In the previous posting I stated that the Biblical God commands those who call themselves by His name to believe and obey His written Word. Ask most any professing Christian if this is true and the answer will normally be “yes.” Yet they neither know, believe nor obey that Word. These Bible-toting, Scripture-quoting, church-belonging parishioners “know” that they can reject the Holy Bible–and therefore the Godhead (Lk. 10:16)–and get away with it. How is this possible? The god of the Institutional Church–Satan–has convinced his parishioners that they are saved, born again and rapture ready, none of which is Scripturally true as this website, using God’s own Words, has proven beyond a Scriptural doubt. However, the Words of the Almighty lose out to the pronouncements of the devil just as They did in the Garden of Eden. Operating alone in the garden, Satan convinced Adam and Eve (God’s first church) that their Pastor was wrong. In fact, He had lied to them. Having seen His true colors, they could defy Him and live forever. Regarding Eve’s statement about sin and death, Satan told her that she and Adam could indeed eat of the forbidden tree (sin) and “… not surely die.” Common sense tells us that if one never dies, one lives forever. Using this logic, the great deceiver won the day. Today the devil’s false prophets do his deceiving for him. These “ministers of righteousness” keep Satan at the head of the church by telling the people what they want to hear, which is the opposite of what God tells them in the Book they all own but neither believe nor obey. In terms of employee effectiveness, Satan’s false prophets are worth their pay. The Serpent keeps his parishioners in his church system by having his prophets repeatedly tell the people what they insist on hearing.

The Lord tells us that this phenomenon–referred to as “ear scratching”–is not new. Satan scratched Adam and Eve’s ears and the rest is history. Noah, a “preacher of righteousness,” faced a severe ear-itch problem during his day. As did all of the prophets and apostles. God had this to say about religious sinners both anciently and today: “This is a rebellious people, lying children who will not hear the Law of the Lord, who say to My ministers: ‘Prophesy not to us right(eous) things, (rather) prophesy smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of our way; do not speak to us about God’s Way; turn away from His path; stop holding up the Holy One of Israel before us'” (Isa. 30:10). Remember: God is speaking about His people Israel–His church, His congregation then and now. By their actions and words, modern Israel–false Christianity–simply tells Him to sit down and shut up. However, the Bible figure the modern church most often quotes did not exhibit the modern church’s attitude. His line of questioning highlights this fact. Now let us return to his first question: “Who are you?”

Many times and in a variety of ways the Lord answers Paul’s first question in His Holy Bible. All of His answers can be summed up in one statement: “I am that I am.” He is because He is; He does because He does. Believers must accept this Truth and react accordingly if they are to have the remotest chance of receiving eternal life. Many are called to believe and obey Him. He warns us that few will be chosen for having heard His call. Many will hear His messengers speak His Truth. Most will reject His Truth, His messengers, His Father and Himself. As previously stated, this is not a new reaction to His Truth. The Prophet Samuel complained that the people had rejected him as the Lord’s messenger. They were demanding a king so that they could be like the people around them. God assured Samuel that Israel had not rejected him, but had rejected God Himself (1 Sam. 8:1-7). This proves that God and His true saints are one–to reject one is to reject both. In sum: to reject God’s Word, in part or in whole, is to sign one’s own death warrant. Let us now return to the Damascus Road.

Being a wise man, Paul realized immediately that he was in the presence of a Being much more powerful than himself, Phariseeism, the Jewish nation and the Roman Empire combined. He therefore addressed his unseen enemy as “Lord,” as do modern day professing Christians who, like Paul, do not know the Biblical God and, like him, are His enemies (Rom. 5:10/Phil. 3:18). I feel certain that Paul was not ready for the Lord’s answer to his “Who are you?” question. L.J.