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There is a penalty in corrupting the prophecies of the bible.

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Posts: 426 | From: United States | Registered: May 2005  |  IP: Logged | 

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Is Reincarnation Biblical?
Today approximately 30 million Americans (one in four) believe in reincarnation. The word "reincarnation" literally means to "come again in the flesh." The process of reincarnation - continual rebirths in human bodies - allegedly continues until the soul has reached a state of perfection and merges back with its source (God or the "Universal Soul").
One's lot in life, according to those who believe in reincarnation, is based on the law of karma. This law says that if bad things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of bad karma. If good things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of good karma.

"Karma" refers to the "debt" a soul accumulates because of good or bad actions committed during one's life (or past lives). If one accumulates good karma by performing good actions, he or she will be reincarnated in a desirable state. If one accumulates bad karma, he or she will be reincarnated in a less desirable state. In Shirley MacLaine's book Out on a Limb we are told, "Reincarnation is like show business. You just keep doing it until you get it right."

Some people twist the Scriptures and say that Jesus Himself taught reincarnation or "cyclical rebirth." In Matthew 11:14, for example, Jesus said, "And if you are willing to accept it, [John the Baptist] is the Elijah who was to come." Likewise, in John 3:3 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

But these passages, rightly interpreted, do not support reincarnation. Matthew 11:14 does not really teach that John the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah. Luke 1:17, an important cross reference, tells us that the ministry of John the Baptist was carried out "in the spirit and power of Elijah." Moreover, reincarnationists conveniently forget that John the Baptist, when asked if he was Elijah, flatly answered, "No!" (John 1:21).

Regarding Jesus' words about being "born again" in John 3:3, the context clearly shows that Jesus was referring to a spiritual rebirth or regeneration. In fact, the phrase born again carries the idea of "born from above," and can even be translated that way. Jesus clarified His meaning by affirming that "flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (v. 6).

There are other Scriptures that clearly debunk the notion of reincarnation. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...." Each human being lives once as a mortal on earth, dies once, and then faces judgment. He does not have a second chance by reincarnating into another body. Second Corinthians 5:8 indicates that at death the Christian immediately goes into the presence of the Lord, not into another body. Luke 16:19-31 indicates that unbelievers at death go to a place of suffering, not into another body.

We must also remember that Jesus taught that people decide their eternal destiny in a single lifetime (Matthew 25:46). This is precisely why the apostle Paul emphasized that "now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Further, Jesus taught the concept of resurrection, not reincarnation. In fact, He predicted His own resurrection early in His public ministry (John 2:19). And after Jesus resurrected from the dead, He appeared to some disciples and said, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Jesus resurrected in the same body that went into the tomb. His body even retained the scars and wounds in His hands, feet, and side from the crucifixion (John 20:28).

In addition to biblically refuting reincarnation, we must also point to some of the practical problems involved in the theory of reincarnation. For example, we must ask, Why does one get punished (via "bad karma") for something he or she cannot remember having done in a previous life? Moreover, if the purpose of karma is to rid humanity of its selfish desires (as reincarnationists say), then why has there not been a noticeable improvement in human nature after all the millennia of reincarnations on earth?

Finally, if reincarnation and the law of karma are so beneficial on a practical level, as reincarnationists claim, then how do they explain the immense and ever-worsening social and economic problems - including widespread poverty, starvation, disease, and horrible suffering - in India, where reincarnation has been systematically taught throughout its history?

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Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Hebrews 9,27-28).

The Christian teaching that we live only once is a fact beyond doubt, being as true as the fact that Jesus had to die only once for our sins. In other words, the unique historical act of Jesus’ crucifixion and the fact that we live only once are equally true and cannot be separated. This text cannot possibly be interpreted otherwise. The judgment that follows death is obviously not the judgment of the impersonal karma, but that of the personal almighty God, after which man either enters an eternal personal relation with Him in heaven, or an eternal separation from Him in hell.

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Posts: 478 | From: Quebec | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | 

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Satan, the Devil has been around before man ever was created, He was called Lucifer. Lucifer was an angel of light. In latin and other latin related languages Luce (loo SHAY) means light. That is also where we get the name Lucy.

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I never liked my name...my name is Lucie...I have been teased a few times from others with the name Lucifer when I was younger...

Posts: 478 | From: Quebec | Registered: Mar 2005  |  IP: Logged | 

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the devil likes to copy everything Jesus does. So the devil will have a trinity. The anit-christ will die during the tribulation and be dead for three days and rise again. There will be some that will believe that he is God because of this. So yes there will be an anit-christ, false prophet, and a spirit of some type that will copy the Holy Spirit.
While the true God is a God of goodness, love, and holiness, satan is the father of lies, evil, and filthy.
betty

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Posts: 426 | From: United States | Registered: May 2005  |  IP: Logged | 

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Originally posted by LaurieFL:
The Anti-Christ (the beast) and the False prophet are two different people.

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it talks about Stan being cast out of heaven in Revelations. Was Satan the angel Michael or was Michael one of the people he brought with him?

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also, is Lucipher the same or different from Satan?

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Also, around what time in history did Satan get cast out of heaven and what time was the mark of the beast?

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It talks about seeing the mark of the beast and then he goes away but comes back after 1,000 years. And yet, people say that in end times, people will wera the mark of the beast.

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And, since Jesus saved peole of sins t would make sense to happen before that. Also, is it true that so me who were not in heaven (maybe they were in purgatory i dunno or they werent bad people but commited sins) got to heaven after Jesus's ascention?

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Is the Antichrist the same as Satan? Will Satan be born as the Antichrist or will he posess a person and use their body to infultrate himself into? Also, is ther an antichrist and a false profit, or is the antichrist the false prophet? if there are both i'm assuming its a wicked trinity but still a trinity (like our Father, Son, Holy Ghost.)

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I'm thinking the serpent may not have been satan but just plain the sin of temptation. Or maybe the serpent represented evilness but wasn't satan.

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Also, there's a demon (maybe its a god) called The Rainbow Serpent, is that Satan? is the Rainbow Serpent possibly the serpent that tempted Eve?]

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Posts: 4684 | From: Southern Black Hills of South Dakota | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged |