false gospels

Nov

2010

To be Known by God

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me.” (John 10:14)

Journal,

In this study we will look more closely at a spiritual phenomenon that is unique to the Christian faith. It can be compared to ‘imprinting’ that takes place between children and their parents, and to the imprinting that takes place in nature.

Jesus spoke of the new covenant imprinting experience by the use of a prophetic picture. He said of true believers,

Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)

This is a picture of a believer who is deeply acquainted with the spiritual life that comes to us from our heavenly Father. The living waters accords to the revelation of Jesus and to the covenant life that we share with Him.

Nature itself calls attention to our imprint from God.

You see it everywhere. Imprinting is what causes the penguin chick, and the mother penguin to recognize one another. Even in the midst of literally hundreds of thousands of birds chirping loudly, and covering the beaches like a huge blanket, the mother penguin knows her chick.

How does the mother penguin know her chick? Imprinting. The mother penguin knows sooner than does the chick. It is the same with our heavenly Father. He knew us, and loved us long before we had a capacity to return our love to Him.

John wrote,

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1John4:10)

Paul also wrote,

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.'” (2Tim2:19)

Did you notice that the foundation of God carries a double seal? Look closely. God knows everyone one of His people, and, His people are to stay away from wickedness.

Also keep the word ‘knows‘ those who are His in view. Later we will read of a group who claimed to do all their works in the name of Jesus, but Jesus said that He never ‘knew‘ them. The same Greek word is used in both instances. The comparison is to the false prophet who operates under in occultism. (More later.)

A closer look at the human family.

Infants imprint with the mother soon after birth and even to some extent while in her womb. What happens is that the infant begins to recognize the ‘sounds‘ of the mother, of her smell, and various other stimuli. The baby remembers her voice as she sang over him while still in the womb.

Think about it. Why does the mother adjust her voice to a special tone when speaking, or singing, or playing with the infant. Fathers do this also. This is nature. It relates to imprinting.

One of the strongest stimuli is always, ‘the voice.’

Is there any Bible for such a thing as imprinting in a spiritual sense? Jesus said,

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27,28)

And again,

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)

Now hear it from David, from Jeremiah, and from Paul:

[David]

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.” (Psa 139:13-14 NASB)

[To Jeremiah]

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jer 1:5 NASB)

[Paul]

But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son…” (Gal 1:15-16 NASB)

God’s heavenly children

In the case of God’s heavenly children, imprinting is a work of the Holy Spirit. It begins with our heavenly birth. It is through the spiritual process of imprinting that believers come to know and to recognize the voice of Jesus.

This is why Jesus said,

I am the good Shepherd, and I know My own and my own know Me.” (John 10:14)

Sometimes there is a struggle with imprinting on the side of the believer. Paul wrote the Galatian Christians, and said,

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal 4:19)

Paul was not speaking of them being born again, again. His concern was for their inability to know and recognize the things of the Lord in their lives. The Greek word for ‘formed’ is ‘morphoo.’ It literally means ‘to form the nature of.’

This statement can be translated, “Until you become Christ like in your life and attitude.” The idea carries over as a sense of imprinting.

Generally new believers begin to imprint quickly. This is especially true when their spiritual environment is conducive to learning the voice of Jesus early on. But bad teaching can interfere to some degree with the imprinting process for new believers. This was happening with the Galatians believers. .

Paul said a similar thing to the Ephesian Christians. He said,

We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him.” (Ephesians 4:14)

Bonding with the heavenly Father

A major cause of immaturity among believers is their failure to bond properly with the heavenly Father. They become restless and unbalanced. They are easily misled. Sometimes you find them wandering from one church to another. (A pastor’s greatest job is to help believers bond with God.)

If a young believer is not under the kind of teaching that will lead him to believe deeply in his salvation and in God’s love, this believer can become fear driven. God is a loving Father. The first need of a child of God, is the need to know they are loved without conditions. This is set forth by the apostle John when he said that God loved us before we were able to love Him.

This is also why Paul instructed us to be very careful with the weak and to never put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother’s way. We are to encourage and let each believer progress on the level where he is. He said,

To his own Master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4)

The saddest story of all.

Jesus said there would be a group standing before Him who had used His name, yet He consigned them to a state of eternal lostness.

Listen carefully:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Mat 7:21-23 NASB)

This portion is not as difficult to understand as it may seem. Jesus is addressing false prophets. The false prophets will use the name of Jesus but it isn’t Jesus of the Bible or the God of redemption that they are representing. They were preaching ‘another’ Jesus. They are preaching a false gospel.

The apostle said that these false preachers are actually under a curse:

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” (Gal 1:8 NASB)

To be accursed means to be devoted to destruction. Paul explains how this realm of ‘falseness’ is occultism at work. (Read my prior journal entry, ‘The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church.’)

Follow closely:

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. …

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (Cf. 2Co 11:3,4,13-15 NASB)

When Jesus said of the false prophet, ‘I never knew you,’ this simply means that they were never born of His Spirit. (Jesus knows all who belong to Him.) Their imprint was from the evil one.

Think about these things. The Lord will give you the understanding that you need.

