Resources for Christians

Introduction:

I am a bit of a Theological "pack rat." Whenever I find something useful, or uplifting, or helpful, I try to hang on to it and share it with others as well.

That's the purpose of this website, to share with others files that may be helpful in their walk with Christ.

My prayer is that Christians will be edified and encouraged and grow in grace and truth.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

2 Peter 3:18

May God bless you!

Mark Edward Sohmer

Please feel free to contact me at my email address:

Subject List

This website is divided into the following categories:

Bible/Theology

back to top

Evangelism

back to top

Errant Theology

  • Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show: a review of Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis: Have you heard of Pastor and Bible teacher Rob Bell? If you haven't, then chances are good that you will soon. In 2007, The Church Report rated Rob Bell the tenth most influential Christian in America. In addition to being a Pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church, and writing books, Rob also stars in a series of short teaching movies called "Nooma." Velvet Elvis is Rob's first book, and it has already had a profound influence on many in the church, especially youth. When I read it, I was greatly troubled by the astounding amount of heretical doctrine, aberrant theology, and bizarre interpretations in this book. So I wrote this review as a warning to those who might consider Rob to be a faithful Bible teacher. Rob shows that he has an unbiblical view of the Trinity, the exclusivity of Christianity, and the gospel itself. If you want to know more about this dangerous false teacher, or about the "Emergent" movement, then please feel free to read this review for free by clicking here.

  • Way of the Master on Todd Bentley and "Healing Revivals": This is a clip from Way of the Master Radio. Todd Friel interviews Mark Havill, who formerly was involved in so-called "Healing Revivals." The guest talks about how the services are setup in order to put those in attendance into a hynotic state of consciousness. This is well worth listening to if you're wondering about Todd Bentley, Rodney Howard Brown, or others like them. Definitely worth listening to.

    Way of the Master on Todd Bentley and "Healing Revivals"
    (14 min's, 29 sec's)

back to top

Other Religions

  • A Jew and His God: I am a Jew who believes in Jesus. And I realize that many people consider that odd. This short article is my story of how I came to believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah! You can read this article by clicking here.

  • A Jew and His God - How a Jewish man came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah: In April of 2008, I was invited to speak before a group of Christian businessmen. They wanted me to share my testimony of how I came to believe that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. They also asked me to give a biblical gospel presentation. This is the audio from that presentation.

    A Jew and His God - How a Jewish man came to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Mark Edward Sohmer
    (40 min's, 16 sec's)

  • Are Christian Doctrines Anti-Jewish?: This essay analyzes many Christian doctrines to show that they all have their origin in Jewish teaching. It is not un-Jewish to believe in the Trinity, baptism, the New Testamanet, et cetera. You can read this essay as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Jewish People (or... The Gospel According to Fiddler on the Roof): I am a Jewish Christian, and I am always trying to help Christians (whether Jew or Gentile) reach out to unsaved Jewish people. I read a question on an evangelism message board about how to reach out to unsaved Jewish people, and I posted a lengthy response. I am posting the original question, and my response here as well, in case it will be a help and a blessing to others. Please feel free to read the original question and my response by clicking here.

  • Jewish Christianity: Biblical Norm to Modern Contradiction: In Jesus' day, just about everyone who believed in Jesus at first were Jewish and remained Jewish, but today many people believe it's a contradiction to be Jewish and Christian. In 1995, as a Senior at the University of New Hampshire, I wrote my Honor's Thesis analyzing historically how it came to be that mainstream Jews began to ostracize Jews who belive in Jesus. In the first century it was odd for a Gentile to believe in Jesus, whereas today it's the other way around. My Thesis explores the history of just what happened over the past 2,000 years to make that so, including the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the revolt against the Romans led by Bar Cochba, and the proclamation made by Rabbi Akiba at the time. I discuss the pertinent writings in the Talmud and Mishna, the alleged conversion by Roman Emperor Constantine, as well as anti-Semitic creeds of the church. I found this study fascinating. You can read this thesis as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • World Religions in a Nutshell: Judaism: World Religions in a Nutshell is a handy, practical reference book with helpful tips for reaching lost people in a number of false religions. Living Waters Publications gave the first chapter away for free, and it was the chapter on Judaism! I read it and loved it! In my opinion, this short chapter provides an excellent background on the three major branches of Judaism today, gives an overview of what each branch teaches about God, the Scriptures, sin, Heaven, Hell, the Messiah, and more. It also gives helpful "do's" and "don'ts" when witnessing to an unsaved Jewish person, and even gives a sample role play. Finally, there is a testimony of a Jewish man who turned to Christ for salvation. As a Jewish Christian myself, I highly recommend this chapter as one of the most helpful resources I have come across for reaching unsaved Jewish people for Christ! This book also has chapters on Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, Roman Catholicism, and others. You can read more about the book and purchase it by clicking here. Or for free, you can read this excellent chapter on Judaism as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • The Gospel According to Moses: This is a recording of a speech I made on why and how we celebrate the Jewish holiday "Passover." I show how the message of our need for a sacrifice to atone for our sins is clearly foreshadowed in the story of the Passover. This message is called "The Gospel According to Moses."

