals, but rather that many homosexuals have declared that "If you do not accept my sexual life style, then you don't accept me at all." If the church hated and rejected people based upon a single sin in their lives, then the church would have to hate everyone, including themselves. Is homosexuality a sin? Yes. Does God love homosexuals? Yes, just as much as heterosexuals.
7. Can you prove God exists?
This is a question, I hear from a lot of people who know I am a young earth creationist who abhors the idea of "Evolution". You see the big issue is trying to place me in a spot to have to bare the burden of proof. Lets look at this on a couple different levels. First of all I am a Christian that believes by faith that Jesus Christ is my risen Lord and Savior. I have no issues declaring that this is by faith. They try to put the burden of proof on me because the FACT of the matter is that any subscriber to evolution and its so called "Big Bang Theory" do not want to admit that their belief in these theories is just as much by faith as my belief in Jesus Christ. The big reason that their beliefs remain theories is for two reasons. One there is no "proof", only facts that may support an idea. The second reason is because there are scientific facts that hinder the theory of evolution. So lets look at the question. "Can I Prove God Exists?" Romans 1:20 says" For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse;". This is telling us that God and His power and the Godhead can be seen in His creation. Lets look at this. God is TRINITY (Father, Son, And Holy Spirit) Three beings yet still One God. Where is this in creation? Lets look at trinities in creation alone. Trinity number one. In order for us to exist we need three things......SPACE, TIME, and MATTER. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning(TIME) God created the heavens(SPACE) and the earth (MATTER). but lets break them down as well to see our Trinity God at work.
SPACE: Height, Length , Width ( Three separate things yet together they are one )
TIME: Past, Present, Future ( Three separate things, yet together they are one )
MATTER: Solid, Liquid, Gas ( Three separate things, yet together they are one )
Is this proof?, Maybe not to the unbeliever, but it is unarguable.
And I know many will try and tell me that "PLASMA" is a newly accepted form of matter. The truth is that plasma holds some pretty different characteristics, but not every professional has accepted it as a new form of matter. Mainly because plasma is nothing more than ionized gas.
8. Why do so many Christians want to violate the woman's "RIGHT" to choose an abortion? After all it is her body.
Is her body her own? Of course it is. This is yet another debate that is ever on going and it is really between Christians and non-Christians. I know this offends some people who believe they are a Christian and still believe abortion is a choice. The the bible is clear that the unborn child is alive and that it is wrong to hurt or kill the unborn. So since this is really a debate between believers and non believers it boils down to evolutionist VS creationists. The evolutionist believes that it is just a bunch of cells in the womb until it is either more recognizable, or until it is born. The creationist believes that it is life right from conception. My argument is this. How can evolutionist believe millions of years ago that a single celled organism in some primordial soup mutated by chance over time to become everything living today? They call this singe cell the "ORIGIN OF LIFE" this one cell that is unprovable to exist is considered life, but a sperm cell and an egg that will unmistakably form a human without any kind of chance is not considered life? So to be blunt in the eyes of God there is no difference between aborting the baby while it is in the womb verses aborting the baby anytime after it has come out of the womb. Is the mothers body her own. Yes. But remember those cells no mater where you are during your nine months are the babies body. One of the safest places a child can be should be in its mothers arms. How much more safer should her child be in her womb? So the question I ask is this......Why does the woman feel so justified to scream "It's My Body", when in reality it is her babies body that she wants to destroy?
9. Why do you only read and make references from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible?
There is just so much to be said here on this topic. There is not enough room here to fill in everything that I would like to share on this issue. Most people do not know that different bible versions are translated from different texts. There are two main manuscripts that are used in translating english versions of the bible. The first is the "Textus Receptus" . There are more original versions of this manuscript than any other. And they agree with each other. This is what the KJV is translated from. The second is what's called the "Alexandrian Text" This is a rewrite of the scripture by a group known as the"Alexandrians" 2 things to note about the Alexandrians. One: they did not believe Christ was Deity, so they rewrote scripture to acknowledge Jesus as a great man of God rather than being God. Second: The only mention of them in the bible is when they are arguing with Stephen in Acts chapter six verse nine. Many Modern day versions of the bible have been translated into English with an Alexandrian manuscript. The King James Version of the bible is translated from the "Textus Recptus" and has withstood the tests of time. If you study a KJV and a Modern day version like the NIV side by side you will see that hundreds of verses are downright missing in the NIV and a great many more have been altered to not allow Jesus to be seen as The Son Of God. A Perfect Example of this is Acts 8:37 This verse says " "And Philip said, if thou believes with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD." The NIV omits this verse. Look and see that it goes from verse 36 to 38. Another thing to mention is that most modern day versions of the bible are subject to copyright. The KJV is not. And in order for a company to place a copyright on their bible version it has to be changed enough to differ from other versions. Don't be fooled by believing that these texts like the NIV are written to be better understood. The KJV is written on a childs level and there is a reason why it uses words like "YE & THOU " If you have a hard time understanding the KJV don't change your bible, but rather pray to God for clarity and understanding.
10. There are a lot of "Prosperity" preachers these days. Do you believe in these teachings?
There are many promises that God has given us in His word. To be financially sound and even rich is not one of them. God never promised that our time here on earth would be painless, problem free and a time of bliss. He promised to walk us through our troubles. He promised to lift us above the storms. He did not say he would make the storms disappear. Remember that Philippians 4:19 Says "But my God shall supply all your NEED according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. " This verse says "NEED" not wants and desires. I have looked worldwide at preachers and teachers who preach prosperity. My conclusion is that these prosperity teachers and preachers only live in countries that can financially support their beliefs. By this I mean look at Christians in places like China where they have to sneak and be discreet about truly worshipping Jesus. How many of them are financially prosperous and living the good life. Yet a great deal of them put their lives on the line to follow Jesus and to show their love for Him. Many are imprisoned and or beaten. And I am not just referring to China. There are places all around the world where it is very dangerous to be a christian. Don't get me wrong. God is God. He can financially bless anyone He chooses to. I believe he has blessed some financially. We are humans and our flesh can get the best of us easily sometimes. Read Deuteronomy 8:12-15 This passage refers to people getting all their needs met, and this makes them not feel the need for God in their lives anymore. I believe that Gods goal is to keep us close to Him. And I believe that most of us could become relaxed with our walk with Christ if we were a little over pampered. The prosperity that I want to teach and preach is the fruit that comes from being obedient to the call of Christ. Thats hearts being changed and souls being saved. The bible talks of God bringing prosperity, but we need to be aware that Gods definition of prosperity does not usually mean fast cars, mansions and dollar signs.
11. Is water baptism necessary to gain salvation and go to Heaven?
NO!!! There are many views on baptism through out different denominations of christianity. Simply put baptism is an outward action that symbolizes the death of our old ways and the rising of the new creature we are in Christ. The word baptize actually means to fully immerse, or submerge. Be leery of those who would teach baptism as being necessary to gain salvation. It is heresy. Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." If we get ourselves baptized and that helps us gain salvation and entrance into heaven, then our salvation has come in part through the works of our own hands. Since baptism is something that comes through action, rather than just believing. Romans 10:9 says "That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. " I see no mention of the word "baptism" here. The most dangerous reason to believe water baptism is necessary for salvation is that it conveys the message that Jesus' death and resurrection are not enough. Is water baptism necessary? no. But why wouldn't you want to take the plunge that shows you and the world that you are a new creature in Christ and that you're going to serve Him with your life.