We Are No Longer Cursed

We see Christians nowadays that go down two different paths. Some choose to live by grace while others choose to live by the law. Many are deceived and taught that they must provide God with their own works and righteousness after salvation. Yet, what is grace and the purpose for why Jesus Christ came down to die for us? This is a very important subject because it has the ability to change our whole lives once we fully realize the full aspect of what the cross achieved for us.

We must first realize that there is nothing that we can bring to the table. We cannot create or compose something even halfway decent to give back to God on our own. Even at our very best, we still put Him on the cross. He still had to die for those whom we consider to be the very best Christians or the most righteous and "good" people we know.

All our righteousness still put Him on the cross!

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" Isaiah 64:6

The Bible calls our righteousness filthy rags. Those are the filthy rags that those with leprosy had to wipe off the pus from their boils with! Our righteousness is filthy in the eyes of God.

Is there any exception for anybody on this Earth? Nope!

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" Romans 3:10

and every man has failed to meet the exceptionally high quota of God which is perfection.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

So we have concluded that we are not righteous and we all are sinners. Is that bad news? Actually, not really because if we were good enough, we wouldn't need Jesus at all. That's the thing! How many of us actually think that we can produce our own righteousness and become "good enough" for God? Actually, a lot of us still do.. but the danger is that in this belief, there is no need for Jesus and what He did for us on the cross.

The Bible says that if we follow the law and try to produce our own righteousness by following the law, then we are fallen from grace! That's a terrifying thought!

"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Galatians 5:4

Grace is the gift of God. Grace is what God's own son did for us on the cross. Grace is knowing that we will never be good enough for God, and accepting this free gift. If we reject grace, then we reject the price that Jesus Christ paid for us on the cross. If we choose righteousness by the law, then Christ is dead for nothing!

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Galatians 2:21

A lot of us subconsciously worry about being good after we are saved. We try to be good enough and feel like we owe God something. Should we feel that way? No, because there is no debt we need to pay. We don't owe anybody anything! The debt has ALREADY been paid! Why are we working as if we're paying off a debt?

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:4,5

We are no longer under the old covenant where we had to observe the law to become righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus came to fulfill all 613 of the old Torah laws because the law was a curse and it brought death.

The law was given to us because of the sin that was brought on to the world and now we are redeemed! Adam disobeyed God and sinned against Him, then sin and death reigned in the world. The world was cursed with law and sin until God sent His Son to redeem us. This was the promise that the old testament saints waited for thousands of years.

"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." Galatians 3:19

(Note: Jesus Christ is the mediator, 1 Tim 2:5)

God gave the Gentiles free righteousness without law and works through His Son. Israel had the law and their works to give an account for their righteousness but we have something far greater. We have the Son and our faith is our righteousness. If we seek God through the deeds of the law and not of faith, we shall stumble and fall. We will fail.

"What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone." Romans 9:30-32

We are justified by our faith and not by the law or of works. Isn't that amazing? Faith is what justifies us!

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:28

 We know that it was our faith in Jesus Christ that saved us. It was our salvation! Why do we turn back and return to the law and works? Faith is what got us in, and faith is what brings us home.

"Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? " Galatians 3:3

 Here is a warning. I have been to many churches personally that teach grace, but they also teach us to follow certain laws in the Old Testament. The law is one and whole. There are 613 laws in the OT that is called the Torah. Those 613 laws are commandments from God in the old covenant. If we choose to keep and observe a few, even just a select few, we are bound by the law. And when we are bound by the law, we are to keep every single one of them!

Who can live up to 613 laws of righteousness? If we miss one, we have failed ALL!

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. " James 2:10

 The law is a curse and it brings death! There will be those who will tell you the law is good, but the Bible says it is a curse and all who follow the curse shall die! No man shall be justified by the law in the sight of God! No one can stand before God and present their works by the law and make it through!

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.


And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Galatians 3:10-13

The law was created to bring us unto Jesus Christ. It gave us a need for a Saviour and God's purpose was fulfilled in His Son. Now that He has come and now that we have faith, we are no longer under the law. The law was only made to bring us HERE to be in Christ with faith.

