The Deceived Church - A Follow-up...

Hello Friends!

As a follow-up to our Daily Devotionals journey through the epistles of Jude and the Apostle John, I assembled some additional thoughts on the false teaching and apostasy that the Holy Spirit reveals throughout these Divinely inspired books of God.

These important thoughts were derived from an article I originally posted on my personal Encouraging Concepts blog (http://encouragingconcepts.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-deceived-church.html) and thought I’d share them with you as they address many of the theological and doctrinal issues we have discussed in past weeks...

The Deceived Church

We know from the Scriptures that Satan’s plan is to deceive the whole world. His objective is to blind the minds of the unbelieving and to recruit those who have believed to become part of his agenda to set up an end-times delusion. This is what I refer to as the co-opting of the Church…

Do you recall what Paul said would happen to the early Christian church?

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them – Acts 20:28-30

A brief overview of church history reveals Paul’s prophetic warning was fulfilled. He said it would happen and it happened. Numerous church leaders emerged during the first to the third centuries. The foundational principles of the Scriptures were ignored and many followed the experiential teachings of men who claimed they had discovered new and innovative methods to get in touch with God.

So, in other words, an emerging church growth movement began to emerge or should we say diverge. The reason for this is simple.

We know that God’s Word is light. When we begin to replace the Word of God with enlightenment by the words of man, we have a perfect formula for returning to darkness. The mystics (often referred to as the “church fathers”) added ideas to Biblical Christianity that cannot be found anywhere in the 66 books of the Bible text – a recipe for spiritual disaster!

Jude also warned about the coming apostasy in the early church. He said certain men had crept in unawares because error was not being corrected:

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 – Jude 4

How tragic, then and now.

Now, let’s bring this scenario up to date in our modern age. The latest wave of church growth methodology today is known as the Emerging Church. By the way, many of the ideas being promoted today originated when many present day church leaders studied the methods that “emerged” in the first to third centuries after Christ. These leaders say we need to reincorporate their ideas if we are going to have successful churches in this Century.

But wait just a minute! If the “emerging church” of the past was based on extra-biblical revelation and subjective experiences that led to many false ideas and doctrines which state that Mary was much more than what we read about her in the Bible, and that the presence of Jesus can be conjured up from a wafer by a priest, shouldn’t we be somewhat concerned? Do you recall that many of the reformers were tortured and killed because they refused to accept these kinds of dangerous doctrines?

Rather than reviving the teachings of the monks and early “church fathers,” I believe we as Bible-believing Christians should pray that such pagan practices be exposed rather than embraced. While proponents of the Emerging Church believe they are getting closer to God, they are not paying attention to – or reading – the Word of God!

The last days will be characterized by doctrines of demons who lead sincere Bible-believing Christians astray:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons – 1 Timothy 4:1

The present day Emerging Church/”Sinner-Sensitive” Movement has that very same potential.

The Emerging Church Movement presently underway is riddled with teachings that contradict God’s Word. The supporters of this movement may be sincere in their efforts to reinvent Christianity for the sake of reaching this generation by making the “narrow way” a “wide way” as spoken of by Jesus Himself:

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. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it – Matthew 7:13-14

But I believe it is time to cry out “apostasy” like Jeremiah did – whether or not it is popular… Time is SHORT and many souls are in the balance!

While some of the teachings in the Emergent Church Movement may seem rather harmless, a number of general trends reveal a form of Christianity that is in defiance of the central message of the Old and New Testament Scriptures. For example, Brian McLaren, a well known leader of this movement, has gone on record saying that hell is not a place of judgment. Instead, he believes that hell is nothing more than what Jesus “said” the Jews would face after His departure from planet earth – His ascension to Heaven.

Needless to say, McLaren makes no effort to hide the fact that he supports today’s “Palestine Movement” in which stands against Israel. The words of warning from God Himself should immediately come to our minds:

I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you – Genesis 12:3

This unbiblical and anti-Semitic worldview is becoming much more commonplace among “evangelical” churches these days and must be exposed…

In closing:

We have been warned through the Word of God not to engage in pagan practices – of any kind…

Contemplative Prayer

This brief commentary does not allow the space required to do this subject justice. However, if there was one item I could warn you about and one item only, it would be the onslaught of a concept known as contemplative prayer. This idea is promoted as a means to get closer to God. Here is what Richard Foster – one of the leading proponents – has to say about the practice of contemplative prayer:

