Truths About The Da Vinci Code

 THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DA VINCI CODE

By Francis Fawkes, Th.D.

Recently, I have heard a lot about the movie The Da Vinci Code based on the novel by Dan Brown.  In this writing - which is fiction, and based upon distorted history - the author purports that Jesus had a romantic relationship with Mary Magdalene - or was in fact married to her.  So absurd and so laughable was this assertion that a number of people told me that they were not going to see the movie.  Their reason being, they did not want to support a lie.

However, there are those who think that the arguments for The Da Vinci Code are plausible.  My purpose in writing this article is to expose this satanic hoax.  I also want to show you that the real purpose in writing this book is to undermine your faith and destroy your soul.

Your Saviour and master, Jesus Christ was not only sinless, but he had no physical offspring.  In 1 Peter 2:22, Jesus’ sinless nature is confirmed in an eye-witness account: Jesus did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.  At the foot of the cross, of all the people mentioned, no wife or sweetheart was named (John 19: 25-27).  Mary Magdalene did not flee with any offspring to France to perpetuate a royal French line of kings.  She died in Ephesus.

How did the author come to such a ridiculous conclusion that Jesus was married?  He inferred it from an imperfectly preserved passage in The Gnostic Gospel by Philip.  This passage was so fragmentary that no one could make complete sense from it, but he deduced marriage from it.  This is the height of intellectual dishonesty.

What are The Gnostic Gospels?  They belonged to a number of false gospels in circulation at the time of the disciples.  In them, the deity of Christ is denied and salvation is attained through secret knowledge.  St. Paul, at the time he was writing the epistle to the Colossians fought hard against dangerous cults of this type.  They threatened the Colossian church.  In verses 15 and 16 of Colossians chapter 1, Paul countered their arguments by revealing that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” and the creator of all things.  This was his defense.

However, it is still a tragedy that we have inherited some of these false gospels today.  Among The Gnostic Gospels are The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Mary and The Gospel of Thomas.  These gospels were written 150 and sometimes 200 years after the historical events occurred.  Whereas, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and the Epistles of St. Paul were eyewitness accounts and were written during the lives of the apostles.

It is insightful to observe that most scholars doubt that the purported authors wrote these false gospels.  You must be aware that a number of them are inconsistent with what the disciples thought and diametrically opposed to established Christian doctrine.

Case-in-point, The Gnostic Gospel of Philip could not have been written by the disciple because he believed that Jesus Christ was God incarnate.  One day Jesus was asked by Philip to show him the Father, God.  Jesus replied, “He that hath me has seen the Father; and how sayeth thou then, show us the Father?”  Thomas also believed that Jesus was God in the flesh, when he addressed Him as: “my Lord and my God.”

Bahamians must also continue to defend their Christian heritage.  It is totally irresponsible to expose the population to this kind of work at the risk of destroying their Christian ethic and faith.  Already, The Bahamas has problems with a very high murder rate; a record number of AIDS infections per capita, drug problems and other ills too numerous to mention.  Does any sensible person want to create further complications by attacking a belief system that gives its adherents a certain measure of protection and eternal salvation?

God has Already given us warnings.  In spite of hurricanes and economic challenges, we have not had a holocaust that has taken hundreds or even thousands of lives yet.  This is by the grace of God.  Take into consideration Hurricane Katrina and the deaths of 9000 people in New Orleans.  Prior to that was the “911” incident in New York.  What about the earthquakes in India occurring in the midst of their celebrations of false gods?  The Bible states that the nation that forgets God is turned into hell.

THE LAST SUPPER

Almost everybody is familiar with the painting - The Last Supper, by Leonardo Da Vinci.  Dan Brown claims that the person on the right of Jesus is Mary Magdalene.  As a matter of fact, it is supposed to be John.  This picture is not a true representation of The Last Supper.  In the Middle Eastern culture at that time, there were no tables and chairs as we know them today.  Jesus and his disciples ate in a reclining position each taking turns in dipping their bread in one pot in common!  Another mistake in Da Vinci’s painting is that there are a number of cups.  In reality, there was only one cup that was passed around.

