Sheridan Voice

It’s a well known fact that early Christians wanted to harmonize Plato and the Bible. This corruption has thoroughly worked its way into every nook and cranny of Christian doctrine.

For instance, the use of the word “spirit.” This word has nothing to do with another “realm” or some ecstatic experience. There’s no such thing as a “spirit realm” or other “dimensions.” There’s only one level of reality – life itself.

When people talk about other realms, or spirit worlds, or use metaphysical language, they are demonstrating the effects of Plato on Christianity. This is the great evil that produced eternal conscious torment and ALL other “after-life” theories.

The mystical/metaphysical Christianity is pure superstition. This form of Christianity allied itself with the state and caused more bloodshed than any other religion in history (See Church Historian, Phillip Schaff, Vol. 1).

This is the corrupt Christianity that hated science. Why? Because superstitions always despise reality. It makes this life a mere training ground for the “spirit realm”, something we “put up with” until we get there.

Darwin and Spencer vs. Superstition

This is the form of Christianity that Spencer and Darwin rejected. They rejected an impractical, bloody, and political superstition. These men are hated by modern Christians. Christians condemn them to eternal flames for their teachings. But it’s the superstitious teaching of “Christians” that are the problem – THOU art the man!

These men didn’t reject the God of Scripture, they rejected a superstitious religion allied with the state. They rejected a religion that taught that God tortures people for eternity, that the earth is only 6000 years old, that the earth is the center of the Solar System (The church/state punished anyone who said the earth wasn’t the center). None of those three things are taught in Scripture —- So the score is:

Darwin/Spencer 3
Superstitious Christianity 0

Why did team Spencer/Darwin pitch a shutout? Because they dealt with reality, the “Church” was talking nonsensical “spirit-talk.”

I personally don’t believe in Darwin’s hypothesis concerning the decent of man. But I want to point out that Scripture deals with REALITY. Don’t spiritualize them away.

Voltaire vs. Superstition

Voltaire had an interesting background. He was French, wee wee. Here’s what things looked like in France.

Louis the 14th was on the throne for 70 Years. He said, “I am the state”. He was called “The Sun King” who believed in the Divine Right and Absolutism. Imagine 70 years of that crap! The next two Louie’s were no prize either.

The Popes blessed the Louie’s. Religion and tyranny went hand and hand in France. The French associated religion with Louis and tyranny! This set the stage for the Enlightment’s attack on Superstitious Christianity.

The Roman Church was allied with the State. Voltaire questioned this set-up and became an atheist. He equated Christianity with the unholy alliance of King and Church. One historian notes:

“…a corrupt ecclesiasticism, especially when united with the state, breeds atheism and atheism breeds restlessness and torment. It looses the tiger… Given the ecclesiastical corruption in France – then comes Voltaire…Given Voltaire and then the tiger is loosed…Infidelity in France, voiced by Voltaire…is a rebound from corrupt ecclesiasticism…”

Everyone in France was classed under the Louie’s. The First Estate was the clergy, the Second was the nobility, the Third was everyone else from the poor peasant to the merchant. The peasants were about 80-percent of the people but they only owned 30-percent of the land. They were forced to tithe to the Church, pay an income tax, and other taxes. The total tax burden was around 50-Percent! Of course the First and Second Estates were tax exempt. That meant the tax burden fell on the Third Estate!

That’s Christianity according to France! This is the superstition Voltaire hated. I’m with him!

If Only These Three Knew The True God!

I don’t believe in Darwin’s monkey men, nor do I promote Voltaire’s suggestions. These men went too far the other direction REACTING to EVIL. This is a human trait that we should all avoid.

I, unlike modern Christians, sympathize with these men. I also know that if they had known the TRUE God, they would not have reacted the way they did. Proof? Matthew 11:20-24.

Resurrection isn’t one event. When God’s kingdom/government is in operation people will be raised in ranks. Those ranks will not necessarily be in large groups. Our God is a God of order. When He fed the five thousand He made everyone sit by groups of fifties. Resurrection is an orderly arrangement. Resurrection may happen weekly, monthly, or who knows. Imagine a time when obituaries will be replaced with Resurrection announcements!

In hospitals every time a baby is born a song plays over the loudspeakers. No matter where you’re at in the building you hear people clap or say “awww.” It makes people feel good when a new life comes into the world.

What a thrill the coming Kingdom of God will be! We will constantly be hearing about people being resurrected! We will be laughing and smiling in ecstasy as they occur. God will gradually be replacing the sorrows of this age of misfortune with ages of blessings and joy! Families and friends will be re-united over time until finally everyone will be made immortal. Then God will be All in All!