In the meanwhile, here is a song that will minister to our heart…‘He Leadeth Me,’ by the Martins.

Much love to be found in Jesus.

In Christ always,

Buddy

Nov

2010

The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church

Every kind of honor and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, ‘My beloved did eat and drink, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked.’ Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity.

“So the worthless rose up against the honored, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years. For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as everyone abandons the fear of God, and is become blind in his faith, etc.” – The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Journal,

The purpose of this entry is to provide a bit of education on the issues that Paul had to deal with concerning the church at Corinth. It is well worth the reading.

Let’s begin with Clement. The afore quote is from a letter of Clement to the Church of Corinth. Scholars are in favor that this letter was written by the traveling companion of the apostle Paul. When Clement wrote this letter both Paul and Peter had been martyred not too many years prior.

Paul speaks of Clement and other workers who helped him;

[They] have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Phil4:3) [Clement lived A.D. 30-100]

This letter by Clement was written either following the destruction of Jerusalem, or just prior. It was only one of several letters written by those who knew the apostles, that were read in the Churches. Clement along with Barnabas, and a couple more writings, were given consideration with regard to being placed in the New Testament canon of Scriptures. The church historian Eusebius held Clement in high esteem. (Clement is in the 1st volume of ANF and is found in the Alexandrian manuscripts.)

What were the problems at Corinth?

There were so many that it would take too much effort to try to address them all. However, there was one very serious situation that called for special concern by the apostle Paul. It had to do with the gifts of the Spirit and in particular the gift of speaking in foreign or other languages.

There is much more to this story. The City of Corinth was less than 50 miles across the Corinthian Gulf from Delphi. To the Greeks, Delphi was considered the center of the earth. There was a stone set in place that was called the navel of the earth. Delphi had the Delphic oracle, which belonged to the Earth goddess, and was supposedly guarded by a serpent, Python. (Keep the serpent Python image in view.)

At the Delphi temple they practiced a pagan glossolalia or speaking in tongues, but not in any language that could be understood. This influence of the pagan glossolalia was strongly felt not only in Corinth, but also in the entire Grecian world. (You can study this in most encyclopedias.)

The way the oracle worked was that a male prophet at the temple would receive a question from an inquirer. The question could be personal, or about government affairs, or whatever. The inquirer would be brought into the presence of a young woman priestess of Apollo who was said to have a “pythonic spirit.” The young woman would speak in unintelligible utterances, often fall out in a frenzy, supposedly through the spirit of Apollo in her, and the prophet would interpret the message.

It seems that Paul encountered this pythonic spirit at work in Philippi.

It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination [puthõna] met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.” (Act 16:16 NASB)

The issue of gifting

It is important to understand that Paul never took away from their being a gifting from God concerning speaking in other languages. The problem seems to be that certain ones who had been to the Delphic priest were beginning to show up in the congregation, and very likely, even some of the priests and priestesses were entering.

The Christians would have been considered a threat to the Delphic oracle. In addition the Corinthian believers may have felt like they were in competition with the Delphic oracles. This was probably why Paul had to deal so much with the issue of speaking in tongues with the Corinthian church. You don’t find it in any of the other churches.

If you read the Corinthian letters with this background in mind, it will help you appreciate some of the things Paul is addressing. Listen carefully to the language:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1Co12:1,2.)

From this we can assume that some of the Corinthian believers had taken part in the Delphic oracles. It was the spirit of divination that had led them astray. (Keep in view the term, ‘led
astray’. We are going to see it again in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. )

Again:

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Co12:3)

Someone was speaking by a spiritual power that declared Jesus was accursed. Paul’s contention was that the Holy Spirit would most certainly not say that Jesus is accursed. There is a vast difference between Jesus being accursed and Jesus taking the curse of the Law upon Himself at the cross. But these false outbursts of prophecies were leading the people astray.

Can a person confess the wrong Jesus?

For someone to truly make the confession that Jesus is Lord, would be an act of the Holy Spirit.

Anwk cross - Egyptian godsHowever, can someone say that Jesus is Lord and it not be of the Holy Spirit? Yes, if there is a occultic spirit involved. Paul addresses this issue in his second letter. He says it is possible to preach a Jesus who is not the Jesus of the Bible. (See the book 'The Beautiful Side of Evil by Michaelson.)

Listen to Paul:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2Co11:3)

Remember the term ‘led astray.’ There it is again. Paul used it in both letters. In this second letter, Paul is coming even more strongly against the people being led astray.

Notice the background of being led astray is still the ‘serpent.’ The inference may possibly be to the pythonic spirit again. ‘Led astray’ is the Greek word phtheiro, which means to corrupt or spoil. The corrupting is a spiritual deception.

This word is used in Rev19:2, where it says,

He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting (phtheiro) the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants on her.”

Paul shows how this corrupting influence works. He said,

For if one comes and preaches another Jesus who we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted you bear this beautifully” (2Co11:4)

The Corinthian group was coming under the influence of the occult. There is no other way to explain an involvement with a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel. You may think this is hard to do, but Church history has proven that this has always been a real danger for believers.

Clement has more to say.