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Galatians 3:24, 25

We are so blessed to be in this point of time where we have the gift of grace that is made into effect by grace that was given to us by the shedding of the blood of Jesus. Yet, it is grievous to see that there are those who choose to still be under the law even to this day! There are even those who claim to have grace but still keep some rules of the law.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8

The reason why this is so urgent is that if we have been deceived to follow the law, then we shall be judged the law. God honors our decision and our choices if we choose to follow the law. We shall be judged before the throne of God by every deed we do and by all our works! And in Revelation, no man makes it out of the Great White Throne alive. Those who have the law have the wrath of God upon them.

We need the blood of the spotless lamb for death to pass over us. We need to fully receive the blood and accept grace. In accepting grace, we are accepting the free gift of God. Jesus takes our place, and the Father will look at us and see His Son's righteousness in us! He will NOT see our own righteousness, but His Son's Righteousness!

Our righteousness are filthy rags and we will surely die! We need the righteousness of Jesus Christ upon us! What is so beautiful about this is that Jesus walked on Earth and He completed every single law perfectly! He was flawless and righteous! He was perfect! That is what the Father will see in us! We have literally traded places! Jesus paid the price of our righteousness by dying for us and he became a curse for us. He had the wrath of God upon Him on the cross! And we can take His place and become the heir to the kingdom of God! We become the adopted sons of God!

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. " Galatians 4:4,5

We must choose faith. We must choose grace. We must realize that under the law and works, we shall be condemned and we shall die! I know that this has been an exhaustive study and this is only a few scriptures from the New Testament. I encourage those who are thirsty for more information about law and grace to read Romans and Galatians. Paul writes in depth and passion about grace and teaches it to the new believers.

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:4

Jesus Christ = end of the law. It is complete.



Do you believe?

Why Are We Still Tithing?

Many Christians tithe faithfully. It is taught in churches to do so. Yet, it does not make any sense why tithing is still being taught when it is a part of the old covenant, a part of the law, and when Jesus has set us free from these things. Please allow us at A Voice in the Wilderness to show you some scriptures about tithing.

In the Book of Daniel, God tells Daniel that He will give the people seventy weeks to bring His people back unto Him. Because of their transgressions and iniquity, man was separate from God. Jesus was the one who was sent to put an end to our transgressions, to bring reconciliation between man and God, and to bring in everlasting righteousness (Read Daniel 9:25, 26).

In verse 27, it was foretold that Jesus would also cause the sacrifice and oblations to cease:

"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:27

Jesus caused the sacrifices to cease. There was no longer a need to have blood sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus became the sacrificial lamb and His blood forgives our sins.

And before, I had always wondered what oblation meant. Finally, my eyes opened and I realized it was the same as tithes. Oblation means tribute, firstfruits, and offering unto God. Our tithe is the same thing. It is an offering to God of our firstfruits. Whenever we give God our first fruits, that means we give it to Him first before we use it or spend it. Oblations and tithes are freewill gift offerings to God.

Jesus caused the oblation to cease. We no longer need to give God anything or pay Him.

(examples of oblation in the old testament is: Leviticus 2:4, 2:12, Numbers 31:50, Ezekiel 44:30, Ezekiel 45:1, 48:12, and we see that God wanted their offerings, firstfruit, meat or land, same as tithes. People never paid tithes in money back then)

In Matthew 17:24-26, Jesus explains to Peter that the King's children are free from paying tribute to the King! God is our King, and we are His children.

"And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?


He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children or of strangers?


Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, then are the children free!"

In the New Testament, Jesus never said once that we were required to pay tithes. Not once was that imputed upon the believers. The only time it was mentioned in the NT was as an insult to the Pharisees and the Pharisees are men of the law.

In the New Testament, the believers would provide for their family FIRST, then meet on the first day of the week to divide the money so that they all would have the equal amount. God told them if they received anything above their needs, to give unto the poor.

*Provide for your family first: "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 1 Timothy 5:8

*The New Way: "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."Acts 4:34, 35



"For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. For I mean not that other men be eased and ye burdened; But by an equality, that now at this time, your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be equality: As it is written, He that hath gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack." 2 Corinthians 8:12-15

(God may give some people a lot of riches, but he wants them to give above their needs to help their brothers and sisters in Christ who have needs. Those who are rich will not have riches above their needs, and those who are poor will not run out. No one lacked anything)

*Another example: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2

(Paul wrote to the church of Corinthians to meet on the first day of the week and put in storage what God has given them to put away. Those in storage were usually given unto the needy saints: Romans 12:13, 1 Corinthians 16:1)

*And another example: "And sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need." Acts 3:45

We see the believers in the NT taking care of each other, which is a beautiful sign of charity, instead of duty by the law. The tithe was a part of the old law and Jesus has fulfilled the law. Tithes are works, and Jesus' blood covers it ALL, so our works are now dead unto Him, they mean nothing!