    The Gospel According to Moses
    (41 min's, 05 sec's)

  • Passover Seder: This is a recording of a Passover Seder I had the privilege of leading in April of 2006. What's a "Seder?" Great question! A Seder (pronounced "say-der") is the meal and ceremony that Jewish pepole attend to commemorate God's redemption of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt. But the Seder is not just for Jews. It has clear prophetic significance to the coming Messiah. The story of Jesus is found all throughout the Seder, and that makes Passover an exciting and relevant holiday for both Jews and Gentiles who know Jesus the Messiah.

    Passover Seder
    (1 hour, 3 min's, 1 sec's)

  • Highlights From a Passover Seder: This video has clips from the above Passover Seder. If you want to see my wife recite Hebrew, or sing a solo, or hear my daughter recite "The Four Questions," then tihs video is for you! You can view this video by clicking here.

  • A Passover Haggadah: This file is the "Haggadah" for the above Passover Seder. What's a Haggadah? A Haggadah is the book that you go through during a Seder. It contains the litergy. I wrote this Haggadah specifically for the above Seder, and it's useful to have if you want to follow along with the Seder or run your own! You can download this Haggadah as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file by clicking here.

back to top

Cults

Introduction:

I am a member of Fellowship Bible Church in Chester, NH.

In 2005, I was given the privilege and honor to lead an Adult Sunday School series on the topic of "The Cults."

I am making available my notes and other files that may be valuable here, so that anyone can download them.

My prayer is that Christians will be edified and that those involved in cults will be challenged to seek and know the truth.

May God bless you!

Mark Edward Sohmer
2005

Please feel free to contact me at my email address:

Class Notes:

During the Sunday School class, I made extensive use of Microsoft Powerpoint to project notes on an overhead screen. I have broken down the notes into sections to make it easier to download, and easier to distribute.

I am making these notes available in 2 formats:

  • Microsoft Powerpoint Files
  • Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files

The Microsoft Powerpoint files are in full color and include all the transitions. You will need Powerpoint 2003 to view the files, or the free Powerpoint reader which you can download for free by clicking here.

The Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files are most likely the ones you'll want. They are much smaller in size and have been converted to black and white for easy printing. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat viewer which you can download for free by clicking here.

 
Microsoft PowerPoint
Adobe Acrobat
Cult Class Introduction
(weeks 1-2)		 cults-intro.ppt cults-intro.pdf
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses)
(weeks 2-7)
supplemental files		 cults-JW.ppt cults-JW.pdf
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)
(weeks 7-13)
supplemental files		 cults-LDS.ppt cults-LDS.pdf
The International Church of Christ (Boston Church of Christ)
(weeks 13-15)
supplemental files		 cults-ICOC.ppt cults-ICOC.pdf
The Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Science)
(week 15)
supplemental files		 cults-CS.ppt cults-CS.pdf
The Roman Catholic Church
(weeks 16-25)
supplemental files		 cults-RCC.ppt cults-RCC.pdf
The Church of Scientology (Scientology)
(week 26)
supplemental files		 cults-CoS.ppt cults-CoS.pdf
Conclusion
(week 27)
supplemental files		 cults-conclusion.ppt cults-conclusion.pdf

Note: right-click on filename and choose "Save Link As..." to save the file to your computer's hard drive.

Other Files:

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
(Jehovah's Witnesses):

  • Watchtower Bible and Tract Society Prophecy History: This document contains actual reproductions of genuine Watchtower publications showing the false prophesies made by this group. This is very powerful and you should print out at least 2 copies to have near your door since the Jehovah's Witnesses always come in 2's. Give this to the Jehovah's Witness. It's from their materials and they likely have never seen these actual reproductions. You can download this as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file by clicking here.

  • Why You Should Believe In the Trinity (Overview): This two-page document is a summation of the essay Jesus Christ, God, and the Bible. It shows many scriptures that prove Biblically that Jesus is Jehovah, and the Father is Jehovah, and the Holy Spirit is Jehovah, but there is only 1 Jehovah. You should give this out to Jehovah's Witnesses when you give out the "Prophecy History." You can download this as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file by clicking here.

