HeartCry!

Where is the power in the Alpha Course?

As I begin to write this message, I must first point out that the aim of it is not to discredit Nicky Gumbel, who I know very little about, but rather to highlight my deep concerns for the course he is associated with. It would be virtually impossible for me to deny the extent by which the Alpha Course is promoted throughout the church across the denominations, nor that it is probably responsible for bringing more people into the church than most evangelistic efforts in modern times. But my question is, does it really convict the heart of people to follow Jesus Christ as their Saviour, or another “Jesus” that the Bible warns us of?

2 Corinthians 11:3-4
3  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.
4  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!

Before beginning the “Back to Basics” studies a short while ago, and indeed this was one of my major reasons for starting them, was that I became increasingly aware of a hideous lack of Scriptural doctrine in my own life. I began to realise as I looked into the Scriptures, many of the reasons I had for claiming my faith was actually in Christ, could not be found secured in Scripture at all, but rather on church traditions, and the advice of well meaning but misguided Christians. Since beginning this journey into the fundamental truths of Scripture, along with other believers who have been affected by much of the same influences as myself, we have begun to realise how wayward much of the “seeker sensitive” teaching, which clearly includes the Alpha Course, actually is.

When the true Gospel message is proclaimed it brings offense. It makes no attempt to hide the true state of mankind, that we are sinful from birth, at enmity with God Almighty, and destined for eternity in Hell. It makes no attempt to lift up our most noble and kind words and deeds, as simply anything more than filthy rags before a Holy and Righteous God. It makes no attempt to offer false hope, claiming that we can somehow cling to our life yet inherit the life Jesus died to give us. Nor does it dare to suggest that anyone can come to Him by any other way, than they are chosen and drawn in by the power of God Himself.

The Alpha Course, with its seeker sensitive message, has drawn many into a luke warm church that is destined to be spewed out of His mouth when Christ returns. It has injected enough of the Gospel message into the hearer to immunize them against the real Gospel message, and has in turn begun to create a breed of church leader that embraces this luke warm gospel message with all their might. Why on earth would anyone want to receive the Gospel in such a second or third hand fashion, when they can receive the fire of the Gospel straight from the pages of Scripture if only some would dare to preach in such a way! This preaching would not raise up hoardes of “carnal” Christians as the Alpha Course does, but would drive the sword of the Spirit through the flesh of the hearer, crucifying the flesh, and providing the empty vessel that can truly be occupied by the Spirit of God Himself.

How long will it take us to realise that, if we continue to preach a half hearted and incomplete Gospel message, we risk the souls of many entering the Lake of Fire for all eternity? And if this is so, how can we expect to avoid being held accountable before the Living God Himself for so great a negligence?

Originally posted 2009-06-17 22:26:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Back to Basics: Breaking Down the High Places.

 

 Breaking Down the High Places: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Q: I’ve been a Christian for quite some time, and have realised that some of the things I’ve accepted as true, are actually not true according to the Bible. What can I do?

Proverbs 3:11-12
11  My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction;
12  For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14
13  When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,
14  if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Ezekiel 18:29-32
29  Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?
30  “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.
31  Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
32  For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!“

Joel 2:12-13, 25-27
12  “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
13  So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.
25  “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26  You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.
27  Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.

We can have confidence that the Lord brings correction and discipline to those He loves and calls His own. This may mean at times that, through the neglect of His Word, we may find ourselves in a place of disobedience, and as a result, in a place of spiritual dryness and pestilence. We should avoid falling into the popular trap of attributing every aspect of suffering to the devil, and begin to test ourselves in the light of Scripture, to see if what we are experiencing is actually the correction of the Lord Himself, with the aim of restoring us to Himself.

When we are in such a place, we can have confidence in the promise of His Word, that it is not His desire to leave us there. But rather it is His desire that we repent, or in other words turn back to Him and His ways, and find the life He has promised to us, restored again. What’s more He is willing and able to restore things in such a way that is impossible for us to do ourselves, in that He is able to restore that which even time spent in disobedience has caused to wither away.

1 Kings 18:3-4, 22
3  And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly.)
4  For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.)
22  Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.”

As we are awakened to wrongful ways in our lives, including those that have been established through wrong teaching within the church, we are called to reject them as sinful. As we seek to turn away from them and back to God and His ways, the first thing we often experience is the sense of being alone. In the verses above, Elijah only knew that Jezebel had massacred his fellow prophets of God, and felt totally alone and isolated, whilst being totally outnumbered by those opposed to him. In reality however, the Lord always has those He has set aside and who fear Him, and He is able through those people, to reserve for Himself those who will remain faithful. We must remember this, and not allow isolation to cause us to give in and back down to that which is false, even though that will always be the easier option.

Judges 6:15-16, 25-26
15  So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16  And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
25  Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it;
26  and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”

When we are in this situation, we may feel a strong comparison to that of Gideon in the verses above. We may feel insignificant in relation to the church in general, and definitely do not consider the church to be our enemy, for it is our family, so why would we want to offend or attack it? God’s response to us would be the same to us as to Gideon, that He is with us, He has identified the true enemy within the church, and shall defeat it through those faithful to Him, as one man. For it is not man that God is seeking to defeat, but rather our sinful and ungodly practices.

The command to us would be the same as to Gideon too. He was to take that which was being sacrificed to Baal, even though it would have been considered highly precious within his family, and tear down the alter that it was sacrificed upon. In its place, he was commanded to build an alter to the Lord, “in the proper arrangement”, and sacrifice what remained from the old sinful alter unto the Lord.

There is no room for sentiment in serving the Lord wholeheartedly in this way, for we are commanded to single mindedly tear down the error of our old ways, regardless of the consequence, and sacrifice them to the Lord God as we follow His ways instead. This may place us in a position where we find the relationships and things in our lives that are most precious to us, under threat as we surrender ourselves to the Lord and His ways above all else.

Luke 14:26-27
26  “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Q: I understand what I’m being called to do, but in a practical way, how do I carry this out?

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Peter 1:22-23
22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
23  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

If you have been following these studies, it may seem we have come full circle to the initial study called “How do we follow Jesus?”, for the answer always lies in the Word of God given to us through Scripture. As we obey the truth of His Word, through the Spirit within us, we will constantly hear His voice speaking to us, and guiding us in His ways.

