The Existence of Jesus

"No serious historian of any religious or nonreligious stripe doubts that Jesus of Nazareth really lived in the first century and was executed under the authority of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea and Samaria." ―Professor Craig Evans

No serious scholar has ever ventured to postulate the non-historicity of Jesus, and with good reason. History proves without a doubt that Jesus is indeed a historical figure. Observe...

• Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 55-120), Roman historian: Most acclaimed works are the Annals and the Histories. The Annals cover the period from Augustus Caesar's death in A.D. 14 to the death of Emperor Nero in A.D. 68, while the Histories begin after Nero's death and proceed to the reign of Domitian in A.D. 96. In the Annals (XV,44), Tacitus alludes to the death of Christ and to the existence of Christians at Rome:
  

  "But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished with most exquisite tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also."

  Christus is the Latin rendering of the Greek Christos. It is interesting that Pilate is not mentioned in any other pagan document which has survived. It is an irony of history that the only surviving reference to him in a pagan document mentions him because of the sentence of death he passed on Jesus the Messiah.
  
  
• Suetonius: Roman historian and court official during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Suetonius wrote in his Life of Claudius (25.4):
  

  "As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome."

  Chrestus is a misspelling of Christus. Claudius' expulsion of the Christians from Rome is mentioned in Acts 18:2. This event took place in A.D. 49. In his work Lives of the Caesars, Suetonius also wrote:
  

  "Punishment by Nero was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition."

  Assuming Jesus was crucified in the early thirties, Suetonius places Christians in the Roman capital less than 20 years later and he reports that they were suffering for their faith and dying for their conviction that Jesus had really lived, died and that He had risen from the dead!
  
  
• Pliny the Younger: Roman governor in Bithynia, A.D. 112, wrote to Emperor Trajan to seek advice as to how to treat the Christians. He recounts that he had been killing Christian men, women, and children. He is concerned that so many have chosen death over simply bowing down to a statue of the emperor or being made to "curse Christ, which a genuine Christian cannot be induced to do" (Epistles X, 96).
  
  
• Tallus: Tallus was a secular historian who (circa A.D. 52) wrote a history of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Trojan War to his own time. The document no longer exists but it was quoted by other writers like the Christian, Julius Africanus, who wrote around A.D. 221. He quotes Tallus' comments about the darkness that enveloped the land during the late afternoon hours when Jesus died on the cross. Julius wrote:
  

  "Tallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away this darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably, as it seems to me (unreasonably of course, because a solar eclipse could not take place at the time of the full moon, and it was at the season of the Paschal full moon that Christ died." (Chronography, 18.1)

  The importance of Tallus' comments is that the reference shows that the Gospel account of the darkness that fell across the earth during Christ's crucifixion was well known and required a naturalistic explanation from non-Christians.
  
  
• Phlegon: Julius Africanus also quoted another secular scholar whose works are now lost. Phlegon wrote a history called Chronicles. Phlegon also comments on the darkness at the time of Christ's crucifixion:
  

  "During the time of Tiberius Caesar an eclipse of the sun occurred during the full moon." (Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18.1)

  The 3rd century Christian apologist Origen also references Phlegon's record of this event in his work (Celsum, 2.14, 33, 59), as does the 6th century writer Philopon (De.opif.mund. II, 21).
  
  
• Mara Bar-Serapion: Syrian stoic philosopher who wrote a letter from prison to his son circa A.D. 70. He compares Jesus to the philosophers Socrates and Pythagoras.
  
  
• Josephus ben Mattathias (also known as Flavius Josephus): 37-100AD, Jewish priest, general and historian. He wrote two great works of Jewish history: The Jewish War, written in the early 70's and Jewish Antiquities, which was finished about A.D. 94. In his work, Jewish Antiquities, there is a passage that has created heated debate among scholars for many decades (XVIII, 33):
  

  "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ, and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day."

• Lucian of Samosate: Greek satirist later half of 2nd century spoke scornfully of Christ and the Christians but never argued that Jesus never existed (The Death of Peregrine, 11-13):
  

  "The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account..."

  He even said:
  

  "(Christ was) the man who was crucified in Palestine"

• The Babylonian Talmud: References to the history of Jesus in the Talmud do not question that Jesus Christ existed.
  