“I also want to give a word of precaution. In the silent contemplation of God we are entering deeply into the spiritual realm, and there is such a thing as supernatural guidance that is not divine guidance. While the Bible does not give us a lot of information on the nature of the spiritual world, we do know… there are various orders of spiritual beings, and some of them are definitely not in cooperation with God and his way! …But for now I want to encourage you to learn and practice prayers of protection… All dark and evil spirits must now leave.” – Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (San Francisco, CA.: Harper, 1992, First Edition) p. 157

Are you shocked? If you are not, you should be! It is a fact that Buddhists and Hindus practice this same contemplative prayer methodology as a means of getting into an altered state of consciousness – Transcendental Meditation (TM). My question is simply this: Should Christians embrace the same methods used by pagans to connect with God? The Bible is clear – No we should not! What “god” will they get in touch with?

We must heed these words from the Prophet Jeremiah to the people he was called to warn:

And the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them – Jeremiah 11:9-11

Do you see the desperate need for Jeremiah’s message today? Being led away from God and His Word by seducing spirits and doctrines of demons is a serious offense. It’s time to wake up Bible-believing Christians – or suffer the dire consequences!

Closing Prayer: Lord help us to lovingly reach out to the lost with the saving grace of Jesus Christ, as we understand the times in which we are living today!

Praise the Lord!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Blessings!

Shane <><

For You

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.  And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

Around this time of year, I give thanks for the many things God has given me.  Of course, I have thanked family members and friends along with my team and peers.  I also gave thanks to my fellow devotion writers.  Today, I want to give thanks to someone that inspires me each and every Wednesday to write my devotions even when I do not feel God inspired.  This is a person when I feel that I’ve lost my way gives me words of encouragement to continue fighting the good fight.  Today, I quite simply want to thank someone who I rarely directly acknowledge; you.

Each of you who chose to receive and read my devotions each and every week has driven me to write what God has placed on my heart.  This is not to say that God is not awe inspiring alone and does not give me fuel.  However sometimes, I lose sight of God.  I will just throw my hands up, and say to God, “I don’t know what to do or say.”  Then feeling confused and uninspired after hitting the proverbial button of doom that says ‘Post,’ one of you will say something.  “That’s what I really needed to hear today,” one said.  “Amen, and amen,” says another with exclamation points.  Each of us fights their own battle in the world, and as today’s verses remind me, you work hard, live in peace, challenge the status quo, and do what is good.  That gives me reason to rejoice and give thanks today and beyond.

Humility is knowing through Christ you can do extraordinary things and not much without Him.  Each of you humbly has the ability to inspire through His spirit that dwells within.  As you enjoy this Thanksgiving, remember that you can be the voice of God to others who have never heard Him.  Don’t think about it.  Know it.  Who can you thank for your journey of faith?  Who can you inspire or encourage with the heart of Christ?  My prayer is that your hearts are filled with the love of Christ in knowing that this God centered devotion is simply to give thanks for . . . YOU.  Amen, and have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Tues Devo: Thankful

Hello - For this week, a Psalm that gives thanks to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Psalm 9 (NASB)

“1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
2 I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turn back,
They stumble and perish before You.
4 For You have maintained my just cause;
You have sat on the throne judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
8 And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;
10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
Declare among the peoples His deeds.
12 For He who requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O Lord;
See my affliction from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 That I may tell of all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in Your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has made Himself known;
He has executed judgment.
In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. Higgaion Selah.

17 The wicked will return to Sheol,
Even all the nations who forget God.
18 For the needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
19 Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before You.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord;
Let the nations know that they are but men.”

So thankful that God has chosen to desire relationship with us, and to offer us His fellowship and love.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

The Book of 1 John

Hello Friends!

The apostle John was entrusted by God to be the writer of five books of the New Testament – The Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and the book of Revelation. There are unique messages in each of John's books but 1 John has a multi-faceted theme.

Let’s take a “10,000 foot flight” over this wonderfully edifying epistle…

The Book of 1 John

The overall theme of 1 John is “a recall to the fundamentals of the faith” or “back to the basics of Christianity.” The Apostle John deals with certainties, not opinions or conjecture. He expresses the absolute character of Christianity in very simple terms that are clear and unmistakable, leaving no doubt as to the fundamental nature of those truths. A warm, conversational, loving tone occurs, like a father having a tender and intimate conversation with his children. I like that!

