TITLE: "CHRISTIAN" TERMINOLOGY

Subtitle: When The Term "God" Is Invoked, Be Very Careful About What You Assume!

We are constantly dismayed by Christians who make two fundamental errors when referring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The first, and most common, (preachers being among the worst offenders) is the informal practice of calling Him Jesus. Yes, that is His earthly Name-- more specifically, Jesus of Nazareth--but adopting the shortened form is similar to addressing one's father or mother by their first name. At best it is disrespectful. Please pay Him the honor due deity and add the proper title of "Lord" before, or "Christ" after, His Holy Name. The second mistake is similar and understandable--we are all guilty of it at times--in that we often refer to Him as "God" without being specific. He is God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, and when talking with other Christians the assumption is made that we are properly understood. However, the terminology has become so familiar that when we hear it, the assumption often works in reverse! We automatically assume something when, as I hope to prove, we should not.

Do you realize that belief in God buys you nothing as far as salvation is concerned? Did I get your attention? Good! Pay attention to the following verse in the Book of James:

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:18, KJV, emphasis mine)

The unity within the Godhead--the Trinity--is the primary focus of this verse, but we must not overlook the point that the devils (Greek, daimonion--demons) also believe (Greek, pisteuo--same word for "believe" as necessary for salvation!). Why, they know for a fact that God is God and it makes them shake in their boots! But are they saved as a result? Of course not! So what I am I trying to say? Simply that specific faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for one to be saved, not merely belief in the largely generic term of "God"! Allow me to illustrate what I mean--Jews, Moslems, and Christians are all monotheistic in that they believe in one God, not polytheistic with many gods as is the case with Hinduism, Mormonism (Yes, Mormonism!) and other major religions. The God of orthodox Jews is YHWH, a name they reverence and will not attempt to pronounce. The God of Islam is Allah, the moon god. The God of Christianity consists of three Persons, or Personalities, within one Godhead--God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, God the Son, died on the cross for the sins of His elect people and according to the Bible, our faith must have Him as its object in order to be saved. Colossians 1:18, speaking of Christ, says the following:

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence" (KJV, emphasis mine).

Acts 4:12 adds:

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (KJV, emphasis mine).

And then there is the clincher:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6, KJV, emphasis mine).

Therefore to say, as many politicians do in seeking the Christian vote, "I believe in God," is to actually say nothing because it is too general. Unless they state specifically and unequivocally that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior, we must realize  they are using semantics in order to deceive. For those who may have watched the televised national (and ultra-ecumenical) memorial service after the tragedy of 9-11, the term "God" was invoked by several men of widely divergent beliefs. President Bush, when pressed, will talk about God and his personal faith, but until we hear him openly discuss his relationship with Jesus Christ--to include the reality of the Lord's death, burial, resurrection and coming again in the flesh, (1 John 4:2)--we must not make the mistake, as millions have obviously done, of assuming his profession meets the criteria for the Bible definition of "Christian.".

Cutting Edge has received, and continues to receive, a lot of "heat" over articles questioning the authenticity of President Bush's profession of faith. As one might imagine, we have been accused of about everything imaginable in the process--but let us "reason together" as God puts it in Isaiah 1:18 and see if we can reach an understanding on the subject. First of all, where does it say in the Word of God that we must instantly accept someone's word on the matter of their salvation? It does not and we should not! (The Apostle Paul had to convince the brethren at Jerusalem before they would receive him--Acts 9:26). As a matter of fact, many years ago Churches would make prospective members wait for what amounted to a probationary period before accepting them into their assembly. In the interim, the individual had to "walk the walk and talk the talk" on a daily basis, before membership would be granted. The Holy Spirit cannot be hidden in the life of a genuine believer and neither can He be counterfeited in someone who is not genuine. As the old saying goes, we must not judge (Matt.7:1)--but we should be fruit inspectors (Matt.7:17-19)! The lack of spiritual discernment is one of the prime reasons our Churches are overflowing with tares and have so little wheat. Watch what professors actually do rather than paying too much attention to what they say. If they are not genuine, sooner or later their "feet" will make a mockery of their "mouth." If you will utilize this sage advice--especially where politicians are concerned--it will save you a lot of frustration in the long run.

We are also often accused of being paranoid because of the somber tone of our articles and this is to be expected coming from those with no spiritual frame of reference. The world can not comprehend the precarious nature of the genuine believer's relationship with it. When sheep continually point out wolves circling around the flock, raise warning flags, and otherwise make a fuss about it--people wearing rose-colored glasses will not see the danger. So we are not offended in the least by those accusing us of paranoia! How does the joke go? "You'd be paranoid too if everybody was out to get you!" Well, we realize very keenly that the god of this world is out to get us and constant vigilance is required to survive. That is why we are extremely wary of those who conveniently (and casually) toss around claims of belief in God.

The current furor over the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag with the ruling that its "one nation under God" statement is unconsitutional and the unending gripes by atheists about "In God we trust" being on our currency are causing Christians to fret needlessly. Remember when we were kids, if you crossed your fingers behind your back while telling a falsehood, it was not considered to be lying? Using this same type of devious logic, our Freemason-controlled Congress allowed the references in the first place to help promote the mirage of our country being a Christian nation! They have recognized from the very beginning that many within the group known unflatteringly as "Christendom" can easily be stampeded into acts of rebellion and violence--all in the name of "God and country." When the time is right and the necessary chaos for their plan to succeed is required, all it will take to trigger blood in the streets is for them to revoke all references to God and clamp down on the religious freedoms that Christians hold dear. [The motto of 33 degree Masonry is "Ordo Ab Chaos"--"order out of chaos."] When you stop and think about it, our entire society has been thoroughly conditioned to fight a government who would dare violate our constitutional rights. And bless their hearts, many preachers continue to miss the clear teaching of Romans 13 by stirring up their congregations to rebel and resist governemental authority--thereby playing right into their hands. The abortion controversy is also part of the plan and not only reduces the population--a key element of their long range goal--but it also serves as a constant irritant to keep the pot boiling. Ongoing racial strife is another important ingredient and will doubtless play a vital role when they need it.

So just bear in mind that the "God" we have been discussing is actually defined in the mind of the beholder! To the Freemason, the term refers to the "Grand Architect of the Universe" and in the "properly ordered lodge" Jesus Christ is never mentioned. To the Orthodox Jew it is YHWH and to the Moslem it is Allah. As such, it is the name for deity consistent with the NWO plan and should cause no great uproar among genuine Christians if every reference previously mentioned is totally removed! But as surely as Satan exists, the time is rapidly approaching when it will be a crime to invoke the precious Name of Jesus Christ. Then my Christian brother/sister, the time will have arrived to stand up and be counted--knowing that death will likely be the result. And when that sad day arrives, please let me remind God's people that we must not be tempted into taking up arms against our government. Nowhere in the New Testament will you find Scriptural warrant for such action. And as distasteful as it is to our flesh (and it surely is!), we will face one of two choices: either "go underground" and try to hide, or  respectfully decline to comply with such an order and then take whatever punishment is meted out. To do otherwise is rebellion and contrary to the clear teaching of God's Word.

If you have been born again and received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study.

If you have never placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, but have come to sense His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to receive His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you truly believe in Him as Lord and Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now.

We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order—Kingdom of Antichrist—in their daily news.

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Finally, we would love to hear from you. You can write us at:
Cutting Edge Ministries, C/O Pastor Ron Riffe
P.O. Box 26
Gordo, AL 35466

You can also E-Mail  Pastor Ronald Riffe  regarding questions or comments about this article.

God bless you.