  • Jesus Christ, God, and the Bible: Many of my arguments for the defense of the Trinity were based on the article Jesus Christ, God, and the Bible which you can download as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file by clicking here.

  • The Deity of Christ: This document is lesson #49 of 101 total lessons in the Way of the Master School of Biblical Evangelism. This particular lesson is entitled "The Deity of Christ" and contains a list of 182 verses that show that Jesus is divine. (Please learn more about the School of Biblical Evangelism by visiting their website @ http://www.biblicalevangelism.com!) In the meantime, please feel free to download this lesson on Jesus' Deity as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file by clicking here.

  • How to Witness to a Jehovah's Witness: This article was written by Bible Teacher Ray Comfort and is an excellent example of the proper way to witness to a Jehovah's Witness. Comfort does not get bogged down in arguing, but shows that the Watchtower does not have the Biblical gospel. This is definitely worth reading! You can read this article by clicking here.

  • Ray Comfort Witnesses to a Jehovah's Witness: This is a sound clip from the November 28, 2006, Hour 2 edition of the Way of the Master Radio Show. In this clip, Ray Comfort uses the Law of God to witness to a Jehovah's Witness who came to his door. This is an excellent followup to the essay Comfort wrote about this, How to Witness to a Jehovah's Witness. You can listen to this audio by clicking on the speaker graphic or text below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.
    Ray Comfort Witnesses to a Jehovah's Witness
    (13 min's, 8 sec's)

  • Letter to a Jehovah's Witness: This letter was written by Roy Zuck, and is an excellent example of Biblically making the case against the claims of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. It's an excellent resource! You can download this letter as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file by clicking here.

  • Jehovah's Witness Roleplay: For Week 3, I managed to get the talented Peter and Sheldon to star in a 3-minute roleplay of what it might look like for a Christian and a Jehovah's Witness to discuss whether or not the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is a false prophet. You can watch this video by clicking on the graphic below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.

    Note: Playing video files requires a version of Microsoft Windows Media Player, which you can download by clicking here.

  • Blood Donor Card: The following images are actual scans from a Watchtower "Blood Donor Card" that the organization requires its members to sign and carry.

    Note: click on images to enlarge

  • Testimony of a Former Jehovah's Witness: For Week 6, Jim Clayton was kind enough to present his testimony of how he became a Jehovah's Witness, and how God brought him out of that organzation and into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible. Very interesting and worth listening to! You can listen to this audio by clicking on the speaker graphic or text below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.
    Testimony of a Former Jehovah's Witness: Jim Clayton
    (14 min's, 10 sec's)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
(Mormons):
The International Church of Christ
(Boston Church of Christ):

  • International Church of Christ Overview: I originally wrote this document when I was a senior at the University of New Hampshire way way way back in 1995. The ICOC was aggressive at UNH at that time, and so I wrote this document to help Christians at UNH understand what the ICOC believes and why they are a cult. I have revised it and updated it a bit over the years, but it still is useful, I believe, to find out what the ICOC stands for. I pray it will encourage and equip you! You can download this essay as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • Biblical Response to Baptismal Regeneration: "Baptismal Regeneration" is a doctrine that says that one must be baptized in water in order to be saved. In other words, it is at the moment of baptism in water that salvation occurs, and not before. This doctrine is held by the Roman Catholic Church, the Boston Church of Christ (a.k.a the International Church of Christ) as well as some other churches. I was asked by a member of a church that teaches baptismal regeneration to comment on the "plan of salvation" that was put forward by a website that believes in and teaches baptismal regeneration. You can read my response by clicking here.

  • Testimony of Two Former Members of the International Church of Christ: For Week 14, Kevin and Maria Hatch were kind enough to present their testimony of how they became members of the International Church of Christ, and how God brought them out of that organzation and the abusing practices and heresy in that church. Very interesting and worth listening to! You can listen to this audio by clicking on the speaker graphic or text below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.
    Testimony of Two Former Members of the International Church of Christ:
    Kevin and Maria Hatch
    (24 min's, 17 sec's)

The Church of Christ, Scientist
(Christian Science):

  • There are no supplimental files for Christian Science at this time. You can, however, download the notes on Christian Science at the top of this page by clicking here.