1 John is also pastoral, written from the heart of a pastor who has great concern for the people entrusted to him by the Lord. As a shepherd, John communicated to his flock some very basic but vitally essential principles reassuring them regarding the basics of the faith.

He desired them to have “joy” regarding the certainty of their faith rather than being upset by the false teaching and current defections of some who were professing to be Christians but were really false followers:

And these things we write to you that your joy may be full – 1 John 1:4

John also refutes the defectors with sound doctrine, exhibiting no tolerance for those who pervert divine truth. He labels those departing from the truth as “false prophets”:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world – 1 John 4:1

Then John refutes those who would seek to “deceive” us in any way:

These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you – 1 John 2:26

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous – 1 John 3:7

And John warns us of “antichrists” to come:

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour – 1 John 2:18

John also pointedly identifies the ultimate source of all such defection from sound doctrine as “demonic”:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error – 1 John 4:1-6

The constant repetition of 3 sub-themes reinforces the overall theme regarding faithfulness to the basics of Christianity: joy (1:4), holiness (2:1) and assurance (5:13). By faithfulness to these basics, believers will experience these attributes continually in their lives and will also reveal true spirituality:

• Proper belief in Jesus Christ
• Produces obedience to His commands
• Results in love for God and fellow believers

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us – 1 John 3:23-24

When these attributes operate in concert together, they result in joy, holiness and assurance. These attributes indeed constitute the evidence or “the litmus test” of a true Christian. (See my 6-part Daily Devotions series “Are You Truly Redeemed?” outlining the 10 “hallmarks” of a true Christian found in the book of 1 John)

Finally, we learn that John wrote this epistle as a “testimony” that we might “know that we have eternal life”:

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God – 1 John 5:11-13

In fact, the word "know" is used 39 times in this letter to believers! By the way, that is a great approach to studying the book of 1 John during your own personal devotions... Just read all 39 of these "know" phrases in their proper context and you will have quite a study guide prepared for yourself!

Please read through this power-packed little book and immerse yourself in these excellent truths.

In closing:

Here’s a final thought from the Apostle Paul's sojourn in Berea outlined in the book of Acts. He preached there and the Bereans heard the Word of God and then searched the Scriptures to see if Paul was correct:

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 – Act 17:11

This too is a great principle – Hear the Word of God preached & taught and study the Scriptures for yourself to see if the preacher/teacher is Biblically correct. – AMEN to that!

Brethren, I encourage each of us to apply this same principle to our own Christian Bible studies – let’s be “good Bereans” in our search for The Truth:

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth – John 17:17

Praise the Lord!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Blessings!

Shane <><

Take Only What You Need

16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’” Exodus 16

Take as much as you need, meaning, take only what you need.  God blesses us abundantly, but it is up to us to show restraint and to take for ourselves only what we need.  

Let's start with the easy one that probably already popped into your head: Money.  God is really the one who is providing this blessing for us.  In fact, God is giving you more than you need.  So what do you do with that amount above and beyond what you need?  You give it back to God.  My husband and I have always "kinda" budgeted.  We paid attention to what we spent our money on, and we made sure to not go overboard with our purchases and we always did ok there.  However, starting this summer, we really felt called to tithe.  I'm talking, the full 10% tithe.  This would be a huge change to our monthly finances.  Not to mention, we also started daycare for our son at the same time, so there's another big expense that we weren't used to.

Has it been tough, yes.  But we've gotten through it.  We've found that we really do have what we need and that God is taking care of us.  We pay a bit more attention (and now have an actual budget that we're still working on sticking to), but we always know that that amount that goes for tithing must go there.  It's a non-negotiable matter between us.  And we're still finding a way to get everything taken care of (including daycare).

What else does God bless us with?  The next thing I thought of was Time.  We are given 24 hours in a day, which is again, more than we really need to do everything, even though it sometimes doesn't feel like it.  This is something that I had big struggles with until a few years ago.  I was a huge time waster.  I'd waste it on pointless things.  Did I take any time out to pray, study the Bible or go to church?  No.  And yet, I always complained about not having enough time in my day to get everything done.  I really didn't need to spend hours playing games, or hours transcribing recipes, or hours doing whatever wasteful thing I could think of.

