K.I.S.S.
I am sure that most people have an inkling as to what the meaning
of that acronym is.
For those who have never heard of this one, the
explanation can be found later in this writing.
"What is truth"? That
question was asked of Jesus Christ by Pontius Pilate in John 18:38.
Truth is
a person, and that person is Jesus Christ. John 14:6, Ephesians
1:13,4:21
Since there is only one Jesus Christ, it stands to reason that
there can be only one truth. John 17:17-19.
Since He IS truth, then His Word
is truth. John 17:17
In fact, He IS "The Word". John 1:1
Therefore, we
know that something is true if, and because He said it.
We also know
something is true if Holy Scripture had said it elsewhere, since the books
within it were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Simple, isn't it?
Now since His Word is truth, whoever does not abide by His
Word has just called Him a liar.
"He who believes in the Son of
God has the testimony of GOD in himself. He who does not believe the
Son, makes him a liar, because he does not believe the witness that God has
borne concerning his Son." 1John 5:10
Simple, isn't it?
"Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my
word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word
which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me."
John 14:23-24
"You are my friends if you do what I
command you." John 15:14
Are you still His
friend if you do not do all of what he commands of
you?
Now these verses do not say that we keep some of what He
said, but ALL of what He said.
We cannot be selective and choose this,
and reject that of what He commanded, can we?
Simple, isn't
it?
While He walked the earth, He founded a teaching Church, and guaranteed that He would be
with it every day in every century until the end of time.
"And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I
will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it." Matthew 16:18
In this verse He said one Church only, and nothing could ever destroy
it from the outside or from the inside.
Simple isn't it?
His one Church was prefigured (typed) in the Old
Testament:
"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the
LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." Psalms
127:1
Simple, isn't it?
"Going therefore,
teach ye ALL nations:
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
Teaching them to observe
ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you
ALL days, even to the consummation of the world." Matthew
28:19-20
Notice the three "ALLS", ALL
nations, ALL teaching of His, for ALL time.
That is the definition of the
"Universal Church". The Greek word for "Universal" is "Katholicos".
Hmmm, I
wonder what that word would be when translated into English?
Notice also in
the last sentence, where He said that He will be with His Church every day in
every century until the end of the world, and with no gaps whatsoever, not one
single day.
That is what the person of Truth Himself said.
Strangely, I
ask non-Catholics to name this one Church which Jesus Christ founded, since it
was His guarantee that it is with us every day from the time He founded it and
to this very day. Not one has ever given me a correct answer.
Why then do
some say He left His Church in apostasy soon after the last Apostle died?
Who
are we to believe, truth Himself, or those who make that charge contrary to what
He said?
I would suggest at this point, that you should go back and re-read
1John 5:10, for the answer to these questions.
Now if Truth Himself is deemed
a liar, then of what purpose is all of Christianity?
Simple, isn't
it?
"I will not leave you orphans; I will come to
you." John 14:18
Yet another
promise of perpetuality for the Church which He founded.
Simple, isn't
it?
"Now to him who by the power at work
within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all
generations, for ever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
Yet another
promise that His Church will last for ever and ever.
Simple, isn't
it?
Now comes more promises of teaching.
"And I will pray
the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot
receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he
dwells with you, and will be in you." John
14:16-17
Notice that the Spirit of Truth is not given to the whole world, but
to a select few, His Apostles, those who build upon the foundation of which He
laid.
Simple isn't it?
"But the
Counselor, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you." John 14:26
Notice the future
tense of this verse. The teaching or Development of Doctrine will continue into the
future.
Simple isn't it?
"I have yet many
things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he
will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever
he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to
come." John 16:12-13
Another two verses speaking of
future tense, "He will guide
you..."
Simple, isn't it?
Since it is all so very simple, why then do pickers and
choosers accept verses which fit with their personal opinions or feelings, and
reject others which do not? Doing that makes it a smorgasbord religion.
"I will pick this verse and reject that one, or at least pretend that it does
not exist."