Since the Bible has the reputation of being the most documented book of all antiquity, let it address the situation of false gospels and the erroneous teaching of this age:

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring themselves swift destruction.  And Many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they, with feigned words, make merchandise of you; whose judgement now for a long time lingereth not, and their destruction  slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2: 1-3).

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Delivering Souls To Christ Through Music

THE PURPOSE OF MUSIC 

By Francis Fawkes, Th.D.

Music in today’s secular society is divorced from God’s original purpose.  It was really meant to glorify its creator, and magnify His name in praise and worship.  In the world, we see the complete reversal of purpose of everything that God created.  And this is especially so with music.  It is used for the glorification of man and the magnification of his name.

In Colossians 1:16, it states that, “…all things were created, that are in  heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible - whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers – and all things were created by Him and for Him.”  God gave us these gifts, so let us give them back to Him.  Do not rob God of His glory.

We in the secular society see nothing wrong with this humanistic approach of attributing all innate artistic ingenuity, and excellence to man.  Artistic excellence, without God in the equation - really degenerates into petty nit-picking.  It only caters to man’s vanity.  We do not realize that we are not totally responsible for the greatest of giftings.  Whether these giftings are in music, languages, mathematics or the visual arts - they sometimes baffle or mystify the possessor.  A mathematical or musical prodigy may be at a total loss as to how he can perform feats of mind with little or no training.  Neither does he know how the gifts came about.  The best thing to do is to give glory to God for their possession, rather than taking the glory for it.  Do not rob God of His glory.

Again, some church performers think that their relationship with Christ consist of an artistic performance; I have sensed that the Lord is displeased with this particular attitude.  There are some church musicians who may not even be saved!  The musician who has consecrated his music to the Lord should have a corresponding Christian lifestyle.  He should be a vessel of honour with a renewed mind.  He should not don the attitudes and philosophies of so many of the musicians in the performing arts.  With a renewed mind, he should realize that the word of God takes priority over - and gives direction over his music.  This is so because: “God even honours His word above Himself” – and most certainly above music.  In the field of the classics, music is above all else and fanaticism is the norm.  This can result in musical idolatry that is so pervasive in the performing arts.

THE RELEVANCE OF DIFFERENT MUSICAL STYLES IN THE

BAHAMAS

Here again it is a question of calling.  It is my belief that the preference for different artistic styles is inborn.  If you find that you have a strong preference for classical music as opposed to popular music, contemporary Christian music or other styles, it may not have as much to do with your environment as you thought. However, it may have everything to do with what God predestined for you before the foundations of the earth were laid.

God first conceived a purpose in the earth and then created a liking for the thing you were supposed to do.  Your personal style is related to your purpose.  Do not let anyone force you to change your style.  It could seriously hinder your purpose.  You may not minister to the people within your calling.  You may play other styles, but always come back to your calling.  Remember the story of the prophet in Jeremiah 1: 5.  God ordained him as prophet to the nations before he was born.  If he did something else, he would not have reached the nations.

Thus, your culture did not create or shape you entirely; you created your own culture according to what God already birthed in you.  God then is not a God of uniformity, but a God of diversity.  He then created the different styles to express his versatility.  I have noticed that the predominant style in this Bahamian society is indigenous music or Junkanoo music.  That also is God’s doing.  However, this does not mean that everybody is called to do this type of music.  There are also a few classicists like myself as well.

All these tastes are legitimate and relevant to God’s purpose as far as He is concerned.  Your brain was neurologically wired for your artistic taste.  I also suspect that there is a genetic basis for strong rhythms shown in peoples of African or Caribbean descent.  Just consecrate your style to God and invest it in His Kingdom.  Others of similar taste may be attracted to the style and find salvation through your performance and lifestyle.  Now, if you don’t like a particular form of musical expression, do not worry about it.  It was probably not meant for you anyway.

