Who do you preach? The murdered or the murderer?

I have a very heavy burden today that I would like to write about, but find it extremely difficult. It is not the first time that it has happened in my life, as it happened years ago in 2002 when I also found a specific subject that was extremely confusing to me and took me actually years to write about.

Todays subject is even worse and has been with me since 16 April 1996, but I still feel that most people reading it will ignore it, as they do with most of the things I write about. But I am obedient and will do what He told me to do.

What is the subject that I have for today?

 

I wonder how many people follow the doctrine of the murderer, rather than following the doctrine of the murdered. In South Africa I believe close to 80% of people that admit to being a Christian actually follow the theology of the murderer. So I want to compare the two theologies with each other, that of Jesus the murdered and that of the murderer, John Calvin.

Jesus. - He was killed after being found innocent, so he was murdered. “Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!" When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves." And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.” (Mat 27:22-26)

Calvin.- He accepted the responsibility for murder and encouraged his followers to kill. His own words were as follows: "Honour, glory, and riches shall be the reward of your pains; but above all, do not fail to rid the country of those scoundrels, who stir up the people to revolt against us. Such monsters should be exterminated, as I have exterminated Michael Servetus the Spaniard." http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/servetus.html The Bible actually declares the following about leaders: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” (Heb 13:7) I do not believe in following someone who is a self confessed murderer.

Jesus. – All people can be saved. “"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”   Joh 16:7-11) So the first work of the Holy Spirit is to convince people of their sin. Only once we are accept this, can we call out to the LORD to save us. “Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.” (Gen 3:22-23) This is in direct opposition to what Calvin states that man is totally deprived of anything that can reverse the works of Satan in Adam. This is the T of TULIP. No person knows everything, but we do have the ability to chose between right and wrong. So I have to take responsibility for all my works and deeds.

John declares what Jesus came to do: "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."  (Joh 3:17-21) So the love of Jesus is available to all people, not just the so-called elect.

Calvin. – The grace of God was limited according to Calvin hence the statement of limited atonement, the L in TULIP. He places the greatest emphasis on the fact that God can reject all of mankind. The real question is rather that a God of love, can refuse His love to mankind. The Bible emphasizes the love of God to all people, as well as that all can be saved. It is because of this love that we have to defend His character and test Calvinism to the message of the Bible.

According to Calvin man can be saved without man believing in the gospel or not. According to his writings nobody can be saved without God interfering first, causing man to be rebirthed, and then giving them the saving faith to those he predestined. Calvin says man is totally incapable that he has no means to accept the saving grace of God, without him being predestined to be able to do it. So God gives some people faith, the same way He also leads others to sin. Why? We cannot find an answer to that because that is God’s secret.

The deduction from this is that God, who is love, does not share his love with some people in order to save them, but only reserves it for a select group of people the He predestined to be blessed. Calvin tries to explain this lack of love to the mystery of God’s will and purpose.

He also declares that all things on earth are played of like a script for a play or a movie, and that He is responsible for everything. Man cannot interfere with His plan, and hence does not have to take the responsibility for anything in their lives. If you are part of the elect, you will do as He pleases, and if you are not predestined the fault is still yours as you were not part of the elect. Now in the first book of the Bible, way back in Genesis I read the following: “And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. "I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know." (Gen 18:20-21) Why did the LORD come down personally to see if things were really as bad in Sodom and Gomorra as the words that came to Him? Surely He should have known if he controlled everything that happens.

Conclusion.

When you follow the theology of a murderer, it is impossible to believe in the working of the Holy Spirit. That is why the Apostles Creed only says: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”. So what the Holy spirit came to do and how He still works today is still a mystery to them. They are not all that different from the Pharisees at the time of Jesus and even Isaiah, as Isaiah puts it: “"To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast? "For  He says, 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'" Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen. So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.” (Isa 28:9-13)

So my question is, What are you going to do? Will you continue to follow the theology of a murderer, or are you going to open up to the Holy Spirit in order that he can lead you. That He can convince you of sin, and lead you to a time when you can cry out to the LORD to save you. That His blood can take away your sin and lead you to be baptized where you can rid yourself of your life working for Satan, and place yourself under the authority of the LORD of LORDS.