So when my husband and I returned to church and began regularly attending, it hit me about how much time I had been wasting, when I should use that extra time for God.  So I prayed more, and used the time to study the bible.  And of course, I was going to church.  Again, the important things still got done and I had time to sleep at night still.

What else does God bless us with that we can start to use only what we need, and give the rest back to God?  And more importantly, have you been giving your blessings back to God?

God is always with us (Part II)

As I was writing last week’s devotional, I saw a lot of parallels to my niece’s skating lessons. It was going to be a very long devotional if I included them, so I thought it best to cover it this week!

Yes, I was helping my niece, Maria, learn how to roller skate last week, and it wasn’t this week in the negative 5 wind chill weather! The first time out with the roller skates on, I held onto Maria the entire time she was skating. She first had to get the hang of rolling on the pavement and then we worked on pushing side to side instead of trying to “walk” in the skates. All the while, I was holding her up, right by her side.

Jesus was with the disciples for three years, right by their side. In Matthew 28, though, He leaves their side, commands them to move forward, but promises to still be with them always.

Matthew 28:19-20    ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, the second day, I left Maria’s side and told her to try to skate from the grass to me (about 3 feet) without me holding her. She was successful, so I kept moving back a foot until she was skating the length of the drive way!

God is always there for us. He gives us instructions and helps us get started. Then, He gives us more challenging situations and responsibilities so that we learn and grow. All the while, He is always there for us.

Isaiah 41:13-14        For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.
¹⁴ Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
    little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord,
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

How has God been there for you and me in the past?

How does reflecting on this encourage us for the future so we aren’t afraid as we face new challenges?

(There are so many more parallels, so maybe I’ll cover more next time…)

Fighting With God (It's Not What You Think)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 6:10-12

The other day, a couple colleagues of mine were telling me their disappointing Christian experiences.  One pointed out that there were relatives who would blast non-believers for their choice and then act in ways that were as sinful as anyone else.  Another who was distant from the faith because of its treatment toward gays asked how a faith could speak of love and yet be so dismissive of the LGBT community?  I wrote about being a Road Warriors for Christ a few weeks ago.  It was clear that this was a road game in a hostile environment.  Yet somehow, God was with me in that discussion because I answered in a way I had not done before.

Speaking to the friend with troubling relatives, I noted that some Christians are hypocritical of others, and that was wrong.  However, it is not fair for them to paint all Christians that way.  Furthermore, one must make their decision on faith based on their own relationship with God and not how others portray that relationship.  Then to the gay advocate, I simply said it is true that God’s word is clear against the homosexual lifestyle.  Furthermore I admitted it is something I struggle with because there are great people I know who are gay.  My goal as a Christian was never to judge.  It is to point them to God so their relationship can be determined.  Most of all, I am to love them with all of my heart as I would love God.  I could see that speaking from my heart had somewhat softened theirs because they knew what I was saying was not the hate filled overly critical views they had heard from Christians before.  It was a flawed and loving person who was helping them see the God they might not have agreed with but could understand.

Allowing God to shine through us is the best way to handle any conversation challenging our faith.  It is never easy when we are attacked at times in vicious and unacceptable ways.  However Hebrews 6:10 reminds us, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”  Trust that He will be with you in your most difficult battles.  How can you rely on God when questioned about your faith?  My prayer is that instead of fighting against God, we address our opposition fighting back with God.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Fresh air

Hello,

So yesterday I got home and stepped out to grab the mail from the mailbox. There was a brief moment where the wind died down (very brief) and I just stopped, closed my eyes, held my head up a little bit and took a relaxing deep breath. While often we view the 20 degree weather as cold – when the wind was quiet, it was quite refreshing after a long day of work behind me and my 2 high energy toddlers yet to come.

It got me thinking about how we as believers in Christ are to be. His love and presence is that fresh air for us – it relaxes, renews and re-invigorates even in crazy times. We as believers are to be that extension of him to both those who are and those who are not believers. What a ministry to have with our brothers & sisters in Christ – to be refreshment/revitalization to them on behalf of God. When we do this, what a witness to those who don’t know God –but need His fellowship deeply.

Some examples: (all quoted from NASB)

Acts 3:19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;”

2 Corinthians 7:13 “For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.”

2 Timothy 1:16 “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains”

Philemon 1:7 “For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”

Have a blessed day – be fresh air, or if you receive the fresh air acknowledge it to that person.

Will Hill