Let’s come back to Clement’s letter which was written after the passing of Paul and Peter. I want to share a few notable quotes from his letter. It gives an idea of what happened to the church in Corinth, and what can happen in a church today if a spirit of occultism enters the scene.

Your schism has subverted the faith of many, has discouraged many, has given rise to doubt in many, and has caused grief to us all. And still your sedition continues.”

“The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love beareth all things, is long-suffering in all things. … Love admits no schisms.”

“All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly.”

“Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars of the Church have been persecuted and put to death. … Peter, through unrighteous envy … Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity … Thus was he removed from the world and went into the holy place…”

Did the Church at Corinth ever revert itself? Who knows. We do have a promise that the Lord will not lose any that belong to Him. It is possible that the Lord simply removed His people to a place of His choosing. But this is speculation

Historically speaking…

Historically there is no evidence that ‘glossais lalein’ [speaking in another language] played a continuing role in the advance of early Christianity. There have been resurgences in this area but they almost always proved to be of the occult. Paul gives the only Scriptural explanation that we can find as to why. Some find this a difficult Scripture, but it needs to be considered.

Paul said,

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.” (1Co13:8-10)

Paul doesn’t say when these things will happen. Some think he is speaking of heaven. Others think he is speaking of the apostolic era. But there is a word that Paul uses that may be the key. It doesn’t speak of heaven or of the apostolic era perse.

Listen carefully. Paul said,

But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” (v10)

If we stopped there, it could easily mean heaven. But Paul continues;

When I was a child, I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (Vs11)

Paul is using a word here that he only uses one way. It has regard to maturity. He said,

But when the perfect (teleois) comes, the partial will be done away.”

I can’t emphasis enough the usage of this word. It is never used with regard to heaven. It means when something reaches its desired goal, or a state of maturity. What did Paul mean by perfect? It is possible that he had the transition of covenants in view.

The new covenant taking its place

Listen to this statement in Hebrews 8:13;

When He said, ‘a new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”

The old covenant had not disappeared as long as the temple was visible. As long as the temple sacrifices were in place the former covenant was still visible for all to see. This was a special time in the changing of covenants. Many of the people were still thinking on an old covenant level. They did not have the spiritual maturity that would replace entirely the old.

The temple sacrifices offered no atonement for sin. Yet a great many of the priests had received Jesus as Lord, and still involved in temple sacrifices. (Cf. Acts 6:7)

The book of Hebrews was written not long before the destruction of Jerusalem. It was like a final warning to the Jewish people.

The prophets testimony

This brings us back to the prophet’s testimony concerning the purpose of ‘glossais lalein’, that is, speaking in other languages. God speaking in Isaiah 28:11,12, said,

Indeed He will speak to this (Jewish) people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue … but they would not listen.”

Follow through with Isaiah 28:13;

… they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.”

This is exactly what happened in 70 a.d. The temple was destroyed, Jerusalem burned to the ground, and the people were taken captivity into the nations. In addition, there was no longer any visible evidence of the former covenant in place. The transition was over.

What had happened? The superior covenant was fully in place. This is likely what Paul had in mind, when he said that prophecy would be done away with and tongues would cease. These things would be replaced by something superior, that is, a mature spiritual walk with the Lord, where each child of God is able to hear from the Lord for himself.

And this is where believers today need to learn to live their life on a new covenant level. When Paul speaks of prophecy, it is likely he was speaking of a prophet sharing from the voice of God. Yet in the new covenant experience, that is not God’s best. One of the defining marks of the new covenant is that every person hears God personally. Jesus said,

My sheep know My voice, and another they will not follow.”

Notice how the book of Hebrews begins;

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (1:1,2)

God now speaks to His people through the voice of His Son. The Old Testament prophetic ministry had come to a close. We see this on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Moses and Elijah disappeared we hear a voice from heaven,

This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; LISTEN TO HIM.” (Caps for emphasis only.)

Did not Jesus say that the law and the prophets were until John?

In the new covenant every true believer has the attending voice of Jesus speaking into his or her life. This is one of the validating factors that we have entered the kingdom of the beloved Son.

In the former covenant, you had to seek out a prophet. Not so in the covenant of Christ. God spoke through the prophet, and said,

For all will know Me, from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Time for a check up

And here is where we need to use caution. Paul did not say that these elements of prophecy and speaking in other languages would be ‘destroyed.’ What he said was that they would be rendered useless, or, ‘idled.’ Paul was simply telling the Corinthians, not to get over-focused on these particular gifts. There is no question that the Lord can speak to us through others. But to go about seeking a prophet today can do much damage to a believer’s walk with the Lord.

I realize everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences. But in the study of Scriptures, it is important not to let our experiences determine what we believe. We must learn to be true to the Scriptures.

Everything I have shared in this entry is for educational purposes. My advice to believers today is to remain on guard against any form of occultism. Familiar (pythonic) spirits love to enter into congregations and play off as being from the Lord.

Here is your song for today. Please listen to it. It is titled, ‘In Christ Alone.’

