Thought for the Month - July/August 2006

Da Vinci (code for nonsense!) - By Pastor Ian Wilson

The Da Vinci code, by Dan Brown, was first published in 2003. By April 2005, 17 million copies in 44 languages had been sold worldwide and sales show no signs of slowing down, Tom Hanks recently claimed that 68 million people have read the book.

This is a record for a work of fiction, with some claiming that it is the most successful work in history after the Bible. The book has been on the New York Times’ best selling list for three years. Recently the movie based on the book has been released. The movie is set to expose this story to millions upon millions more throughout the world. Dan Brown’s best seller has captivated the attention of the world you can hardly avoid it.

This is not the first book or movie to attack Christian teaching, it is not the first movie to blaspheme Christ. And yet this movie has upset more people than any other movie in recent history.

There are some very dangerous things this book and movie teaches. According to Dan Brown’s novel we are told that the New Testament we have in our possession is not God’s word but rather the book we have, was changed by Emperor Constantine for political expediency.

We are also taught that Jesus Christ was a good man even an honourable man but that is all. The notion that Jesus is God was only introduced in 325 AD by Constantine at the council of Nicea.

Both history and scripture prove all of Dan Brown’s claims to be false. However the two issues I have mentioned are so important they need to be stressed over and over again.

If the New Testament is a fake then we have no message for lost sinners. If Jesus Christ is not God then he cannot be our Saviour. Let me reassure every reader of this article. You can trust the Bible as God’s word, it is infallible. I can also assure you that Jesus Christ was not only a man but he was also God.

As a man he slept on the boat with his disciples as he crossed the Sea of Galilee and as God he was able at the same time, to speak and calm the storm.

Mark 4:39 "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm"

Let me remind you of Jesus’ own words.

John 10:30 "I and my Father are one"

Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!