The Path of Truth - to where?

I had the misfortune recently to be contacted by Paul Cohen from a website called The Path of Truth http://www.thepathoftruth.com of which Victor Hafichuk is his partner in crime.  To cut a long story short I am now on their ‘doo doo’ list for disagreeing with them.  The email communication started out ok, but then turned into a bit of a nightmare for I am now branded an unbeliever who needs to be saved.  Which is funny because they don’t believe in eternal damnation.  So everyone is going to heaven.  YAY! for everyone, myself included (as per their belief).

So lets go have a look at their website shall we and pull out some important comments they have made with regards to their beliefs:

They have a page on their website dedicated to the question:  ‘Are we a Cult?”

They say, “Could it be because we believe in the reconciliation of all things as surely testified of in Scripture, a wonderful hope and promise for all? This doctrine is certainly contrary to the diabolical doctrine of eternal torment for the majority of mankind, as taught by mainstream nominal Christendom. It also, in one fell swoop, condemns any and all forms of self-righteousness. It is a hard thing for one to truly believe that he is no more righteous than any other.”

Righty, firstly it’s written all over the bible that there is a hell and people are going to go there if they don’t accept Jesus Christ.  Secondly, by saying this they DENY what Jesus Christ did on the cross, i.e., if we are all going to live happily ever after then why do we need Jesus Christ?  Confusing, yes I know…especially when they tell you, you are an unbeliever.  Errr…

They say,  “Could it be that I have spoken, saying that all formal religious “Christian” organizations are false, that they are social organizations, designed to benefit in the flesh and in the world, that they are the “high places” referred to in the Books of Kings and Chronicles, that they are the very “gates of Hades” to which Jesus referred (Matthew 16:18), and that all those who are His must come out? Undoubtedly.”

Um, come out of what?  You don’t believe in eternal damnation remember?

They say, “Could it be because we have had some community living and commitment? This aspect seems to scare many people away. Is it wrong to live in community? “

Ahh so now we see that belonging to their community is the only way.  Other Christian organisations are false.  Every last one of them…except them of course.

They say,  “Could it be that I have claimed to hear from God on many and diverse issues, condemning so much of what is believed and practised by nominal Christians?” Obviously.

Could it be that you have not heard from God because you deny Jesus Christ’s work on the cross?  Obviously.

Then…this is a very interesting comment:  “Could it be because I lead and others follow? Is that a crime? We are accused of “controlling.” Apparently, some people do not like being told what to do. They prefer their pride and independence intact. That is the nature of lawless, unregenerate man.” …. “And the congregants love to have this power. They are not interested in worshiping God.”

So if one does not want to ‘follow’ them then you have pride and you are lawless and unregenerate.  Hmmm, so by their own words it’s a good thing that everyone should lead, ‘it’s not a crime’ says Victor.  So what’s your point Victor?  Oh silly me, it’s because we don’t want to follow YOU hence we are all now unbelievers and are all going hell…oh sorry live happily ever after.   You say people love to have this power (to lead that is), do you like this power Victor?  Obviously so.

They say,  “Could it be because those things we hear and speak from God are foreign to the worshipers of false gods, particularly those who worship other gods in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ?”

“Jesus Christ, THE Son of God, and Creator God Himself, is indeed Lord of all, not only theoretically, or theologically, but in all reality, here, now. ” …. “Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men, was buried, and after three days, raised from the dead, in victory over evil principalities and powers, and death itself. Our one and only hope is through faith in Jesus Christ’s salvation through His sacrifice, His shed blood, His death and resurrection.”

But you deny Jesus Christ’s work on the cross, so what are you rambling on about here.  Oh, it’s to make people think you are actually truly Christian, but all you want is that ‘power’ of having people follow you.

Victor’s testimony on his site is quite a tear jerker if it’s the first thing you read on their site and have not read anything else.  Pity his heart spells out another testimony, one of hatred for those who do not follow him.