It is pointless trying to make a list explaining all the ways in which we can be in error in the sight of God, for it would be too simple to check things off as fine, and then carry on regardless. Instead we must earnestly, and constantly press into His Word, meditating on it day and night. We must bring every thought captive to it, and every act into its light, that our lives may be completely laid open before Him. As we do this, in His great mercy, He will point out one by one, the things in our lives that need dealing with. He will give us the strength, wisdom and determination to break down these high places in our lives, but we must be willing to surrender ourselves to the task. A high place in this sense would be anything, either in thought or deed, past or present, that exalts itself against the knowledge of God revealed to us through His Word. Even if it’s something we’ve already done, we can still acknowledge the error of it, and refuse to stand by idly and allow others to be led along the same path unknowingly. As for our own part, God will restore all the years lost because of this error in our own life, as we acknowledge it for the sin that it is, turn away from it, and turn back to God.

Romans 8:13
13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Colossians 3:9-11
9  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11  where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Ephesians 5:25-27
25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27  that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

We must understand that we cannot treat our life in Christ half heartedly. We have been called into a way of life that, though often painful, we shall be conformed more and more into the likeness of Christ, until that Last Day in which we are called into our eternal and glorious inheritance with Him. There are no short cuts, easy routes, or anything of the sort. But only a hard narrow path that demands our all if we are to walk in it, but if we are willing to surrender all, we have the promise of God that we shall overcome by His power and strength.

If we live a life claiming to be Christian, then it must be understood that we must walk the path of self denial, and death to self that Christ calls us along. We are either in Christ and our lives are hidden with His in God, until Christ, who is our life, is revealed in glory. Or we are outside of Christ, and remain under the threat of the Wrath of God that will surely fall upon the wicked that He judges in His Righteousness. There is no in between ground at all, and those truly in Christ have a similar mark. They will allow their lives to be examined in the light of the Word of God, and will constantly turn back to Him as its light exposes the error within them.

Do you long to be greeted by Christ Himself as, “good and faithful servant”? Do the words of Jesus that tell us, “many are called, but few are chosen” cause you to want to examine yourself closely to ensure He chooses you? Does it bring fear and trembling to your soul, to consider that many will say in that Day, “Lord, Lord! Have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” only to be turned away as those He never knew, who practice lawlessness? If so, then seek to earnestly and sincerely join the apostle Paul in his exhortation to the Philippian church:

Philippians 3:7-21
7  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9  and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12  Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15  Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
16  Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
17  Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.
18  For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19  whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
20  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Originally posted 2009-06-18 23:19:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Back to Basics: Resting As We Follow Him.

 

 Resting As We Follow Him: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Q: How can we rest and follow Jesus at the same time?

Matthew 11:28-30
28  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Luke 10:38-42
38  Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
40  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

We have to understand first of all that Jesus promises to give us rest, and it is not His desire that we should be distracted under a heavy workload. Even when the things that burden us could be considered service to Him, they can still become a distraction if we’re not careful. When Jesus calls us to follow, it’s not that He wants us to “do” things for Him, but rather “give” ourselves to Him in complete surrender. As with Mary, our part is surrendered to Him at His feet.

Philippians 1:6
6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Colossians 2:8-10
8  Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Hebrews 13:20-21
20  Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21  make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

John 19:30
30  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

The work of Jesus Christ is finished, and when we are found in Him, our work is finished too, in the sense that we are complete in Him. We now trust in Him, and the works He completed, as our own. Our justification will never be found by anything that we have done or will do, but solely on the works that He has done for us.

When we trust in the completed work of Christ, God is able to make us complete in every good work that is pleasing in His sight. Rather than us anxiously striving to do things to please Him, those works that He desires for us will flow from us naturally and joyfully instead.

Q: What things must we do to follow Him then?

Acts 2:37-39
37  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38  Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Mark 16:16
16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 12:50
50  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

Many times throughout the New Testament it relates repentance, belief and baptism all together. In fact, the most common process recorded in the book of Acts amongst the early believers, was to be baptized in water immediately upon coming to faith. We will go further into this subject shortly, but for now we will focus upon what baptism actually signifies, and that is our death alongside Christ. In the words of Jesus in Luke 12:50 above, it is obvious that Jesus is not simply talking of His distress concerning water baptism, as He had already been baptized in water at this point.

Romans 6:3-5
3  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5  For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Colossians 2:11-12
11  In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12  buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Mat 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

We are reminded in these verses that when Jesus calls us to follow Him, we are called into a place of following Him firstly into death, in order that we may share in His resurrection life. Our baptism in water is a memorial of our own death alongside Christ, and as such, we should regard it reverently, and as a gift of God that aids
our following Him.

Conclusion:

There is obviously much that can be said concerning our faithfulness in following Christ when He calls us, but through this and the previous study, we can see a simplicity open before us that can begin to give us confidence to follow Him. We can begin to see some of the doubts and fears removed from our minds, especially concerning being able to identify His voice, understanding what He requires from us, and understanding where we stand in Him. Here are the points of note I have come up with, but I’m sure there are many more:

1. The Bible itself is the fully revealed Word of God, in written form, given to us in order to make us completely ready and able to follow Him. God’s instruction to us as believers is given so clearly in no other tangible place in our lives, either by any other written material, or by any other words from any other mouth, whether human or angelic. What’s more, if any instruction, from any other source, conflicts with the instruction given through it, either directly or by implication in the context of the whole Bible, it must be rejected as false.

2. We no longer have to rely on anything from ourselves for our justification before God, but solely the completed works of Jesus Christ done for us. Although we are called to a life of obedient service, how faithfully or successfully we serve has no bearing on what Christ has already acheived for us, for in Him we are already complete.

3. There are significant and specific changes in the lives of everyone claiming to follow Christ, and can be used as the litmus test on our own lives to ensure that our own faith is genuine:

a) REPENTANCE – We will come to a realisation of our own sinfulness before a Holy and Righteous God, aware of His Judgement against sin, and aware of our need for Him to save us. We will not only repent and turn to Him at the beginning of our walk, but we will also repent and turn back to Him each time we are made aware of our own continuing error and sinfulness.

b) BELIEF – Our faith in Christ will have a bearing upon every area of our lives. We will ultimately know Him as our Saviour and our Lord, and even when we know that we are in error, our consciences will be pricked by His Spirit, leading us again to acknowledge His Lordship over our lives. By faith, we will accept the redemption of His sacrifice for us, the inerrancy of His Word given to us, and the crucial need of His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us; and above all, we will grow in the knowledge of His overwhelming love for us.

c) BAPTISM – We will know that to enter into life in Him, we must first die to our own sinful nature, and continually deny our own selfish desires in order to follow Him. By faith, we will enter into the likeness of His death through baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the remission of our sins. And by faith, we will be baptized by His Holy Spirit and fire, as we receive the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance in Christ.

