THE TRUTH

A Newsletter of PURSUING THE TRUTH MINISTRIES
(Educate to Liberate!)
April 2004

THANK YOU!

I thank all of you who have supported this ministry over the years and for our new supporters. Your prayers, comments, and questions are very much appreciated. We also welcome our new newsletter subscribers.

- Pastor William R. Cunningham

WHAT'S NEW

Have you checked out our forums. Go to the website and click on the "forum" link at the lower top menu. You can enter into a discussion or perhaps start your own discussion. It's a great way to get involved in ministry and improve your discussion skills. Also, check out.

Stay tuned for yet another version of the Pursuing the Truth website. This is several months away, but I just wanted you to know that I am going to do another update to the website. These updates are based on the analysis of the website usage along with other layout ideas.

Stay tuned for the new "Frequently Asked Questions" section of the website. We have been getting a lot of questions from people all over the world and it has been great. It is amazing how people have the same types of issues all over the world. Therefore, I am going to put together a FAQ for the website. This area will contain questions and answers to a plethora of questions. They will be based on the questions that we get from people around the world. So stay tuned for that one.

what is a christian anyway?

Pastor Bill

Have you ever talked with someone who belongs to an organization such as the Jehovah's Witness or Mormons and they say, "I'm a Christian!" Would you even know if they were telling the truth or not? The only way to be able to distinguish a Christian from something else is to know what a Christian is. What constitutes a Christian?

The word Christian means "one belonging to Christ." A Christian is first and foremost a follower of Christ. This alone will disqualify several groups or organizations claiming to be Christian. This is why it is important to know what A Christian really is so at the very least you would be protected from these organizations and you could help protect your family from them as well.

Let me list some of the things that are associated with Christians but do not define a Christian.

A CHRISTIAN IS NOT....

• One who goes to church on Sunday. A Christian is not defined as one who goes to church on Sundays as any religion could follow such a practice . Church attendance has nothing to do with the definition of Christianity.
• One who tithes. Tithing has nothing to do with Christianity. Tithing was an Old Testament practice that has since been abandoned for various reasons. This doesn't mean that we should not honor God with what we have. The point here is that tithing does not define a Christian. There are many Christians that do not practice tithing (though they may give generously) and there are many non-Christians that practice tithing.
• One who believes in God. There are many religions that believe in a god. Jehovah's Witness, the Mormons, Muslims, etc. all believe in a god. This doesn't make them a Christian. True Christians believe in God, the one true God, but that does not define a Christian.
• One who speaks in tongues. A Christian is not defined as someone that speaks in tongues (other languages). For one thing, the charismatic church has degraded the truth concerning speaking or praying in tongues and have lowered it to fits of ecstasy by nonsensical babbling.
• One who CLAIMS to "believe in Jesus Christ." I threw a curve ball on this one didn't I. Of course Christians believe in Jesus Christ, but what does that mean. What does it mean when someone SAYS, "I believe in Jesus Christ?" Therefore, someone saying that he or she believes in Jesus Christ does not define a Christian. The problem here is that we have to qualify what we mean by believing in Jesus Christ. Too often we use phrases that we do not even know its true meaning. Someone that says he or she believes in Jesus Christ could mean anything. She could believe that by following his teachings and doing good deeds that she would be saved. He could mean to believe means that Jesus was a prophet of God, etc. The point here is that Christians have a specific belief and just saying, "I believe in Jesus Christ" is not enough. Qualify the statement, i.e., what do you believe about Jesus Christ?
• One who CLAIMS to have faith. This is a meaningless statement in an absolute sense and is very similar to the above point. Merely saying that you have faith means nothing in the whole scope of things. What do you mean by "faith?" Qualify your faith. That is the point here. A Muslim has faith. A Jehovah's Witness has faith. What faith are you referring to when you make such a claim.
• A good person. Christianity is not defined by being good. Jesus said to the Rich man that there is no one good except the Father. Besides, good is relative in the context of humanity. One would say that a Christian does good deeds, but so does an Atheist, Muslim, Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, etc. Being a "good" person or doing good deeds do not define Christianity.

