By Rev. Dr. Eric N. Haley l November 13, 2023
It still amazes me how the Catholic church has influenced our society with false traditions that people think are true. For example, many Catholics think that Mary, the mother of Jesus never had any more children. This is what the Catholic church has taught them down through the ages. Yet, the Bible plainly teaches in Matthew 13:55-56 that Jesus had brothers and sisters. It reads, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then math this man all these things? Two of Jesus’ brothers wrote book of the Bible in the New Testament. The books of James and Jude were written by his brothers.
Jesus’ brother Jude (also called Judas) urged us on in Jude 3 to contend for the faith.
He wrote, Contend means compete as in a debate or argument for the truth of the Bible. To contest lies against the Word of God. Jude has only one chapter and he states in verse three, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
The Church today in my opinion is too passive. Instead of Christians being the dominant influence in our culture and world, we are constantly being deluged with doctrines of demons. The Apostle Paul explained it this way in I Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times (last days) some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
What is happening in our world today is that the ancient fallen spirits (demons) from the beginning of civilizations such as Babylon, Egypt, Assyria, Rome, etc. have returned more wicked than before. Matthew 12:43-45 explains this phenomenon.
It states, :When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when ;he is come he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, (the demon) and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
We see evidence of this moral wickedness all around us. The three wicked spirits influencing our society are the ancient gods of Baal, Astarte, and Moloch. Baal was considered the top god, His wife was Astarte, Baal was over such things as weather, rain, and thunder. Astarte was over fertility. Moloch was a god that demanded human sacrifices. Remember worshipping any false god is a sin! Sacrificing babies is akin to aborting babies; estimated at over 63 million since the Roe V. Wade verdict of January 22, 1973. And the goddess Astarte claimed that she had the power to convert men into women and women into men. We see all these things happening in our world today.
We see the influence of these false spirits described in II Timothy 3:1-7. It reads, “This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Doesn’t this sound like our society today? The evil is so bad that there is little discernment between good and evil. The prophet Isaiah described it this way in 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’ This is where we are in our culture now. The church has to stand up and be the salt and light in the world that Jesus commanded of us in Matthew 5:13 & 16. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Salt is a preservative. The church is to contend for the faith in order to maintain God’s order. Light reveals the truth; not someone’s opinion of what they think the truth is. Something to think about.