The Roman Catholic Church:

  • The Gospel of Rome: Investigating the Claims of the Roman Catholic Church: This essay comes from the notes to the 10 weeks we spent on Roman Catholicism in the Sunday School Class. I have converted the PowerPoint slides into essay form, and added text to make it read like an essay, rather than bullet points from a presentation. This essay is very appropriate to give to those who are in the Roman Cahtolic Church and are interested in doctrine and the Bible. This essay is also useful for Evangelical Christians who are confused by the Roman Catholic Church or wonder why it should be considered a cult. You can download this essay as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • The Gospel of Rome: HTML Version: This is the same as the above essay, but in a format readable directly in your web browser. Use this if you're having trouble with Adobe Acrobat. You can view this essay in your web browser by clicking here.

  • Roman Catholic Church Overview: This document is a condensed version of an essay called, The Gospel of Rome: Investigating the Claims of the Roman Catholic Church. Please consult that essay for a much fuller analysis of this important issue. The original essay is 137 single-spaced pages, which can be a bit daunting. So this document is condensed down much smaller. This condensed document can be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • Roman Catholic Church Overview: HTML Version: This is the same as the above document, but in a format readable directly in your web browser. Use this if you're having trouble with Adobe Acrobat. You can view this document in your web browser by clicking here.

  • Roman Catholicism Audio from Cult Class: These are digital recordings from the cult class. You can listen to these audios by clicking on the speaker graphic or text below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.
    Week #1
    (46 min's, 28 sec's)    		 Week #1 topics: introduction, why a cult?, baptismal regeneration, Roman Catholic plan of salvation, Biblical plan of salvation, eternal security
    Week #2
    (44 min's, 44 sec's)    		 Week #2 topics: review, works, James 2, Philippians 2:12, penance vs. repentance, auricular confession, James 5:16, mortal and venial sins
    Week #3
    (33 min's, 59 sec's)    		 Week #3 topics: review, purgatory, indulgences, the Papacy - part 1 (Please note: due to technical difficulties, this class was not recorded when it was originally presented before the congregation. It has, however, been recorded after-the-fact to make this series complete. All the material presented live before the congregation has been presented in this recording.)
    Week #4
    (45 min's, 26 sec's)    		 Week #4 topics: review, the Papacy - part 2, Matthew 16:18, keys of heaven, binding and loosing, John 21:15-17, Cardinals, Elevation of Clergy
    Week #5
    (50 min's, 20 sec's)    		 Week #5 topics: review, celibate Clergy, Transubstantiation, part 1, John 6:48-57, Matthew 26:26,28, the mass is an actual sacrifice, worshipping the eucharist, 2nd Commandment
    Week #6
    (45 min's, 14 sec's)    		 Week #6 topics: review, Transubstantiation, part 2, the priesthood is essential, common sense fallacies of transubstantiation, Mary: her immaculate conception, sinless life, perpetual virginity, mother of God, mother of the church, her assumption, co-mediator, queen of heaven, she redeemed the human race with Jesus
    Week #7
    (44 min's, 38 sec's)    		 Week #7 topics: review, dead saints, dulia vs. latria, relics, Roman Catholic view of the Bible, part 1, written and oral scripture
    Week #8
    (56 min's, 32 sec's)    		 Week #8 topics: review, Roman Catholic view of the Bible, part 2, sola scriptura, tradition, the Apocrypha, One True Church, Church history, evolution of Catholic doctrine, anti-Semitism, "saved" Roman Catholic
    Week #9
    (30 min's, 8 sec's)    		 Week #9 topics: review, Evangelical Compromise: ECT ("Evangelicats and Catholics Together" document), Last Days Ministries, Intervarsity Press, Norman Geisler, Christian Book Distributers, Rich Mullins, Michael Card, Bethany Christian Services, reactions to death of Pope John Paul II (Please Note: due to technical difficulties, the beginning of the class was not recorded. Only the review portion was lost. All new material was successfully recorded. This explains why this recording is shorter than other weeks.)
    Week #10
    (44 min's, 5 sec's)    		 Week #10 topics: review, divisiveness, social roadblocks to the gospel, sad conclusion of being a Catholic, concluding thoughts, overview, Roman Catholicism vs. Roman Catholics, conclusion, when witnessing to Roman Catholics, resources (Please Note: there is a distracting "hum" sound during the first minute of this recording, but it goes away after about one minute.)

  • The Catholic Chronicles, by Keith Green: Before his death, Contemporary Christian Musician, Keith Green, wrote many essays on various subjects. One series was called "The Catholic Chronicles" where Green analyzed the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. I believe that these "Chronicles" are some of the very best and objective information on the subject of Roman Catholicism, and it is with regret that they are no longer in print. So I am making them available here on this website. I highly encourage everyone to read them! You can download them by clicking here.