WHAT ABOUT FRANCIS FAWKES?

Many people know about my liking for classical music.  As far as I can recall, I was exposed to popular music which I liked before classical music.  Then my father, Sir Randol Fawkes, purchased for me a classical series called Music Masters.  This dealt with the lives and music of the great composers.  Since my father was constantly traveling overseas, I eventually accumulated an impressive collection of recordings and music books form the United States.  This act of wisdom on his part, I believe, was in keeping with God’s specific purpose and calling for my life.

So overwhelming and so profound was the experience of listening to great classics, that it became the predominant factor in my taste.  It has not changed since.  My liking for the classics was intense and immediate.  I did not have to learn to appreciate this art form.  It was as though I was always familiar with it (sorry no allusions to reincarnation intended).  When people come up to me and say I had to learn to appreciate classical music, I cannot relate to what they were saying.

Later on, I discovered that this art-form was part of my calling.  I remembered asking God what was my purpose on this earth.  He replied to me in a dream: “I have placed you on this earth to do my work.”  In 1987, I received the anointing for my music by the laying on of hands.  But revelation is progressive.  I am not only anointed to play the Classics but to preach the Gospel as well!

It is interesting to note that before I learnt of my purpose, I never suspected I was called to Christian ministry work through music and the Word!  I only flowed in the direction of my strengths.

MINISTERING THROUGH THE CLASSICS

I know that it is God’s mandate to reach the world with our callings.  This is certainly true of the musicians in the arena of the classical performing arts.   Most of them however, are spiritually indifferent.  The field of the performing arts is one of the unreached mission-fields.  Prophet Kim Clement, a former prize winning classical pianist, said that God was going to touch this area in the latter times.

In all of my years of experience with classical music, I have only heard of one or two European musicians with a clear-cut Christian testimony.  One of them happens to be concert pianist Van Cliburn!

Situations like this led a music scholar Patrick Kavanaugh to form the “Christian Performing Artist’s Fellowship”- (CPAF).  His goal is to help fulfill the great commission, to go and make disciples of all nations.  It is his contention that you do not have to go to Africa to be a missionary.  But you can go to the Kennedy Center to find people unreached by the Gospel.  Another outreach organization is “Crescendo” – This is an international network of Christian classical professional musicians and music students.  Their mission is to encourage classical musicians to be “the salt of the earth.”

I have often wondered what happened to the souls of the great performers in the classical arena – especially concert pianists.  If they have Christian testimonies - surely it is the world’s best kept secret.  All I hear about them is gossip!  I am very thankful that these artists are beginning to consecrate and use their gifts for the Kingdom.  This is what all musicians should be doing – bringing souls to Christ and impacting lives for the Kingdom.

When I win a soul to the Master, I feel the surge of God’s power at its strongest.  This is because you touch the heart of God every time a soul is won.  I have been doing this for over 20 years, especially among Bahamian musicians - as well as those involved in other aspects of the performing and visual arts.  It is a source of great satisfaction and relief when they pass on later; to know that you have contributed to their life in eternity with Jesus Christ.

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Jesus is The Master of The Universe

THE INFINITE SUPERIORITY OF
JESUS CHRIST

By Francis Fawkes, Th.D.

Many persons have wondered about the status of Jesus Christ.  Some faiths regard Him as one mediator among many.  Others ignorantly believe that He was only a great teacher.  Again, the deceived think that Jesus was deluded.  All of these viewpoints are shared by some Bahamians, but are far from the truth.

The true Christian, however, believes that Jesus is God incarnate, for it is scripturally stated that Jesus: “who, being in the very form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” - (Philippians 2: 6-7).