Paul’s testimony is an interesting one.  No where does he say that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour and repented for his sins.  Paul speaks of getting a conscience when he says, ”My conscience began to bother me about things that previously were not a problem at all.”  Yet he did not at that time and still does not have the Holy Spirit abiding in him for he never actually accepted Jesus Christ into his life.  His ‘concience’ was his fleshy conscience, not the Holy Spirit speaking to him.  Now people can argue that he must have been born again, and possibly forgot to mention it?  How can anyone forget something that important and not mention it in a ‘testimony’ of all things.  Because, he never did!

But here’s the clincher, Paul divorced his wife because Victor and Marilyn (Victor’s wife) told him too.  Victor’s wife told Paul, ‘“You won’t be hearing from the Lord again.” because he was not sure he wanted to divorce his wife.  Hmmm lovely god you follow Victor…my God would never say that!  In fact the bible is very clear on this matter: 

1 Corinthians 7 v 12-14;  “12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. “

1 Corinthians 7 v 12-14;  “15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? “

Basically in a nut shell these guys believe in good works.  When they tell you you need to repent for your wickedness and unrighteousness it’s because you have done something bad like ‘disagree with them’ etc.  They will tell you that you blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ if you don’t agree with them.  Funny, I didn’t realise you were Jesus Christ.  Funny, I think Jesus Christ is asking the same question.

Here are a few of their ’devililish doctrines’ as per Paul and Victor:

1) “Accept Jesus as your personal Saviour and you will be saved.”  

Their view on this is that accepting Jesus Christ is not enough, you have to live a ‘Godly’ life without fail in order to be truly saved.  But they not realise that by accepting Jesus Christ and having the Holy Spirit come to abide in you that you automatically will want to live a life that is pleasing to God, and the Holy Spirit will convict you when you do something wrong and you repent.  So their good works and living a Godly life is purely based on self - they strive to be good without the Holy Spirit.   If they did have the Holy Spirit abiding in them they would never say something this stupid.

2) “Conversion is full salvation.” 

Read above comment

5) “The Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit are different or two entities.”
6) “God is three persons.”

They argue about the Trinity based on Roman Catholic doctrine.  The fact of the matter is God is 3 persons: God, Jesus Christ who is God and the Holy Spirit which is God.   They are ONE and the SAME.

8 ) “We cannot help but sin; it is impossible not to sin.”

If it’s impossible not to sin after being saved, then why do they strive to live such a Godly life?  What happens when they slip up?  Nothing?  For they can’t sin?  So the point is?  Confusing.  But most importantly, if they can’t sin, then one can only assume they never ask God for forgiveness of anything they have done - for they have not done anything wrong, they can’t sin.

And then we have these verses, which are quite simple and easy to understand: 

1 John 2 v 1:  “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous“  

1 John 1 v 9:  “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us“  

9) “Nothing more is required after conversion… Christ did it all.”

So what they are saying is, is that Christ didn’t do it all.   We in our own power have to do other things in order to be completely saved.  But they can’t sin, hence they are ‘perfect’, so what more is there to do? Good works?  Must be. 

10) “Christ has fulfilled the law; we are no longer under the law but under grace.”

Well Galatians 3 v 10-14; says otherwise:  “10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for “He who through faith is righteous shall live”; 12 but the law does not rest on faith, for “He who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree.” 14 that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

And then we have this:  Romans 8 v 3-4  “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. “

Jesus Christ fulfilled the law and we are no longer under law - for the law means nothing to Jesus Christ;   Galatians 5:6  “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision means anything, but faith working through love.” 

Galatians 5 v 13-18 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” . . . But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. . . If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”

This fulfilling of the law in loving others is rendered not in our own strength but by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, which the authors of The Path of Truth do not have, for their law is fleshly - trying to appease God through good works. 

13) “Sunday is the Sabbath.”

Since Paul, Victor and Co. keep the Sabbath I can see why they defend this one.  Yes they are correct, Sunday is not the Sabbath day - this was created by Roman Catholics because Sunday is named after the Sun god whom they worship.  But they are in error because they keep the Sabbath (Saturday) only because it is a ’good work’ that will complete their salvation.   

