Category: Challenges

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Another Jesus

Accept No Substitutes

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.   For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it! ~ II Corinthians 11: 3 & 4

Pilgrims’ Lack of Progress

The wife of a pastor friend of mine posted about a trip she took recently.  “What a wonderful weekend in Dallas . . . We toured one site where The Chosen was filmed and attended IF Gathering 2023 soo good”. 

I have touched briefly on the work of fiction which is The Chosen.  This is a Mormon Temple-controlled story of a gentle, attractive, fascinating Jesus.  Just in case the actual gentle, attractive, fascinating Jesus is not entirely to your taste.  There’s plenty to find on real Jesus, but the fake one is so entertaining that “you may well put up with it!”  Heck, you’ll seek it out, soak it up, sell your brain to it and make a pilgrimage to the set where the lie is spun.

The inherent tragedy in feeding yourself Jesus junk food is that the real feast is left languishing.  Any spiritual nutrition you can gain is left alone while your sluggish, weak soul feeds on sugary substances that cannot sustain, and this while the last battle is rapidly approaching us.  A chubby kid on the couch popping M&M’s does not a gladiator make.

If you want your soul thrilled and your mind settled on why you believe, spend more time in the Word.  Another good book is below.  Talk about the lights coming on, this is deeply nourishing.

When it comes to the IF Gathering, I’ve already covered that topic in a post called An Ounce of Prevention.   Jennie Allen looks like a Christian, she simply doesn’t talk like one.  As Charles Spurgeon is noted for saying: 

Discernment - Spurgeon Quotes - Girded with Truth

 

Jennie Allen came to my former church and the large event was billed as the “Be Bold” women’s conference.  I did not go.  If anyone is offering a “Be Discerning” women’s conference, let me know.

Paul wraps up the 11th chapter of II Corinthians by defending the authenticity of his apostleship:  

But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.  For such are also apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.  And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

I keep sensing a pervasive urgency that has nothing to do with being mean-spirited and everything to do with getting souls to shelter in the only safety while there is still time.   If I see another “Above all else, be kind” sticker on social media I will again be overcome by how obtuse we are as a culture.  Kindness, softness, and an overarching drive for unity are greasing the skids for souls to go to hell.  It may offend you that I’m not being nice but I will not assist in consigning souls to hell so that people will think well of me.

Picture a faith that goes far beyond feelings and then ask God to cause you to hunger for it.   He invigorated my shallow, lazy, indifferent soul – yours is no challenge.

Philippians 3:10-14

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this.  Instead, I am single-minded: forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Stop filling your mind and soul with bits of sand, go for the pearl of great price.

Seek the Old Paths
Jeremiah Was Right
While reading Jeremiah I came across this passage:
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls.  But they said, We will not walk therein.  ~Jeremiah 6:16
Interesting perspective I found yesterday.  I was unable to find the name of the author but they identify themselves as an Ex-NAR Christian.    

What’s Wrong With God’s Old Things

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If you spent any time in the Charismatic Movement or in much of American Evangelicalism, you probably got the impression that something big was always on the horizon.

Just beyond our reach was the next big move of God…He was just waiting on us to reach the critical mass of fearless faith. We thought God was always planning a groundbreaking movement that would take the world by storm.

But the big new thing never came. And while we were waiting, we missed something beautiful.

God is NOT doing a “NEW thing”! Rather, our Great God and Savior is doing a very OLD thing…

Every single day, God continues His quiet work of redemption in the hearts of individuals in every nation. It doesn’t get reported in the news and most people are not impressed or interested.

It’s an OLD work as ancient as the Garden. Our history began with a promise regarding the Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head.

It’s VERY OLD, because the work of saving sinners by grace through faith has been the LORD’s MO since the beginning. From Abraham to Rahab to the Philippian jailer to you and me, we all testify that God has been doing the same thing all along!