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrew 9:14

And we don't owe ANY debt to God, because Jesus has PAID the debt! Whew! If we work, it is like we owe Him something which we don't!


"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:4, 5

God just wants us to give from our hearts, and not from requirements.

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7


Beware of false ministers who tell you that you must give tithes as a requirement of the law (for we know we are under grace and not the law) and that paying tithe will add unto our righteousness. It is a LIE! Do not fall for it.

Ye are the children of the King and you have been made free. 

The True Meaning of "The Lord's Day"

I wanted to discuss a term that is often used by many Christians alike. We may have heard others refer the sabbath day as "The Lord's Day" or "The Day of the Lord." Yet, here in A Voice in the Wilderness, we are wary of titles and labels that have been created by man. Often times it causes confusion amongst believers.

I see one verse that says "The Lord's Day" and it is only used once in Revelation. I did some research but cannot find any evidence that it points to a sabbath day or a day of rest.

Here is the verse,

"I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet." Revelation 1:10

John was in the spirit and taken to a place in time where He saw all these things happening. I believe that he was taken to witness the Great and awesome coming of the Lord. Here is why I think that way:

"For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion" Isaiah 34:8

"And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such are clothed with strange apparel." Zephaniah 1:8

"Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." Zephaniah 1:18

"Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger." Zep 2:3

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3:10

And these are all prophecy scriptures relating to the great and awesome arrival of our Lord. I believe that is the true Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the day we all look forward to and anticipate. This is the day that He will claim His bride and recompense us.

Are Bible Colleges Necessary?

Often times, a Christian may seek to advance themselves with higher learning of the Bible via Bible College, extended studies at churches that may offer certificates or degrees, and some churches may teach that it is of utter importance to attend a Bible University. Yet, is it Biblical? Some pulpits will blatantly teach it is Biblical to do so, but let's see what the Bible says about it.

We see in the Bible that the disciples were unlearned men. They were uneducated and lowly fishermen but when they spoke, others could see they had been with Jesus. It was evident that the Spirit of God was manifest and working in them. Yet, we are not taught that anymore but taught that we need to seek teachings from other men or classes. There is no credit given to having the Spirit of God being our teacher.

Let us observe what the Bible says about receiving the Holy Spirit as our teacher.

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." 1 John 2:27

It is an anointing when the Holy Spirit dwells within us to guide and teach us all things. An illustration of the anointing was the Holy Spirit as a dove coming upon Jesus as he was baptized.

Paul called it the revelation of Jesus Christ in 1 Galatians:

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Galatians 1:11, 12
We also notice that these verses say that the truth was not received from man, but from the Spirit of God.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12, 13, 16

When we receive Christ Jesus, we also receive his mind. He dwells within us and manifests Himself in us and He gives us His Truth.

Education is nothing when it comes to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is so powerful that it can do all things through us, and if we worry about having inadequate training, then we are underestimating the Spirit of God.

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. " Acts 4:13

We also shouldnt practice or worry what we shall say to others about the Lord, for He himself will give us the words and things to say the moment we need to. It is not of ourselves to be trained or memorize words to say to others, but let us allow God to do this for us.

"But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost." Mark 13:11

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26


Here is a final warning,

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:5

Avoid those who appear godly yet they do not teach the power of God and His Spirit. Many will deny that you are able to receive knowledge and vast teachings through the Spirit of God and many will try to convince you that you must receive a Bible College degree or a studies course to be a good Christian and a good "soulwinner." It is nothing of ourselves, but of God alone. Let us not hinder His spirit to do a full work in us. Let us submit to the Lord and allow Him to teach us all things. Pray for truth and He shall give it to you freely.

The Shack

I have no other choice but to blog about this, I feel the Lord impressing upon me to share it with my fellow Christian friends. Last night was a restless one and my eyes are heavy but my mind is alert. I know I won't be able to rest until I get this off my chest. Please bear with me here.

For the past month, I heard dozens of my Christian friends rave about a 'spiritual' book called The Shack. Since I love to read, I scribbled the title in my notebook as a gentle reminder to buy it the next time I went on an Amazon shopping spree.

Recently, a Godly friend of mine warned me about The Shack with no knowledge about the scribble that was burning a page in my notebook that was tucked away at home. With a puzzled look on my face, I made a mental vow to do a little bit of research before I made the purchase. Sadly, I was shocked with the findings and I know I won't be able to rest until I get this off my chest.

If you google The Shack, you will see many Christians applaud the book. But if you look hard enough, you will see Christians who share a different standpoint with unmistakable facts. My favorite article is written by a man who used to live in my hometown, it is called From the Lighthouse and I will be making my excerpts from his article as well as a few other articles. I will list my sources at the end of my blog.

If you have read the book, considered reading it, or simply have friends who are loyal fans. I urge you to read through this post at least once and then I encourage you to pray to God to lead you to the right conclusion. It is long but well worth the read!

I separated them in categories and used excerpts to support my case:

---- First, let's take a look at William Young. He is the author of the book and he writes in a blog, let's see what he believes in. You can find the blog in his Shack website.

May 24, 2007

"The second element is this: if Jesus drew occasionally upon his `God' capabilities, then how could he qualify as my representative and substitute, let alone model a dependent human life - I can't do that? He would have ceased being a truly human sacrifice.

I am personally convinced that Jesus was born, lived, died, was raised and now reigns as a fully human being, and has not drawn upon his deity ever in that process." Willie P Young

If you believe that Jesus never drew on His Deity in His life on earth or since His death and resurrection, than you make him out to be weak and impotent, and not God at all. He was God in the flesh, the very statement declares his deity.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

If Jesus reigns now as a fully human being, then he is not in heaven and has not inherited the kingdom.

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

----- If we follow just a few of the bad doctrines of The Shack to their logical conclusions, we end up with some very twisted theology.

1.) Making God into a woman. Over 2300 times God is referred to as He in the Scriptures, and not once is He a She...God declares himself to be masculine. Flat out, it is heresy to say that God is a woman.

"As he tried to establish some inner mental balance, the anger that he thought had so recently died inside him began to emerge. No longer concerned or caring about what to call God and energized by his ire, he walked up to the door. Mack decided to bang loudly and see what happened, but just as he raised his fist to do so, the door flew open, and he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming African-American woman."

God the Father ("Papa" as he/she is referred to in the book) is represented in the personage of an African-American woman. Near the end of the story, because Mack requires a more fatherly-figure, she turns into a gray-haired, pony-tailed man. Aside from that one instance late in the book, however, God the Father is this woman. Jesus is represented as a Middle-Eastern descent with a big-nose and a rather unassuming appearance and the Holy Spirit is played by Sarayu, a woman of Asian descent.

2.) In The Shack, there is not hierarchy within the Trinity. On page 121, "Papa" says, "...we have no concept of final authority among us, only unity. We are in a circle of relationship, not a chain of command or 'great chain of being' as your ancestors termed it. What you're seeing here is relationship without any overlay of power. We don't need power over the other because w are always looking out for the best. Hierarchy would make no sense among us. Actually, this is your problem, not ours."

This is great news to those who desire no authority in their lives. The Scriptures are clear that a hierarchy exists within the Trinity. Though we know and recognize that all three are equally and fully God, there is nevertheless a clear indication of hierarchy among the Father, Son, and Spirit. Jesus says that the Father has sent him; Jesus clearly sends the Spirit; Jesus states that he does not know when the end will come, and that only the Father knows such information Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane for the Father to allow the cup to pass, but submits to the will of the Father and goes to the cross. These, along with others, are clear example of hierarchy among the Trinity. Speaking of submission, Jesus (in the book) says,

"We are indeed submitted to one another and have always been so and always will be. Papa is as much submitted to me as I to him, or Sarayu to me, or Papa to her. Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect. In fact, we are submitted to you in the same way."

Did you catch that? The godhead is submitted to us? According to the author, this is apparently the God that he serves. Jesus (in the book) continues by saying, "I don't want slaves to my will; I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me." The Scriptures are clear through the Pauline epistles, along with Christ's own words in the Gospels, that we are to be slaves and servants to the will of God, not merely "buddies" who are walking along life's path with him. We are to be submitted to the death to his glory and purpose in our lives. Not so if you follow the example of The Shack. If this example of submission is to be followed, the entire structure of the family as is laid out in Scripture crumbles. Fathers are no longer responsible for the spiritual lives of the families or the overall leadership within the home.