Victor says, “IF YOU ARE NOT KEEPING THE SABBATH DAY, THEN YOU ARE DAMNED”   

The bible says;  Colossians 2 v 16  “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of any holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days”

14) “Salvation is possible in this life only.”

Now this is an interesting one and it leads to point 15 below that there is no eternal damnation.  They believe that after this life you will get another opportunity to be ’saved’.  They say that no where in the bible are scriptures to back up the fact that if we do not accept Jesus Christ in this life time we are damned for all eternity.  However they do not provide scripture to back up their peculiar belief either. 

They say this, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…” is a passage of Scripture used to support this evil doctrine. There is nothing there saying that judgment is eternal or temporary damnation. In fact, the word “judgment”only means a decision, for or against. In that men die only once in this world, can one suppose that therefore there are not other worlds in which men may have occasion to believe as in the case of the souls who perished in the flood? The fact that men die once from this world does not mean they no longer have opportunity to be saved.”

Lets analyse this scripture for them for apparently this is a difficult one to fathom.  It says, Hebrews 9 v 27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die”.  That means once, not twice or three times.  “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…”  That also only means once, not twice or three times.  

So what we have here is a new form of reincarnation.  When you die you might go to another ‘world’ where you get another chance to accept Jesus Christ.  But when does it end?  Do we just go around and around from world to world hearing the truth over and over and never accepting Jesus until one day you wake up and smell the coffee?  Does Jesus offer himself again and again and again as a sacrifice in these other worlds for the hard of hearing?  That’s a bit unfair to those who got martyred in their first life.  Gosh if only they knew this they could have just denied Jesus Christ, saved themselves from a pot of boiling oil and tried again in the next life.

They say, “In fact, the word “judgment”only means a decision; for or against.”  Exactly, FOR or AGAINST, not FOR and FOR and FOR.  

Then they say, “The fact that men die once from this world does not mean they no longer have opportunity to be saved.”  Biblical scriptures please?

Now we have to ask the question, if their diabolical belief is true, then why on earth are they preaching this doctrine with such ferociousness as if your life depended on it?  I mean really?  We’re going to get another chance, and another chance and another change *echo*. 

15)  “Those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be fearfully and forever tormented, without end.”

They believe that God is Love, that He would never send anyone to hell.  Hence you get another chance to accept Jesus after you die.  They say “Does God toy with lives much as cats do with mice?”  They can’t understand how God can send someone to hell who has not heard the Word of God.  You see if they had studied the bible in it’s entirety (not pick and choose passages to uphold their diabolical ideas) they would have read and UNDERSTOOD the following:  The bible says that God is fair and explains why and how:

1. Creation:

Romans 1 v 19-20;  ”19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  20  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.“

Psalms 19 v 1-3;  “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.   2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.“

God won’t even allow the excuse, “I never heard the gospel.”   Even if someone grew up in some remote jungle or some other remote place in the world.  Why ? Because the witness of creation has already been given to prove that God exists.  

Now hold yer horsies here I’m not finished, there is more that will explain EXACTLY why God is FAIR for it says;   Romans 2 v 11 “For God does not show favoritism”.  Lets carry on…

2. Conscience:

Romans 2 v 11-15;   ”11 For God does not show favoritism.  12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)”

Paul explains that God will judge every man on the basis of what he knows. He explains that to the Jew who knew the Law he will be judged by the Law.  But for the Gentile who didn’t have the law, God deals with him on the basis of his conscience.   Since God knows the heart of man He knows if a man has obeyed his conscience or rejected it’s accusations.  The conscience of man is the proof that the law of God is written on every man’s heart.  The tribesman in the depth of the jungles of Borneo has a conscience.  The Law of God is written upon his heart, just as it is with someone born here in the United States.

Think for a moment. Why is it that we felt bad about certain sins before we ever heard the gospel? That was the conviction of our conscience.  Yet, we violated our conscience anyway and did whatever we pleased. Your conscience has been given to each of us to either accuse us for sinful actions, or excuse us when we do that which is right  (Romans 2 v 15).