1. They are called a cult.
2. They only read approved Bible study material.
3. They have their own approved Bible translation.
4. They have their own approved Greek text.
5. Those who created the Version and Text as well as those who boast about them know little or nothing about Hebrew or Greek.
6. They have approved leaders.
7. They are warned about reading others.
8. Their meetings are a rehash of their approved Bible Study magazine.
9. They have approved guardians who do their best to censor outside materials.
10. They rarely read Scripture, but they feast on the approved materials.
11. Questioning an approved doctrine from Scripture is not welcome – if you do – YOU’RE OUT! You’re labeled “Unstable.” Etc…
12. They think that they are the only group that’s in the right.
13. They are isolated from the world.

Do you know any groups like that? Have you been part of a group that only “sticks with” approved teachers? Are there “guardians” in that group who are always warning you about this guy and that guy? Are you part of a group that believes its members are one of the “few”? Are they isolated? Are the leaders of that group isolated? Do they avoid human contact? Do they despise this life? Do they minimize work, family, and ethics? Do they revel in the writings of the movement and give very little time to the actual Scriptures? Are the Scriptures merely used as a supplement to the writings of men? Do you feel uncomfortable when “new” ideas are presented that contradict your approved teachers?

Truth has nothing to fear from examination. If THINKING and RE-THINKING scares you, then you haven’t found truth. You might be a person who simply wants to settle on something that makes you FEEL good. Hardly a self-less expression of love for God. Many times a professed love for God is actually a love for a God created in one’s own image. In other words – a person invents a God in his own mind that makes him feel good; then anything that violates this invented god is Heresy.

Thomas Jefferson wrote:

“Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens…tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either…that the impious presumption of …rulers…who being themselves fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others…”

Jefferson went on to say that truth doesn’t need human authority behind it. He said that truth is great and will prevail if left to herself, and truth has nothing to fear from conflict. Using verbal coercion or attacks against those who disagree with you will only hinder free debate and actually perpetuate the very errors the pretended cult-hunters pretend to hate.

The Scriptures say: “How can two walk together unless they agree” (Amos 3:3). Many take this to mean that you can’t have fellowship unless we read the same version and read the same material. That’s the cult mentality.

The Emphasized Bible translates that passage this way: “Can two walk together, except they meet by appointment?” That’s better. You and I can’t walk together unless we first meet to begin our journey. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the World – we have already met! We can now begin walking together. As we walk, we can discuss and learn as we go. But we don’t need to see eye to eye on everything to stay on the same road.

Only a tyrant would push someone off the road after they had already met! To push people off the road is to deny the finished work of Jesus Christ!

We aren’t in the Kingdom yet. Kingdom powers don’t exist today. To think you have approved teachers is to pretend you are living in a different dispensation! There are no God-approved apostles today. God will one day set all of us straight – but that day ain’t today. We have the Scriptures and brains – use them. That’s how truth is arrived at.

Hi, I’m Dan. We’ve already met. I’m happy to walk with you on the road. I’ll never push you off. But that doesn’t mean I’ll always agree with you. You in?

Coming up in the next Matthew audio:

1. The meaning of the word “image.”

2. Sadducees create their own “contradictions” through imagined difficulties.

3. Marriage and Resurrection: How Plato mixed with Christianity has converted the “future world” into something completely contrary to human experience. This error has created false hopes of a fictitious world to come.

4. Were Adam and Eve actively pursuing marriage? Or did God arrange it?

5. If God arranged the marriage of Adam and Eve before sin entered into the world, why wouldn’t He arrange marriages after sin is eliminated?

6. Love and Law.

The Lord cursed the fig tree. In Mark 11 we read that it wasn’t the right time for figs. So why would our Lord curse a tree for not having fruit in season?

This event was a lesson to the disciples. The lesson is this: God expects fruit out of season from His people.

Let’s give an Old Testament example: God anointed David king. However, Saul was still on the throne. But there were a band of men who were faithful to David while Saul was hunting him down. Later, when David took the throne, these mighty men were singled out as his champions. The champs were those who were faithful to David before he took the throne, before it was “hip.”

When our Lord was on earth the disciples were faithful to Him even though He wasn’t outwardly in the place of power. These faithful men will be singled out when God’s government is on display.

Paul tells Timothy to herald the word in season and out of season. That means herald truth when it’s popular and when it’s not.

God’s Word isn’t very popular today. Religion and “church” services abound, but God’s Word isn’t properly valued. But the lack of popularity of God’s Word is no excuse for us to give up. God expects us to bear fruit “out of season.”

Friendship and love are proved when times are tough. Have you ever had a friend that ditched you when times were tough? Would you do the same to your Lord and Savior?

God expects fruit out of season – that’s when love is proved.