Actually, the work of redemption is even OLDER than that. Before the foundation of the world, God had prepared a Lamb to atone for the sins of His children. (See Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:20-21)

In every century, no matter the political or cultural landscape, the Ancient of Days has been unfolding His master plan of salvation. From the Stone Age to the Information Age, the purpose of God is fixed and it has never changed. He uses common, ordinary folk in hidden places to preach Christ crucified. Faithful nobodies in the African bush and the jungles of Papua proclaim that Jesus is risen and Jesus is Lord. “Repent and believe the Gospel.”

So when you hear of this modern day obsession about God doing a “NEW thing”, pay it no attention. God is not interested in “shifting atmospheres” in politics or “igniting a generation” to conquer the 7 mountains of cultural influence…NO! 

Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36a) His instruction to His followers was not to “make a difference” but to make DISCIPLES, teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded. (Matt 28:19-20)

His mission remains the same and we are His servants. His mission is this…
”I have other sheep, which are not of this fold;  I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10:16)

When the last sheep enters the fold, this ancient work will conclude and THEN He will do a NEW THING! After executing judgment on His enemies, the LORD says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Rev 21:5b)

So unless the “new thing” proponents are talking about the final judgment and the New Heavens and New Earth, then they are wrong. God is still carrying forward His daily work of saving wicked sinners through the finished work of Christ!

He’s not changing His methods or means of salvation nor is He raising up a superstar generation. The Lord may be doing works of sanctification in your life that feel new to you, but He’s not implementing any new strategies.

The kingdom of Christ still marches on without fanfare through the faithful preaching of the Gospel and the labors of the saints to make disciples in all that Christ commanded.

Forget new things this side of Heaven and rejoice in partaking in the OLD work of our Gracious and Compassionate God!

Grace to you all!

In His Grip,

An Ex-NAR Christian

P.S. The verse below (and its context) is about the coming of Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, not some “revival” hosted by “prophet” so and so at the local stadium…

“Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.“ – Isaiah 43:19

Much Ado About Something

Church Tossing as a Blood Sport

My husband and I had been attending a church for over 20 years.  I never caused trouble, even though I did have some minor concerns, until one day my exasperation overflowed.  What I did next started a conflagration.  A pastor taught one Sunday about resting in the Lord.  It focused to a certain extent on getting good rest, or sleep.  Sleeping without a cell phone by your bed, sleep studies, how the particular pastor behaved when sleep-deprived, etc.  There was a pleasant nod in the direction of scripture but I walked out frustrated at what I perceived to be a message that completely missed the point of trusting in God, through knowledge of Him, and finding rest in that understanding that comes through deep study of the Word of God.

The church put up a post on Facebook about the sermon.  There was accommodation for comments below and I said “Come on (name of church) let’s study the Word“!  Or something to that effect.  I should never have fallen for the apparent invitation to ‘comment’.  It should have warned me that only laudatory comments could be made or all hell would break loose.  

I met with the senior pastor for two and a half hours.  We talked things over at length, I later provided some well-documented information pertaining to a woman who was coming to speak and is doctrinally light in the loafers.  The decision was made that she was worthy to address our church and deep inside of me hope, and confidence in where the church was headed, simply died.

I did email the pastor that I would blog about what I was starting to research and there’s the rub.  I have been “disfellowshipped” and named as a slanderer and gossip.

As I’ve spent at least 2 weeks, absorbing more of the Word and contemplating why I would confront and scold men I should have been submitted to, self-recrimination was foremost in my mind.  What on earth motivated me to take on a fight against overwhelming odds?  Then I came upon a startling study on the spark that ignited this forest fire and all the lights came on.

The modern church has approved, supported, and executed erosion of God’s Word.

This is kind of long so let me sum it up.  It starts with a passage in the book of Amos.

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.  They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. ~Amos 8:11,12

What could possibly make the very Word of God disappear?  Another question is why are people seeking it so desperately.  It would seem we are much more likely, whether we call ourselves Christians or not, to avoid it at all costs.  The Word is sometimes just so hard.  That’s why Emerging Church techniques are delightful, that’s why the Mormon-controlled entertainment The Chosen is all the rage.  That’s why devotional books and quotes are the bomb and fraudulent translations like The Message and The Passion are the holy grail for shallow ‘believers’.  Studying the Bible seems exhausting until you actually Just Do It and then you learn it’s so endlessly fascinating you can barely put it down.  Plus it saves your life.