Therefore, God is fair in all His judgments because He sees man’s heart, He sees his conscience, and He sees man’s deeds, which enables the Father to judge righteously and according to truth.

3. Law:

Rom. 2 v 11-13,  “For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified”.

To the Jews God gave the additional light of His Law. Therefore, the Jew will be judged by creation, their conscience, and God’s Law.

4. Gospel:

       Romans 2 v 16;  “16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares”

For us, we will be judged on the basis creation, our conscience, and the Gospel. Paul declares that one day God will, “judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel” (Romans 2 v 16). 

In conclusion, God is obviously fair when He judges in this manner. He only requires men to respond based upon the light that they have. What could be more fair than that?

Lets summarise shall we.  God created this world as a testimony that HE is GOD the CREATOR of everything.  This in itself speaks ‘louder than words’.   Then God gave us a conscience and the conscience of man is the proof that the law of God is written on every man’s heart.   Then the Jews have the Law, and the Gentiles (everyone who is not a Jew) is given the Gospel.  

1)  So we have a man living in some desolate mountain in Tibet, he acknowledges that a God must have created this world and everything he sees before him.  10 points to him for God knows he is searching for the truth.  This man also has a conscience that makes him feel bad about certain things he has done or thought of (he is not saved yet).  So what will happen to this man?  Will he never hear the Word of God or will God make sure he hears it for God knows this man’s heart?  Yes, God will send someone his way so that he may hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved.

2)  So we have a man living in some desolate mountain in  Tibet, he refuses to acknowledge that a God created this world or anything he sees before him.  Zero points to him for God knows his heart and knows he is not searching for the truth.  This man also has a conscience yet he continues to do evil things for he finds pleasure in it.  So what will happen to this man?  Will he never hear the Word of God or will God make sure he hears it for God knows this mans heart?  2 answers here:  1)  This man might never hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ for God knows his heart and knows he will never accept it.   2)  God will send someone his way so that he will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ but still he rejects it.

I can use another example here, but I think you get the point.

In conclusion, there ’might’ men who never hear the word of God for God knows their hearts and minds and He knows that even if He presented the truth to them on a silver platter they would reject it.  Then there are men who will hear the Word of God, for God knows their hearts and minds and he sends someone to them so they may hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, accept it and be saved.

God knows our hearts and minds better than we know them ourselves.  He knows who will reject him and He knows who will accept him.   Paul is a perfect example of this.   Paul hated Christians, he murdered them and was on his way to petition so he could persecute some more.  But then Jesus appeared to him in a vision:

Acts 9 v 1-6 ”1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,   2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.   3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:   4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Do you think Paul had a conscience?  Yes he did.  Do you think his conscience bothered him?  Yes it did.  Why?  Because when Jesus appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”, Paul replied, “Who art thou, Lord?”   Paul knew in his heart who Jesus was before Jesus appeared to him.

So do you think God would have approached Paul knowing Paul would reject Him, even after He appeared to him in a vision, blinded him and then healed him?  No.  (However there are millions in this world that will even under these circumstances).  Do you think God approached Paul because He knew his heart and knew he was going to be the greatest of all apostles?  Yes!   The same applies to EVERY single living soul on this earth. 

As for children.   There are many verses in the bible about this.  And I believe that until such a point that a child has knowledge of good and evil (age can differ from child to child) they are not held accountable for their sins.   (Jeremiah 1:5, 1 John 2:12, Matthew 19:13, Mark 10:13, Luke 17:1, Luke 18:15, Matthew 18:6, Matthew 18:10, Ezekiel 18:20,  Ezekiel 16:21, 2 Samuel 12:22, Matthew 18:2, Matthew 5:8, Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44, Psalms 27:10, Proverbs 4:4, Proverbs 8:32, Isaiah 40:11, Mark 9:36, Luke 9:48, Matthew 21:15, Psalms 8:2, Nehemiah 8:2, 1 Kings 15:14, Jeremiah 49:11, Luke 1:15, Psalms 24:3, Psalms 22:29, Romans 5:14, Numbers 14:28, 1 Corinthians 7:14, Romans 9:11, Deuteronomy 1:39).

