Is Seeing REALLY Believing?

We have heard this phrase all our lives, "seeing is belileving." Is it REALLY? Hitler and his henchmen worked on the premise that if a lie is told often enough, people begin to assume it's validity. When it comes to our souls salvation, seeing is NOT believing! Let me explain.

In the 13th century, the Roman Catholic monk Thomas Aquinas injected a theory into theology that has, and continues to have, horrible consequences to the salvation of the souls of humankind. He alledged that people find truth PRIMARILY, not through the revealed Word of God, but through "reason." This "reason" (or "senses") leads us to "faith" and this "faith" then leads us to God's Word. Not only that, Thomas Aquinas asserted that "imagination" is a sense! In other words, if we "imagine" truth then our imagination BECOMES truth! Aquinas went on to assert that this "imagined truth" is best conveyed, not by the preaching of the audible Word of God but by things visual such as art, music, drama, theater, sculpture, etc. Yes, I know, this is very Post-Modern!

We KNOW that this is a falsehood for the inpired apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that "...faith comes by HEARING and hearing by the Word of God." Here's a synopsis to review:

Paul: Faith via Hearing via the Word of God
Aquinas: Faith via Seeing via Imagination

Pauls inpired assertion was proven correct in the life of Christ, especially in one defining moment...the raising of Lazarus of Bethany. (See John 11) "IF" "seeing is believing" then ALL the Jews present to see this undeniable miracle would have believed on Jesus! Whoever else ever raised a man from the dead after 4 days in the earth!? Not only did many not believe though they clearly SAW, but instead, sought to murder,not only Christ, but Lazarus as well! (John 12:10-11)

As much as our culture is enamoured with all things visual, God has chosen things audible to bring us to belief in Christ! "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" - Romans 10:14

Remember, faith comes by HEARING, not by sight!

For a FREE Bible study, e-mail: rmcculls@bellsouth.net!

"If Only We Believe" - A Poem by Dawn Taylor

If only we believe
The Lord will set us free
We’ll trust Him and obey
He showed us all the way

If only we believe
Our sins will be forgiven
His light will shine on us
From all the realm of heaven

If only we believe
And this not of our own
We’re dressed in righteousness
That’s His and His alone

If only we believe
We’ll do the best we can
Perfection to achieve
But only by His hands

His love and grace and power
He’ll give this very hour
While we live and breathe
If only we believe

Dawn Taylor
June 22, 2008

For a FREE Bible Study, e-mail rmcculls6@bellsouth.net!

Will We Focus on Christ or on Crisis?

Did you know that we are living during the VERY BEST time in history? We are! First of all, we are alive and relatively well! In 1900, the composite male life expectancy was but 41 years. The child mortality rate in 1900 was 20%, one out of every five children did not survive childhood. Secondly, we are far better off than even the RICHEST people were in 1900. The average annual family income was $400.00. The wage earner worked an average of 58 hours per week to earn $7.70! Only 46.5% of the population owned their own homes. Only 5.5% of homes had indoor plumbing. Barely 5% of homes had a telephone and some kind of indoor stove. In 1900, the number of homes with electricity was statistically zero. Also, totally absent in the typical 1900 household were automobiles, radios, refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioning, microwaves, televisions, computers, VCR’s, cell phones and internet access! Finally, the typical home was missing such things as insulation, carpeting and furniture as we know it. ALL of us live better than the Vanderbilt’s did in “Biltmore House” in 1900!

The “Good Old Days?” Not hardly!

During these times of economic turbulence…”Count your many blessings, name them one by one! Count your many blessing see what God has done!”

For a FREE Bible study, e-mail rmcculls6@bellsouth.net!

What IS the Gospel?

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you THE GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you belived in vain. For I delivered first of all that which I also received:

1) That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and

2) That He was buried, and

3) That He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and

4) That He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as one born out of due time."

- The Apostle Paul noted this in I Corinthians 15:1-8 (NKJV)

The Gospel is the GOOD NEWS that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, that He rose again on the 3rd day AND that ALL OF THIS was WITNESSED by too many to EVER be denied! This is the Gospel I proclaim! Won't you help me?

For a FREE Bible study, e-mail rmcculls6@bellsouth.net!