May the Lord’s blessings rest upon you and all that is yours,

In Christ always,

Buddy

Aug

2010

The Prostitute Will Enter First

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. ‘Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus *said to them, ‘Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.’” (Mat 21:28-31 NASB)

Journal,

In this entry I want to follow two closely related tracks. One will concern itself with those who have a self-righteous religious attitude. The other track will address the Church that Jesus established, that is, the church made up of prostitutes and tax collectors. The tracks will run together.

To appreciate what Jesus had to say about prostitutes and tax collectors entering the kingdom of God before the religious authorities of that hour, we need a bit of background. The day prior, Jesus ran the money changers out of the temple area. When He returned to the temple the following day, He was confronted by the authorities:

“…the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.'” (Mat 21:23-24 NASB)

When Jesus asked them if the baptism of John was from heaven or from men, it caught

them completely off guard. They were unable to respond. The crowds saw John as a prophet, and were being drawn to Jesus as the Messiah of Israel. They were calling Him, ‘Son of David.’ (This term had regard to the promised Messiah.)

The religious leaders refused to answer. Thereby Jesus refused to tell them where His authority came from. It is at this point that the Lord gives the parable of the two sons.

It is how Jesus ends this parable that is so interesting. He simply says that the prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the kingdom of God, ahead of these Jewish leaders?

Think about it. The Lord was in the temple complex speaking to the recognized leaders of world Judaism. Included in this group would be those who would have Him crucified.

Yes, you guessed it. Religion crucified Jesus.

The gospel of the prostitute

But why did Jesus draw attention to prostitutes and tax collectors? After all they were considered the very dregs of Jewish society, the very worst of sinners. For one reason they were utterly detested especially by the Pharisees. And so you have the dregs of society versus the high and mighty. You have those who know they are sinners, and you have the religious bigots, the very epitome of the self righteous, those who look down their noses at everyone not of their sort.

Yet it is in the prostitutes and tax collectors that we see the true gospel story.

Strangely enough the verity of ‘the prostitutes entering first’ can be seen of a sorts in Biblical form. In the very genealogy of Jesus Christ, only four women are recorded. Three of the four women were non-Hebrew in ancestry; Tamar the Canaanite, Rahab the Canaanite, and Ruth the Moabite. Two had prostitution written in their lives, Tamar and Rahab. One was an adulteress, Bathsheba. (Bathsheba was the only Hebrew of the four. She was from the tribe of Judah.)

All four of these women were in the direct lineage of Jesus Christ. Does that tell us anything at all? Why were these the only women recorded? Perhaps it is because in these women we see the very heart of the gospel story and of God’s love for all of humanity.

Here is a brief rundown.

Tamar dressed herself as a temple prostitute in order to deceive Judah. Through Judah would come King David, and thus Messiah. (Story in Genesis 38)

Rahab was a ‘harlot.’ [Hebrew is ‘zanah’ which means to be a harlot or to commit fornication.] The two spies were to sent spy out Jericho. Rahab protected them. She believed in the Lord God of Israel. (Story in Joshua 2)

Ruth’s story is one of the most beautiful in all the Bible. She was a Moabitess. Once again we have a non-Israelite woman preserving the seed of Messiah. (See the book of Ruth.)

Finally we have Bathsheba. She was married to Uriah the Hittite. David paid dearly for his sin of adultry with Bathsheba. And yet this is another of the four women who are written into the genealogy of Jesus.

It is important to understand that this is not an issue of lifting up immoral sexual behavior. If we knew the times well enough, we would know how much the women were at the mercy of the men. A woman was born under complete control of the father. This went to the husband. And as a rule, she received no inheritance from her dead husband. It passed to the sons. The sons were to care for the mother. If she did not have sons, her situation was not good. The sons were the social security system of the time. (There are variations on this, so I’m not being technical.)

Now back to the prostitutes entering the kingdom of God first. What is Jesus speaking to with the story of the two sons. One thing it tells us is that religion in itself can become the very destroyer of faith. Sometimes we exalt our religion to the extent that we’ve become ‘religion worshipers.’ This is what had happened in Israel’s religious establishment.

We say stone her! What do you say?

We see religious blindness in the gospel story of Jesus. When the men wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery, Jesus diverted the attention of the men to their own sins. He spoke nothing but kindness to the frightened woman. Jesus said two things to her that we must never forget. First, He did not allow her to remain under the bondage of condemnation. And secondly, Jesus simply told her to free herself from the sin that she was involved in. He Himself would be her freedom.

The woman at the well is another classic example. This lady had been married five times and was then living with a guy. How did Jesus handle her? He began by helping her process her life. He spoke to her heart. He awakened something in her. Jesus Himself would be her answer.

But notice that the woman has a final argument. It had to do with religion. She said,

“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

There it is. See how our religion can get in the way. All she knew was religion. She had a pain in her heart and couldn’t do anything about it. The Lord took it out of the hands of religion. He said,

“Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”

He goes one to say,

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Now we know the primary reason the temple authorities hated Jesus. He was dismantling their power over the people.