I’m betting that’s why people are literally running after the Word, but they shall not find it.  Where did it go?  It’s being stolen right under our noses as we read it online.  The words are being replaced, small, incremental changes so it will appear you are a trouble-making nitpicker if you point it out.  We are in a time when the very definition of words is being changed, i.e. calling a shot that permanently changes your DNA a “vaccine” being the most obvious.  When people don’t know what words mean, switching them out is absurdly easy.  Before you know it, you will be following a lie and will be absolutely convinced it’s the Word of God.

How do we sidestep this threat?  Get to a church that teaches the Word. We’ve made our way to Candlelight Christian Fellowship where literal passages of the Bible are taken, oddly enough . . . literally.  Choose a Bible that is as close to accurate as possible and go old school, not online. And follow the advice of Psalms 119.

How can a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed according to Your word.  With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!  Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.  Blessed are You, O Lord!  Teach me Your statutes.  With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.  I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.  I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.  I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.  Psalms 119: 9-16

We have been warned against deception but I think we little realized how insidious and pervasive it would become.  Go deeply into the Word, and run to the Lord.  The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.  Hide His Word in your heart and hide in Him.  The storm is upon us, take shelter.  You might get tossed out of a church, but you’ll be found in Christ.

When it comes to the word of the Lord – stay thirsty my friends.

 

Into the Battle

Sitting It Out Is Not An Option

Blogger Note:  I did not write this, this is from a source I can only identify as Bible In Context.  A brilliant mind, consistently spot-on.

I have a saying, “If it’s not Holy Spirit led, it’s demon fed.”

What I mean by that is that there really is no in-between. There are no coincidences. The powers of darkness that rule this world are committed to deception in “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”

The Child of God has a duty to grow in Love, Discernment and Real Knowledge (which is a knowledge of God) Philippians 1:9.

Our battle is confronting “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.” These “high things” are false doctrines, worldly philosophies and anything else that is not based on the truth of Scripture. We are commanded to take every teaching or any “truth” captive before allowing it to enter our minds and hearts and we are to search the Scriptures to see if it is true. Take it all captive and bring it to Christ in His Word, before you allow it to enter your heart and mind as a truth.

If anything that calls itself Christian is not bringing you closer to studying God’s Word in context, you are better off without it.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

 

 

That’ll Do Donkey!

When to Stop Being An Ass

There comes a time when you (and by ‘you’ I mean ‘me’) need to stop setting yourself up as the judge, jury and executioner of churches, pastors, flocks and heretics.  Even if you assigned yourself that job with a great deal of vigor.  Even if they have it coming.  Be like Balaam’s donkey rather than Shrek’s.  

If you’re a Shrek fan, you know Donkey and you know he can’t stop himself.  He means well but sometimes you just want to strangle him.

The donkey in the story of Balaam is also like me in that she’s an ass, but I prefer this analogy for reasons you’ll soon understand.  In the book of Numbers, chapter 22 you’ll find the story.

Funny Donkey On Road Stock Photo - Download Image Now - Donkey, Humor, Mule - iStock

  

Balaam was known as someone who had the power to bless and curse.  The king sent messengers with a “diviner’s fee” for him to curse the Israelites, which of course, God was against.  After repeated attempts and increased bribes, Balaam agreed to go to see the king since the pot was so much richer.

So Balaam rose in the morning saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.  Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.  And he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.  Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field.  So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.  And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

Then the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or the left.

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

The the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me.  I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden ever since I became yours, to this day?  Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.  And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times?  Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times.  If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

Numbers 22:21-33

 

The difference between Shrek’s donkey and Balaam’s is that one won’t stop and the other wouldn’t quit stopping.  To keep people safe, I must stop.

1,000+ Free Donkey & Animal Images - Pixabay

Balaam’s ass made the final move and simply laid down.  The good news is, the Angel with the sword was still on duty.  God will protect His church and doesn’t need help from me.