Perhaps it would be a good thing at this point to consider these points for yourself, and meditate upon what they actually mean in regards to your own walk with Him. Also if there are a group of you, talk of these things with one another, and allow the Spirit to open up the truth of His Word in a deeper way to you all.

You can read this study being discussed at Faith Defenders community forum by clicking here.

Originally posted 2009-05-30 11:39:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Falling Away from the Truth

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,  2  not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.  3  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,  4  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  5  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  6  And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.  7  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  8  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.  9  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,  10  and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,  12  that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  13  But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,  14  to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  15  Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 16  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,  17  comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.”

I have become increasingly aware of late, just how so much that has been taught to me by churches I’ve attended over the years, are really far away from what the Bible actually teaches us. So often the instruction in Scripture that is as clear as crystal gets overlooked, whilst the more questionable teachings, heavily reliant upon personal interpretation of unclear text, is clung to with all our might.

This may at first appear not too big a deal, and often this may well be the case, but not always. In fact, I will take this opportunity to highlight a few things that are beyond questioning in much of the charismatic church, and will show how the Bible simply does not offer much support for these doctrines at all, especially not as clear as many would like to imagine. The reason I find these particular things concerning, is that I have personally been strongly affected by these teachings for much of my Christian life, and only recently have I found the courage to deal with these things in the Light of the Word.

Although this is not usually the case, the opening Scripture should strike fear into our heart, and demand our attention as though our very life depends on our understanding. We are instructed that Christ will not return before the “falling away” takes place, from the Greek word “apostasia”, meaning to defect from the truth. That truth not being some vague, undistinguishable entity, but the Truth that is alone the Word of God. We are warned openly that there will be a falling away from the truth in this way, in order that the man of sin may rise to power, and deceive many with his lying signs and wonders.

Our instruction to combat this attack is quite simple; that we cleave to the teachings of the apostles given through the pages of the New Testament. These were the only ones in Church history who were chosen and commanded to instruct the Body of Christ, for they were the very ones who were witnesses to Christ Himself, chosen, instructed, and sent to make disciples of all nations for His name sake.

Matthew 28:16-20 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  17  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  18  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  19  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Regardless of how skillful an orator, or how clever a theologian church leaders may consider themselves, they only have authority to pass on undiluted what Christ Himself passed onto the apostles for the building up of the Body of Christ. To offer personal opinions about the Scriptures, or about God Himself, no matter how uplifting, is nothing more than preaching from the flesh. And whilst the general encouragement and uplifting of others is of much worth, it cannot be made out to be one and the same as the preaching of God’s Word, as He has inspired the writers of the Scriptures to convey His message to us.

So from the outset of this message, I would just like to make one point perfectly clear. If those who teach you can be charged first and foremost with preaching solely the Word of God alone, nothing more and nothing less, then fantastic, they are faithfully serving the Body. However if the majority you hear from their lips are, slick comments, joking around, personal opinions and insights, with only the faintest drawing from Scripture. Then they are doing little more than tickling your ears with fancy talk, and most definitely not renewing your mind with the washing of God’s Word.

With regard to pointing out some of the strayings away from Scriptural truth that concerns me, I will try and keep it as concise as possible. However it is my strongest desire to urge everyone reading this message to challenge every area of accepted doctrine in their lives, by shining the Word of God upon it. At whatever point you find a defection from its truth, you must reject it for the lie and deceipt that it is.

Receiving Christ as Saviour:

The most common way to receive Christ as Saviour in the charismatic church goes a little like this: Firstly a call is made for anyone feeling conviction in their heart to pray a prayer, often called the sinners prayer. Sometimes they are called to the alter, other times they may be told it’s okay to pray quietly where they are, sometimes even through the TV set. Then a few lines of prayer are repeated, upon which the person is usually told something like, “if you prayed that prayer from your heart, then you are now a child of God.” This will probably be accompanied with encouragement to come along to regular meetings, and purchase a Bible etc., and that’s about it.

A period of weeks or even months may pass before the subject of baptism comes up. Also there will usually be much emphasis on being baptized in the Spirit, much emphasis upon God’s plan and purpose for their life, much emphasis on spiritual manifestations etc., but little or virtually no emphasis upon conviction of sin, or the need to die to the flesh alongside Christ. What’s more, there is often a great emphasis placed upon assurance of salvation, but the focus of that assurance being the point at which the prayer was prayed inviting Jesus into their heart.

On the contrary, the teachings of the New Testament show us a completely different perspective. Firstly there is no mention of a “sinners prayer” ,or an assurance of our best life now, but the focus is rather upon repentance and baptism. Or in other words, a turning away from sin and back to the Righteousness of God, through the humble acceptance of His Word as Truth, and embracing our own death to self, in order that the life of Christ may flow through us. There is a sense of constantly growing in the knowledge of Christ through the revelation of the Scriptures, a sense of constant self examination in the light of the revelation the Scriptures bring us, and a willingness to die to oneself and our desires on a daily basis.

For the sake of space I will simply note a few Scripture references that you may see for yourself that this is true:

Acts 2:37-39, Col 3:1-6, 2 Cor 13:5, Philippians 3:1-7, Luke 9:23-24.

Spiritual Manifestations:

Throughout the charismatic church there is an immense amount of emphasis put upon spiritual manifestations, signs and wonders etc., almost as evidence itself of God’s presence. From the beginning of ones walk with Christ, the believer is often encouraged to throw caution to the wind and dive headlong into whatever manifestations are taking place. There is a tendency of anyone and everyone laying hands on others, that the manifestation may be imparted through them to others willing to receive it, always with the assurance to those needing assurance, that it is the Holy Spirit at work. This often leads to manifestations such as hysterical laughter, uncontrollable shaking, falling onto the floor sometimes into a trance like state, and other times writhing like a snake. Also there are often animal noises being made, or intense babbling in unknown tongues. Also at times like this, there may be prophetic words of knowledge given, that often those who receive them, cling to with gusto.