Jesus was telling the lady at the well that there wasn’t going to be any more special mountains she needed to go to. There will be no anointed places you need to seek out. There will be no great religious figures you will need to bless you. True worship will be a matter of the heart. It will be as personal as a kiss. (The Greek for worship, proskuneo, literally means ‘to kiss.’ It is a very intimate word. True worship is deeply personal.)

Paul later expounded on this, in saying,

“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” (Phil3:2,3)

This brings us full circle back to the high priests, the elders, the prostitutes, and the tax collectors. We need to stop looking at the religions of the world for answers. This includes all the hype you see on the television tube. Jesus is present with every one of His people. He is in their hearts. He is in their mouths. He is in their lives. You see, religion stopped at the cross. It was nailed there in the body of Christ.

What does all this mean? It means the door to heaven has been flung open. The curtain has been ripped. No one can ever again stand between you and the Lord God. There is no prophet that you need to go to. Just listen with your heart. Jesus said,

“I have other sheep also, 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.”

Does this do away with the Church? May it never be. It establishes God’s true Church. The Church has never been a building. Christ Himself builds His Church, and He flocks His people as He wills. We just need to find out where we need to be.

Jesus dismantled religion

Did the Lord not say,

“Heaven is my throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me?” (Isa66:1)

Well, God did build a house to contain His glory. He built it out of fallen humanity. The apostle said it well enough;

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts (this is the glory shining) to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face [exact presence] of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2Co4:6,7)

The flock of God

So, whence went religion? If the glory is shining in our hearts, why would we need an outward system of symbols and rituals, with vestments and forms, to tell us what God is like? Well, we don’t need any of that. The Messiah of God said,

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Jn10:27,28)

Now another question – What need do we have for flocking together as a Church?

The need is great. God has ordained that each of His people be assigned to a particular flock for their care and safety.

There are hundreds of thousands of gospel believing churches with the same hundreds of thousands of godly pastors who care deeply for their flock. We just need to look to the Lord to place us in our proper flock.

It should go without saying that we aren’t in heaven yet. Nor are we secured from the presence of evil. And so God has decreed that He will meet with every flock, regardless of how tiny it may be, and in these flockings, He will make Himself known in special ways. (This does not preclude the fact that we have the glory in our hearts.)

There is another reason for God flocking His people. The young lambs need a place of security so they can grow properly, and be taught the ways of the Lord, and not have to worry about harassment by wolves. Mature believers are a safe guard against spoilers of the flock.

Paul warned us about them. Wolves are sly. They often try to enter the flocks disguised as sheep. But you can recognize them after a bit. They emit an order that is unpleasant to the sheep. Besides that, wolves are really stuck on themselves. They can’t hide it. On the other hand, sheep are humble creatures and non-threatening.

But even here we need caution. Systems of worship are not necessarily wrong. Neither are they necessarily right. The problem is that God does not deal with us according to our systems of worship. He deals with us one on one on one. He deals with us family by family. He deals with us flock by flock.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that you don’t have to worry about which system is right. None of them are right. The question is whether we are right with the Lord.

I have been a pastor for a long time. My greatest joy is to look at those who have been made part of God’s church. All I can say is…

“Thank you Lord, for every prostitute and every tax collecter. Thank you for all these beautiful people. They were once sickened in sin, but you have glorified Yourself in them. Thank you Jesus.”

Well, I must not leave this entry without a song. Here is the story of the believer’s faith in Jesus Christ. Please take time to listen. The Lord wants to speak to your heart. It is titled, ‘Through It All.’ (By the Booth Brothers)

Much love in Jesus,
Buddy

Aug

2010

Jesus Laid Death in the Grave….

“But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'” (1Co 15:54-55 NASB)

Journal,

If the fact be told, Christianity is the only religion that sets aside death and judgment for her believers. Every other religion leaves humankind in a state of uncertainty and often even in hopelessness. In this entry I want to deal with that most crucial issue in the human experience, death and judgment.

As a beginning place I’ll share words from three men who represent the best that their religion had to offer; Rabbi Saccai of Judaism, Mohammed of Islam, and the Apostle Paul of Christianity. Each man speaks to what their religious world offered with respect to death and judgment.

Let’s begin with Saccai. Rabbi Saccai lived before and after the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. His full name was Rabbi Yochanan ben Saccai. [Yochanan is Hebrew for John.] Some scholars believe that Rabbi Saccai was the ‘John’ who sat in judgment of the apostles and possibly participated in the trial of Jesus.

If that is the case here is the Scripture reference that may apply to Rabbi Saccai:

“On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them [Peter and John] in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’…

“[After the council had deliberated] And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Act 4:5-7,18 NASB)

Yochanan ben Saccai was so well known and revered in Judaism that when anyone spoke of John of the Sanhedrin, no futher identification was needed. He was so highly regarded in Judaism that he had the title, ‘the light of Israel, the right pillar of the Temple, and its mighty hammer.’

[The Jews loved titles as do many among Christians today. Jesus warned believers against the use of titles. That’s why I have little for those who like to be called ‘apostle’ or ‘prophet’ so and so. To me it reeks of pride.]

As for Rabbi Saccai, this man was the major influencing factor in giving shape to Talmudic Judaism after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 a.d.. But did he deserve the title, ‘light of Israel’? I’m afraid not. That title belongs to one Person alone, the Messiah.