I have a friend. Surprised you, didn’t I?  Think of Queen Boudicea.  You mess with her or her kids and she’ll get you in the night, just for sport.  When she looked at me and simply said “You’ve now crossed the line into being contentious”, I had to listen.  Then I heard a message on the role of women in the church and though it’s an oft-repeated passage it impacted this time.

Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. 1 Corinthians 14:34

Another passage I have a difficult time warming up to is:  Titus 2:3-5

the older women, likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

And THERE it is!  I know I’m not gentle and meek, I am frequently irreverent, it’s one of my favorite pastimes.  And as I sit here composing, I’m sipping wine. To my credit, I’m a pretty good homemaker.

My self-assigned battle has been to contend for the faith, to promote sound doctrine by going to the word and spending my efforts to convince people gullible to false prophets that they should go biblical with no time to waste.  I wanted souls to be safe and I figured the only way was to make sure they understood who God is, what He requires and how to know you’re going to hear “well done, good and faithful servant” instead of “I never knew you.”  Not until recently did I comprehend that my behavior and a certain ‘combat readiness’ were accomplishing precisely what I was fighting against.

Now I’m having to face that women need to be silent and willing to learn.  The fact that a female ass was needed to step in and stop a man from self-destruction is not lost on me and has me inclined to view that as proof of my qualifications.  Still, I must reflect on the might of God, persistent Angels with swords and then just lay my ass down.

 

Seven Mountain Mandate and Other Fables

All Power Be Unto . . . Us???

If you follow the NAR churches like Bill Johnson’s church in Redding, California you’ll have heard of the mandate where Christians are given power to dominate the earth in preparation for Christ’s return.  So you don’t want to be a Christ follower?  Tough.  We have the POWER.  It’s called Dominion Theology and doesn’t that sound nice?

These selective readers of the Bible will control:

1. Education
2. Religion
3. Family
4. Business
5. Government/Military
6. Arts/Entertainment
7. Media

The movement is gaining momentum but it’s all lies.  Jesus never said that’s the way it’s going down.  Read Revelation or simply read the following from The Bible in Context.  Your life depends on it.

Christianizing the world and destroying Satan’s kingdom before Jesus comes back is NOT a Bible doctrine and is impossible to accomplish by redeemed man. Satan will be the ruler of this world UNTIL Jesus comes back.

The church has NEVER been given a mission to change the world and “Christianize it,” actually we are to rescue people out from it. It is not God’s plan for the Church to take over and implement dominion over this present evil world before He returns.

We need to see it as it is written. The world is getting worse and no sanctified earthly or spiritual government of man will turn it around no matter how good their intentions may be.

For anyone to reign over a kingdom they establish in His name is unknowingly preparing the earth for the Antichrist who will rule first, before Christ comes to set up His Kingdom on earth.

If one eliminates this crucial understanding of the last days he will have no defense against the coming deception that has begun to sweep the earth and trap its inhabitants for “the testing” and God’s judgments.

Daniel sees the Messiah destroy this kingdom that exists when he returns, “a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces” (Daniel 2:34-35). It is the anti-Christ’s kingdom that will be destroyed by the word of His mouth and glory (Isaiah 11:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8). It is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands that destroys this last kingdom of man.

Defend yourself against deception by staying diligent and intentional about studying God’s Word!

We released a Mini-Course on “How To Study Scripture” taken out from inside the online Bible college.

Go listen to it now

👇

https://www.philippians19.org/study/

 

In Spirit and In Truth

Oh Look A Poisonous Tree – Let’s Eat!

How must God be worshipped?  If we go to the book of John 4:24 we have our answer.  In spirit and in truth. But can we do it with music?  Yes!  May we do it with the way we live?  Yes!  How about how we speak?  Sure thing.  There are only two recognizable parameters and one of them is truth.

When most of us think of worship, we think of songs sung to God.  Yet for most of us, thinking hasn’t had that much to do with it.  The worship team leads the way and off we go.  Why get uptight when everyone is having a good time?   