It would also seem according to the latest revelation that Jesus Christ’s influence as: “the express image of the Father” - extends not only to this world but also to other worlds or universes, visible or invisible.  The Bible bears this out when it says, “All authority is given unto me (Jesus) in heaven and in earth.” - (Matthew 28:18).  Also, Jesus is: “far above all principality and power and might, and dominion, and every name that is named; not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.” - (Ephesians 1: 21).

Did you know that Jesus has power over aliens (or extraterrestrials)?  They are very real, although some people doubt their existence.  There is a new kind of spiritual warfare going on in these latter times against them (Ephesians 6: 12).  There is documentary evidence that hundreds of UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) abductions were simply stopped by crying the name of Jesus.  Even quoting scripture; using praise or applying the blood of Jesus against these aliens repels them.

It is important that other faiths here in The Bahamas realize that the names of Solomon, Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, Bahaullah or Joseph Smith have no effect upon these attackers.  All of the aforementioned people are limited by the very fact that they had to be created.  Only Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, is co-eternal with the Father - (John 1: 1).  The others are not.  Only the anointed name of Jesus has been known to repel demon, animal and extraterrestrial attacks.  Brothers and sisters - of whatever faith – this proves that the name of Jesus is infinitely superior to any other name.  Jesus is literally who he claims to be - the Master of the universe.  Submit to Him today.

What about these aliens beings?  Some claim to be from remote galaxies; others from parallel universes; even from other dimensions or from a different time continuum (like our future).  But I believe that they conceal the fact that they are the fallen angels talked about in Revelation 12: 9.  These angels fell to the earth along with Satan!  They took wives from the daughters of men producing a race of beings called Nephilim (Genesis 6:4).

These fallen angels came to earth with knowledge from heaven.  Thus you had many ancient civilizations springing up overnight with advanced mathematical and technical skills.  But Satan’s ultimate plan was to corrupt the race through mixing so that the Messiah could not come to redeem man!  These beings also bought violence and corruption to the earth that was put to an end by Noah’s purifying flood.

Today, however, there are still many UFO sightings.  These alien beings continue their contact with humans in strict secrecy.  Many of today’s scientific breakthroughs are a result of spin-offs from such contacts.  They are still inseminating “the daughters of men” as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37).  In the end, they will face judgment and fire for their evil deeds.  Again, the earth shall be purged of all iniquity - not with water but with fire - and Jesus Christ shall rule the world with a rod of iron.  The peace He will bring will last for all eternity.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF STEVE QUAYLE:

                        Prove the facts for yourself

http://www.stevequayle.com/Giants/charts/charts.html

http://www.stevequayle.com/Giants/index2.html

Genesis 6: 4 states that “there were giants in the earth; and also after that, when the sons of Heaven came into the daughter’s of men, and they bare children unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

Source for the above information:

Joe Taylor, Mt. Blanco Fossil Museum
124 West Main St., P.O. Box 550, Crosbyton, TX 79322
(805) 675-7777 (office) and (806) 675-2421 (fax)

http://www.mtblanco.com

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The Doctrine Of The Trinity

The Doctrine Of The Trinity Proven

By Francis Fawkes, Th.D.

Some critics and theologians have claimed that the Doctrine of the Trinity was unknown before the Council of Nicene in A.D. 325.  They claimed that the Council came up unanimously with this doctrine.

However, Justin Martyr in 150 A.D. declared with great clarity the doctrine of the Trinity was valid.  He and the early church fathers wrote that it was Jesus Christ who appeared to Moses in the burning bush.

Even further back than this, the Doctrine of the Trinity was recognized by the great Jewish rabbis.  The Jews of the first century believed that Jesus was God.  However, most Jews in later centuries rejected that claim.  But in a book called the Zohar written by Rabbi Simon Ben Jochai and his son, the doctrine of the original sin and the incarnation of Christ are expounded.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is also explicitly stated in Genesis 1:1 which says, "In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth."  In this passage "Elohim" literally means "Gods." - with "im" indicating masculine plural in Hebrew.  But this plural noun is treated like a singular noun because it takes a singular verb.  That verb is "bara" which means created out of nothing.  The plural "Elohim" has always been taken by the great rabbis of the first century to include God the Father; God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  All three persons are one.  As a matter of fact the word "Trinity" comes from the Latin word "trinitas" or "trinitus" which means three in one!