  "It has been taught: On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu.  And an announcer went out, in front of him, for 40 days (saying): 'He is going to be stoned, because he practiced sorcery and enticed and led Israel astray. Anyone who knows anything in his favor, let him come and plead in his behalf.' But, not having found anything in his favor, they hanged him on the eve of Passover." (Sanhedrin 43a; df.t.Sanh. 10:11; y. Sanh. 7:12; Tg. Esther 7:9)

  Another version of this text reads: "Yeshu the Nazarene." Yeshu (or Yehoshua) is Hebrew (or Aramaic) for Jesus—in English this name is also translated "Joshua." The Old Testament hero bore the same name as Jesus the Messiah. "Hanged" is another way of referring to a crucifixion; see Luke 23:39 and Galatians 3:13.
  The issue the Talmud quarrels with is not with whether or not Jesus existed, but with the Christian belief in Jesus' virgin birth. It records (not surprisingly) that He was born under shameful circumstances:
  

  "R. Shimeon ben Azzai said [concerning Jesus]: 'I found a genealogical roll in Jerusalem wherein was recorded, Such-an-one is a bastard of an adulteress'" (b.Yebamoth 49a; m Yebam. 4:13)

  In another passage we are told that Mary, "who was the descendant of princes and governors, played the harlot with carpenters" (b. Sanh. 106a). In another passage we find:
  

  "His mother was Miriam, a women's hairdresser.  As they say, ...'this one strayed from her husband'" (b. Sabb. 104b).

• The Amoa "Ulla": Ulla was a disciple of Youchanan and lived in Palestine at the end of the third century. He wrote:
  

  "And do you suppose that for (Yeshu of Nazareth—Jesus) there was any right of appeal? He was a beguiler, and the Merciful One hath said: 'Thou shalt not spare neither shalt thou conceal him.' It is otherwise with Yeshu, for He was near to the civil authority."

*Note: The writers of the Talmud took their job seriously. These men were Jews who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They were not Christians, but they documented Christ's crucifixion. Flavius Josephus was a professional historian who took his job seriously as well. He researched his work before publishing it. These Roman men were professional historians. They also researched their work before publishing it. They also documented Christ's crucifixion.

Skipped Verses

It is pretty sad when there is a verse that you would like to learn more about, but when you pick up your favourite "Study" Bible or your favourite commentary and look up that verse . . . there is nothing said about it.

Commentaries should address each and every verse while retaining the immediate context and comparing similar parallel passages found in other books. By doing so, you avoid making two related passages teach two different things. When verses are skipped, you can be sure they did so for one of at least two reasons: (1) the person is ignorant as to what that verse or passage teaches, and so rather than educate themselves about it by studying, they simply ignore it, or (2) the verse or passage contradicts what the person already believes by way of their particular flavour of theology, and so they ignore it so they do not have to admit they are wrong and conform themselves accordingly to God's Word.

Religious individuals adamantly adhere to how they were raised, what they were taught, or what they might currently believe, and refuse to admit they could be wrong, reforming and conforming themselves and their beliefs according to the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. Genuine followers of Jesus are willing to see where they have believed in error and then to correct those errors by conforming themselves and their beliefs according to God's Word. Read Revelation 2:12-17, where the congregation of Pergamum started believing the wrong things. Jesus encouraged them to repent and stick to the Word of God. Just because you attend some organized religious institution does not mean what they teach from the pulpit is biblically accurate or true. With 40,000+ different "Christian" denominations, groups, and sects, how could it be since they each teach something different?

This does not mean that full commentaries (that address each and every verse) are free from errors. But at least they address every verse in the passage. It is rather pointless to write a commentary that avoids addressing every verse, because when people are stumped by a particular verse and go to look it up in your commentary, they will just get more frustrated because they cannot find an answer to the verse they are looking at. Why is it so difficult for certain Christians, especially those in unbiblical leadership positions, to humble themselves and admit, "I don't know"?

Most "Study" Bibles and commentaries are nothing more than vanity, where the author is pursuing personal ambitions by pushing their hidden agendas. Whenever some celebrity preacher's name is attached to a so-called "Study" Bible and/or commentary, you should be extremely wary. Even more so when they skip verses. Among the many of these, the MacArthur "Study" Bible and commentary is guilty of all of this. It is personal vanity that skips verses, pursues personal ambitions, and pushes hidden agendas. It presents its teachings as "biblical" when many of them are anything but.

