26 April 2009

“And She’s Buying a Stairway to Heaven”

As the song says, “Yes, there are two paths you can go by; But in the long run; There’s still time to change; The road you’re on” also as the song says, “and it makes me wonder” leading me to ask you, which path you are on?

If by chance you don’t know which song this is, it is a song off the fourth album of one of the best selling albums ever in history, written and sang by Led Zeppelin, an English rock and roll band formed in 1968 which heavy, guitar-driven sound regarded it as one of the first heavy metal bands whose individualistic style drew from many sources and transcends any one genre named, “Stairway to Heaven.” It’s a rock and roll classic which was never released as a single yet is often the most requested and most played album-oriented rock FM radio song which in 2005 was voted as having the greatest guitar solo of all time per a “Guitar World” held poll of readers.1 Although it was released in 1971, I first heard it around the year 1979.

So, which path are you on with regard to your getting to Heaven? Led Zeppelin was right in their song; there truly are two and only two paths for each of us to follow; the right one and the wrong one. One and only one path is the actual path to Heaven. Which path are you on?

There are many paths out there stating that they will get you to Heaven. I can guarantee to you that there is only one “true” path to Heaven. Here’s a hint, it isn’t as the song states either as you cannot “purchase” or “work” your way into Heaven. “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6) The only way into Heaven (being with the Father [God]) is to place your faith into Jesus Christ (but through me), God’s only begotten Son.

You may be thinking, “the religions of Mormon, Muslim, Islam, Buddhist, Scientologist, Jehovah Witness, and the countless other religious convictions and beliefs out there stating that they are a path to Heaven (or some state of paradise) too and that all religions are the same. So why should I believe you?” Well, you don’t have to believe me and I’m not asking you to believe me. I’m asking you to check out what it is that I am telling you and that you check it out with an open mind so that you will know the truth from your own investigation.

Of all the “religions” in the world, which one of them gets the most negative attention brought to it by the press, is restricted from being in public schools, pressured to go against the moral values taught within it, taken to court by the ACLU in order to try and stop believers of it so to force those who have placed their faith in it to go against its primary teacher’s teachings?

Yea, Muslims are getting some negative press with its Islamic terrorists who kill people like those who were in the twin towers in New York and Muslims get some negative press when they behead someone on video but still Muslims can openly pray on TV and in public institutions (even public schools) without any censorship, requests to leave out their allegiance to Mohammad in their prayers.

The only “religion” that gets all the oppression is the on to which I have placed my faith in which is the Christian “faith.” If you have not noticed this, start noticing it now that you have opened your mind to the truth. Notice how negative most media reports are about the Christian faith and take count of it in the next few weeks and learn for yourself the bias against Christian “faith.”

Did you note that I had religion and faith in quotes above? If not, go back and look at the paragraph above and this time notice the quotes. “Why?” you now ask are the quotes around these two words? There is a distinct difference between “religion” and “faith” and that’s why I put the quotes around them. You see, the mistake most people make who do not understand the truth is that there is a distinct difference between these two words. The definition of religion from http://www.merriam-webster.com is: (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance. While the definition of faith is: 1 a: allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1): fidelity to one's promises (2): sincerity of intentions.

Did you note the difference between religion and faith? Religion refers to someone doing something “service and worship” or in other words “works” while faith is an “allegiance” and “fidelity to one’s promises” with “sincerity of intentions” that one relies upon. The difference being that between religion and faith, religion is based upon what one does while faith is based upon someone else’s promise to the person believing in the promise.

If you investigate religions against Christian faith, you will find that each religion is based upon something that someone does, or in other words, “the works that someone does” which will get you to Heaven or some sort of paradise. Only Christian faith is based upon “faith” which places no value on anyone’s “works” as if someone can “do” something by their own merits to get into Heaven (or paradise). What would the “amount” of “work” that someone would have to “do” to get there? Or in other words, how much would it “cost” to “buy” or “purchase” your way (or a path) to Heaven?

Why do you think that Christian faith has such resistance to it in the media (world) and the “religions” of the world don’t? The reason Christian faith is rejected beyond “religion” as those in the list I gave above is that to be a Christian a person follows Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God. A person truly following Christ Jesus is a person whose desire is to become closer to God. Christians were told to expect persecution as written in the New Testament book of 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 12: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Followers of God’s Son Jesus are made a promise by God: "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:10)

This world is filled with delusion and much of the world is deluded with political correctness (PC). PC has become a means by which Satan is king at making happen in many forms. Political correctness tells us to be “tolerant” of each other instead of following the truth which we are instructed by Jesus to do: “And He said to him, " `YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” (Matthew 22:37) "The second is this, `YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31).

No wonder the world is filled with such violence and hatred because so many are trying to endure the lack of respect a neighbor (be it at one’s home, the car beside, at the office, at the construction site, at the ball game, etc.) who intrudes into your space. It is clear why the world is becoming much more dangerous because we are all told to just put up with it because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and thus doing so, many people take advantage of having no clear boundaries and guidelines and do what they want to do because everyone should just “tolerate” it.