Paul, Victor and Co. also try to argue that the word forever does not actually mean forever, or that judgement only means a ‘decision’.   So I wonder what they think the word ‘perish’ means?  Besides that, what’s the opposite of eternal life?

John 10 v 28, “And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”. 

20) “Man has been given a free will.”

They say, “The Scriptures clearly teach that man is born in sin and a slave to it. If he is a slave, then how is it he has free will? I want to boldly declare now that it is God and not man that determines all things. Man determines nothing…UNTIL HE IS REDEEMED FROM SIN, FULFILLED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, SITTING ON THE THRONE AND REIGNING WITH HIM. COMPLETE IN CHRIST, HE THEN AND ONLY THEN HAS A FREE WILL, EVEN AS GOD.”

Man is indeed born into sin and a slave to it, until such time they ‘choose’ to accept Jesus Christ into their lives wherein they are forgiven.   But if God determines all things, are they saying that some people will land up in prison for doing crime because God determined that this is where they would end up?  Is God responsible for their crimes?  No, we have FREE WILL this is why God gave us a CONSCIENCE.  We have a brain that was given to us by God and he expects us to use it. 

If someone comes to you and wants you to help them rob a bank, you have a choice;  you can either say ‘yes’, or you can so ‘no’.   Just like when someone comes upto you and speaks to you about Jesus Christ, you have FREE WILL to say, ‘no I am not interested in hearing further’, or ‘yes, I want to hear more’.  When you accept Jesus Christ into your life and the Holy Spirit abides in you, the Holy Spirit convicts you when you do something that is not pleasing to God and you repent - the Holy Spirit is the one who then keeps you on the right track.  By saying that we have ‘no free will’ makes it easier for them to try tell you that there is no such thing as hell.  Because how can God send someone who does not have ‘free will’ to hell.

21) “Now we are in the dispensation of grace, not law.”  (This is in contradition to point 32 below) - (see point 10 above)

24) “All believers have equal authority and status.”

Paul and Victor say this statement is rubbish, and I can see why, for they believe themselves to be on a higher pedestal than anyone else.  

But the bible says differently:

1. All believers are equal in Christ. Galatians 3:28.
2. All believers are new creatures. II Corinthians 5:17.
3. All believers are made righteous by faith, that is of grace. Romans 4:16.
4. All believers are of the seed of Abraham. Romans 4:16.
5. All believers were baptized into one body. I Corinthians 12:13.
6. All believers are members of the body of Christ. I Corinthians 12:14.
7. All believers are part of the ELECT. I Peter 1:2.
8. All believers are a CHOSEN GENERATION. I Peter 2:1, 2.
9. All believers are “born again.” John 3:3, 15.
10. All believers are lively stones and a holy priesthood. I Peter 2:5.

32) “Jewish worship practices and traditions are important to keep.”   (This is in contradition to point 21 above) - (see point 10 above)

34) “The wicked are annihilated.”  (see point 15 above)

————–

Now something very important I want to mention.  They have a link dedicated to exposing false teachers and prophets yet by the error displayed on their site they are no better than those they try to expose.   They contradict themselves so many times on their site I lost count.  They preach confusion!!  They expose Seventh Day Adventists but yet their doctrine is almost identical. 

But what has bothered me more than anything is the name of their website:  The Path of Truth.  Where have I heard this before?  Where oh where oh where have I see this before.  It dawned on me.  Long ago I received a tract called, The Path of Truth and it was given to me by none other than a Jehovah’s Witness.  So I googled (oh I love google) and low and behold here it is:

“Most true Christians loyally support God and his righteous laws. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-7; Hebrews 6:10)  Occasionally, though, a person deviates from the path of truth.  For example, despite help from Christian elders, he may unrepentantly violate God’s laws.”    http://www.watchtower.org/e/19880415/article_01.htm   

Sounds like The Path of Truth to me!

