GRAVEN IMAGES

"

     "I am the LORD thy God.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:  for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments."  (Exodus 20: 2, 3-6)

   Jews of Judaism believe in the Talmud, Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon, Hindus believe in the Vedas, Buddhists believe in the Tripitaka, Muslims believe in the Qur'an, and Christians believe in the Bible.

   But we know, however, that not all Christians in churches today believe in the Holy Bible, for we know that more than three hundred Protestant churches have joined the ecumenical movement under the leadership of Pope Francis, with Catholicism, to join the world religion that will rise up this month, September, 2016, in Jerusalem. 

   What, then, is different about these Christians?  Why have they chosen to agree that Christ should be mixed and blended with all of the gods and goddesses of paganism to create one worldwide religion?  Why have they elected to follow Pope Francis instead of following Christ the Lord?

   For them, could it be that Christ has never been no more than a graven image etched in their minds, which they believe only in their imaginations?  For we know that Christians without Christ are more excited about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny than they are about Jesus of Nazareth. 

   For them, could it be that Jesus is not a real person, but is no more than a graven image.  For if they truly believed that God raised up Jesus from death, then Jesus had to have been a real person, alive and breathing.

   We know, too, that Christians without Christ are more excited about the return of Santa Claus each year than they are about the return of Christ at the end of days---the proof of which is in their faith, for their faith is now in Pope Francis:  a man who did not die for the sins of the world and a man who has not been resurrected from death.

   For these Christians, they are in violation of God's first commandment, quoted above from the book of Exodus from the Holy Bible.

      "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."  (Ecclesiasts 12: 13-14)