“Worship with loud guitars.  Praise with thunderous amplification.  Deafen the heathens.  Let the drums rattle the enemy.  Let thy guitar solo be heard over the whole earth”.  1 Opinions 23:7 (Amplified Version) ~  Ken De Vries  

That’s surely good enough for Sunday mornings, but is it what God requires?    If the beat is strong, if the sound is amplified, if the light show is rocking it, do we really need truth?  Tragically, the answer coming from most American churches is “no”.

Music bypasses all of the intellectual barriers.  Don’t think, just sing.  Truth be damned.

“Johnson’s statement undermines one of the most common defenses made by pastors and worship leaders who allow Bethel Music to be used in their churches.  They say they are fine using the music from NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) churches (even though they may disagree with those churches’ theology) as long as the lyrics are sound.  In other words, they believe the source of the music doesn’t matter.  They point out that no church or songwriter has perfect theology (which is true, but there is a big difference between expecting a church to have perfect theology vs. expecting them to not promote harmful and dangerous teachings).  Ironically, those same pastors would probably never allow their churches to use music from a controversial church like Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas.  They (rightfully) would not want to look like they are promoting the hateful rhetoric spouted by that church.  So, though they say the source of a song doesn’t matter, it’s doubtful that they truly believe that.”  -Counterfeit Kingdom

Does the source matter?  The Bible says it does.  “You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ~Matthew 7: 16-18

 

Bethel Church is a tree full of poison but it has great music if you count high emotions and 249 million Spotify downloads as a qualifier of greatness.  I don’t, which doesn’t matter, but neither does God and that should matter a great deal.  I say ‘should’ because it doesn’t, not to the vast majority of churches in America, including mine.

A cookbook written by Jeffrey Dahmer may have 1 good recipe in it, but I wouldn’t know because I wouldn’t read the book after realizing the source. ~Dan Mullin

A tad graphic but I couldn’t resist.  This was a comment on a previous post I made and the point is stark.  Why are we internalizing death-dealing doctrine?

“Music is a means of worship.  Music reinforces beliefs.  And music prepares us for action.  Lyrics, rhythm and beat all contribute to the effect that music has in our lives.  Heartfelt song expresses our outlook on life, the things we believe, our expectations and emotions.  Music inclines us to be receptive or unreceptive to certain messages.  Our experience of God is conditioned by the songs we sing.” -Counterfeit Kingdom

 

I’m begging you, let our worship be worthy of the God we serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Contend for the Faith

Or Shut Up for Unity

 I wonder if you can follow and defend false prophets and false teachers and still be saved.  Some do this in ignorance, some in the firm belief they are furthering God’s kingdom.  He is the judge and that comes as an enormous relief.  So why should we contend for the faith?  Does it matter?  Are we simply being annoying or are we actually helping keep some from hell?

Oh Shut Up

If the followers of false apostles, prophets and teachers are still going to go to heaven, what’s the use of warning them?  I’ve tried and have been warned against being a pharisee, blaspheming the Holy Spirit and operating in a religious spirit.  My pastor did a podcast on ‘Christians attacking other Christians’ calling it opposition research based on “fear, anger and pride”.  He also asserted we are majoring in the minors and should not pass judgment on disputable matters.  There was a cautionary statement that if we do not seek out the false teachers individually first, we must not criticize them, we should rather “just be quiet” or we look foolish.  The problem is that there are different Biblical instructions for individual offense and false teachers broadcasting lies.  

So when the Apostle Paul was writing his second epistle to Timothy and he warned sharply “not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  But shun profane and idle babbling, for they will increase to more ungodliness.  And their message will spread like cancer.  Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort . . .”

If my pastor is correct, Paul should not have uttered a word about this, and should not have warned the church until he had a one-on-one with Hymenaeus and Philetus.  We don’t know if he did, the Word is silent on that.  What the word is noisy about is warning the church.  Should we follow Paul’s example in this modern day – or just shut up for the sake of peace and unity?

If it’s merely ‘Christians attacking other Christians’ then it’s just division and strife for the sake of arrogance.  So are we pretending to be on a wolf hunt but the pelts tacked up to the barn wall are all wooly?  What are we hunting?  How do you tell a wolf from a sheep?  Well, for starters, you can go by what it’s eating.