Beware of any preacher who behaves in such a manner as to imply or infer that teachers of the last 200 years are more intelligent and more spiritual than those of the first three centuries, and that we somehow have it all together (while claiming that the early Christians became corrupt within 50 years). They maintained the unity of the Spirit and the unity of the faith for 300 years. We currently have 40,000+ different denominations, groups, and sects, each of which believes what they teach to be entirely 100% the "Word of God." Anyone who thinks that modern generations are "smarter" than previous generations is ignorant of reality and conflates "technologically advanced" with being "more intelligent." If we are more intelligent, then why can we not accomplish the same things they accomplished without technology? If we know more about Scripture and their time period than they did (the hubris here is astonishing), then why do we have so many different denominations and why do we fight over our "doctrines"?

Unless God's children start pursuing Jesus of their own accord and conforming themselves to His teachings, instead of blindly following what some ignorant preacher in the pulpit has TOLD them to believe, I fear the words of Jesus will find fulfillment: "When the Son of man returns, will He find faith on the Earth?" Read the letters to the 7 congregations in Revelation and seek to fix those things Jesus highlights. These problems exist in the modern "churches" and individual believer's lives. Fix them in your own life, and then follow Jesus alone by being obedient to what He has commanded. You cannot ride the coattails of another, and if the person you are attempting to ride the coattails of is leading you astray from behind the pulpit, then you will be twice the child of Hell as he/she already is. YOU are responsible for your faith and how you conducted yourself in this world and what you believed. If you believe the LIES some preacher has spoon fed you, thinking "He ought to know what he's talking about," you will NOT be able to blame them when you stand before Jesus on Judgment day. Consider Adam and Eve and their excuses. Your false teacher might receive a greater judgment, but you will not get off without being judged yourself. You will be without excuse because Scripture repeatedly commands you to "search the Scriptures" and to "work out your own salvation" and to "study...rightly dividing the word of truth."

Choose this day whom you will serve . . . and then do so!

Christians

This song, unfortunately, exposes the frequency with which nominal (name only) religious individuals abuse the Name of Yahweh and Jesus, hiding behind religion while pretending to be followers of Jesus, giving the rest of us a bad name. This was the Devil's winning move; "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Many people call themselves "Christians" but have never had a transformational encounter with the Lord Jesus.
And any man or woman who ever utters the words "God told me you were my spouse" to you . . . RUN!!! They are LIARS with personal ambition and hidden agendas. Yahweh God never said any such thing to them! Look for a spouse who embodies the character of Jesus while being obedient to His commandments and teachings, lifting you up and edifying you to become more like Jesus.
If you believe yourself to be, and profess yourself to be, a true believer in and follower of Jesus, then read these lyrics and do two things: (1) make sure this does not describe you in the least, and (2) avoid those "Christians" who are exactly as described here. You can try to show them their hypocrisy, trying to win them genuinely for Christ Jesus (but remember, conversion of the soul is the Lord's work; we only plant and water), but 9 times out of 10 they will turn on you and attack you because they are enemies of the Lord Jesus. They hide behind religion pretending to be something they are not.

Christians
YelloPain

Christians
Not saying I'm not one
I'm saying I've met some that made me not ever wanna be a Christian
Lord, forgive 'em
They hide behind religion

