Articles
"Did the Pope Lie?"
“Did the Pope Lie?”
Recently the Pope was asked by a boy if his atheist father was in heaven. The Pope asked a group of children to answer the question. The Pope said that God decides who goes to Heaven and that God has “the heart of a Father.” He asked the young girls and boys in the audience if they thought God would abandon a father like Emanuele’s, who was a good man. “No,” the children shouted back. “There, Emanuele, that is the answer,” the Pope said, according to a translation provided by the Catholic News Service. “God surely was proud of your father, because it is easier as a believer to baptize your children than to baptize them when you are not a believer. Surely this pleased God very much.”
Is this what the Pope actually believes or is he just trying to give comfort to a young boy whose father just passed away? Is this what you would tell him? Sometimes we do not know what to tell someone in this position and we freeze or change the subject. As Christians, we are duty bound to tell the truth, even if it hurts someone. Is it better to lie and sin, or tell the truth? This question was brought up at one of our ‘Question and Answer’ sessions and Josh suggested we just say the person is in God’s hands and God will make that decision. The purpose of this article is not about the plan of salvation but is about telling the truth. John 8:32 (NKJV) 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” You know the opposite of this is that you will be enslaved, and you know the one who will enslave you. We all have the opportunity, to tell the truth, or not tell the truth to get the outcome we desire. There are so many so-called men of God who will purposely misguide their flock to keep them coming and that is to get more money from them. The flock also have the opportunity to leave when they hear false teachings. The problem here is they don’t read the scriptures the way they should. Acts 17:11 (NKJV) 11 “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
When we are asked about someone’s salvation we are bound by the word of God to tell the truth. By not telling this child the truth about his father, he will remember this all his life and chances are he will never obey the Gospel. There are so many good people who worship every time the doors are open. They give generously, visit the sick, and pray often. So what is their outlook? Matthew 7:21-23 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” And what is this lawlessness? It is not following the plan our Lord and Savior has delivered to us but followed a man-made plan.
If you are not following the plan that is in the New Testament and you wish to do so, please email or call us and let us help you to get on the narrow path. Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Rick Horton