Go and read Hbrews 6 verses 1 and 2 to find the exact sequense we have to follow to ensure that we are God’s children. Paul follows the exact same sequence in his book to the Romans, starting at repentance and then every step thereafter.

So my last question is: Are you following a murderer, or the One who was murdered?

Just remember if you shared communion you will be in heaven, but I would like you to be in Jerusalem and not in Egypt, and that you follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and not that of John Calvin.

To really know what it is all about, download my book The covenant of Righteousness and The Revelation of John Revealed from my website at www.shama.org.za and follow the link at the bottom of the homepage, or watch the video series of the Covenant on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4uenUs3KsejvEENd_8RRonRZQRVIL9nW

Wie verkondig jy? Die vermoorde of die moordenaar?

Vandag het ek iets op my hart wat vir my baie moeilik is om neer te pen. Ek kan net sê dit is nie die eerste keer dat ek so voel nie. Toe ek in 2002 baie geskryf het, was daar een spesifieke onderwerp  wat vir my baie vreemd was, en wat jare gevat het om te verwerk en uiteindelik te boekstaaf.

Vandag s’n weet ek nou al baie jare van, sedert 16 April 1996, maar het ek tog die gevoel dat mense wat dit lees dit sal ignoreer soos hulle maar met meeste van my goed doen. Maar, ek is gehoorsaam aan Hom en doen dit wat Hy my beveel het om te doen.

So wat pla my vandag?

Die kort en die lank is dat ek wonder hoeveel mense daar wêreldwyd is wat die teologie van ‘n moordenaar volg. Ek glo in Suid Afrika is daar seker 80% van die mense wat sê dat hulle Christene is, wat die moordenaar se teologie volg. Ek wil graag die boodskap van Jesus met sy teologie vergelyk.

 

Jesus.   Is onskuldig gedood. Hy is vermoor.  “Pilatus sê vir hulle: Wat moet ek dan doen met Jesus wat genoem word Christus? Hulle sê almal vir hom: Laat Hom gekruisig word! En die goewerneur sê: Watter kwaad het Hy dan gedoen? Maar hulle skreeu nog harder en sê: Laat Hom gekruisig word! En toe Pilatus sien dat niks help nie, maar dat daar eerder ‘n oproer kom, het hy water geneem en sy hande voor die skare gewas en gesê: Ek is onskuldig aan die bloed van hierdie regverdige man; julle kan toesien! En die hele volk antwoord en sê: Laat sy bloed op ons en op ons kinders kom! Toe laat hy vir hulle Barábbas los, maar Jesus het hy laat gésel en oorgelewer om gekruisig te word.” (Mat 27:22-26)

Calvyn. – Aanvaar aanspreeklikheid vir moord en moedig mense aan om mense te dood. Calvyn se eie uitspraak is as volg: "Honour, glory, and riches shall be the reward of your pains; but above all, do not fail to rid the country of those scoundrels, who stir up the people to revolt against us. Such monsters should be exterminated, as I have exterminated Michael Servetus the Spaniard." http://www.bcbsr.com/topics/servetus.html Die Bybel verklaar die volgende oor leiers: Heb 13:7 “Gedenk julle voorgangers wat die woord van God aan julle verkondig het; aanskou die uiteinde van hulle lewenswandel en volg hulle geloof na. Ek glo nie ek wil ‘n self erkende moordenaar navolg nie.

