The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly (part 1)

The 9/11 tragedy has illuminated the good, the bad, & the ugly of American society. We saw great acts of sacrifice in the moments & days afterward, which should inspire concordant reflection within believers upon the greatest act of sacrifice ever performed, that of Jesus Christ. In the months, years, now decades since, good preachers across this land have used those acts of heroism to illumine the Son of God hanging upon a tree, as well as pressing believers to sacrifice likewise in spiritual manifests. By God’s inspiration, these preachers find the golden nuggets in this tragedy & use them for His glory. As with Joseph, what is meant for evil, is turned for good (Gen. 50:20).

Nevertheless, this tragedy has also brought forth bad preachers & the ugliness of a doctrine that attempts correspondence with the Father outside of His glorious Son. Jesus taught “no one comes to the Father except through Me”. And the context of that clear indicative gives even more strength to it:

John 14:6-13 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (7) If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (8) Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." (9) Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. (11) Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (12) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. (13) Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Overly ecumenical preachers who seek bonds with people that do not “ask in (Christ’s) name” as they beseech God must be questioned as to whether they themselves know either the Father or the Son. Ecumenicism is good as it unifies the true body of Christ in course of community actions. But, as the referenced text shows, one must know the Son to know the Father, then one must ask in the Son’s name, with honor for the Son’s resplendent glory, to possess any confidence in having the Father’s ear. Prayers offered hand in hand with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, & rabbinical Judaism cannot & do not appeal rightfully to Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords, Master, Savior, ultimate Judge, & the only Way, Truth, & Life. So ironically, He alone is the key to the core thing that such messages desire to speak towards- peace on earth! We must continually press them with this query- How you rationally preach peace all the while completely ignoring the One Person who holds that illustrious title- “Prince of Peace”?!

Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

The straight & narrow path to God, which is through Christ alone, becomes unjust & “crooked” as they attempt to plot a route to the Father around the Son. The simplicity of Christ’s singular & direct road to the Father’s presence becomes a bewildering maze of swerving switchbacks in a vain attempt to pick up all the hitchhikers of false religion the world over. Their convoy becomes huge as they continue down the wide road that leads to destruction. “A route to God without accepting Christ? Let me on.” the masses say, in ignorance of the fact that no other bridge across the enmity between man & Heaven's gate exist, & that a bottomless crevasse is instead their fate.

Ezekiel 13:15-16 Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, (16) the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.

Part 2 will more directly speak to events surrounding the posted video...