Paul and Victor are more concerned about violating God’s laws than anything else, hence they try to live such ‘good’ lives, filled with works and communal living to keep each other in check.  Or should I say, so Paul and Victor can keep everyone in check.  

But you might say, “Victor and Paul mention on their site that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult along with Catholicism, Seventh Day Adventists and Mormonism etc.  So how can they they follow some of the doctrine of Jehovah’s Witnesses?”  Well, just because they don’t say they are does not mean they don’t follow some of the same doctrine.  I believe they are possibly a branch off sect which Victor created because he refused to follow someone elses teachings so he created his own.  A combination of Seventh Day Adventist and Jehovah’s Witness, amongst many other things, ‘out of the pit hell’ doctrine.  Also it must be noted that their doctrine is not just bits and pieces of Jehovah’s Witness doctrine but Mormonism, Catholosism (purgatory belief), Latter Rain/Manifest Sons of God,  Dominion Theology, Post-millennialism etc, etc, etc.   Just as a matter of interest they do not celebrate Christmas, Easter or even Birthdays etc.  (Yes I know Christmas and Easter were conjured up by the Roman Catholics, that’s not my point here).

When reading through their site you will come across a lot of truth, but the error is so gross that you can’t ignore it, YET they speak about God, they use the name of Jesus, they preach…in error.

They say, “”Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men, was buried, and after three days, raised from the dead, in victory over evil principalities and powers, and death itself. Our one and only hope is through faith in Jesus Christ’s salvation through His sacrifice, His shed blood, His death and resurrection.” 

If there is no eternal damnation what did Jesus go through all this for?   Apparently it meant nothing.  It’s only ‘words’ to Victor and Paul, just words - nothing else.   You speak about evil pricipalities but yet you do not believe in eternal damnation for those who follow these evil principalities.  Where do they follow them too?  Hawaii?  

Because Jesus Christ died for the sins of all men they misinterpret this to be that ‘He died for everyone and everyone will get saved’.  So an unbeliever will get another chance after this life to accept Jesus Christ and again and again until he gets saved.  But as I said, they misinterpret this verse.  Yes Jesus Christ died for the sins of ALL men hence everyone is given a choice to accept Him or reject Him.  Those who don’t unfortunately will perish.

They say on their website:

“Yes, it says that there is torment in the lake of fire forever and ever. If you take a look at the Greek words, you’ll find that “forever” does not mean “forever” the way we use it. Furthermore, if you search the Scriptures elsewhere for the word, you will find that “forever” plainly did not mean “forever” as we conceive it in our minds. Example: Ex. 27:21 (ended 2000 years ago). Many such examples are there in the Old Testament. And when do you decide whether “fire” is literal or figurative?  Here (the lake of fire) it is figurative, as also when it speaks of our being baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Not that one is any less than the other.”

So if fire is literal or figurative, is being baptized by the Holy Spirit literal or figurative as well?  For one is not less than the other they say.  Lets look at the entire verse:

Matthew 3:11 v 12 “Indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 

John says that Jesus Christ will gather the wheat (believers) into the barn, but burn up the chaff (unbelievers) with unquenchable fire.  He didn’t say, he will burn up the chaff in an imaginary fire, or a figurative fire, or a literal fire, or a fire that only lasts a short time, or a fire that tickles you silly, but an unquenchable fire - impossible to suppress or destroy.

Victor and Paul would like to believe that God will not send unbelievers to eternal damnation for they ‘imagine’ that ‘God is Love’ to everyone.  But they fail to realise that God loves his Children - those who worship and follow Him, those that don’t are handed over to the Devil.  God didn’t make this decision, we do, for we have been given ‘free will’, a ‘conscience’, a freedom to ‘choose’.  

This goes back to point 20 above where this is apparently a doctrine of the Devil:  ”Man has been given a free will.”  Well Victor, if man has not been given ‘free will’ then that means we are either all doomed to eternal damnation or happy times in heaven.  Seeing that you don’t believe in hell, I am guessing everyone is going to heaven.  Again I ask:  Why do you preach Victor and Paul?  Who’s souls are you trying to save and from what? 