I wanna make an announcement
I'm a believer in Jesus
I believe that He died for my sins
I know that He's the Redeemer
My problem is people I should've got saved from, but I heard they was saved
But since the beginning, these Christians been using His Name for personal gain
So, I know that this sound like it's unrelated, but how do we build up Americas?
A group of European settlers came across the water, they was terrorists
They burned down the innocent villages, women and children, and made up a narrative
They said that God told 'em they was supposed to do it
Now let's make the comparison
Nowadays, nobody murder you under religion no more, it's scarier
They murder your vision in God and you start thinking maybe the Lord is a character
Cuz it seems like the evilest people I've met were the strongest promoters of Jesus
Cuz He died to forgive us for all of our sins, so they use that to cope with the demons
I know an atheist that molested his daughters, but he kept a perfect image
Did it for so many years, and then when he got caught all of a sudden he turned a Christian
It's never too late, but I just find it funny there wasn't one day that he served in prison
About 30 years doing the same s**t, then he found God in 30 minutes
I know this one pastor molested his daughter
The staff at the church kept saying, "Forgive him"
I know this girl that got raped and her momma wished happy birthdays to the person that did it
I know that Jesus forgave us, but some things I struggle to learn
How to work on forgiving?
I know a momma who cut off her son for religion, what kind of Jehovah she witnessed?
This one girl I changed my ways with convinced herself that I cheated
She said she had confirmation from the spirits, stopped picking up calls for no reason
She got romantic with one of my closest homies less than 30 days while I was grieving
He ain't know that I knew, he called me I confronted him and he gon' blame it on Jesus
He said, "God told me this is my wife"
But she told me He said I'm her husband
So which one was God, which one of y'all lied? To be honest I find it disgusting
And I know a pastor that took a donation and went bought his wife a new Lexus
You know you was supposed to take that and upgrade the facility; Why you finesse us?
The worst type of Christians the ones that believe they talking to God, but it's really ambition
Convincing themselves that it's genuine, trying to block out the hidden agendas
And they play on the hearts of the Christian, beginnings with hallelujahs and they memorize scriptures
Made me gullible cuz it was convincing
God, I need You to come fix me
I don't want to give up believing cuz I still remember
All of the times that You helped me and saved me when I ain't deserve it cuz I'm still a sinner
It's just that all of the Christians You've sent me that I got to witness, they all was pretenders
All of 'em wicked, and for the life of me I just don't see why I gotta forgive 'em

Need You to heal me, God, I know You real
That's why I'm on my knees, begging
Isaiah 29 verse 13 I just wish I would've read it
He say, 'They honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me"
Father please
Protect me from . . . Christians

Not saying I'm not one, I'm saying I've met some that made me not ever wanna be a...

I follow God, but I will never ever follow... Christians

Lord forgive 'em, they hide behind religion

The Uselessness of the Sermon

What good has the sermon ever done for the people of Yahweh?

Self-professing believers will listen to anywhere from one or two sermons to a dozen or more sermons throughout the week. They will listen to one or two sermons on Sunday, perhaps a sermon on Wednesday, and download and listen to several sermons from their favourite preachers. With all these sermons being consumed, and all the 'Christian' material available at their fingertips (books, music, videos, etc.), why has it done nothing in their lives? Zero transformational change has occurred in their day-to-day attitudes, behaviour and conduct! If the sermon had any practicality, any usefulness, then why does the world see little to no difference in those professing to be "Christians" compared to the world's testimony concerning the first three centuries of Christians?!?!?

Like Ephesus, they still have a lack of love for Jesus and for others, including their enemies. Like Pergamum, they believe those wrong things that tickle their ears, majoring in the minors and minoring in the majors. Like Thyatira, they are too tolerant, failing to deal with the sinful behaviour and false teachers among themselves, including calling out the sins and false teachings of their favourite preachers. Like Sardis, their works are not as great as they think (although some of them erroneously believe they do not have to do works of any kind, despite Scripture repeatedly saying we will be judged by them in the end). Like Laodicea, they think they have it all together, despite the fact they are falling apart. They conduct themselves and their business practices through the week separate from anything Jesus had to say. They put on a charade on Sunday, masquerading as if a genuine Christian, but live like the Devil from the moment they walk out of their organized religious institutions and for the rest of the week! And they have the nerve to attempt to call themselves "Christians"?!?!?

If sermons were biblical, which they are not, they should be practical and result in transformational change. However, there is nothing practical about the sermon! Preachers speak on issues they have no experience in or with. The sermon was not part of congregational practice until the 4th century, when they started imitating the Sophists. While things started going amuck in the latter half of the third century, the Lord's Congregation was turned completely upon its head in the 4th century, and we have never recovered from it! Sermons fill peoples' heads with all sorts of useless information and opinions of men. They do not bring about transformational change. Only encounters with the living God will do that! As Paul prayed for Timothy, that he would "know the love of Christ." This experiential knowledge surpasses any educational knowledge, which does not save but only puffs up the ego.

