 | Pastor Dave grew up in northern New Jersey in a very diverse cultural area. He attended Central College in Pella, Iowa received a BA in sociology and psychology. He was an offensive guard for their NCAA Div III National Championship team in 1974. In speaking for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he sensed a call to full time ministry. Meeting is future wife Sandy at Central, went to Michigan to finish her college while Dave started Western Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Dave married Sandy in 77 and completed his Masters of Divinity degree in 78. Pastor Dave’s first church was in Fort Lee, New Jersey, home of the George Washington Bridge. Their three children were born there and he also served as a Police and Fire Chaplain for the city. In February 1991, they came to Wichita to start Harvest Community Church. In 2006, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in St Louis. During that year he gained a daughter-in-law with now 2 grandsons of 3 years and 6 months old. Besides Pastoring at HCC for the past 20 years, he has been Director of the SCSD & WPD Police Chaplains for 11.
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Religion
2011-05-01 11:25:00
Requirements for heaven’s entry
Answer: Religion is man’s quest for God and we see this very vividly throughout the Bible as in the Old Testament when idols were made and worshipped. Sometimes it was due to pragmatism and it was easier to develop a designer god who fit one’s desires. In Acts 17, we see the Apostle Paul broken hearted and grieved over the more than 30,000 idols in Athens being worshipped. Paul demonstrates in Romans 1, God has revealed Himself through creation but man has distorted it by worshipping the creature rather than the creator. The reason I speak about this is because there are many well meaning and good intentioned people who have developed religions from a sense or a feeling and they have been generated by sincerely wrong leaders.
Islam, was founded in Mecca by Muhammad in about 600 AD. He is considered by Muslims the greatest man that ever lived and the last of 124,000 messengers sent by Allah (God). Humans are basically good but fallible and need direction. They are rigorous in their prayers and for the Sunni branch, it is following the “Five Pillars” (or duties) of faith is crucial. The Shi’a branch hold to the “Ten Practices” which includes rigorous practices. A person’s destiny in paradise or hell depends how the balance between good and evil have been kept. Allah may even tip the balance toward heaven but it depends on man’s doings. The body will be resurrected to a garden populated with maidens made by Allah to provide sexual pleasure to a righteous man.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world and one of the oldest. It is a eastern religion, more like a philosophy where you reincarnate until you get it right. It takes yoga and mediation to finally get out of the cycle when a person becomes finally absorbed in Brahman or “The Absolute,” universal spirit or part of God. It is a religion that man has to do it through actions of meditation. Off shoots of this faith are the Hare Krishna, New Age teachings and Transcendental Meditation.
Buddhism was started by a young prince named Siddhartha seeking the meaning of life. He had no belief in God but spoke of the goal of life was reaching Nirvana, the state where one elimates all desires and cravings, which also frees one from suffering. They follow a rigorous “Eightfold Path” which is their religious system to which the Buddhist becomes free from any desires and achieves sooner or later nonexistence.
Judaism began with the call of God to Abraham and the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses in the Middle East. God is seen differently by different sects of Jews. Some see Him as a powerful, personal, compassionate God; while others, an impersonal and unknowable being. It is interesting, even their view of salvation and heaven is different. Some see salvation coming to the Jew by prayer, repentance and keeping the law. Other Jews see salvation as just as an improved society and “the passing on” of through one’s heritage,
As you have seen in the world religions, the concepts are wide and varied. Some don’t even believe in heaven but see it as a state of mind. You can also note, that the ones who do believe in heaven, they are by the works and doings of man. Even in the newer religions of our country like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, one must be baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness and earn everlasting life on earth by their door to door work. Heaven is limited to only 144,000 really faithful. Mormon’s believe resurrection for all but salvation (having exalted Godhood) is by works of faithfulness to church leaders, Mormon baptism, ordination, marriage and secret temple rituals. No one has eternal life without being a Mormon. Scientology on the other hand sees heaven and hell as myths or “false dreams.” Salvation is getting rid of “negative experience units” and becoming “clear.” The goal is to move to a higher level by getting in control over (MEST) Matter, Energy, Space and Time.
The difference between all these other “Religions” and Biblical Christian faith comes in two words: “Doing” and “Done!” In religion, man continues to strive by works (man’s doings) to appease, please and satisfy God by actions and deeds. But when the requirement for living in God’s heaven is perfection, {Matthew 5:45} no one can ever make God’s grade.{Romans 3:23} Man also accumulates offenses against God that He stores up for His wrath to punish.{Romans 2:5} But in the Christian Faith, God entered into His world {John 1:14}. He died and rose again according to His prophesies given hundreds of years earlier in time space dimension which came to fulfillment! {1 Corinthians 15:3-10} That His historical death on the cross cancelled the debt of guilt for our sin that man owed {Colossians 1:13-14}. All this Christ has DONE for man on the cross and through His resurrection. Totally by His grace {Ephesians 2:8-9} and Mercy {Titus 3:5} not by man’s deeds but Christ! We just receive it! {Romans 6:23} Unable to do it for myself, trusting Christ alone!