Jesus. Alle mense kan gered word. “Maar Ek sê julle die waarheid: Dit is vir julle voordelig dat Ek weggaan; want as Ek nie weggaan nie, sal die Trooster nie na julle kom nie; maar as Ek weggaan, sal Ek Hom na julle stuur; en as Hy kom, sal Hy die wêreld oortuig van sonde en van geregtigheid en van oordeel: van sonde, omdat hulle in My nie glo nie; en van geregtigheid, omdat Ek na my Vader gaan en julle My nie meer sal sien nie; en van oordeel, omdat die owerste van hierdie wêreld geoordeel is.” (Joh 16:7-11) So die Helige Gees sal almal oortuig van sonde. Dit is Sy eerste werk, en eers wanneer ons oortuig is van ons sonde, het ons die vermoë om die HERE te nader sodat Hy ons kan red. “Toe sê die HERE God: Nou het die mens geword soos een van Ons deur goed en kwaad te ken. As hy nou maar nie sy hand uitsteek en ook van die boom van die lewe neem en eet en lewe in ewigheid nie! Toe stuur die HERE God hom weg uit die tuin van Eden om die grond te bewerk waaruit hy geneem is.” (Gen 3:22-23) Hierdie gedeelte is verkeerd vertaal in die 1983 vertaling omdat dit lynreg teenoor Calvyn se leer staan. Daarom is dit die enigste vertaling waar dit staan: “Toe het die Here God gesê: "Die mens het nou soos een van Ons geword deurdat hy alles kan ken.” Geen mens ken alles nie, maar die gedeelte is spesifiek so vertaal sodat dit nie strydig is met Calvyn se leerstellings nie. Ek weet wat is reg en ek weet wat is verkeerd, en het die vermoë om tussen die twee te onderskei. So ek moet verantwoordelikheid neem vir al my dade.

Verder verklaar Johannes se evangelie dit as volg: “God het nie sy Seun na die wêreld toe gestuur om die wêreld te veroordeel nie, maar sodat die wêreld deur Hom gered kan word. Wie in Hom glo, word nie veroordeel nie; wie nie glo nie, is reeds veroordeel omdat hy nie in die enigste Seun van God glo nie. En so kom die skeiding: die lig het na die wêreld toe gekom, en tog het die mense eerder die duisternis as die lig liefgehad, want hulle dade was sleg. Elkeen wat kwaad doen, haat immers die lig en kom nie na die lig toe nie, sodat sy dade nie aan die kaak gestel moet word nie. Maar wie volgens die waarheid handel, kom na die lig toe, sodat dit duidelik kan blyk dat sy dade in gehoorsaamheid aan God gedoen is." (Joh 3:17-21) Jesus se liefde is vir alle mense, nie net sekere mense nie.

Calvyn. God se genade, soos Calvyn dit verstaan het, was baie beperk. Hy lê die grootste klem op God se regverdigheid, en sê dat God regverdiglik die hele menslike ras kan verdoem. Die werklike vraag is egter of 'n God wat liefde is, sal nalaat om verlossing aan enigeen aan te bied. Die Bybel beklemtoon God se liefde vir alle mense duidelik, asook sy begeerte dat almal gered sal word. Dit is ter wille van die verdediging van God se liefde en karakter dat ons Calvinisme aan 'n skriftoets moet onderwerp.

Volgens Calvyn het redding niks daarmee te doen of 'n persoon die evangelie glo of nie. Volgens hom kan niemand geloof tot redding beoefen voordat God hom wederbaar het en geloof in diegene wat Hy uitverkies het, se harte geskep het nie. Calvyn beweer dat 'n mens só verdorwe is dat daar by hom 'n totale onvermoë is om die Here aan te neem en gered te word. God laat mense dus glo, net soos wat Hy sommiges laat sondig. Hy red sommige mense, en verwerp ander mense. Hoekom? Dit kan ons nie verklaar nie want dit is God se geheim.

Die gevolgtrekking hiervan is dat God, wat liefde is, nie alle mense genoeg liefhet om hulle van die ewige verderf te red nie, want Hy reserveer sy liefde net vir 'n selektiewe groep mense wat Hy tot saligheid uitverkies het. Calvyn probeer om hierdie gebrek aan liefde te verklaar deur dit aan die misterie van God se wil en doel toe te skryf.