Here is the Saccai’s death bed testimony as recorded in the Talmud:

Rabbi Saccai’s deathbed testimony

“When dying, his disciples came to see him. He burst into tears. Ask, ‘Why?’ ‘If I were now to be brought before an earthly king, who lives today and dies tomorrow, whose wrath and whose bonds are not everlasting, and whose sentence of death, even, is not that to everlasting death, who can be assuaged by arguments, or perhaps bought off by money I should tremble and weep; …

“…how much more reason have I for it, when about to be led before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he, who liveth and abideth for ever, whose chains are chains for evermore, and whose sentence of death killeth for ever, whom I cannot assuage with words, nor bribe by money! …

“…And not only so, but there are before me two ways, one to paradise and the other to hell, and I know not which of the two ways I shall have to go whether to paradise or to hell: how, then, shall I not shed tears?”

Think about Yochanan ben Saccah’s death bed testimony. Does it sound like he had any assurance in that which was to come?

Then we have this statement from the writings of Islam, concerning Muhammed’s own insecurity.

How Muhammad looked at death

“Muhammad said: ‘By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.'” (hadith 5:266) – In Islam the only guaranteed way to enter heaven is by martyrdom. This is the driving force of suicide bombers.

Now compare these statements to Paul;

The testimony of the apostle

“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain…But I am hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” (Phil1:21-24)

Paul carried in his heart what old timers called ‘divine assurance.’ Every true believer carries this assurance.

Can we carry this further? How about the Hindu religion? It is the same. They preach ‘another’ Jesus. He is one of the many reincarnations of God, called an Avatar.

How about superstitions…

It doesn’t matter how many crosses a rock star may hang around his neck, this has nothing to do with Jesus of the gospels. The cross is not some amulet to wear to give good luck. The only cross that saves is the message of the cross. Paul said this message is, “foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.“ (1Co1:18)

What then is the point? The point is that there is only one Jesus Christ. He Himself is in the message of the cross. And when Jesus Christ is preached, and received, and accepted as the atonement of our sins, and as Redeemer and Savior, for the believing one there is a seal placed upon their heart.

This seal carries in it the testimony of divine assurance. The seal carries in it the very life that Jesus came to give us. The seal contains the presence of heaven as a continual reminder that we are simply pilgrims on a journey.

And the seal carries in it that the believer has already been judged in Christ and that heaven is the believer’s assured destiny. Christian believers are the very children of the throne.

Consider:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.“ Joh 5:24

Follow through with these Scriptures.

“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (Heb 2:14-15 NASB)

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Php 3:20-21 NASB)

” [God] and raised us up with Him [Jesus}, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:6-9 NASB)

Yes, Jesus laid death and judgment in the grave

This is why there is no such thing as a person not knowing if they are saved or not. You either believe in and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, or you don’t. There is no middle ground. If you truly trust in Jesus as Lord of your life, this means you have left the world of darkness, that you have turned from your sins, and that you now carry in your heart a divine seal of salvation.

Paul adds to this in saying,

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom8:14)

And again,

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (Rom 8:16,17)

John the beloved adds to the record by saying,

“The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself … and the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life…” (1John5:10)

Now we know why…

…Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai faced death with tears and dread. and why Mohammed did not know what Allah would do with him. And we also understand why true believers have no dread of death or fear of eternity. It is because God’s ‘seal’ of the heart carries with it the very essence of our heavenly home.

God’s children all carry in themselves a heavenly consciousness. We know that this world is not our home. We share in the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“And He was saying to them [Pharisees], “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.” (Joh 8:23)

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (Joh 15:19)

“[Father] I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they [all true believers] are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (Joh 17:14)

The simplicity of faith in Jesus

God’s divine seal of assurance goes much much deeper than our emotions. It is a thing of the heart. Paul said that with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. What he is saying is that the confession is an automatic response to what has happened in the person’s heart. We speak what is in our hearts. If Jesus Christ is our Lord, we will certainly let people know it.

The apostle also warns against believers following after strange teachings and following after things that may not be of God:

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.“ (2Co 11:3NASB)

Did you catch it? Our entire walk in our journey of life is to be based on a simple devotion

to Jesus Christ. Don’t be led astray from the simplicity and purity of your devotion to Jesus Christ.

It is the simple message of faith in Jesus Christ, and in the finished work of the cross that we must preach and tell the world. If we are preaching anything else, there can be no work of salvation. The apostle quoted Isaiah, in saying,

“Lord, who has believed our report [message]?” He then says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Cf. Rom10)

Christ Himself actually speaks to the hearts of men and women in the preaching of the cross. This is what makes preaching so powerful. Paul says it plain enough when he said to the Corinthians,

“For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1Co2:2)

He then explained why this was the only message he preached;

“So that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (Cf. 1Co2:5)

With all this in mind, let me share just a bit about…

The Jordan message…

Crossing the Jordan is a figure of speech that believers use for our passage into the eternal kingdom of God. As a long time minister of the gospel it has been my great honor to attend to the going home of so many of God’s children. It is as the Psalmist said,

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” (Psalm 116:15 nasb)

The Lord called me to preach the gospel of His Son when I was twenty-four years old. I will soon be seventy. But the Lord did something a bit extra on my behalf. He has also allowed me to sing the gospel in the form of songs that He has given me.