I have spent many years in the charismatic church, and know intimately many of the above manifestations, even to the point that I have experienced them myself. For this reason, although I’m not denying that sometimes it may be psychosomatic in nature, many times the manifestation is most definitely a genuine spiritual manifestation. The problem I have however, is that the source of these manifestations are rarely tested, even though Scripture makes a clear warning for us to do so. What I’ve found greatly disturbing personally, is though I have found little evidence in Scripture to back up these manifestations as that of the Holy Spirit, there is vast evidence to suggest the manifestations are closely identified with manifestations of eastern mysticism, known as the “Kundalini” spirit. However the attitude in much of the church is to immediately rule out the possiblity of these manifestations being anything other than that of the Holy Spirit, without any Scriptural testing whatsoever.

These facts should raise alarm bells in the spirit of any devout believer in Christ, especially when we consider the opening Scripture, that the coming of the lawless one, would be with “all power, signs and lying wonders.” Should we not be testing these spirits with all diligence? And should we not be holding accountable those false prophets we so often choose to revere, who make prophetic statements, one after another, that come to nothing?

Jeremiah 14:13-16 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’ “  14  And the LORD said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.  15  Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—’By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!  16  And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them—them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters—for I will pour their wickedness on them.’”

The Return of Christ:

There is a strictly adhered to doctrine within the charismatic church known as the “pre-tribulation rapture” doctrine. To even suggest anything to the contrary of this doctrine is considered nothing less than blasphemous by some, and yet the Scriptural revelation this doctrine is built upon is shaky to say the least. I am not suggesting everyone consider this timing is incorrect, but I challenge anyone to find Scriptural evidence to confirm this theory without doubt, and therefore severely question the profit of pursuing this doctrine to any great degree. In fact, to my own undoing, I have found to do so leads to chasing the wind for a very long time, only to end up in the same place you started!

Forget trying to twist the Scriptures to say what you want them to say, and listen to what they clearly say concerning this matter. Only then will you find a true sense of peace over the whole subject, especially when your faith is challenged upon such matters. Which will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

Mark 13:31-33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  32  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  33  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”

Firstly, if the Son of God professed at that time not to know the timing of His return, is it not pride that drives us to think we should know better?

Matthew 25:6-12 ” “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’  7  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  8  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  9  But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  11  “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  12  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.‘”

Is it not truly the instruction of the Bible to make ourselves ready for His return, whenever that may be? Whether we dwell on the notion that the Lord will return and save us from the Great Tribulation, or consider at great length that we may be called to persevere even through the midst of the greatest suffering the world has ever known, we waste our time and efforts in either circumstance. For Jesus Himself says, ” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

If there is one thing worthy of consideration carefully whenever looking towards the return of Christ for His Bride, is the matter of our own diligence in examining ourselves by the light of His Word. For regardless of the popular teaching within the church, that suggests that everyone who confesses Christ as Lord will enter into eternal glory, the truth is quite different indeed. So different in fact, that it should cause any God fearing believer to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew 7:21-23 “”Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  22  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  23  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’“

I could continue, but there really would be little point, for if you decide to turn away from this warning and others like it, you do so at your own peril. Needless to say, without looking too closely you can see a falling away from the truth happening even as I write this message. It is with tears that I witness daily a growing hardness in the hearts of those who confess Christ as Saviour, and a growing desire within the church to embrace many strange winds of doctrine that blow to and fro. How long it will be until the grace and favour of the Lord is removed from this world, in order that the sins of the world shall be judged according to His Righteousness, to be quite frank, I believe is painfully short.

Originally posted 2009-07-01 11:12:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Gospel holds the Power

“For I am not ashamed of the good news of the Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to every one who is believing, both to Jew first, and to Greek. For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, `And the righteous one by faith [in Christ] shall live,’ ”
Romans 1:16-17

Although this ministry is totally committed to carrying out good works in the name of Jesus Christ, in order that people may “see the good works and give glory to our Heavenly Father Mat 5:16” , we are totally aware that in themselves they hold no power at all, other than to divert the gaze of the outsider towards God. To think otherwise would be to allow glory to be given to man, and acredit ourselves as somehow being able to bring others to saving faith.

The verse above, along with many others too, shows that the power of God to save souls from destruction, is found in the power of the Gospel message. Though our good works may be as sign posts pointing towards the One in Whom we place our trust, His Spirit alone is able to place the gift of faith in the heart of an individual, that they may hear His voice and believe upon the One that was sent.

No man, no matter how clever, can convince someone to believe in Christ. He may have skilled language and powers of persuasion, intelligent strategies that can cause people to come to him, and even listen to what he has to say. But only the Holy Spirit alone can convict the heart of man of their wretchedness without the sacrifice of Christ to cleanse them, and only the Holy Spirit is able to grant the power for a man to truly believe upon Jesus Christ as Saviour, even to the dying to themself. Which every true believer in Christ must daily do.

It is the Righteousness of God, revealed through the undiluted Word that needs to be conveyed, Spirit to spirit. Convicting the sinner of their sinfulness, their need to repent, their need to pick up their own cross daily, and their need for the power of God’s Spirit to empower them to do so. And the only way this will happen, is when the undiluted, full gospel of Christ crucified for our sins and risen again, is preached to the lost.

I have heard many times in church that we are fortunate to live in a nation where the Gospel can be freely preached, and whilst I too am thankful to the Lord for this, I also truly believe that we may be missing the point a little. If we were faithful in preaching the true Gospel to the lost, according to the bible it would bring conviction of sin amongst those who listen. To some it will be treated as foolishness and rejected, and to others it will be the wisdom of God, and embraced unto their salvation. But if we are faithful in delivering our message, their will be a reaction, and we will face persecution as a result. Could it be in all our efforts to preach a message of our best life now, a life on earth filled with prosperity and health, and a name it and claim it lifestyle; that we have been preaching a different gospel to that which Christ commissioned us to preach?

Let us no longer deceive ourselves into thinking that our good works can draw souls to Christ, or even miraculous signs and wonders as many today place so much hope in. The only way that we can become the fishers of men that we long to be is first of all die to our own flesh daily, for the life and power of Christ to dwell within us fully. We must choose to stand alone in the place where Stephen stood, preaching the undiluted Word for all to hear, that no-one is unaware that their own sin is the very thing that nailed Christ to the tree. That each of us are by nature born an enemy of God, standing in a place that awaits the hammer of His wrath to fall without mercy, unless we accept the offer of Jesus Christ alone to stand in our place. We must be willing to see people cut to the core, that when they cry out as they did to Peter, “What must we do?!” . We must be ready to give a confident answer; that they too must repent and be baptized into His death, not just a one of dunk in water, but that their water baptism would be a daily testimony to the way they are willing to share in His death and sufferings, that they may enter into His life and glory.

I urge you, don’t cast this message aside because it makes you feel uncomfortable. If it does, it is by the conviction of the Spirit of God, that in His mercy He is calling us to repent and live our lives out on this earth in the way He has called us to, not the way we feel is best.

God bless,

John.

Originally posted 2009-04-17 03:22:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

2 Corinthians 13:5
5  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

Philippians 2:12-16
12  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13  for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14  Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

Matthew 7:13-27
13  “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
15  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16  You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24  “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26  “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

No doubt the love and mercy of God is vast, and extends to all generations, even those who have hated Him. However the pathway that leads to salvation in Christ is extremely narrow, and is neither easy to walk, nor can it be done so in a half hearted or frivolous manner. And what is more, it is a pathway that only few will find and walk upon.

Many who know me personally criticize the fact that I seem harsh towards the church, and in truth, maybe at times I am. However this is not because I hate the church, it is rather that I simply proclaim to those who profess to follow Christ, what I know His Word proclaims to me. I’m not talking about personal opinions here, or my own personal interpretation of the Bible, not at all. I’m saying that someone with the reading age of a junior school student, when reading the Bible at face value, will hear the same call that I have myself. For it is not in personal point of view, it is written in plain black and white words on the pages of the Holy Bible, God’s only infallible Word that has been revealed to us by inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself.

The sad truth is however, that we visit our man made temples week after week, taking everything in hook, line and sinker, that our pastors and church leaders desire to feed us. We mindlessly attend our meetings, part with our hard earned money, sing and clap along to what is being sung, give a few hallelujahs to the message being preached, and often leave totally unchanged. And why? Because we’ve chosen to entrust the welfare of our eternal soul to man rather than God alone.

If we were willing to adopt the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 who, “searched the Scriptures daily” to discern whether the things Paul and Silas said were true, our attitude would be completely different towards those who lead us, and so would their attitude towards us. The truth is that God Himself is now our Teacher, and He teaches us all that we need for our lives in Christ, through His Word alone. Yes it is true that He calls believers to teach other believers, but only in the sense that they become a channel to pour out His undiluted Word, not their own wisdom. If this is not so where you have fellowship then run, for you are either at best being taught by a bad teacher, or worse, being deceived by a false teacher.

Take a look around with open eyes. You will hear so many things preached fervently that are in direct contradiction to Scripture, and not only do we let this happen, but we viciously protect those who preach such things! You will hear messages of joy, but none about the sufferings we are called to share. Promises of our best life now, while virtually nothing about choosing to die to ourselves daily for the sake of our eternal hope. Calls to name it and claim it in the name of Jesus, but none to let go of everything and consider it dung. Loud shouts of “God loves you!”, but nothing about the wrath and vengeance He will shortly pour out upon those lost in sin. Much about “holy laughter”, but virtually nothing about reverent fear of God. Need I go on?

Write off what I’m going to say if you wish, but every word is of God, and can be found within the pages of Scripture without too much trouble at all. We are coming into a time when time is running short, and the wrath of God Almighty will soon be poured out upon those in this world. We are being surrounded by false teachers, like ravenous wolves in sheeps clothing, who not only preach lies and deceipt, but will also begin to confirm their preaching with great signs and wonders. Those claiming to be Christ followers will defect from the truth of His Word, and rather than listen to sound doctrine, will surround themselves with teachers who are willing to tell them what they want to hear. Those claiming to be Christ followers, who do not defect from the truth, will come under more and more fierce persecution, even to the point where they may have to sacrifice their lives rather than deny Him by receiving the mark of the beast. They will be betrayed by those closest to them, and they will enter the Kingdom of Heaven only through many afflictions.

These truths are of course why we are called to consider the cost of being a follower of Christ in Luke chapter 14. So does this mean we are simply fools on a road to failure? Of course not! For if we know that these dangers are in fact true, but still consider it of worth to follow Him, then He will ensure that we are able to do so. He will provide His Spirit to empower us, and will also teach us and instruct us through His own Word in Scripture, where He has placed for us there the promises of His own mouth, that will sustain us and keep us to the end. But to follow Him in this way will take nothing short of us casting ourselves fully before Him, body, soul and spirit, to do with as He so pleases.

Do you consider yourself a true believer? Are you totally sure your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Because if you can sincerely look upon your life in Christ, knowing full well of the wrath to come that will be poured out upon all whose names are not in this Book of Life, and yet feel no need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling; then you must seriously consider that it may well not be. Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, if this describes you, it is my most urgent call to you that you cry out to the Lord Jesus, that He may save you from the Father’s Judgement to come.

Revelation 20:12-15
12  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Originally posted 2009-05-21 00:11:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Administering the Gospel Effectively

To follow on from the previous message; The Gospel Holds the Power, I would like to encourage those reading this message to consider how to administer the power of the Gospel effectively. For if it is true what I shared from the scriptures previously, that the Gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation, as believers we must learn how to avoid hindering its power towards those we preach.

I will keep this message very short, as I am providing a youTube video of a sermon preached by Paul Washer, entitled “The Idolatry of Decisional Evangelism”. In this message Mr. Washer makes a strong case against the common way in which unbelievers are invited to make a decision for Jesus, and invite Him into their heart through the sinners prayer. I know from personal experience that it was so in my own conversion, and as a result, much of what is discussed in this video was very true in my own life too. Not particularly that it is wrong to be led in a prayer of repentance, but that the source of ones assurance of salvation is anchored often on the sincerity of the decision we make, rather than the work that the Holy Spirit has begun within our heart.

One thing we must remember is that the power to save lies solely in the Hands of God, and must be a work solely carried out by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 2:8,9 we are told that it is “by grace we are saved, through faith; and that not of ourselves, but it is a gift from God, not of works that anyone should boast.” We are also told in John 6:44 that “no-one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws (from root word meaning – to drag), and I will raise him up at the last day.”

As Christians responding to the Great Commission of Christ made to all of us to preach the Gospel, we must learn to preach it correctly, and learn promptly how to administer it correctly too, when people respond in faith. We must take extreme care to maintain the attitude of Jesus, and say and do that which we have seen our Father do, and the prime way of doing this is by labouring in His Word, that we may rightly divide and discern the truth from all that we hear.

I pray earnestly that all who read this message will find the time to listen to this video, for as hard hitting and uncomfortable that it may be to some, it is a message I believe all Christians must take heed to. For if we continue to attempt to preach the Gospel in our own power, dampening down the words of the bible to make them more palatable to men, and sharing only part of the message, we are in danger of nullifying its power. Not only that, but we are also in severe danger of finding ourselves making promises on behalf of God that He has never made, having the blood on our own heads of those we failed to warn of His judgement of sin; and becoming guilty of preaching a different gospel than that which we have been given through the bible.

Galatians 1:8-12
8  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9  As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
11  But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12  For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxQcczYuAA]

Source of video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxQcczYuAA

Originally posted 2009-04-22 09:02:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Back to Basics: Beware the False Shepherds!

 

 Beware of the False Shepherds: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Q: Who should I trust to teach me about faith in Christ, and how to live in Him?

Matthew 7:15
15  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

2 Peter 2:1-3
1  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2  And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
3  By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

It is a common attitude amongst Christians to think that one of the safest places to be, is in church, the safest T.V. and radio is always Christian media, and the safest books to read are always written by Christian authors. In fact, many Christians would never dream of testing what is preached in their congregation, for fear of upsetting the pastors and teachers they love and respect. Nor would many consider anything wrong with simply tuning into any Christian radio or TV station, or reading any book written by a Christian author, with virtually no sense of precautionary alertness at all. However nothing could be further from the truth, for the warning of Scripture is that there will be false teachers amongst us, and we can know from so many places in the Bible that the devil is very subtle in the way he twists the truth of Scripture in order to deceive.

1 Corinthians 11:1
1  Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Hebrews 13:7-9
7  Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9  Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited
those who have been occupied with them.

It is most often the case that when we come to faith in Christ, He will also provide us with those around us who have a more developed faith in Him, that we may
imitate them as they have imitated Him. However we must know without doubt that these people do not come with a convenient label attached, and many will
surround them claiming to take their place in your eyes. It is our responsiblity therefore, to follow or submit to no man, beyond the point that man
is submitted to Christ as Lord in their own life. To fail in this will result in us being carried away into various and strange doctrines, just as many are in the church
even today.

In His mercy God places these faithful believers to watch over us, but their only calling is to feed us from the meat of His Word, in order that we may grow to know
Him for ourselves. They are not responsible to lead us along the whole pathway to eternity, but only to the one true Shepherd, who is alone Christ Jesus. And as we
come to Him, that we may confidently know Him and obey Him as we recognise His voice, we may begin to also lead others in the same way. It is not something we
learn from Bible college, but it is through personal relationship with Christ Himself, knowing that He is the same always.

2 Peter 3:14-18
14  Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
15  and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16  as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17  You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Romans 12:2
2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As it was pointed out clearly in the first study, “How do we follow Jesus?”, we hear His voice clearly through His own Word in Scripture. Every word of
instruction from every other mouth or pen, must submit to the authority of the Holy Bible. And to know intimately the Word of God through Scripture, is to know the
voice of the Lord to us. There is no short cut, or reliance upon others to do the work ascribed to us personally, but we must diligently give ourselves to seek Him,
through His Word prayerfully, and wholeheartedly. It is only through this place we may find the place where He alone is our Shepherd.

Q: If this is true, how can I know which church to join?

Acts 2:41-47
41  Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
42  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44  Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45  and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

1 John 1:6-7
6  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

When many respond to the Gospel and receive Christ as their Saviour, it is often taken for granted that the next step should be to go out and find a church to join, almost as if your salvation depends on it. In my own personal opinion, and it must be made clear it is just that, I believe this can be the reason why so many become reliant upon others far more than Christ alone. There seems to be an automatic need to be “spiritually covered” by others in order to safeguard the work the Holy Spirit has begun. But in reality, this is simply not the case, for Christ alone is our covering in this way, and to put another in His rightful place is an offense to God.

1 Corinthians 11:3-4
3  But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

1 Timothy 2:5-6
5  For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
6  who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

At the outset of our walk in Christ, we must understand that He has chosen us, He has begun a work in us, and He will complete it. It is a work that will remain untouched by mans hand, and at whatever point it is, it will be corrupted. If someone has preached the Gospel to you in such a way as to awaken you to sincere belief in Christ as Saviour, you can know without doubt they are anointed by God, for nobody can be brought to that place of belief in His Son unless drawn by God Himself.

Instead of feeling any desire whatsoever to run off seeking anyone more “qualified” in the sight of man, begin to imitate the faith of the one who has been faithful to you, by being faithful to Christ Himself, and His command to preach the Gospel to every creature. Don’t look to ministries, churches, or any man made “thing” to support you in Christ, but look to Christ Himself, who will be pointed to by those who are imitating Him, not necessarily those who have the label that seems to fit the task. If we keep this frame of mind steadfastly, the Lord Himself will provide the fellowship with other believers that we need, and we will find ourselves rapidly being knitted together with others to carry out His will.

Acts 2:47
47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

When we understand fully that the “church” God adds to daily, has absolutely nothing to do with any earthly ministry or congregation in its own right, we can begin to relax a little more as to where we actually attempt to “go to” church. The church spoken of in Scripture with regard to the Body of Christ, comes from the Greek word “ekklesia”, meaning an assembly of believers, called out by God Himself. The physical location of this assembly is not something that can be defined in one particular place or another, but is rather defined by the location of those who are called out by His Spirit, and have assembled together in His name.

Matthew 18:19-20
19  “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

1 Peter 2:4-5
4  Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16:18
18  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Do not be anxious about whether or not you can find a “good church”, or be pressure by other Christians into feeling that you must suddenly submit yourself fully to one church or another before you are able to live a life holy unto the Lord. Look to Him alone to lead you wherever He may, offering yourself as a living stone to be placed according to His will and purpose, and rest assured, you will find yourself in the perfect place of His choosing, wherever it may be. It may very well be a place that no other Christian seems to want you to be, but remain faithfully submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and your faithfulness will be openly rewarded.

Q: What should I do if I already hold some level of responsiblity in a church or Christian organization?

2 Timothy 4:1-5
1  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Jude 1:3-5
3  Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
4  For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5  But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

If you have found yourself in the position of teacher within the Body of Christ, regardless of how you came to be in that position, you must realise the weight of responsiblity that rests upon your shoulders. Your duty is not to know everything that is true and teach others what you know, nor as it ever been that way. Your duty is to know the Word of God, live according to it yourself, contend and fight for the truth that is spoken by it, and preach it undiluted to all that will hear it.

The outcome of who believes and who doesn’t is totally in the hands of God, but have no doubt, you will be judged according to your own faithfullness in ministering to others in this way.