We could go on with this list as we delve into more stereotypes of Christianity. However, let's now discuss what a Christian really is. What defines a Christian or Christianity?

A CHRISTIAN IS....

• One who believes that Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary. This is very important to the Christian faith because without this Jesus would have been a mere man and could not have died for the sins of the world. If he was not born of a virgin and therefore not by the power and Spirit of God, then he would have only been able to die for his own sins as he would not have been deity. However, Christians believe that Jesus Christ is one with the Father and has the same essence as the Father and is therefore deity as is the Father. Jesus was not born by mere human means. He came into the world through a woman, but he was conceived by the Holy Spirit (See Matthew 1:20-21). Jesus was not conceived by the sexual union between Joseph and Mary, but by the power of God by the Holy Spirit.
• One who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. The man Jesus Christ is the incarnate God. He is Emanuel, which is to say, God with us (in the flesh). He is the only begotten (one and only) Son of God.
• One who believes that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world. This is the crux of our salvation, namely that Jesus died for our sins. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins. He died on the cross at his crucifixion so that we would not have to die for our sins. He paid the penalty of death for our sins. He died in our stead. We deserved to be on the cross so to speak, that is to die for our own sins. However, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God gave his life as a ransom for us
• One who believes that Jesus Christ is God (deity). Christians believe that Jesus Christ is of the same essence as the Father and they are in fact the same, though different persons. This is a very important fundamental belief of Christianity. Jesus is deity. The common phrase is that Jesus is God. I don't like to use that phrase because it can be confusing as God exists as three persons. See below for more on this point.
• One who believes that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all deity. In other words, Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity that God exists as three persons, but one essence or nature. God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are all deity, but different persons. Some people say for example that Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and the Father is God. A more accurate description would be that the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. The Father is deity, Jesus is deity, and the Holy Spirit is deity having the same essence or nature. Christians believe in the Trinity.
• One who believes that Jesus was raised from the dead. This is fundamental to the Christian faith for without the resurrection there really could not be salvation and there really would be no Christianity. The power of God in salvation was revealed and demonstrated through Jesus Christ's resurrection. We also believe that Jesus ascended to the Father, which means that He is alive even today and is at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
• One who believes that the Bible is the infallible, plenary, inspired word of God. The Bible is the canon of the Christian faith. In it we find the revelation of God to humans. It is the standard by which the Christian faith is defined and exists. It transcends the mere thoughts of man since the Bible comes to us verbally, via the Spirit of God and is recorded in our Bible.

Christianity is defined by Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ there would be no Christianity. Anyone could go to church, pay a tithe, say they have faith, etc. However, true Christianity is defined by what Jesus Christ did and your faith in what He did. Christ is the focal point of Christianity so we need to focus on Him. So what is a Christian. A Christian is one who has faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. A Christian truly believes in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

MORAL STANDARDS

By Pastor William Cunningham

Where is morality today? It is accepted and even expected for example that a man and a woman will have sex shortly after engaging in a dating relationship. Some popular magazines even give pointers of how to get your date into bed. Young girls today think it's OK to have sex long before they are even out of grade school. Our moral standards are consistently going downward. However, this is to be expected since the world will not get better, but worse.

Consider that the world system is doing so much to get God out of the picture. Teachers are powerless in school as people try even harder to get God out of the schools. Now they are even disputing the pledge of allegiance since it has the statement, "Under God" in it. There was an incident not too long ago where there was a dispute in having the Ten commandments hanging on a wall. There was a dispute not too long ago about prayer in schools. It is getting worse and worse. Our morals decay as God is eliminated from the fabric of our lives. Our morals degrade as we remove the source of all goodness and true morals from our everyday lives.