Some years ago the Lord gave me a song to share about the believer’s journey into His eternal kingdom. The song is entitled, ‘At the Crossing of the Jordan.’

There is nothing professional about the song, but it does carry with it a message from heaven. Take a moment to listen to ‘At the Crossing of the Jordan.’ Its me on the guitar with help from some dear friends and family. The song speaks to our journey home. Let it speak to your heart.

That’s it for now.

May the Lord be gracious to you,

Buddy

May

2010

Like a Ship at Sea…

“Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters; they have seen the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep.” (Psalm 107:23-24 NASB)

Journal,

I met her in dry dock in Seattle, Washington. The USS Calvert, was the oldest troop transport in the Pacific fleet and one of the most decorated. She was undergoing some needed repairs. This was in 1962. I had spent a year and a half in the Philippines, and now I was to serve as one of Calvert’s radiomen.

What an initiation! On our voyage down the coast to San Diego we met a fierce gale off the coast of Oregon. I watched as her bow disappeared beneath the waves and then rise up again. The old ship would shudder. For me it was electrifying. For the USS. Calvert it was business as usual. The old ship had seen greater storms than this one. She just kept right on course.

A launch into faithfulness…

I will never forget my year and a half as a radioman on board the USS Calvert. We carried troops throughout the far east, always ready to make assault landings.

Yep, I spent four years in Uncle Sam’s navy. For your curiosity there is an adage which says, ‘Sailors have salt water in their veins.’ If that is the case then I come from a family of salt-water in-your-vein sailors. I sailed the same seas as two of my uncles who served in WWII.

Anyway, some many years later the Lord gave me a dream about a ship. In the dream the Lord directed me to take the ship out from the coastal area and launch into the deep waters. We were to move Christian Challenge completely away from the shallow emotional driven teachings that were making rounds in certain church movements at that time. These teachings appealed to man’s natural nature but did not revolved around a true Christ-honoring walk with the Lord.

Yes, my pulpit knew there was something taking place at Christian Challenge. (This was back in the 8os.) And this is where Christian Challenge began to be restored to her true nature of being a nonsectarian, gospel-centered ministry. Our stewardship from the beginning was to train disciples for service in the vineyard of the Lord. This change in course was the wisest thing we could ever have done.

And the winds keep blowing and blowing.

Would you believe that making a change in course is a major part of any minister’s walk with the Lord. Even the apostles had to learn to separate misguided teachings from the truth of the new covenant.

Often time we aren’t aware of the bad teachings that we are under until the Lord opens our eyes. And being under bad teachings does not mean a person isn’t saved. But when the light comes it is time for a course adjustment.

Is it easy to make a course adjustment? Not really. These course adjustments often need a separation from those that we truly love and hold dear.

Listen as the Lord gives instructions to the prophet Jeremiah:

“Therefore, thus says the LORD, ‘If you return, then I will restore you– Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman.

“They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them. Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; and though they fight against you, they will not prevail over you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you,’ declares the LORD. ‘So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.'” (Jer 15:19-21 NASB)

Is the Lord speaking to you?

Yes, the winds are still blowing strong. This is why I caution believers not to be taken in by movements or the ‘Lo Christ is here,’ beaconings. Christ Jesus is with you always.

But don’t think it strange. The winds of false teachings and false movements have blown across the church from its infancy. They seem to be growing stronger all the while. Do you feel like you are being battered about by strange winds?

Why do I have this strange notion that someone reading my journal needs to hear this? Perhaps the Lord is calling you to the deep of His faithfulness.

Perhaps now is your turn and your time to find the calm peaceful waters that belong to the covenant of God’s dear Son. The Lord wants to bring you into the safe harbor of His love.

Listen to this instruction from the apostle Paul:

“So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.” (Eph 4:14 AMP)

Guess I need to find a stopping place. I would dearly love to hear from any of my readers who feel the Lord has spoken to them through this journal entry. I would love to hear your story. (You can write me personally if you prefer: Buddy@ChristianChallenge.Org (I will respond.)

In closing, do you feel like you are facing a storm. Please take time to listen to The Isaacs. God wants to speak to your heart. (I dearly love this song. Have used it on prior entries.)

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Buddy

Mar

2010

Is the clock winding down…

“When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.” (Luk 21:9 nasb)

Journal,

While reading the paper yesterday morning I could not help but notice a picture. The caption read,

Statue crossing

A 25-foot tall replica statue of the Egyptian god Anubis, with a suitcase at his feet, passes in front of the Statue of Liberty while taking a tour of the New York waterways Tuesday. The statue was traveling to announce the upcoming exhibit ‘Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs” starting on April 23 at the Discovery Times Square Exposition.”

The Egyptian god Anubis was the God of death. He was also known as the son of Ra. Ra was the god of destruction and misery. I did find it interesting that the Associated Press placed the god Anabis in the forefront of our Statue of Liberty.