Any genuine believers out there reading this, it is time to "come out of her" (the various man-made denominations with their opinions and traditions of men) and to take your profession of faith seriously, being obedient to the teachings of Jesus. The letters to the seven congregations are also letters to us, because we face the exact same issues. We need to repent of these things and to fix what is broken. We need to stop being religious and to start living out what we profess to believe. If we believe it is important to help the widows, orphans, sick, poor, and imprisoned, but never lift a finger to do so, then we are liars and hypocrites! As the old cliche goes, "Actions speak louder than words." Read James 2:14-26. Your actions complete, perfect, and confirm what you say you believe.

Read the Bible every day. Read the New Covenant thrice as much as you read the Old Covenant. Read the New Covenant Scriptures and obey what they say. The only time you will find the words "by faith alone" in God's Word is in the negative, when James says, "not by faith alone." Let that sink in. Anything you believe contrary to this is a heretical false teaching that is separating you from our Lord and Saviour, King Jesus. Repentance and obedience are part and parcel of salvation! Stop believing what some pulpiteer has told you and start reading the Word of the Lord for yourself! You cannot get into Heaven by riding the coattails of someone else or by believing everything they tell you to believe and opposing everything they tell you to oppose. Read the Scriptures! In context!!!

If you never find time to open the Scriptures, and you are constantly making empty excuses for why you do not do so, it is no different than when Jesus said, "whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 10:33) and "the angels of God" (Luke 12:9). You are merely paying lip service to Him while your heart is far from Him. Do not kid yourself otherwise!

My prayer for my brothers and sisters in the faith all around the world, regardless what denomination you find yourself in having been seduced by their particular theologies that have replaced Scripture and usurped the power of God:

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

The Sunday Mornin' Chainsaw Massacree

The Sunday Mornin' Chainsaw Massacree
Don Francisco

They were goin' to church: all the regulars and a few more
Nobody had a clue what was comin' when they walked through the door
They were sayin' hello, they were takin' their seats
And everyone was ready for the basic repeat
Some songs then an offering and a sermon like the Sundays before

Nobody noticed what was sittin' underneath the front pew
No-one had imagined what the pastor was intendin' to do
When he got to his feet, they were settlin' in
Waitin' for the preacher man to begin
But that expectation was never again to come true

'Cause the sanctuary suddenly filled with a deafening roar
When the chainsaw started that the pastor picked up from the floor
He laid into the pulpit and he cut it right through
Only pieces were left after a second or two
And when he turned the thing off, you know he had their attention for sure

It was the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
Nobody died except religious co-dependency
The heavens were opened when that pulpit went down
And God's Holy Spirit started movin' around
And those half-baked pew potatoes got really set free
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree

And the minister asked, "Do you all understand what I did?
Everyone's a minister here; you know you're not little kids
The Holy One's in each one of you, and it's time I let you see that it's true
My name isn't 'pastor'; from now on, call me 'Uncle Sid'
Don't you dare call me pastor; my first name's really just 'Sid'."

It was the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
Nobody died except some habits and formality
The heavens were opened when that pulpit went down
And God's Holy Spirit started movin' around
And that pastor and the congregation got really set free
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree

Now the reason I know is 'cause I happened to visit that place
By then, the pews were gone and we worshipped and danced in the space
Some had a teaching; some had revelation; some had a psalm; some interpretation
Jesus was Lord, and he was shining on every face
By the time we were done, I'd been filled by his power and grace

It was the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
Nobody died except religious co-dependency
The heavens were opened when that pulpit went down
And God's Holy Spirit started movin' around
And the pastor and the congregation got really set free
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree
At the Sunday Morning Chainsaw Massacree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-6040PEqs

Godless False Accusations Against Me

There are ignorant un-Christ-like hate-filled people out there guilty of IMAX-level projection engaging in ad hominem, name calling, and character assassination attempts who are trying to make themselves feel better about themselves by saying that I am "trying to start [my] own cult." Other ignorant people who lack the ability to think critically for themselves will simply hate me and engage in the same Christ-less behaviour just because of what these ignorant clowns have said about me. They have never met me, they do not know me from Adam, and they have never personally talked to me to learn anything about me or my faith. Yet they believe what they have been TOLD about me. You should never discount someone else just because of what some ignorant clown has TOLD YOU. Give them a chance; listen to them or read them in order to make up your own mind about them based on legitimate facts, reality, and truth.