Matthew 23:9-13
9  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10  And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13  “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

James 3:1
1  My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

If you truly desire to teach others in Christ, and to do it faithfully, then consider yourself not a teacher, but a servant to all. Lay your life down as if one dead, that Christ Himself may use you as an empty vessel to instruct others, as their only Teacher, and for His own glory. To do any less than this, and somehow make an attempt to lead those He has chosen by your own might, you will fail, you will lead them astray, and you will be held accountable!

Jeremiah 23:1-4
1  “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD.
2  Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD.
3  “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4  I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

Unless everyone saved by Christ realises that everything belongs to Him, and is worked out by Him and for His glory, we are in a perilous place. From the outset we must understand that it is He who leads us, it is He who will provide those who will feed us faithfully, and it is He who will call us to faithfully feed others. We must also fully understand that not everything is as it may at first appear, for those we often run to for protection are nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing, and will remain in that clothing until they are exposed and recognised for who they really are. Not that we should wander around in a state of fearful paranoia, never trusting anyone. But that we may pledge our trust and allegiance to Christ alone, through the knowledge of His Word, that we may never settle for any other place than in the loving guidance of the one true Shepherd of the Flock.

If I could give any advice whatsoever from my own understanding, it would be this:

Submit to no man further than the point that man is submitted to Christ, and exhort no man to imitate you further than the point at which you imitate Christ Himself!

Either in following or leading others, the only true test is for the persons words and deeds to be scrutinized in the light of Scripture, just as the believers in Berea scrutinized the apostle Paul himself, and were commended by God for doing so.

Acts 17:10-12
10  Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
12  Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Let us all begin to realise that we are all personally accountable to God for our lives, and cannot constantly try to pass on this accountability to others. Let us stop wasting our time listening to teachings that tickle our ears, and instead choose only to listen to those who preach a message that crucifies our flesh by the power of His Word, and breaks down every high place in our life that stands against Christ Jesus.

This message is also posted on the Faith Defenders community forum here: http://faith-defenders.com/forum/index.php?topic=603.msg3566#msg3566 if you would like to discuss these matters with other believers.

Originally posted 2009-06-10 06:52:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Back to Basics: Introduction

The following message is the first of the “Back to Basics” Bible studies, and contains an audio file, accompanied with text including Scriptures referenced in the audio, along with relevant points of note raised. Each of these studies will hold the same format of audio and text combination, and will be open to the input of those participating in these studies via comments on this website, and invitation to discuss matters more deeply at the Faith Defenders community forum.

All information that is brought forward by others via these means will be directly available by visiting either: http://unitedinjesus.org.uk or visiting http://faith-defenders.com/forum/ and following the links labelled clearly as “Back to Basics”. If you do desire to become a member of the forum, please note that automatic registration is disabled on the forum itself, and request must be made directly by email to: john@faith-defenders.com

Introduction

The audio message can be listened directly from this page through the player provided, or you can go directly to where it is located online to download or listen to it through a variety of formats at the following address: http://www.archive.org/details/BackToBasicsIntroduction

 

 Back to Basics: Introduction: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

2Ti 3:1-17
(1)  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
(2)  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
(3)  heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
(4)  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
(5)  having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
(6)  For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
(7)  always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
(8)  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
(9)  But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
(10)  You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
(11)  my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra–which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
(12)  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
(13)  while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
(14)  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
(15)  and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(16)  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
(17)  that the man of God may be competent, [thoroughly] equipped for every good work.

Hi, and welcome to United in Jesus, “Back to Basics” Bible studies. The target of these studies will be to approach the primary issues of our faith in Christ in the light of Scripture, that we may find together a firm foundation on which all that we believe can rest upon. There will be no attempt made to approach debatable matters, but solely those fundamental truths of our faith that are firmly and undeniably backed up in Scripture.

The pattern we will follow in each study, is to provide an audio message, accompanied by a written article with relative Scriptures and issues brought up in the audio. Hopefully this will provide a means that will encourage those who are participating, to prayerfully examine these matters for themselves as the Spirit leads them.

Full recourse will be given to anyone making use of these studies by way of comment directly through the site. Also these studies will be place on the Faith Defenders forum, which is a sister ministry to United in Jesus, where the subjects will be discussed more deeply, and anyone participating through United in Jesus, will also be welcome to participate there should they wish to.

It is our desire that as each subject is approached, a resource will grow that offers much Scriptural insight and assurance over these matters, along with information highlighting ministries devoted to examining specific issues Scripturally, and also drawing attention to ministries that are openly promoting error through their teachings.

Although there is an obvious plan as to what matters of doctrine we approach, there is absolutely no set agenda as to how we do this, and the Holy Spirit will have full freedom to lead us wherever He wishes, and take as long as He wishes to teach us.

These studies have been entitled “Back to Basics” out of a desire to return to the simplicity of faith described in the Book of Acts in chapter 2:

Act 2:38-47
(38)  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(39)  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
(40)  And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
(41)  So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
(42)  And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
(43)  And the fear of God came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
(44)  And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
(45)  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
(46)  And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
(47)  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

For quite some time now I have been concerned at a growing desire within the church in general to seek after signs,wonders and spiritual manifestation, whilst leaving aside a desire to establish sound doctrine through a clear understanding of God’s Word. Often it seems that only lip service is paid to the most fundamental and core doctrines of our faith in Christ, and often scorn poured out upon anyone calling out to test the spirits by the Scriptures.

Often a gospel message is preached that has a tendency to be void of any attempt to highlight the sin that binds us, or our need to repent and turn back to God. The subject of dying to ourselves is virtually unheard from the pulpit, even though Jesus Himself in Matthew 10:38 says that anyone unwilling to do so is not worthy of Him. And the emphasis of the message so often seems to be aimed at meeting the needs of our flesh, rather than to emphasize that unless our spiritual need for salvation is met first, little else really matters for everything else is temporal.

The aim and objective of these studies is to encourage those who participate to turn first and foremost to the Spirit of God as their Teacher, and the Word of God as the means by which His wisdom will be made known. Developing a solid understanding of the fundamental issues of our faith in Christ, that each person can become confident in applying them in their own lives, and also in leading and teaching others to do the same.

It is not our intention to bring division to any church at all, but it is our desire to see people raised up with a Berean attitude, able to rightly divide the Word of God, that they may discern that which is preached from their church pulpits to be true. Not only that, but it is also our desire to equip those who do find error being promoted within the Body of Christ, to openly and firmly tackle it in a godly manner. For too long now, heresy and lies are allowed to be propogated from the pulpit, and remain unchallenged. Either because of ignorance on behalf of the congregation, or fear of offending someone considered to be their “superior” in Christ.