Of course this should not be taken too serious. The news media is always looking for something to stir up people. They can’t be trusted merely to report the news. They go about trying to create news. Most folk know this. This is why the new media is held in such low regard by most everyone, everywhere.

Yet there is an very old adage which says, ‘One picture is worth ten thousand words.’

And so a question must be asked…

What do the gods of Egypt signify in the Scriptures?

With regard to the afore picture it should be noted that in the Bible, Egypt, Babylon, and Sodom and Gomorrah are often used interchangeably to depict the spirit of the world, for all forms of sinfulness and debauchery, of gross immorality, and as the seedbeds for sorcery and deception.

In the book of Revelation, Jerusalem the city where Jesus was crucified is mystically described as Egypt; “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” (Rev11:8)

In the ancient Jewish writings, Egypt is especially singled out for sorcery. In the Talmudic writings, Kiddushim 49b states, “Ten measures of sorcery came into the world, Egypt took nine of them for herself and the rest of the world took one.”

Where there is much to be said concerning the time clock of redemption, I want to deal primarily with what appears to be the spirit of sorcery that has been infiltrating the church world for a number of years. It is the spirit of sorcery that is set forth as a major hallmark to precede the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Let’s talk about this issue of can there be…

Sorcery in the Church

From the beginning of Christianity the major battlefronts have been with heresies, schisms, and even to the issue of false prophets. The reason these are major fronts is because that while persecutions are from outside the church, these battlefronts take place from within. And according to the Scriptures these battlefronts are going to intensify the closer to the appearance of antichrist.

Here are some questions to consider.

Is it possible to worship a Jesus who is not the true Jesus of the Bible?
Is it possible to preach a gospel in the name of Jesus that is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ?
Is it possible to receive a spirit into your life that is not the Holy Spirit?”

According to Paul it is quite possible to worship a false Jesus, to preach an unholy gospel, and to receive a spirit that is not the Holy Spirit. These were the very things taking place in the Corinthian Church. Follow carefully:

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2Co11:3,4)

The apostle said that the time would come when people would not endure sound doctrine, “but wanting to have their tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” (Cf. 2Tim4:1-5)

Paul gave a charge to the elders of Ephesus. He said, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has made your overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased by His own blood.”

He goes on to say, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert…” (Cf. Acts 20:28-31.)

Notice that Paul tells the elders to be on especially on guard for themselves as well as for the flock. When an elder (generally a pastor) comes under the influence of a false teaching, the danger for the flock increases.

The apostle Peter also gives a very solemn warning. He said, “… just as there will be false teachers among you … in their greed will exploit you with false words … having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…” (Cf. 2 Peter 2.]

A return to primitive Christianity.

Perhaps it should be pointed out that most every movement begins with a rally cry of ‘Let’s return to early Christianity.’ This usually happens under the guise of certain notable teachers. And here is where the trouble begins. These celebrated teachers take to themselves to be God’s spokesmen for the movement. They become the special anointed ones.

The Lord gave a solemn warning concerning these ‘special’ spokesmen. He said,

“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; for false Christs (special anointed ones) and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.” (Mar 13:21-23)

Where God’s people get in trouble is by placing certain teachers on a level of trust they should never be placed. This is a dangerous place to be. We are instructed by the apostles to try both the spirits and the doctrines of teachers. Is it easy? No. A false teacher actually masquerades as a true prophet of God. They tend to be very charismatic and charming. They speak with authority and often use the name of Jesus. And that is what makes this a difficult issue.

Their doctrines are often earthly focused. Of course this in itself is an attraction. Who among us would not like to prosper. Little do people realize that these earthy messages appeal to our vanity. James calls them sensual and even demonic.

The Lord gave the warning through Jeremiah the prophet, in saying,

“… in the last days you will clearly understand it. I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied. But if they had stood in My council then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds.” (Jer23:20-22)

Finally, let’s be sure to make a distinction between someone who from all appearances is actually a false prophet, from the someone who may be being misled, and needs a turning point in his or her life. A false prophet actually operates under the spirit of sorcery. They set themselves apart often by claiming to tell the future, especially under the garb of personal prophecy. The power they operate under is not from the spirit of holiness. It is flesh driven and self exaltation. But this ‘telling the future’ is just a form of fortune telling.

Some of God’s people have been caught up in things that are not of the Lord, and when they come to their senses, they are able to see where the thing that caught them was not of the Lord. It was a deceiving influence.

The apostle gives instructions for these people.

“…with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” (2Ti 2:25-26)

Yes, there is a great deal more to be said but for the sake of time I’ll close out this journal entry for now.

Think about these things. And while much of what I’ve shared may seem on the negative side, keep in mind that the light of truth can often be seen best when compared to the lies of darkness. And remember the great promise of our Shepherd.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Joh 10:27-28)

In fact the Lord instructed us to rejoice as that day draws near because our full redemption is coming into place.

Your servant in Christ,

Buddy

false gospels

To be Known by God

The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church

The Prostitute Will Enter First

Jesus Laid Death in the Grave….

Like a Ship at Sea…

Is the clock winding down…

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