This is where verification through the Word comes in so handy.  The Spirit of God will never stray from the Word of God.  If the Bible is silent about something, we can be too.  If the Bible is noisy about something, we can be too.  The Bible says we can know people by their fruit.  If preachers are attempting to separate the Spirit of God from the Word of God that’s a clue. Here’s what wolves say “I feel that the Lord is saying . . .”.    Feelings aren’t truth.  If you are using feelings to feed on sheep, you’re a wolf. 

This is what I wish my pastor had said because some pastors are giving wolves cover by demanding people’s assent through silence. I will not go gently into that dark night.

 

Go ahead, call me divisive, proud, fearful, angry, I’ll take it.  Still, I’ll listen rather to Paul who said to Timothy “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” ~I Timothy 4:16

Good doctrine is important.  Action against false doctrine is commanded.  We are called to stand.

The Bible In Context

This is a heavy post, but one the needs to be heard today. The Church needs to get back to a knowledge of God’s Truth in context!

Sadly, we currently have an entire generation of mainly charismatic and Pentecostal Christians who have never been to a proper Bible study in terms of exegesis of Scripture (didaskein—Greek), nor heard a proper sermon in terms of expository preaching (homilea—Greek).

The exposition of Scripture is replaced by psycho-babble, anecdotes, verses out of context and, too often, just plain hype and con-artistry.

Since such people never had actual pastors in the biblical sense of shepherds who feed the sheep, they die slowly of malnutrition, eating straw instead of grain (Jeremiah 23:28) and have no grasp of the biblical doctrine that Paul says is essential to Christian growth and health (Titus 2:1).

Consequently, they wind up believing anything, including the very deceptions we are warned would come in the last days
(2 Timothy 4: 3-5). They accuse those who follow the command of the Lord (1 Timothy 1:3) in condemning unbiblical doctrines, of being unloving and divisive.

The modern state of affairs has become one where such people simply do not know any better and do not understand that it is rather those who depart from the teachings of Scripture who are divisive (Romans 16:17), not those who will attempt to protect the Body from such deception.

So You Think It’s a Revival
(Please note:  I did not write this, I found it on Facebook)

Would God leave His people without a way to examine ALL things? Would God do a thing that prevents believers from being able to immediately examine it? Would He require believers to wait some undisclosed amount of time to “see what happens?” If the devil inspired a revival today, would we know how to examine it? Would the devil duplicate old false revivals or reinvent new ‘Moves of God” to lure in an unsuspecting crowd? Would the devil aim to target young impressionable youths mostly devoid of sound doctrine and ignorant of the false “moves of God” throughout Church history? Does the devil seek to be worshiped and praised?

I Will Not Trade My Bible For Revival

Let’s examine these things.

All too often people today are testing the supernatural or spiritual things, by what they hear or see, by their experiences, or by their feelings.  If it feels good or right, they “bear witness.”

Another way we see people “testing the spirits” today is by just accepting it by faith, since whatever is happening is inside the church, and therefore “must be from God.”

NONE of these forms of testing are a biblical measure for Truth and they have more in common with the way the world operates, than the Church.

Not all supernatural experiences are from God. Just because it is real does not always mean it is true or authentic. Satan can perform lying signs and wonders that exhibit power just as the apostles did.

All supernatural or spiritual events must be tested before they can be embraced as truth. Don’t be intimidated by big names or multitudes of people saying not to test things. It’s your spiritual right, even your obligation, for your own protection.

The Apostle of Love in 1 John 4:1 tells us to try or “test the spirits.” This command is for our protection. It is not an option.
For example: The way to test a false prophet was by doctrine, not by what they would predict, because in Deuteronomy 13 God says it can actually come to pass, but that He is testing you whether you love the Lord. 

We need to be cautious in hearing and experiencing spiritual “stuff”.

