If you’ve been reading any of the last few columns, you know that I believe what a person, kid or adult, believes is most important; because WOB D WOD, What One Believes, Determines, What One Does.

This week I will start telling you about my “house” of beliefs.

With any building, a house, school, skyscraper, Lincoln Memorial, the Sphinx, or whatever, the most important part is the foundation. A building built on a poor foundation will crumble when a storm or other disaster hits. Jesus talked about this in Luke 6:47-49.

After Ike went through the Bolivar Peninsula, there was only ONE house standing, the only one with a strong foundation.

The foundation of my “house” of beliefs is Jesus, the Living Word. Jesus and His Word are the same. He was called the “Word of God” by His closest Apostle, John (John 1:1).

If you want to build your “house” of beliefs on a firm foundation, find a church that teaches the Bible, God’s written Word, as completely true, incapable of error. That’s “infallibility”.

With Jesus as your foundation, you know your “house” will be strong, able to withstand any assault.

When I was growing up, I belonged to a church that believed Jesus was the Savior, but they also believed that they, the church, had a leader that was infallible in certain teachings. They taught me that their church, not the Bible, was the source of truth.

There are many belief systems “out there”. How do you know which one to believe in, to follow? The answer is simple: does it line up with God’s word? Does it teach that Jesus is the only way to Heaven? If it doesn’t, get away from it as fast as you and your I-pod can. (And, if your I-pod is playing music that doesn’t agree with what Jesus wants you to believe, change what you’re downloading.)

Some of the belief systems and groups that don’t believe that the Bible is infallible, the Word of God, and that Jesus is the Word of God, and the only way to Heaven are:
- Judaism: Jesus is the Jews’ Messiah, but sadly they don’t believe it.
- Some Christian denominations and sects; there are some weird doctrines floating around.
- Buddhism, Hinduism, and Eastern Mysticism. They all have some truth, but not THE Truth.
- Secularists, Liberals (those that are secularists) and One World Government advocates. They believe in the power of man, and big government as the answer to man’s problems. They ignore God and His plan for mankind.
- Astrologers - who believe that planets control or predict our destiny, ignoring or unaware of God’s predictions, through His prophets.
- Darwinsists - who believe that man evolved from a simple cell (somehow) in some primordial ooze, ignoring, or choosing to disbelieve, the story of how man was created, as described in the Book of Genesis.
- Islam - Jesus is accepted as a great prophet, but certainly not as the Redeemer of mankind. They believe that all who believe differently than they do are infidels, and therefore worthy of death. That’s contradictory to the basic teachings of Jesus, Who taught that there are two commandments that encompass all the rest - Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.)

Those are a few of the belief systems that may tempt you with nice-sounding ideas. If you’re involved in any of those your belief system is, in my opinion, on a shaky foundation, and is endangering you to spend eternity somewhere other than in God’s presence.

Judaism and Christianity are the only religions where God reaches down to man to raise Him to Himself. ALL other belief systems consist of man trying to do something to gain peace and happiness. But there’s only one Prince of Peace!

You can ask God to lead you in the right direction. His Word says that He loves you and wants nothing but the best for you, so He’ll answer your prayer. He wants you to get to know all about Jesus, the most important Man who ever lived, and the only person Who was ever raised from the dead - for good!

IT IS BETTER TO LIGHT ONE CANDLE THAN TO CURSE THE DARKNESS
You can reach Mr. Murphy at willmurf1@yahoo.com
www.murphy-properties.com