Verder verkondig Calvyn dat die HERE alles laat gebeur op aarde en verantwoordelik is vir alles, en dat die mens nie enigsins iets daaraan kan doen nie, en daarom nie verantwoordelikheid vir enigiets hoef te aanvaar nie. Indien jy uitverkies is sal jy reg lewe, indien nie is dit nogsteeds jou fout want jy is nie uitverkies nie. Ek lees weer die volgende in Genesis: “Verder het die HERE gesê: Die geroep oor Sodom en Gomorra is waarlik groot, en hulle sonde is waarlik baie swaar. Ek wil neerdaal en sien of hulle werklik gehandel het soos die geroep oor hulle is wat by My gekom het; en so nie, Ek wil dit weet.” (Gen 18:20-21) Hoe is dit dan dat die HERE self moes kom kyk of Sodom en Gommora regtig so sleg was indien Hy alles laat gebeur en vooraf al bepaal het?

 

Gevolgtrekking.

Wanneer jy die teologie van ‘n moordenaar aanhang, kan jy nie glo in die werking van die Heilige Gees nie, want jy weet nie wat Hy in jou lewe beteken nie. Daarom dat die geloofsbelydenis van die Calvinistiese gemeentes slegs sê: “ Ek glo in die Heilige Gees”. Wat die Heilige Gees kom doen het en hoe Hy vandag nog werk is vir hulle duister. Hulle is nie veel anders as die Fariseers van Jesus se tyd nie, want dit is soos Jesaja dit uitdruk: “Vir wie wil hy dan kennis leer, en vir wie wil hy die openbaring verstaanbaar maak? Vir die wat van die melk gespeen, wat van die moederborste weggeneem is? Want dit is gebod op gebod, gebod op gebod, reël op reël, reël op reël, hier ‘n bietjie, daar ‘n bietjie. Ja, Hy sal deur lippe wat hakkel, en deur ‘n vreemde tong met hierdie volk spreek, Hy wat aan hulle gesê het: Dit is die rus, gee rus aan die vermoeides, en dit is die verkwikking. Maar hulle wou nie luister nie. Daarom sal die woord van die HERE vir hulle wees gebod op gebod, gebod op gebod, reël op reël, reël op reël, hier ‘n bietjie, daar ‘n bietjie, sodat hulle kan heengaan en agteruit struikel en verbreek en verstrik en gevang word.”  (Isa 28:9-13) Lees dit in die nuwe verdwaling, en dan lag jy oor hoe dit vertaal is.

Wat gaan jy doen? Gaan jy voort deur ‘n moordenaar se teologie te volg, of gaan jy toelaat dat die Heilige Gees jou lei in alles wat jy doen? Dat Hy jou oortuig van sonde, dat Hy jou kan lei om uit te roep na die HERE vir vergifnis, dat jy kan glo dat net die HERE jou kan red, dat net Sy bloed jou skuld kan betaal, en dan dat jy deur die doopwater kan gaan om weg te kom van die land waar die Satan heers en jou onder Sy leiding te plaas. Gaan lees maar Hebreërs 6 verse 1 en 2 en sien wat die volgorde is om kind van God te word. Dit stem ooreen met Paulus se hele rede aan die Romeine ook, wat begin met bekering en dan elke stap soos in Hebreërs uitlig.

 

Dit is my vraag vir jou. Volg jy die moordenaar of volg jy die Vermoorde?

Onthou net dat indien jy nagmaal gebruik het jy in die Hemel sal wees. Ek wil jou net graag in Jerusalem kry en nie in Egipte nie. Gaan lees maar my boeke Die Verbond van Geregtigheid en Die Openbaring van die Openbaring van Johannes. Hulle is beskikbaar op my webtuiste gratis by www.shama.org.za en volg dan die skakel na die boeke onder die inleiding.

Of indien jy video verkies, kyk na die reeks oor die Verbond van geregtigheid op Youtube by

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4uenUs3KsehcBxvUCAL0exc9F5H0zTce