The spiritual man or woman can discern all things. This shows maturity as Hebrews 5:13-14 says. 2 John 9 speaks to us about deceivers and tells us the only way to know is by doctrine: “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God;”

The Word of God is available to everyone, and it “is quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12).  So, we are to use the written Word of God for ourselves and others to discriminate concerning a teaching or whatever is transpiring in any supernatural service.

Of course, God is still active today. He has not been lazy or not “moving” as some might imply with their claim of how all of a sudden God is moving. God wrote the Word and taught believers the doctrine of Christ. He has chosen to limit how He works by working within the parameters of what He has revealed in His Word. He will not go beyond what is written and neither should we.

Today we are confronted with a new type of Gospel, one of experiencing the supernatural. Signs and wonders were never the focus. The Focus was Christ and Him Crucified, His forgiveness and man being reconciled to a Holy God.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven.” Just saying things in His Name or doing things, especially great and wondrous things, in His Name does not make you or anyone a Christian. Read Matthew 7:21-25 because the devil can and will counterfeit outward manifestations.

When you are under deception, you are able to justify any action as long as Jesus’ name is attached to it.

Those who trust in their experiences will all be fooled because they have no measuring stick. They are not familiar with the Word, nor do they abide in it to be immune from deceptions.
Satan is not just a counterfeiter, he is an inventor, especially when it comes to religious-spiritual practices. He uses clever deceptive means to get people from one level of deception to the next. Satan has a counterfeit program involving signs and wonders that he has used throughout history.

God made it clear that it is an evil generation that seeks a sign! Nothing has changed in the Word of God nor in the heart of man. A true supernatural experience will always complement the Word NOT contradict it.

We need to look at all supernatural events from a biblical perspective. It is inconsistent with God’s character to allow His supernatural power to accompany false teachers/teachings that deny what He has so clearly said in His word.

Deception aimed against the Church will take place inside the church, make no mistake.

God still does miracles, but He will NOT honor falsehood with the power of His presence. Any sign or wonder or supernatural event must be questioned and tested by the Word rather than relying on the experience itself to validate it.

Examining the fruit of a person is examining what they say, do and teach and if it conforms to the written Word of God. If it is not in accordance with Gods Word, it is not good fruit and it is not abiding in the doctrine of Christ and therefore not abiding on the vine (John 15:4).

The fruit being examined is of individuals and NOT ministries or supernatural events. There is no waiting to examine the fruit of a “move of God.” God will always honor Truth and move people towards repentance and the gospel. A move of God will always move people towards an accurate understanding of the Truth written in Gods Word. God has indeed limited Himself to operate within the parameters of His Truth which He has revealed to us through His Son and by the written Word of God.

C.D. Cole stated it well by saying, “People who are looking for miracles as a sign or proof of God’s presence and favor are putting themselves in a good position to be deceived. What is supernatural is not necessarily divine.”

A.W. Tozer once said “It is no sin to doubt some things but it may be fatal to believe everything.”

You can’t know what not to participate in unless you judge by God’s Word, and then after you find out it’s wrong you are obligated to let others know.

The one thing that God does not say is to do nothing and leave it ALL up to Him.  He tells us to do what is right. One must be mature to do what is right.

To judge teachings and supernatural occurrences is to act in love. To stand by and ignore them while falsehood continues to spread and misleads and even destroys many lives is negligence. It is the absence of true discipleship and compassion. True love is not silent when people are being misled or deceived.

There is ALWAYS real cheese in a rat trap.

What if this whole event is a trap. What if this whole thing was planned months prior to occur days prior to a scheduled ecumenical and NAR prayer day across college campuses nationwide. What if this whole thing is a marketing strategy to create momentum and hype before they launch their product or true intentions? What if after the day of “prayer” on February 23rd the “revival” moves off location to a more convenient place for deceivers to now move in? What if they begin to schedule the services and “close doors?” Does Gods Spirit rest? What if they use the gullibility and kindness of many well intended Christians to promote a manufactured move of God powered by the Social Media giants? What if the god of this world knows exactly what he is doing?

Do not underestimate the power that Satan has and is allowed to use by God to test believers to see if they love Truth.