2 Timothy 3:10 "But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/2TI.3.KJV Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.5.KJV 1 Peter 3:13 "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1PE.3.KJV Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.10.KJV Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.1.KJV Ezekiel 3:17 "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/EZK.3.KJV All of the disciples of Jesus except for John suffered a martyrs death. Revelation 20:4 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/REV.20.KJV In these last days there will be many martyrs, until the close of probation. If we are afraid to live for God and proclaim His truth, then how do we think that we are going to have the faith to die for Him? 1 Corinthians 13:1 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1CO.13.KJV We can DO all the "right" things but if we don't do them for the right reason, if we don't have genuine love for our fellow human beings regardless of nationality, race, gender, or religion, then it will not gain us an eternity with God.
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Why religion doesn't work
https://youtu.be/3HxddbanCqY, https://youtu.be/sibEmhv9Evk While I believe that the King James Version of the Bible is probably the most accurate out of all the versions of the Bible, we can learn a lot by comparing different versions. (see links above) The problem comes when people change the meaning, or leave out verses, or use only half of a verse, just because they are trying to prove their point. For example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have created their own Bible, leaving out any texts that indicate that Jesus, when he was here on earth, had a divine nature. They have also changed verses that they couldn’t leave out completely. (I have another blog on this: https://iodtiger.blogspot.com/2018/07/examining-each-text-more-on-jesusgod.html) Another example is in the catechism of the Catholic church: "THE SECOND COMMANDMENT You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.72" https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7H.HTM "2190 The sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday which recalls the new creation inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ." https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7P.HTM "THE NINTH COMMANDMENT You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's.298" https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P8P.HTM "THE TENTH COMMANDMENT You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's...." https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P8T.HTM Compare these to Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (1)
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (2)
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (3)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (4)
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. (5)
13 Thou shalt not kill. (6)
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. (7)
15 Thou shalt not steal. (8)
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (9)
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (10) https://www.bible.com/bible/1/EXO.20.KJV What does the BIBLE call the one who thinks that they can change God's law? (See my other blog here: https://iodtiger.blogspot.com/2025/07/mark-of-beast.html) Any and every religion which denies Jesus or changes his word is an anti-christ See 2 John 1:7 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/2JN.1.KJV
I also believe that there is only one way to be saved and that is by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and having a personal relationship with Him. Any religion that takes away from or changes the Word of God to suit their own agenda is a false religion, and any religion that doesn’t acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior is a false religion. No religion can put any other writings above the Word of God. If any of their writings contradicts the Bible, then they are also false.
All throughout Jesus ministry he was at odds with the religious leaders. God himself had given them his laws and yet when Jesus came they had become so focused on obeying the laws that they forgot the most important part. Jesus came to show them that it was not about strictly following a set of rules but about a personal relationship with him. Jesus said in Luke 11:42 “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. 45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV The Jews in Jesus day had taken God’s ten commandments and turned them into over 600 laws. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.14.KJV There are only two sides, God’s or satan’s, and in the end God will have a people who are in unity in truth. Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/REV.12.KJV Notice that it says a “remnant”. A remnant is a very small piece, not the majority. In this world, the majority have never been in the right. Look at the story of Noah; only eight people got on the boat. Matthew 7:13 “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: 14 because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.7.KJV Some people think that if they simply go to church, follow the rules, and say grace at their meals, it means that they are saved. Religion cannot and will not save you. Following the rules without a relationship with God is pointless. The Pharisees in Jesus day followed the rules, yet they hated Jesus enough to crucify him. It takes both faith and works, see James 2:14 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JAS.2.KJV (See my blog on salvation here: https://iodtiger.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-romans-road.html) God’s last day people will be keeping all of His ten commandments, and they will have a personal relationship with Jesus and have hearts like him.