  • Biblical Response to Baptismal Regeneration: "Baptismal Regeneration" is a doctrine that says that one must be baptized in water in order to be saved. In other words, it is at the moment of baptism in water that salvation occurs, and not before. This doctrine is held by the Roman Catholic Church, the Boston Church of Christ (a.k.a the International Church of Christ) as well as some other churches. I was asked by a member of a church that teaches baptismal regeneration to comment on the "plan of salvation" that was put forward by a website that believes in and teaches baptismal regeneration. You can read my response by clicking here.

  • Scene from the Movie Luther - Indulgence: This is a 2 minute and 15 second snippet from the excellent movie on the life of Martin Luther, called Luther. In this scene, Martin Luther visits Rome for the first time and attempts to purchase an indulgence to help a deceased relative escape purgatory. He begins to realize the futility of this practice. You can watch this video by clicking on the graphic below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.

  • Scene from the Movie Luther - Johann Tetzel: This is a 2 minute and 15 second snippet from the excellent movie on the life of Martin Luther, called Luther. In this scene, the famous Johann Tetzel preaches to a town that they can escape purgatory by giving money to help build St. Peter's Church. Johann Tetzel is a true historical figure who was well-known for selling indulgences during the time of Martin Luther. You can watch this video by clicking on the graphic below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.

  • Scene from the Movie Luther - One Word: This is a 3 minute and 17 second snippet from the excellent movie on the life of Martin Luther, called Luther. In this scene, Martin Luther is prepared for his meeting with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan at the Diet of Augsburg. This scene illustrates the unBiblical manner in which the clergy are elevated in the Roman Catholic Church. You can watch this video by clicking on the graphic below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.

  • Scene from the Movie Luther - Relics: This is a 1 minute and 45 second snippet from the excellent movie on the life of Martin Luther, called Luther. In this scene, Martin Luther teaches his class in Wittenberg about the absurdity of "holy" relics and their tie in to indulgences. In this scene, Luther mentions Johann Tetzel, who is a real historical figure who was famous for selling indulgences during Luther's time. You can watch this video by clicking on the graphic below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.

    Note: Playing video files requires a version of Microsoft Windows Media Player, which you can download by clicking here.

  • Cornerstone by Steve Camp: For Week 25, I played Steve Camp's excellent song Cornerstone, which has a lot to say about the many false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. You can listen to this audio by clicking on the speaker graphic or text below or by right-clicking on it and saving it to your computer's hard drive.
    Cornerstone, by Steve Camp
    (4 min's, 55 sec's)

  • Ashes, or No Ashes?: This is a clip from Way of the Master Radio. Todd Friel is discussing the trend in some non-Catholic churches to celebrate Ash Wednesday. I think his observations are spot on. Ashes were not at all used in Biblical times the way they are used today. Definitely worth a listen if you're wrestling with this issue.
    Ashes, or No Ashes?
    (3 min's, 08 sec's)

The Church of Scientology (Scientology):

Conclusion:
back to top

Inspiration

  • Prayer of Repentence: This prayer was given by Pastor Joe Wright to start the Kansas Senate on January 23, 1996. This is a powerful and true statement for our need for repentence! You can download this as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • My Commitment as a Christian: A short letter that can be printed and hung up reminding us of our commitment as a Christian. I hope you find it inspiring. You can download this as an Adobe Acrobat file by clicking here.

  • John 3:16 Animation: A short animation showing the meaning of John 3:16. Very well-done. It is a Windows executable file. You can download this file by right-clicking here and selecting "save target as" or "save link as."

  • Creation Animation: A short animation illustrating the 7 days of Creation. This animation is beautifully made. It is a Windows executable file. You can download this file by right-clicking here and selecting "save target as" or "save link as."

back to top

Marriage/Family

back to top

Miscellaneous

  • The Sufficiency of Christ: Steve Camp came to my church on Sunday September 23, 2001. He gave one of the best sermons I have ever heard. He preached on the sufficiency of Christ, and how our society has lost sight of Jesus' transcendence. He interwove fantastic hymns into his excellent exposition of the scriptures. You just HAVE TO listen to this sermon. Or download it and listen to it later.

    The Sufficiency of Christ, Steve Camp
    (58 min's, 47 sec's)

  • "America's Foundation" Cartoon: I think this cartoon is insightful. You can view it by clicking here.

  • Freedom Documents: This zip file contains a Windows "help" file containing classic American historical documents, including: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of The United States of America, The Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and more. You can download this zip file by right-clicking here and selecting "save target as" or "save link as."

back to top

home ~ Mark ~ most important
contact us ~ request password

© 2008, the Sohmer family