Finally I have to say that through these studies, many ingrained traditions within our churches will be brought into the light of Scripture, that we may see if what we do automatically in some case, has any Scriptural basis at all. These issues will always be tackled courteously and sensitively, but when error is found in our traditions, when undeniable in the light of Scripture, we will have no desire to try and justify what we have been doing, and no matter for how long we’ve been doing it. We will not hesitate in calling a spade a spade.

I would like to leave you with a couple of Scriptures that emphasize our desire to see believers unhitch their dependency upon man, no matter how godly they may be, and anchor it squarely on God alone; being equipped through His Word to carry out every good work in His name, identify wrong doing in their life, and confidently cast it out in the power of His Spirit.

Mat 10:24
(24)  “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

John 10:27-30
(27)  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
(28)  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
(29)  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
(30)  I and the Father are one.”

Heb 8:10-12
(10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(11)  And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
(12)  For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Isa 30:18-22
(18)  Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
(19)  For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.
(20)  And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.
(21)  And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
(22)  Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”

I thank you very much for your time, and pray that the Father in Heaven will bless you deeply as you seek Him earnestly through His Word. May His Spirit keep you and guide you, and give you peace beyond understanding. Amen.

Please feel free to make comments directly on this article through the link below this message. All comments will be subject to moderation, and are only displayed from those actually participating in these studies for themselves. Also comments will only be displayed that enhance that which the Scriptures referenced have revealed to us.

If you don’t feel inclined to make a comment, but do make use of these studies in some way, please consider letting us know by email at: john@unitedinjesus.org.uk . Your feedback in this way would be most welcome. We will not make any attempt to pester you in any way, and will only make contact with you should you express a desire for us to do so.

Finally, you may read the follow up discussions of this study at the following address, which is at the Faith Defenders forum: http://faith-defenders.com/forum/index.php?topic=568.0

Blessings in Christ,

John Dunning.

Originally posted 2009-05-14 12:07:06. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Spiritual Covering, or Spiritual Control?

John 8:31-36
31  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34  Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
35  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
36  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Galatians 5:1-12
1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
2  Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
3  And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
4  You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5  For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
7  You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8  This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.
9  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
10  I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.
11  And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
12  I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

It may well be that this message will cause a few more subscribers to the United in Jesus newsletter to vanish, but to be quite honest, I care little anymore what anyone thinks of me, save Christ Himself.

Since the time I have been involved in the Townhill Park area of Southampton where I live, desiring nothing more than to see the Gospel message taken to the lost here, I have been witness to some pretty worrying Christian resistance to what we’ve been doing, especially from some who would like to consider themselves leaders within the Body of Christ. I would be first to hold my hands up and admit that I am prone to make mistakes, and many of them, but I am accountable to no-one save the one true Judge of my life, and that is Jesus Christ, not some self proclaimed pastor or church leader.

By what right does anyone, from any church or organization, cast doubt on the works of Christ, carried out through the lives of those given to serve Him? Are they somehow void if not carried out under the “spiritual covering” of some recognised church ministry? Forgive me for being blunt here, but I thought of myself as no longer my own, dead to myself, and my life hidden with Christ in God. I was under the opinion that it was Christ, Who is my life, now working through me for His will and purpose. Should He have maybe asked for a local church leader’s permission first?

Hebrews 13:20-21
20  Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21  make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

I understand the need to obey those who have charge over you in Christ. Those who are charged to feed His sheep, with the Word of God as their sustenance. But our obedience is to the Word they preach, not their personal opinion. Are they the ones who have been pierced for our transgressions? Are they the ones who have given us their spirit? Are they the ones who have raised us from death, and brought us into the promise of eternal life? I think not!

Matthew 16:18
18  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

1 Peter 2:4-5
4  Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

As the Word of God says, I will offer myself to the One who builds His church, as a living stone. I will not be held accountable where I am placed by God to any man, nor what I am designed to accomplish for His glory. Nor shall I offend the Lord God Almighty Himself, by daring to allow some egocentric control freak to offer the covering that only the Lord Himself should give!

1 Corinthians 11:1-4
1  Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
2  Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.
3  But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

Should I really submit to your covering sir, and dishonour my Head which is Christ? How dare you insult Him in such a way, and claim to do Him service! By all means imitate Christ, that I may too. Preach His Word that I may hear and obey. But do not instruct me from your man-made doctrines of the flesh, how to serve my Master. If this applies to you, I spit on your “spiritual covering”, for it is nothing more than a doctrine of demons.

1 Timothy 4:1-2, 12-13
1  Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, -

12  Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

If you are reading this message and know that it applies to you, then I suggest you take the advice offered by Paul to Timothy above. Give heed to the Word of God, not those around you who consider themselves more wise. Allow the Scriptures to form your doctrine that it may be undiluted and Godly in every way, and then stick to it, whatever the cost. It may cost you dearly. It may cost you your position of authority in your church, and it may cost you the support of many friends, and it may even cause you to be rejected as an outcast completely. But what does it matter? Do you want to be held accountable by the King of kings for leading His sheep to Hell in a handcart, or do you want to be considered His good and faithful servant above all else?

Jeremiah 23:1-4
1  “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD.
2  Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD.
3  “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4  I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

If you truly consider yourself an under shepherd to the one true Shepherd, then lead as He leads, as a servant.

Luke 22:24-27
24  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
25  And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
26  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
27  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

It is the deepest desire of my heart to serve the Lord Jesus with every ounce of strength that I have, and to be effective in stirring up the hearts of other believers to do the same. I also believe it my duty and calling to stand firmly against those who would stand in their way, rebuking and correcting by the power and authority of God’s own Word, which I have attempted to do here faithfully, and as compassionately as I am able. But it is also the prayer of my heart that the Lord of Hosts will even now begin to sift His people, that we may be purified. That we may be as a pure spotless Bride in His sight, without blemish or defect.

Let those who preach, preach His Word faithfully and precisely. Let those who are pastors, feed and protect His sheep that they may grow strong in Him. Let those who are servants, serve Him with all their hearts. But let all we do be to glorify Him, not honour ourselves, no matter how godly we may think we are.

1 Peter 4:11-19
11  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12  Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13  but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14  If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.
16  Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
17  For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18  Now “IF THE RIGHTEOUS ONE IS SCARCELY SAVED, WHERE WILL THE UNGODLY AND THE SINNER APPEAR?”
19  Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Originally posted 2009-06-07 03:07:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter