Ch 4.4 - Christianity
"The whole world isn't fighting against other religions. Just the God of the Bible." - Unknown
a. Pride
---------------------------
If you're looking for answers to the most important questions in life the Bible can help. The Devil hates two books in the bible the most. Genesis and Revelation. Genesis describes his devices, and Revelation describes his doom.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." - Matthew 5:5 KJV
How can the meek inherit the earth in a world of survival of the fittest? Because evolution is in direct opposition to the Bible. We are fallen creatures. We would do well to remember that.
It's been the same story since the beginning of time. We must choose between being meek and being proud. Adam's pride caused humans to be cast out from the Garden of Eden, leading to man's fall.
"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4-5 KJV
Lucifer tempted Adam and Eve into thinking that they might be gods. Today, we think we are much better than our ancestors because we have ‘evolved.’ The reality is that we echo the men who came before us, and that echo fades with each passing generation.
"In Genesis 1, it says man was created in God’s image and likeness. In Genesis 3 the devil says if you eat of the fruit you will be like God. Anyone see the problem? What’s the message here? The enemy will try and convince you that you don’t have something that God already gave you." - Unknown
b. Christianity vs. Paganism
---------------------------
“the choice before us is between the formation of a new Christian culture, and the acceptance of a pagan one.” - T.S. Eliot
"One must choose between God and Man, and all 'radicals' and 'progressives' from the mildest liberal to the most extreme anarchist, have in effect chosen Man." - George Orwell
"Christianity exists because evil exists. It’s the answer to evil. The devil and all his servants hate you." - Unknown
"The point cannot be overstated: the world is not what we think it is. It is so much weirder. It is so much darker. It is so, so much brighter and more beautiful. We do not create meaning; meaning is already there, waiting to be discovered. Christians of the first millennium knew this. We have lost that knowledge, abandoned faith in this claim, and forgotten how to search. This is a mass forgetting compelled by the forces that forged the modern world and taught us that enchantment was for primitives. Exiled from the truths that the old ones knew, we fill our days with distractions to help us avoid the hard questions that we fear can't be answered. Or we give ourselves over to false enchantments) -the distractions and deceptions of money, power, the occult, sex, drugs, and all the allure of the material world-in a vain attempt to connect with something beyond ourselves to give meaning and purpose to life." - Unknown
"[The New Age is] a universal open arms religion that excludes from its ranks only those who believe in Jesus Christ and a personal God. Budhists, Shintoists, Satanists, Secular, Humanists, witches, witch doctors, and shamans all whom reject Christianity are invited to become trusted members of the new age family. Worshippers of separate faiths and denominations are to be unified in a common purpose [which is] the glorification of man. While paganists and occultists openly declare themselves to be new agers the religion is also broad based enough to include those in the most respectable professions." - Teks Mars, Dark Secrets of the New Age
"From now on, men will divide themselves into two religions, understood again as surrender to an absolute. The conflict of the future is between an absolute who is the God-man and an absolute which is the Man-god; between the God who became man and the man who makes himself God; between brothers in Christ and comrades in anti-Christ. "- Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
"As CS Lewis and many other experts have concluded, there are only two religions in the world:
1) Christianity - Separated from one true God by sin and that God became a man to die for our sins
2) Paganism - Men are not separated from God, but each person has within himself the power to overcome evil and, thus, the power to become God or at least a god. [Paganism] embraces and absorbs everything except Biblical Christianity which is its only genuine rival... [Pagan gods] declare that they come forth to save the righteous and condemn sinners. This is exactly the opposite of the Biblical Christ who came to save sinners. The great complaint of Paganism and all occult secret societies is one must be worthy of joining them. Christianity deliberately embraces the unworthy." - Ed Decker and Dave Hunt, The GodMakers - The Mormon Dilemma - The Pagan Connection, pg. 60
“They always give some credit to Jesus Christ. The Muslims say that he was a prophet. The Krishnas say he was an incarnation of the godhead in his age. Yogananda and all these different Eastern teachers say that he had Christ consciousness. You know they always use words like Christ consciousness. Christ this. Jesus that. The Buddhists would even say he was a Budha. Another incarnation of God like Budha was. And all my searchings I saw that all these people were pointing to Jesus. Well, yeah, Jesus is one of the ways, but we're one of the ways. And they wouldn't all agree on anything except that Jesus was one of the ways. And then I looked into the Bible in John chapter 6 where he says 'I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one gets to the Father, but by me.' So they all gave him credit, and he only gave himself credit. And I went, well that kind of eliminates everybody. They all say he's cool, and he says he's the only one that's going to get you there so I guess I'm safe. So I started praying to Jesus. I did this all through intellectual reasoning and laid it on the table and figured it out. If they all gave him credit and he only gave himself credit and they all agreed on one thing that he was one of the ways. And he only agreed that he was the only way. So I figured I had no choice, but to go with him. And then I started praying to Jesus." - Keith Green
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." - Matthew 7:13-14 KJV
Muslims -->
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." - John 1:1 KJV
"The angels called out to him, while he stood praying in the sanctuary, ‘God gives you news of John, confirming a Word from God. He will be noble and chaste, a prophet, one of the righteous." - Quran Surah Ali'Imran 3:39 Abdul Haleem translation on angels telling John of the coming of Jesus Christ (a prophet according to them).
Krishnas -->
Christ - noun - the title, also treated as a name, given to Jesus. From Greek Khristos meaning ‘anointed.'
"'Christ' is another way of saying Krsta and Krsta are another way of pronouncing Krishna, the name of God…the general name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose specific name is Krishna. Therefore whether you call God 'Christ', 'Krsta', or 'Krishna', ultimately you are addressing the same Supreme Personality of Godhead…Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: namnam akari bahu-dha nija-sarva-saktis. (God has millions of names, and because there is no difference between God's name and Himself, each one of these names has the same potency as God.)" - AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, The father of the Krishna Consciousness Movement on Jesus being an incarnation of the godhead.
Yogananda -->
"Let us meditate until we perceive the Infinite Christ reigning in our own hearts. Let us learn to love those who love us not; and to forgive those who do ill against us. Let us break all our mental boundaries of color, creed, and nationality, and receive all - even our inanimate and animal brothers - in the endless, all embracing arms of Christ Consciousness. This will be a true and fitting celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth." - Paramahansa Yogananda
Buddha -->
"Jesus Christ also lived previous lives... So, you see, he reached a high state, either as a Bodhisattva, or an enlightened person, through Buddhist practice or something like that." - Dalai Lama 2001
Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” - Luke 6:31 KJV
“Consider others as yourself” - Buddha Dhammapada 10.1.
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." - Luke 6.20 KJV
"Let us live most happily, possessing nothing; let us feed on joy, like radiant gods." - Buddha, Dhammapada 15.4
"If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also." Luke 6.29 KJV
"If anyone should give you a blow with his hand, with a stick, or with a knife, you should abandon any desires and utter no evil words." - Buddha, Majjhima Nikaya 21.6
c. The Narrow Gate
---------------------------
Christianity is unique. There is only one way to God. The religion of the antichrist seeks compromise. Unity. Middle ground. There is no middle ground in Christianity. Paganism cannot be blended into Christianity to produce something better. Pagans believe that all paths lead to God. They fault Christians for being intolerant and narrow-minded. But God's word anticipates this:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14 KJV
My favorite part of Christianity is that Jesus is the ultimate anti-hero, continually humbling himself and leading by serving. As is often said, "Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord." The evidence demands that we choose one. He was born in a stable. Traveled on a donkey. Fed his followers fish and bread.
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." - Matthew 25 34:40 KJV
"Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’" - Luke 14:12-24 KJV
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." - Jesus Christ, John 3:16-17 KJV
d. Prophecy
---------------------------
Nothing less than the One could weave all prophecy and all the gospel together seamlessly at multiple levels. This is simply beyond mankind. The scripture itself is the witness. That is the miracle. It testifies impossibly to far too many truths that bear out. There is nothing else like it because it didn't come from us. It came to us. Examples include:
- Hand/nail referenced in the Tetragrammaton
Tet·ra·gram·ma·ton - noun - the Hebrew name of God transliterated in four letters as YHWH or JHVH and articulated as Yahweh or Jehovah. From the Greek tetra meaning ‘four’ and grammat meaning ‘letter.' "YHWH - Hebrew name for God meaning 'I am that I am'. Each letter in Hebrew has a symbolic meaning:
Yodh - Arm / Hand
He - Revelation / Behold
Waw - Nail / Peg
He - Revelation / Behold
Behold the Hand / Behold the Nail -or- The Hand Reveals / The Nail Reveals" - Unknown, incredibly prophetic that the same letters in God's name symbolically illustrate the coming of Jesus Christ and that he would be crucified on a cross with nails through his hands
"And I will fasten him as a NAIL in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the NAIL that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it." - Isaiah 22:23-25 KJV, written by Isaiah in 700BC on the coming Messiah. The fact that nail is spoken twice in the same verse means it has vast symbolic importance and is remarkably similar to the verse written 730 years later, as shown below.
"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my HANDS; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." John 20:27 KJV, Jesus’ words to Thomas when he didn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the grave after being crucified on the cross.
- Lots for garments in Psalm 22/Mark 15
"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: _THEY PIERCED MY HANDS AND FEET_. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and CAST LOTS FOR MY VESTURE." - Psalm 22:14-18 KJV, written by David in 587 BC and strikingly similar to the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ described below.
"And when they had crucified him, they PARTED HIS GARMENTS, CASTING LOTS UPON THEM, what every man should take." - Mark 15:24 KJV written by Mark in 70 AD.
- 30 pieces of silver / potters
"And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord." - Zechariah 11:13 KJV
"Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders… And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers." Matthew 27:3-7
- Names of the descendants of Adam
"Remarkably, the central theme in the Bible is summarised in the names of the first ten patriarchs. Genesis chapter 5 lists Adam’s descendants to Noah, which span ten generations. Each of the names of these ten patriarchs has a meaning. The names of these ten patriarchs and their meanings, taken from Strong’s and Brown-Driver-Briggs, are shown below:
1) Adam - red, ruddy, a human being
2) Seth - put, place, appoint
3) Enos - mortal
4) Cainan - nest, fixed, dwelling
5) Mahalaleel - praise of God
6) Jared - descend, come down
7) Enoch - discipline, train up
8) Methuselah - man of a spear
9) Lamech - from an unused root of uncertain meaning
10) Noah - rest, quiet
Putting the meaning of these names in order gives:
Man is appointed mortal in his dwelling (earth). The praise of God (Jesus) came down to make disciples and was speared (pierced) by a man, who is unknown, to give rest (to mankind)." - Unknown
- Jesus transgressing on behalf of sinners
"…Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors." - Isaiah 53:12 NASB
- Donkey
"... your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." - Zechariah 9:9 on the Messiah's Donkey. The 'king' mentioned in this verse is interpreted by Chazal as referring to the Messiah. - Gospels refer to it 4 times in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44 and John 12:12–19
"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him.” (Genesis 1:27). What struck me is how uniquely human creativity reflects this profound truth: as beings made in the image of God, the ultimate Creator, we possess a spark of His divine creativity—a trait unmatched by any other creature on Earth. - Jesse Columbo
I devoted myself to studying the Hebrew Bible, and what ultimately convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt of its divine inspiration was its extensive, detailed, and remarkably specific prophecies about a coming Messiah or "anointed one" (Moshiach in Hebrew). These prophecies describe one anointed by God who would bring liberation and salvation to humanity, offering a profound coherence and purpose that I could no longer dismiss.
Yeshua fulfilled numerous Messianic prophecies with remarkable precision. These include his lineage (being from the tribe of Judah and a descendant of King David), his birthplace in Bethlehem, his time spent in Egypt, the use of parables in his teaching, and the start of his ministry in Galilee. He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey—a sign still anticipated by religious Jews for the Messiah. He was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, his hands and feet were pierced, and lots were cast for his clothing. Furthermore, he fulfilled prophecies of his death and resurrection, with his blood spilled as atonement for sin
If you only have time to explore two Messianic prophecies, I highly recommend Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, written approximately 1,000 years and 700 years before the time of Yeshua, respectively. Pay close attention to the remarkable detail in their descriptions of Yeshua’s suffering and death. To see how these prophecies were fulfilled, read the account of his crucifixion in the Book of Matthew. After comparing these texts, it becomes incredibly difficult to deny that they specifically point to Yeshua and his sacrificial death on the cross.
What I find particularly fascinating is that the Talmud—the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and a cornerstone of Orthodox Jewish belief to this day—explicitly acknowledges Yeshua as a real historical figure and attributes miracles to him. This is noted in tractates such as Sanhedrin 107b and Avodah Zara 17. Written by rabbis who lived during or shortly after Yeshua’s time, the Talmud serves as a striking confirmation of his existence and his miraculous works. If Yeshua were merely a hoax or a fictional character, one would expect the Talmud to dismiss him outright, yet it does not. Instead, it inadvertently corroborates key aspects of his life and deeds.