Here are a few examples of what the pickers and choosers
reject:
Luke 1:48 (NIV), "From now on all generations will call me
blessed."
1. "From now on", means from the time she said it until the end of
time.
2. "All generations", without a doubt means every one of us. There is
no excuse. There is no escape.
3. "Will", is surely a binding command and
not merely a suggestion.
4. "Call me blessed". The word "blessed"
has been missing in every non-Catholic post I have ever received regarding the
person who uttered these words. Why do they think they can reject this verse? If
anyone rejects "The Word" of GOD, then they reject Him, simply because "The
Word" IS GOD (John 1:1).
Simple, isn't it?
Matthew 18:17 (NIV),
"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and
if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a
tax collector."
I have asked the pickers and choosers, "To which
Church would they go to satisfy this command of "Truth Himself", if they had
lived in 150, 700, 1000, or 1400 A.D.?" It is such a simple question, but of the
scores of those I have asked, I have yet to receive an answer of the truth from
any one of them. The answer is obvious, as it is the Church which Jesus Christ
founded and promised that it would be found in every century until the end
of time.
What is so hard about answering this question by naming the
Church?
Simple isn't it?
1Timothy 3:15 (CR), "if I am delayed, you
will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the
truth."
Strangely, when I ask the pickers and choosers, "What is the pillar
and foundation of the truth?", they usually say it is the Bible. I then ask,
"Why do you say that when the Bible had said it is the Church?"
When I ask
them to name the Church to which Saint Paul referred in this verse, they cannot,
or simply refuse to do so.
It is, quite simply, the one Church which Jesus
Christ founded, and it most certainly has a name.
Simple, isn't
it?
2Peter 1:20-21 (RSV), "First of all you must understand
this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own
interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse
of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
Clearly,
Saint Peter had said in these verses that private personal interpretation of
Scripture is NOT to be done. Interpretation of Scripture comes from GOD alone
through a few chosen men inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yet there are millions of
non-Catholics all running around claiming "The Holy Spirit told them". That is the main
reason why there are over 35,500 different Protestant sects in the world today,
with each disagreeing on this private interpretation or that one.
Why do
those millions continue to ignore these very simple and very important Words of
GOD?
Just look at the problems they have created for themselves by not
abiding by this basic teaching of Holy Scripture?
Simple, isn't
it?
John 10:16, "and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd."
Why is it when Truth
Himself has exhorted all of us to be one, that today we find over 35,500 Protestant
divisions (and still increasing every week) of the Body of Christ?
There is only one Jesus Christ and He has only one Body.
"Has Christ been divided up?"
1Corinthians 1:13
How could Jesus have made the meaning of the number one to be any simpler than it is
in John 10:16?
Will someone please tell me what part of one is it that they simply do not
undersand?
Simple, isn't it?
James 2:10 (GW), "If someone
obeys all of God's laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of
them."
James 2:10 (RSV), "For whoever keeps the whole law
but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it."
Wow! Those are
tough words, but they are not my words. They are GOD's Words. That verse is so
important that I had to give you quotes from two different Protestant Bibles, so
there could be absolutely no confusion in grasping the meaning of it.
I have
listed in this writing many verses which are disobeyed or ignored by
millions of non-Catholics.
Saint James has said that breaking only one was
needed to make anyone guilty of breaking them all.
According to "The Word of
GOD" in James 2:10, all of GOD's laws have been broken by them.
So
where have they put themselves in regards to their own
salvation?
Simple, isn't it?
What I have presented here is so very simple that anyone
with GOD given common sense
and the power to reason, should have no difficulty whatsoever in gleaning the
truth from these verses. Why then do some "invent" elaborate and complicated
denials of them?
Copyright ©
Written by Bob Stanley,
February 7, 2003
Updated February 14,
2003
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K.I.S.S.
Is the acronym for "Keep it Simple
Stupid". It is not what you thought it was is it?
Everything which Jesus
Christ taught is so very simple, straight forward, and is plain old common
sense.
Why then do some try to complicate something
which is so simple?