I have no desire to be a leader of something. The cults are already here with the 40,000+ Christian denominations that exist today. I have a personal desire to return to first century New Covenant Christianity, as recorded in Scripture and practiced by the early Christians of the first three centuries. I am seeking to be free of these opinion-laden cults of men and to return to the Lord Jesus by making Scripture my ultimate authority. That is all. If you are content with the establishment and their lies, good for you. Where are you most likely to find accurate biblical truth? Those of the first three centuries who were directly taught by one or more of the apostles, or by one or more of the disciples of the apostles, who spoke the same language and had the same customs and culture as the apostles, and maintained unity of the Spirit and the faith for 300 years? Or us, who are removed from those teachings, the language, customs, and culture by 1,900 years, and have splintered into 40,000+ opinionated denominations, groups, and sects? The answer is obvious, but for some reason we tend to think we are "smarter" than the previous generations. All one has to do is read the apologetic defenses of the early Christians to see how that is not true.

While most professing believers are comfortable being religious nominal (name only) "Christians," I want to live it by practice. As James wrote, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Like the song from Petra says, "Sometimes God's children should be seen and not heard." Where are the Christians who are supposed to love their neighbours and their enemies and put the words of Christ into action? At the end of the Instruction on the Mount, Jesus told us what those who hear His words and obey them are like. If you dressed as a homeless person and walked into most "churches" today, the majority of people would look through you and ignore you, give you looks that tell you that you are not supposed to be there, tell you to sit in the back, and not acknowledge that you are there. Is this how they learned Christ Jesus?!?!? Is this how a "Christian" is supposed to behave and act? Yet they claim I am "trying to start [my] own cult"??? *LOL* They should really look in the mirror, because they are already part of one! These people "honour God with their lips, but their heart is far from [Him]," "teach as doctrines the commandments of men," "neglect the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men," and "reject the commandment of God in order to establish [their] tradition" (Mark 7:6-9).

A distinguishing mark of Christians is their integrity. That integrity is demonstrated by following the Lord Jesus—regardless of what others do—simply because He is Lord. That integrity is demonstrated when we desire to be aligned with Him, subjecting every aspect of our lives to His leading, regardless of how it contradicts our opinions, our feelings, our proclivities, how we were raised, what we were taught, or what we might presently believe. That integrity is demonstrated when we do right because it is right, and when we keep our word no matter the cost to ourselves. We are to act upon revealed truth, not merely be informed by it. That is the difference between obedience and disobedience and rebellion. Christian integrity conforms to the Lord Jesus and His revealed Word, no matter the cost to self. The lack thereof is conformity to the traditions of men.

Like Ephesus, many believers today have lost their love for Jesus and for others and need to overcome their lack of love. Having been like Ephesus, I am learning to love others the way Jesus commanded me to, to love my neighbours as myself and to love my enemies and do good to them. Like Pergamum, many believers today have believed the wrong things and need to get rid of the lies. Having been like Pergamum, I am getting rid of the lies of the past 1,700 years and conforming to the faith of the first 3 centuries. Like Thyatira, many believers today have become too tolerant by putting up with sinful behaviour and false teachers among themselves. Having been like Thyatira, I am willing to be unpopular by calling out sinful behaviour and false teachers among Christ's Body. Like Sardis, many believers today need to stop living a double life and realize that their works are not as good as they think. Having been like Sardis, I realize my works are not what they should be, and I need to be fully committed to the Lord Jesus. You cannot serve two masters: choose either the Lord or choose the world, but you cannot have both. Like Laodicea, many believers today think they are rich and have it all together but are actually poor and falling apart, needing to get serious about their faith. Having been like Laodicea, I have become serious about my faith, wanting to be obedient to the teachings of Christ Jesus. Unlike these people, I have a desire to be like Philadelphia, to keep the Lord's Word, stand strong, and not deny His name, and like Smyrna, to be faithful unto death. I can only pray that the religious nominal believers out there who are constantly giving Christianity a bad name by their behaviour and conduct before the world would become faithful followers of Jesus by obeying His commandments and teachings.

When someone elevates Jesus as their authority to the center of their life and their faith, who is the one who attacks that person to try and tear them down? The Devil! When you confront the establishment, challenging their power, position, popularity, and/or pay cheque, of course they will turn on you and claim you are "trying to start [your] own cult." These ignorant un-Christ-like hate-filled people can say whatever they want about me. I will be all too happy to bear that cross in order to reform and conform myself entirely to Scripture and the Lord Jesus.