I remember a time when fights happened after school. I recall a movie called "3:00 High". It was about a boy who would have to fight the school tough guy after school. That's how it was when I went to school. You fought after school, even though there was sometimes a necessity to throw down during school hours...to defend yourself of course. Anyway, children today have to worry about their classmates with guns. It's a shame, but expected. What else would you expect when God is removed. What else would you expect when parents, who have little moral values themselves, raise children in such an environment or if the parents do not take the time to instill morals into their children. Just because the parent is moral doesn't mean that the child would be. The parent has to teach the child God's ways in order for the child to know and live according to God's ways.

Our moral standards are decaying, but that doesn't mean that we have to sit around and get in line with the rest of the geese. We can still raise our children with proper godly morals. We can discipline our children properly so that they will less likely become a menace to society. We can live with integrity ourselves and be a good example to our children. We can still promote good morals even in a world that is in moral decay. However, it is up to you and it will only happen in your home. You can't expect the teacher, police officer, or minister to provide good moral instruction to your children. You must institute godliness in your own home and in the life of your children. You have to maintain proper godliness in your own life so that your love for God is evident.

Yes the moral standard of the world is in decay, but the morals of God has not decayed. We can still live up to the standards of God's Kingdom through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Christ we couldn't even dream of living a righteous life. It is only through Christ that we can do the right thing so to speak. So shore up your relationship with Christ and live a good moral life according to God's Kingdom. True moral standards still lives on.

some things to consider

By Pastor Bill

We do our normal daily routine each day. Some go to work, others to school, and still others take care of a home or business. However, there are some things that we should always consider and keep at the forefront of our minds. We should not allow ourselves to lose focus of the true priority in life. Consider what Jesus Christ said.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

There is also something very important that Jesus said in regards to our daily life.

"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. " (Matthew 13:22)

It is easy to lose sight of God in our lives. We get so busy doing the "necessary" things that we don't do what is really necessary. What is truly necessary is a relationship with God. That deals with eternity and not a mere existence on the earth. What are you doing to nurture a relationship with God? Do you pray? Do you read your Bible? Do you seek God? Do you spend time in fellowship with God? Do you worship God? I could go on and on.

The Bible shows us that we humans soon forget when God interrupts our lives to instruct us. We soon forget what God has done for us. We get into trouble and we cry out to God. The situation passes and we cease to call on God. Why is that? The reason is that we lose focus of God and we allow the relationship to falter on our side. We don't nurture it and what's worse is that we deem other things more important.

One of the toughest things that I have found in ministry from my experiences is to get people to be serious about God from a perspective of relationship and not duty. It is always so difficult to have people that are serious about ministry and the things of God. People naturally focus on material and day-to-day things. We deem all else more important than the things of God. It's amazing to me. I'm not suggesting that we should quit our jobs or become monks or something. I am only saying that we should consider our priorities and above all not forget God in our daily life activities, which we so frequently do.

It does my heart so good when I hear someone talk about how they minister to people in normal everyday circumstances. I was listening to my mother just this past Sunday talking about how she talks to patients on her job. She talks to them about Jesus Christ, Christianity, etc. She said that one person said that she should be a preacher. It did my heart great to hear that because that is true ministry and true relationship with God. I suppose, that is where I get it from anyway. Ministry doesn't have to be a platform in a church. Ministry is just to serve people wherever you are. Ministry is to do what is necessary to spread the Gospel.

Sure you have your job, school, or business to deal with. That's fine and after all God provided those things for you. Still we should not forget God. We should not push him aside as we nurture those things that he has provided for us. We forget the giver and only remember the gift. That's not a good way to live and that is definitely not a good way to have a relationship with God or anyone for that matter.

So consider the things that are important. Seek the Kingdom of God as priority in life and live. Don't forget God in good times or bad times. Love Him and pursue him for who he is and not for what he can do for you. Amen.

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Well, God bless you always. Remember to eat, drink, and digest the word of God and know God for yourself. Be blessed and be free!

- Pastor Bill