3.) Salvation is another topic that is broached rather quickly within the pages of The Shack.
On page 109, Jesus (in the book), in talking to Mack about salvation, says "I am the best way any human can relate to Papa or Sarayu. To see me is to see them. The love you sense from me is no different from how they love you." This would have been a great opportunity for the author to clear up any ideas or misconceptions that he might be rejecting the exclusivity of Christ and holding on to at least this tiny sliver of orthodoxy. Instead, we see that according to Jesus, he is only the best way. In another portion of the book where, again, Jesus is speaking with Mack, he says the following in relation to what it means to be Christian.

He [Jesus] says,
"Who said anything about being a Christian? I'm not a Christian. Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptist or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don't vote or are not part of any Sunday morning religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved.

Does that mean, asked Mack, that all roads will lead to you?

Not at all, smiled Jesus...Most roads don't lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you."

According to this text, God will use any means necessary to draw you to himself, but does not desire for you to leave that particular system? If you're a Muslim, you can remain a Muslim. He has "no desire to make them a Christian." In other words, He has no desire to make them conform to the stuffy rules and regulations we find in Scripture.

4.) The Shack points out that we need to "allow" God to redeem individuals.

"Mack, for you to forgive this man is for you to release him to me and allow me to redeem him."

Since when does God need me to forgive someone who has wronged before He is able to redeem that individual? God is not bound by my actions in regards to the redemption of another soul! If God sees fit to save that individual, they will be saved, regardless of my heart toward that person.

5.) In terms of the holiness and righteousness of God, The Shack again fall short.

On page 119, "Papa" tells Mack, "I am not who you think I am, Mackenzie. I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it."

In this view, God doesn't have a need to punish sin, but takes great joy in curing it. Again, there is no real clarity on the author's view of a literal place the Bible calls Hell, but this statement surely calls his belief in such a place into question. The holiness and righteousness of God simply has no place in The Shack

6.) The Shack encourages our free will and independence instead of being Christ-like.

Jesus [in the book] tells Mack, "...my life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus,' it means for your independence to be killed." So much for trying to live our lives by the example set by Christ. Additionally, Young seems to view God as being captive to our free will.

Sources: From The Lighthouse, Addison's Walk

I thank God for showing me the truth before I exposed myself to this book, PTL! Now that you know the truth, will you spread it?

UPDATE: The genre aspect of The Shack is irrelevant to my post, distorting the truth for a fictional book is still considered blasphemy. God does not turn a blind eye to heresies merely because of the "fiction" label on a book. I strongly believe no one should ever narrate for Jesus in any sort of book, we need to look to the Bible and quote from scriptures. The Bible is the living Word of God.

The Two Resurrections

Please allow us to show you more things that we have found in scriptures according to the Bible. We as Christians believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. Many Christians would call us too radical or outside of the box, but we are in the same box as you say you are in. Our box is defined by the Bible. If there is something we show you that is different than what you have been taught by other sources, churches, and so forth, we ask you to be open to what God may reveal to you from His Word.

We begin our studies with the resurrection. Many are unaware that there are actually two resurrections.

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5:28, 29

As we see here, there is the resurrection of life for those who have died IN Christ. The second resurrection which is of damnation are for those who stay in their graves until after the millennial reign. They are the ones who will face the Great White Throne of God for his fiery judgment. They will face the terrible and great wrath of God (Rev 20).

Then they shall be destroyed for good!

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36

Those without Christ shall not have life but have God's wrath upon him! We assume the wicked have immortality and will burn forever and ever in an inferno pit, yet the Bible shows us that only those who have Jesus Christ will have the gift of eternal life.

 The First Resurrection for those who shall inherit everlasting life

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day" 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10

 The Second Resurrection for those who do not have Christ and they shall be judged before the fiery Great White Throne seat of God.

 

When Jesus appears from the sky with his army of angels, he will send down fire to burn his enemies (Aka Armageddon) and they will have everlasting destruction from the presence of God. It will be as if they were never born! God is omnipresent and if there was a literal pit of burning hell, it cannot possibly be out of God's reach!


"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." Jude 1:7

Is Sodom and Gomorrha still burning today? No. They were burned with fire from God in Heaven and they have been completely wiped out. No man can find Sodom and Gomorrha today. It was as if they never existed. Eternal destruction is by fire, and it will be as if they were never born. Those with Christ will have the gift of everlasting life through Jesus Christ.

"Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy." Zephaniah 3:8

The wicked will be consumed by fire when Christ appears. Those who belong to Him will be caught up to the air to be with Him and the wicked below will be consumed and devoured by fire and destruction. God tells us to wait and that He has a plan. He will gather the Earth together and it will be the most amazing showdown the Earth has EVER seen!

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD." Psalm 104:35

In the dictionary, consume means to be destroyed and to be devoured. It means they shall waste away. They shall mourn for they have no life. This is the second death. The Lake of Fire is the eternal fire that will be as they were never born.

How can we make sure we shall not be consumed with the wicked on that day? We need to trust Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and to repent from our sins. The blood will let the wrath of God pass over us. As in Egypt during the plagues of Mose's time, it was the blood of the spotless lamb on their door that had the angel of death pass over them. We need the blood of the spotless lamb of God for death to pass over us.

Does Man Have an Immortal Soul? A study of 1 Corinthians 15

In this phase of our study, I would like to dissect and explain 1 Corinthians 15:35-57, and show that the passage tells us that we do not have immortal souls, we are given the gift of eternal life by Jesus Christ.  In the introduction of this topic, we learned that the word "soul" in the Bible almost always means "a breathing creature" or "vitality."  The Bible never suggests it has anything to do with immortality - it basically says otherwise, that man will return to the dust and his breath will return to the God that first breathed it into him.

Now that we have established our definitive definition of the soul, let us finally look at 1 Corinthians 15.

[35] But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
[36] Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
[37] And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
[38] But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
[39] All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
[40] There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
[41] There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
[42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
[43] It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
[44] It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
[45] And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
[46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
[47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
[48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
[49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a rather lengthy passage, but it is imperative that you read it for yourself and really soak it in before we examine it.

The context of the passage is the resurrection of the dead.  Verse 35 starts by asking how the dead are raised up.  What body do they come up with?  This sets the stage for the rest of the passage.


[36] Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
[37] And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

Paul is telling us that what man produces will eventually die.  It's finite.  This is an allusion to the fact that God is the One who quickens, so that we shall not die.


[38] But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
[39] All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
[40] There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
[41] There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

What are these verses saying?  Quite frankly, I have no idea.  Just kidding.  Paul is showing us the distinction between things of God's creation.  All is not the same.  Men, beasts, fish, birds, they all have their own glory or purpose in the world.  Verse 40 further shows that there are celestial (heavenly) bodies and terrestrial (earthly) bodies as well, and that they have their own glory.  They have a separate purpose, essentially.  He is leading up to a huge point.  Let's read further. 


[42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
[43] It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
[44] It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Pretty awesome stuff here.  The resurrection of the dead is sown in corruption, but raised in incorruption.    Dishonour/glory, weakness/power.  Paul is showing us that we are wretched and that Christ raises us in glory and power.  Verse 44 shows that there is a distinction between the natural and the spiritual body.  He flat out says they are two different things.  These three verses show the contrast between mortal and immortal.  Mortal man is dishonourable, weak, and natural.  Christ is glorious, powerful, and spiritual.  God is a Spirit.  (John 4:24)  I know this may still be a little confusing at this point, but let's continue on, because it gets clearer.


[45] And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
[46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
[47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
[48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
[49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

So here we have Paul furthering the comparisons in the previous verses.  The first man (Adam) was made a living soul.  In other words, he was given the breath of life.  The last Adam was made a quickening Spirit.  Note the word quickening.  It was also mentioned in verse 36, right?  That verse shows that man does not have the power to quicken anything.  Verse 45 tells us that the last Adam is a Spirit, and can quicken us to life.  Verse 46, the first Adam is not spiritual but natural.  The last is spiritual.  47, the first is earthy, the second is the Lord from heaven!  So if we did not know who the last Adam is, it is plainly stated here. Verse 48 compares earthy Adam (us) to the heavenly (Christ.)