But then they say:  “”Yes, God is love but He is also a just God and we must pay the penalty for our sins if we don’t repent.”

What penalty?  A slap on the wrist?  No pocket money for 6 months?  Get thrown into a figurative fire for 2 months?  Is this like Purgatory where if you ask nicely you can get a ‘get out of jail free card’ for good behaviour?  Then what about after the penalty?  Do you get to go back to another world to try again?  Or do you get a VIP card straight into heaven? 

Unbelievers are people who refused to know Jesus Christ, they mock Him and reject Him - so why should God want to have anything to do with them?   God is a God of Love for those who LOVE Him.  He is a God of Wrath for those who DO NOT LOVE Him.

They say:  “Frankly, I believe that this notion of free will is nothing more than a symptom of self-righteousness, as though we are the architects of our own destinies, as though we are God Himself. No wonder I call it a diabolical doctrine!”

No wonder everyone who disagrees with you calls this a diabolical doctrine.   For you Victor think you are God himself hence you can speak extra biblical nonsense and think you can get away with it.  In fact on more than one occasion you said “Why should you be sad that I should stoop down from God’s throne to tell you your sins to deliver you from them?”   So you are going to come down from God’s Throne and tell us our sins AND deliver us from them?  I would rather stand infront of a firing squad, thank you!

They say:  “While it is true that each true believer has access to God, yet not all have equal access. Yes, it is written, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” and from this verse it is assumed that all Christians need nobody to go to God on their behalf, that “Christ did it all.” I too believed this for years until God spoke to me and said that I could come to Him not only for myself and my family but on behalf of any who had a problem or question. Since then, on several occasions, believers and unbelievers ( yes, even unbelievers) have come to me, requesting that I petition God on their behalf, and prayers have been directly, specifically answered, some with miracles.”

This is taken completely out of context.  We all have EQUAL access to God through his Son Jesus Christ (see point 24 above). To say otherwise is to say that in this case, you need to go to Victor so he can intercede on your behalf for he sits on a higher perch than you…sorry I meant throne.  Wrong!  You are doing the same thing a Catholic Priest does.  

Interestingly enough, I wonder if these unbelievers that came to Victor requesting that he petitions to God on their behalf even got saved afterwards.  No they didn’t.  Otherwise he would have mentioned it.   Oh but, silly me again…he does not have to worry about getting people saved for gosh, there’s no hell, just the one you imagine in your head.  

Lastly, how can you petition to God on behalf of an unbeliever when God does not hear their requests.   Having said that, Yes we pray for others, but the first thing we pray for is that they hear the Word of God and come to accept Jesus Christ.

I have left the best part for last - Victor’s proverbs.  If Victor was around back in the day when the bible was being written I guarantee you none of these ‘proverbs’ would have made the cut.  When I read them I was surprised that a grown man who speaks eloquent English could come up with such utter rubbish.   Apparently they were inspired by the ‘The Lord’.  What ‘Lord’ we will never know - well actually we do know - it’s not the ONE and ONLY Living God.

Victory says:  “In the middle of the night of April 15-16 of 2007, I was given proverbs. Like a tap of water turned on, they came, one after the other, 78 in all. Then, as fast as they began, they ended, like a tap turned off. There was no premeditation, no expectation and when the end came, there was nothing I could do to continue. They were just there.  Since then the Lord has given me more, when I am quiet, in His way, and when He wills.” 