Those who truly follow Jesus Christ clearly understand why the world is becoming such a terrifying and hateful place. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold." (Matthew 24:12) “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11) Why should we settle for “tolerate” when we can have true love? God has promised us that; “Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.” (2 John 1:3)

Again I ask you, which path are you following? And it makes me wonder if you have truly opened your eyes to the truth? Remember, there are only two paths you can go by yet only one of these is the right one for you to follow. The time is now for you to change the path you are on if you are on the wrong one.

I suggest that you make a wise choice and follow the love that God freely offers to you through His Son Jesus. It is a choice that you and only you can make for yourself. I pray that you choose wisely.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin 

2) NOTE: The website providing the lyrics below is LyricsMode.Com
Finding Truth Today has no affiliation with this website nor its contents.


Lyrics | Led Zeppelin lyrics - Stairway To Heaven lyrics

Apr 26, 2009 1:56:22 PM | Atheism, Doubt, Faith, Morals, Suffering, Worldviews

The comments to this entry are closed.

NEXT POST
Can anybody find me somebody to love? Freddie Mercury wrote a song about faith, desperation and soul-searching when he wrote “Somebody to Love”. In this song which was featured on the English rock ban Queen’s 1976 album “A day at the Races” he questions the lack of love experienced in his life and the role and existence of God.1 Cited still today as one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music, he was known for his vocal prowess and flamboyant performances as a solo artist and as lead vocal and co-founder of Queen. On November 24, 1991, he died of bronchopneumonia which was induced by HIV (AIDS). For many years in the early ‘70s, Freddie Mercury lived with Mary Austin in a long term relationship yet by the mid ‘70s he had began having an affair with a man which broke up his and Mary’s relationship. Although Freddie Mercury said after the breakup that he considered Mary Austin as his only friend, common-law wife, that being with her was a common-law marriage to him, he fell to temptation and had an affair on her. Not just a regular adulterous affair, he had an affair with a man which lead him to fall further to temptation in his frequently visiting homosexual bathhouses and clubs where he had frequent short-term homosexual sexual partners.2 Freddy Mercury’s failure to overcome the temptation to be with men sexually spurred his breakup his self stated common-law marriage to Mary Austin. His succumbing to temptation lead him further and further into a downward spiral which eventually lead him to contract HIV which became full AIDS and bronchopneumonia. The temptation that Freddy Mercury chose to partake of was what lead to the cause of his death. Due to the timing of its release, my thought on the reason for Freddy Mercury’s writing the song, “Somebody to Love”3 is that he was truly soul searching; reaching deep within his being and trying to come up with an answer on his own for the temptation he was experiencing which he would eventually chose to follow. Not truly believing in God, he mocks God in that he states that he has believed for many years though in his question of “Can anybody find me somebody to love?” he is not displaying any faith in God and God’s perfect love for him. Freddy Mercury in the song says that he “works hard” showing that he did not understand that it is not by works but by the grace of God that one is saved. He goes on to say that he has to get out of “this prison cell” and that some day he “will be free” which I think he was eluding to his breaking...
PREVIOUS POST
How good do I need to be to go to Heaven when I die? Wow, it’s tough being good and being good all the time is out of the question because no one; not you nor me, can be perfectly good all the time and we all know that we have at some time or another done something which wasn’t good. Can someone, anyone be really good enough to get into Heaven and be with God? How good do I need to be to go to Heaven when I die? Look at how Mother Teresa lead her life. She did a lot of good. For over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries and by the time of her death, her Missionaries of Charity continued to expand and was operating 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counseling programs, orphanages, and schools.1 I don’t know about you but I know that I don’t even come close to being as good as Mother Teresa at being a good servant to others let alone am I able to even give that much time and devotion to being that good yet Mother Teresa did it and did it well. Is being as good as Mother Teresa an example of how good you and I need to be to go to Heaven? I hope not. If Mother Teresa is an example of what it takes to get into Heaven, I guess I’m not going to get there… nor for that matter, you either because I’ve not heard of anyone else who has done so much good as Mother Teresa. Wait a minute… how about Adolf Hitler? He did not do a lot of good and in fact, he actually did a lot of evil. Under Adolf Hitler’s orders, between 1939 and 1945, the SS, assisted by collaborationist governments and recruits from occupied countries, systematically killed somewhere between 11 and 14 million people, including about six million Jews, in concentration camps, ghettos and mass executions, or through less systematic methods elsewhere. In addition to those gassed to death, many also died as a result of starvation and disease while working as slave laborers (sometimes benefiting private German companies). Along with Jews, non-Jewish Poles (over three million), communists and political opponents, members of resistance groups, homosexuals, Roma, the physically handicapped and mentally retarded, Soviet prisoners of war (possibly as many as three million), Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventists and Neopagans, trade unionists, and psychiatric patients were killed.2 Looking at what all evil Adolf Hitler, and there was a lot of it, it to me seems easy for you and...

Victor E. Pearson

With the commission from God to point people to and teach them the truth, I have created this blog to glorify God and to do His will. I am pleased that you are open minded to learning about Christian views on faith, morality and God.

Search

My Other Accounts

Recent Comments