The next verse is crucial, and should raise a question. How can we bear the image of the heavenly if we are earthy?  How can our natural bodies turn spiritual?  Of course we know the answer to this.  Jesus is the quickening Spirit that gives us the gift of eternal life in heaven.

[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

On the surface, this verse may not seem as deep as it really is.  Paul spends all this time showing us the comparisons between mortal and immortal.  Between wretched man and glorious Christ.  He shows us that they are separate from each other, and have distinct differences.  Yet in verse 49 he tells us that we will bear heaven's image!  Verse 50 reminds us that flesh and blood (mortal man) cannot inherit God's kingdom, and that corruption can't inherit incorruption.   Incorruption is eternal life.  From verse 42 we learned that the resurrection of the dead (to eternal life) began with a corrupt mortal, yet it is raised in incorruption.  The first Adam is raised by the last.  

I hope the final verses will make this crystal clear for us.

[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.


This is simply telling us that the dead in Christ shall not sleep, but will be changed in what seems to be the blink of an eye.  Jesus will raise His people at the last trumpet, to an incorruptible life, in a changed body.

Here comes the clincher.  Are you ready?


[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Corruptible, sinful mortal man must put on incorruption in order to have eternal life.  This mortal must put on immortality!  This verse tells us that we are mortal, and we "put on," or are given immortality through Jesus Christ!

[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

Paul states this again to emphasize the importance of this notion.   After those saved by Christ have "put on" immortality, death will be swallowed up, because it has no more power over those with eternal life. 

[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The wages of sin is death.   (Romans 6:23)  Believers in the Lord Jesus are given the victory over death, because they are the ones that are given immortal life.  The unbelievers fall by the wayside and are conquered by death.  There is no other way that mortal can inherit immortal but through Jesus Christ. 

This is always a rather exhausting study for me, and I hope that I have conveyed it clearly to you.  In summary, there is a natural body and a spiritual body.  One is born of corruption (sin) and one is incorrupt and without sin.  There is a distinct gap between the two.  Sinful, mortal man is born in corruption.  Incorruption is only attained through Jesus Christ, the One who quickens us to immortality.  There is no other way that mortal man can put on immortality.  There is no form of eternal life that is corrupt.  Eternal life is a gift of God.  That means that not everyone will live forever.  If man had an immortal soul, those outside of Christ would be alive forever in a burning "hell."  This passage proves that to be an impossibility, because corruption (sinful nature) cannot inherit incorruption (the perfect nature of Christ).

I thank you for reading this, and hope that it has made a difference in your walk with God.  We welcome any comments or questions you may have.

Romans 8:
[11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Does Man Have an Immortal Soul? Introduction

Most Christians believe that at death, people either go to heaven or hell.  That our souls are immortal, so we either live with God forever or burn forever.  We at A Voice in the Wilderness have previously shown that at death we wait in our graves for Jesus Christ to return while the others await the judgment.

A few months ago, the Lord had shown me a gigantic revelation:  the wicked are burned up and destroyed forever, never to be remembered again.  The modern Christian idea of "hell" is an incorrect one, for the Bible supports destruction with hundreds of instances that we will slowly divulge at a later time. (Note:  We are not Jehovah's Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, or anything of the sort.  We are Bible-believing and reading Christians who seek to be molded by God's Word, regardless of what the mainstream thinks about it.)

For now, I would like to establish the Biblical fact that man is a mortal soul, and that immortality is a gift that is given us from our Savior Jesus Christ.  We will look mainly at 1 Corinthians 15:35-57, with additional supporting verses as they come to me.  But first, let us define the meaning of the word "soul."

Genesis 2:
[7] And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Let us go to the original Hebrew to find the definition of "soul" in this context:

H5315
נפשׁ
nephesh
neh'-fesh
From H5314; properly a breathing creature, that is, animal or (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental): - any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, etc

I did not include the entire definition here for the sake of brevity, but as you can see, it has nothing to do with immortality.  It's simply a breathing creature; vitality.  The Lord breathed into man, and he became a living creature.  That's what this verse is saying.

Now, after a search with e-Sword (an amazing free piece of Bible software), we see that the word "soul" is mentioned 420 times in the Old Testament.  419 of these times it's the Hebrew word nephesh above.  The one other instance of the word is found in Job 30:15, and this is all it means:

H5082
נדיבה
nedı̂ybâh
ned-ee-baw'
Feminine of H5081; properly nobility, that is, reputation: - soul.