Here are listed on a few of his ‘proverbs’, there are however hundreds of them:

1. Give a man bread to eat and he will be hungry again.
2. The sun rises and the sun sets, yet things are not finished.
4. The ability to see is good if it be used well.
8. Love can never fail; though it bears no fruit at first, it will.
9. The one that rejects good counsel is no better than a dog on a stranger’s lawn.
10. A good son is a blessing, but a wayward son does not bring peace.
11. To do well rejoices the heart, and a temperate meal gives hope.
12. A bird sings with hope and joy.
13. A bird singing, a baby crying, and a man laboring – these all proclaim hope.
14. Does a hammer drive a nail with gentleness? Does an axe cut down a tree with love?
15. Labor in hope only with the right hand; otherwise hope is deferred.
16. Do you know? Will you remember what you know?
17. A good neighbor does not meddle, and shows himself when he is needed.
18. As a dog defecates and urinates where it will, so sinners do as they please.
19. All seasons come and go, and come again.
20. A fool will not listen to good counsel or he would not be a fool.
21. A horse is strong and so is an ant.
22. Hurry if you will, but why go in the wrong direction?
23. Necessities met are good, if they lead to good.
24. Who can tell what is good and evil but the One Who makes both?
25. There are things purposed and things that are by chance; both are in God’s hands, the one in His right, the other in His left.
26. Godly power is perfected when it empowers those on whom it is exercised.
27. Justice and right doing prolong the life, but evil dissipates the soul.
28. To have a child and not teach it is to sail a ship and not steer it.
29. Treasures are to be had in abundance, but where are they to be found?
30. The learned man finds treasure because his heart craves it.
32. A child falls and hurts himself, but a good parent picks him up and tends to his hurts.
33. Blessings and curses – both return on the head of the one that speaks them.
34. Confusion comes from these three, and four: prematurity, ill will, self-serving, and lack of knowledge.
35. Wisdom works and it teaches; foolishness does not work but it teaches the wise.
36. A broom for dust, a cloth for spills, and good counsel for lack of understanding.
37. Sweetness is good if there isn’t too much.
38. Pretended virtue and sincere vice are one.
39. Flattery is desirable to one seeking, but unworthy of, praise.
40. As God makes the clouds and rain come and go, provides materials for birds to build their nests, and places for animals to make their dens, so He rules chance.
41. Chance is accidental if God is not God.
42. Who will look to pleasure for good when having good is pleasure in itself?
44. Sleep comes again; opportunity not as frequently.
45. As many as they may be, words will cease, but reality remains forever.
46. Much talk has an agenda that is not good.
47. A man purposes to take smoke into his lungs because he does not have life to breathe out.

Some of my favourites (rated 10 on the ‘rediculous scale’ of 1-10):

24. Who can tell what is good and evil but the One Who makes both?
31. A window lets in the light to see, and it lets one be seen.
43. Sleep is tempting and seeks to rob one of opportunity.
286. The hyena laughs because it would tear the flesh and devour.
294. The rabbit repeats the same path again, and is snared.
275. Words hastily spoken are like lettuce on the teeth of one smiling.

Here’s a bit of a contradition from the 1st to the last:

297. Weeds conceal themselves until they are many and strong to overcome those among which they thrive.
298. Unless one destroys the root, a weed will return.
299. Though they are not desirable, weeds have their purpose and value.

And then we have these 3 ‘crowd dispersers’:

339. There are those that serve as the rectum of the Body, but by it are wastes expelled; who can live without one?
83. Foolish words spoken are as passing gas.
340. The same blood and accompanying Life flows in the rectum, as in the heart and tongue.

In conclusion, these people are a cult through and through (even though they are are small one). I pray they never grow any larger but more importantly I pray those caught up in this see the truth, put on their running shoes and run for their lives.

[Note:  I received emails from quite a few people telling me that The Path of Truth has posted an article about me on their site, once again preaching confusion and hatred for anyone who does not agree with them.  They argued, insulted, ranted and raved about everything, quoting scripture - but still everyone thinks they are a cult.  We all know that when Jehovah's Witness's (or any other cult belonging people) come knocking at your door that 99% of people refuse to open.  I will take the same approach with them and you ought to do the same. 

For more information on Paul and Victor (I have dubbed them Itchy and Scratchy) please proceed to the following website:  http://www.aquatechnology.net/victorhafichuk.html]

References:

http://www.calvaryag.org/apologetics/apologetics_7-what_about_those_never_heard_about_jesus.htm