There are also several scriptural passages that make it clear that Jesus is not subordinate to the Father, but co-eternal and co-equal and one with the Father.  In John1:1, it states that, "In the beginning was the word (logos) and the word was with God, and the Word was God."  Later on in verse 14, it states that: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us..."  This Word (logos) was Jesus.

In Philippians 2:6, it says of Jesus: “Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God."  Further on in verse 7, Paul states that: "He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and made in the likeness of men."  God then took on human flesh and was incarnated as Jesus.

In scripture, the disciple Philip asked Jesus in John 14:8, 9 to show him God.  Jesus replied to him that, "he that has seen me has seen the Father."

Finally, there is indisputable evidence for the Trinity in 1 John 5: 7 which reads:” for there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (logos) and the Holy Spirit; these three are one."  In verse 14, the word (Jesus) became one.

Empirical evidence for the Trinity was given to the authoress Dr. Petti Wagner, who in her book "Murdered Heiress" literally describes the Trinity when God spoke to her as a ball of light and said let me show you who we are.  He then split into three separate orbs which formed a triangle.  God was the top sphere of light; Jesus was on his right and the Holy Spirit was on his left.  All three spheres spoke as one.  Each member of the Trinity was identifiable by his distinctive voice.

Another book, "Heaven - Third Encounters of a God Kind" by Jesse Duplantis, describes the authors visit to the throne room where he saw God.  He could not look Him in the face because no man can look at God and literally live.  However, he realized that Jesus came out of God to speak to the people in the throne room.  He noticed that Jesus was the only person that was able to look at God and live.

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God’s Israel

ISRAEL – ‘THE APPLE OF GOD’S EYE’

By Francis Fawkes, Th.D.

The Jews are definitely God’s chosen people.  Just as God has chosen a people unto Himself, He has also chosen a land for them in which to dwell in perpetuity.  God himself measured the dimensions of this land over 3000 years ago (Joshua 1: 3-4).  God is therefore a Zionist.

We can certainly depend on the Bible in authenticating the identity of the Jews as the chosen ones.  It is the most accurate book of all antiquity.  Of the 27 scriptural texts of the other world’s religions, there is a great deal more documentary evidence confirming the historical and textual reliability of the Bible.

Also, those clever Jewish scribes took great care to foolproof the Bible for all posterity.  They knew that with time comes distortion.  Therefore, they counted every word and every letter on every page.  If the count was incorrect on re-examination, the inaccurate page was torn up and the scribe started the process of writing again.  So scrupulous were they in their pursuit for perfection, we know that there are 304,805 letters in the book of Genesis.  There is also a count of the number of vowels and consonants in each book that they copied.

In getting back to the subject, the Bible states that the Lord “…chose Jacob unto Himself and Israel for a peculiar treasure” (Psalm 135: 4).  Most of all, God avowed to make the Jewish people “…high above all nations whom He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour…” (Deuteronomy 26: 19).

The Jews above all, were chosen to spread God’s light throughout the planet.  They are the conduits through which the salvation of Jesus Christ was made available to humanity.  In both the spiritual and the secular spheres, they have been overachievers.  This is a fulfillment of the prophecy that all the nations of the earth shall be blessed by Israel (Genesis 18: 18).

THROUGH THE JEW ALL THE WORLD IS BLESSED

Christianity came to us through the Jew.  From the Judeo-Christian ethic came the great technological innovations and cultural developments as we know them today.  It is an established fact that Bible believing creationists founded every branch of science.