So immediately we have established one single, solid definition of "soul" from the Old Testament.  It's a breathing creature, something that has vitality.  Nowhere is immortality implied.

Ecclesiastes 12:
[7] Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.  

Man returns to dust, his spirit (from the Hebrew word ruach, meaning breath; wind) returns to God who gave it.  God giveth and taketh away.


As for the New Testament, every instance of the word soul comes from the Greek word "psuche:"

G5590
ψυχή
psuchē
psoo-khay'
From G5594; breath, that is, (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from G4151, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from G2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew [H5315], [H7307] and [H2416]: - heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.

For examples in the Bible, check Matthew 10:28, 12:18, 16:26, and  many more.  I strongly suggest you purchase a Strong's Concordance if you haven't already.  It gives us the ability to really dig into God's Word.

From our research into the New Testament, we see that it is in total harmony with the Old.  Not a surprise, the Bible is one cohesive unit and should not be taken piecemeal.  I could almost stop this study right now after showing the meaning of the soul.  The Bible leaves no other alternatives for what it means.  Nowhere is immortality implied.  However, in the next part of this little study I will dive into 1 Corinthians 15 and shed further light on this subject, through the direction of the Lord.  God bless you and thanks for reading!

Unlocking Codes in Revelation

A lot of people hesitate when it comes to reading Revelations. It is the hardest book to figure out in the Bible because it is full of codes. We have to search the entire Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament to unlock the codes. The words are in codes and the numbers are in code. Yet, should we ignore the Book of Revelation? Here is what God tells us,

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Revelation 1:3

The Bible says, blessed is he (or she) who reads this book and keeps the words of this book. The Bible also says the time is at hand. When John wrote this, it was at hand. The time wasn't two thousand years away because the book of Revelation covers the past, present and future. Many teach that it is the future and that we will be "raptured" up, so we won't be here for this. That is not true. God wants us to know ALL of the Bible, including the OT, NT and the prophecy books. We see here that God tells John to:

"Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" Revelation 1:19

We see the past, present and future in Revelation. We see the fall of Lucifer in Revelation when the red dragon wipes 1/3 of the fallen stars from the sky (Lucifer takes 1/3 of angels from heaven with him and they are the fallen angels) Lucifer wanted to have Jesus killed as soon as he was born when Herod had all babies under two years old destroyed.


"And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." Revelation 12:4

Yet, we see that in chapter 12 but that is in the past! This shows as an example that the timing is also one of the puzzle pieces in Revelation. The timing seems to overlap and we will understand things better once we realize that Revelation covers history from our past, our present and our future.

Also, many who read expect giant, scary beasts coming out of the ground with many heads and crowns. I used to before as well. Looking back, that image reminds me of claymation monster movies.



We need to realize that everything is in code and that it takes dedicated study and the Spirit of God to help us understand. Here are answers to unlock some of these codes:

There is a Great Whore that rides on a beast that sits on many waters in Revelation 17:1-6



Code for Waters: Waters represent many people, languages, and cultures.

"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15

Code for Woman/Whore: It is a city that reigns over the kings of the Earth.

"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:18

Code for the Beast: The Beast is a kingdom and in Daniels there are four. The last will be a global empire.

"Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." Daniel 7:23

Code for Seven Heads: The seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman (city) sits upon.

"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." Revelation 17:9

Code for Ten Horns: The ten horns are kings which receive their power from the beast (kingdom) within one hour.

"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." Revelation 17:12, 13

Code for Days: Peter gives us the code for days and each day written equals a thousand years.

"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2 Peter 3:8

Here we show you the code with scripture to explain each code. We must read both the Old Testament and the New Testament because they are both just as important to unlock the whole picture. There is no "Before and After" in these books, and we see many prophectic books in the OT and many OT books reveal our future in their stories. We cannot understand the New Testament without understanding the Old Testament. We cannot understand Revelation with only one half of the map.

Only through the Holy Spirit, with his guidance and teaching will we be able to read and understand the Bible deeper than we ever have before. We all need to ask God to remove the veil off our eyes and to allow us to see what has dumbfounded wise men for centuries. We must read the Bible in the Spirit and not the flesh. Ask God for truth and he shall give it to you, one by one.