Why did Yeshua come to earth as the Messiah, and what is his connection to God? Simply put, he came to serve as a sacrificial atonement for the sins of humanity, to impart his teachings, and to serve as a model for us to follow. The concept of sacrifice for the atonement of sin has deep roots in Judaism, stretching back thousands of years. It is based on the understanding that God is utterly perfect and holy, while humanity is inherently flawed and sinful. This vast gap means we cannot approach God, reach Him through prayer, or have a relationship with Him without a blood sacrifice to atone for our sins. Yeshua’s sacrifice fulfills and completes this ancient practice, bridging the divide between God and humanity.
As these verses explain:
For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. (Leviticus 17:11)
And according to the Law [Jewish Law], one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22)
Unlike animal sacrifices, which were temporary and had to be repeated regularly, Yeshua’s sacrifice was perfect and final, putting an end to the need for further sacrifices. Unlike animals, he was not merely human but God's anointed Messiah, flawless and without sin. This perfection gave his sacrifice infinitely greater significance and power than the sacrifices of animals. As stated in Hebrews 10:4-10: "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Yeshua’s sacrifice fulfilled and transcended the ancient system, providing a permanent atonement for humanity's sins (for those who believe in him).
Modern researchers have uncovered credible geological evidence of a significant earthquake in the region on Friday, April 3rd, 33 CE—a day that is very likely to be the date of Yeshua’s death.
At the same moment, the curtain of the Temple's sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This curtain separated the Holy of Holies—the sacred space associated with God’s presence—from the rest of the temple. The tearing of the curtain symbolized the profound significance of Yeshua’s sacrifice: the removal of the barrier between God and humanity. Through his atonement, access to God was made direct and open, rendering the separation represented by the curtain no longer necessary for those who believe in and accept Yeshua's sacrifice.
What I find absolutely fascinating is that the Jewish Talmud, a source that is far from pro-Christian, records in tractate Yoma 39b that several significant miracles, which regularly occurred in the Temple, ceased approximately 40 years before its destruction in 70 CE. This timeline aligns intriguingly with the crucifixion of Yeshua—a connection I firmly believe is no coincidence. The miracles that ceased are as follows:
1) The lot for God stopped appearing in the High Priest’s right hand: Traditionally, the High Priest would draw lots on Yom Kippur, with the one designated “for God” expected to appear in the right hand. This no longer happened during this period.
2) The crimson wool thread tied to the sacrificial goat’s head no longer turned white: This red thread, symbolizing sin, had previously turned white as a sign of atonement. Its failure to do so aligns with Isaiah’s prophecy, written some seven centuries earlier, which points to Yeshua as the one who would “wash sins white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18):
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.”
The cessation of this miracle suggests that forgiveness was no longer tied to the scapegoat, but to Yeshua’s ultimate sacrifice.
3) The westernmost lamp of the Temple candelabrum or menorah failed to burn continually: This lamp, which symbolized God’s perpetual presence, extinguished, reflecting a profound shift in the spiritual landscape.
4) The Temple doors opened on their own: This ominous sign was interpreted as an indication that the Sanctuary would soon be breached by enemies, foreshadowing the Temple’s destruction.
Yeshua foretold the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, a prophecy that was fulfilled when the Romans razed it to the ground. As recorded in Mark 13:1–2:
“As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, behold, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.’”
“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.” - Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 27, mentions that an earthquake coincided with the crucifixion:
The destruction of the Temple was not only a fulfillment of prophecy but also carried profound symbolic significance. It marked the end of the Temple's role in the sacrificial system. With Yeshua’s death, He became the ultimate and final sacrifice, rendering the Temple sacrifices obsolete. His act of self-sacrifice fulfilled the purpose of the sacrificial system, signifying a new covenant in which forgiveness and redemption were now available through Him.
This new covenant was foretold more than five centuries earlier in the Book of Jeremiah (31:31–34):
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord: “I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Of the original 613 commandments or mitzvot that Jews were instructed to follow, only 369 can still be observed due to the absence of the Temple. Additionally, Orthodox and Hasidic Jews traditionally wear black from head to toe as a symbol of their mourning for the destruction of the Temple.
It’s important to understand that we cannot approach God on our own terms, bypassing Yeshua—it simply doesn’t work that way. As human beings, we are too flawed to connect directly with a perfect and holy God without the one mediator He has provided—Yeshua.
"Lord Yeshua (or Jesus), I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins so that I could be forgiven. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for coming into my life. Amen." - Jesse Columbo
Previous Chapter
Next Chapter
Table of Contents