The Gentile nations also profited from the Christian perspective.  The people responsible for our technological innovations began life as barbarians.  The Vikings, the other Germanic tribes – including the Goths, Franks and the Saxons were a menace to the European coast.  They destroyed everything in their path as a sacrifice to their demonic gods of war.

When the Bible permeated their culture, they became civilized and today you find among them the Scandinavian peoples, the British and the Americans.  Since these people honoured the word of God in their culture, it is observed that a great number of the Nobel Prizes in Science and Technology go to them.  It is further noticed that all other countries in the Bible belt that adopt the Judeo-Christian ethic begin to prosper materially, intellectually and spiritually as well.

A modern day nation that has arisen from poverty and illiteracy is Norway.  After a farm boy introduced the Bible into this culture, the Norwegians immediately began to notice the difference.  Today, they are the most prosperous nation in the world per capita.

In South Korea, the same thing happened.  After the gospel was allowed to flourish, this country became the 12^th richest nation in the world in 25 years.

Just as these blessings have followed the genetic offspring of Abraham, they have followed his spiritual descendants – the gentiles.  As the people of African ancestry obey the call to carry God’s light throughout the world, God likewise, will prosper them in the different spheres of human endeavour.  “In the last days, Ethiopia shall stretch forth her wings” - (Psalm 68: 31).

THE JEWISH INTELLECT - THE RESULT OF A GENERATIONAL

BLESSING

Many have marveled at the phenomenal accomplishments of the Jewish people in almost every sphere of human endeavour.  The ordinary man attributes this to intellect.  Psychologists search for a genetic or environmental basis for their high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) ratings.

However, this is part and parcel of the generational blessings coming down from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  If the Ashkenazi Jews (those of Polish, Russian and German ancestry) are found to score 10 to 15 points higher on IQ tests than the surrounding populations, it is not by their own resourcefulness.  It is by the Spirit of God.  The Creator has equipped them to be a blessing to all nations as He has prophesied.  When God calls for something, he provides for it.

Other speculators would suggest that the Jews have bred eugenically over the years, when the sons of scholars married the daughters of the merchant class, thus producing the survival of the fittest intellectually.  Their intellect has led them, as some to contend, to withstand persecution.  However, other great nations before them have disappeared from the earth with much less persecution.  There is a supernatural component to the survival of the Jew.

Even their enemies have acknowledged their ability to innovate and their intellectual prowess.  It is a known fact, that one in five of all Nobel laureates have been Jewish - even though they are 1/24 of 1 percent of the world’s population.  Other interesting observations are 1/3 of the faculty at Harvard Medical School is Jewish, and also 1/3 of Nobel Prize winners in medicine are also Jewish.

In the arts, they are the world’s most formidable performers.  It is conceded by some that the Jewish born Felix Mendelssohn was a greater musical prodigy that Mozart.  Mendelssohn was a walking musical library at 12.  With total recall, he could produce any classical piano work on demand.

Today, Jewish concert pianists and concert violinists are the personification of their art.  They are icons in the performance world without equal.  The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, called the aristocrat of orchestras, consists of all former first chair players from all over the world.

BEWARE OF INTELLECTUAL IDOLATRY

Since the dawn of history, 800 civilizations perished when they violated God’s universal principles of morality.  These civilizations became worn down not necessarily because of a lack of intellectual insight, creativity or scientific innovations.  They fell because of a lack of revealed knowledge through the oracles of God.  In Proverbs 29:18, it states that “where there is no vision, the people perish.”  People generally interpret this to mean man- based vision.  However, man’s vision is flawed and sometimes he and his vision perish.  Vision in this context is the Hebrew word for revelation.  God’s ideal modus operandi for humankind is to function through the intellect and a combination of intuition (or revealed knowledge) coming from the Holy Spirit.  When there is a high level of revelation knowledge, a nation will begin to experience real and sustained prosperity.

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