Posted on 05/12/2006 1:24:43 PM PDT by Choose Ye This Day
Deception has always been an effective weapon and is deadliest when used in the field of religion.
Our Lord warned against this when He said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." These words have been turned into a proverb known around the world, and still we continue to be taken in by the wolves.
There was a time, no longer ago than the twenties and thirties, when a Christian knew, or at least could know, where he stood. The words of Christ were taken seriously. A man either was or was not a believer in New Testament doctrine. Clear, sharp categories existed. Black stood in sharp contrast to white; light was separated from darkness; it was possible to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error; a true believer from an unbeliever. Christians knew that they must forsake the world, and there was for the most part remarkable agreement about what was meant by the world. It was that simple.
The whole religious picture has changed. Without denying a single doctrine of the faith, multitudes of Christians have nevertheless forsaken the faith. Anyone who makes a claim to having “accepted Christ” is admitted at once into the goodly fellowship of the prophets and the glorious company of the apostles regardless of the worldliness of his life or the vagueness of his doctrinal beliefs.
I have listened to certain speakers and have recognized the ingredients that went to make up their teachings. A bit of Freud, a dash of Emile Coue, a lot of watered down humanism, tender chunks of Emersonian transcendentalism, auto-suggestion a la Dale Carnegie, plenty of hopefulness and religious sentimentality, but nothing hard and sharp and specific – nothing of the either/or of Christ and Peter and Paul. There is none of the “Who is on the Lord’s side?” of Moses, or the “Choose you this day whom you will serve” of Joshua. Instead, there is just tender pleading to “take Jesus and let Him solve your problems.”
We can only insist that the way of the cross is still a narrow way!
A. W. Tozer PING.
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I would like to add that even words such as "Kingdom" can be misused and misconstrued, for there is a Kingdom of Darkness as well as a Kingdom of Light - so if someone says to you, "The Kingdom is within me (within you)," verify that they are speaking to you of the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of God and His Christ. Doctrines of demons are abounding in our day: be watchful, be on your guard. Do not be afraid: the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is a strong tower.
When I was a relatively new Believer I joined an American Baptist church. The pastor was Jewish and I thought that was pretty neat, a Messianic Jew shepherding a Baptist congregation.
Within months it became very apparent that the man was apostate. First, when I asked if I could announce a pro-life fundraiser (for the local Crisis Pregnancy Center) during the "announcements" portion of the service the pastor told me that if he allowed me to make my pro-life announcement, then out of all fairness he would have to let another woman, who supported Planned Parenthood, also make some announcement for her side...just to be "fair and balanced."
The second dead giveaway was the sermon he preached on how Jesus was the product of a union of Mary with a Roman soldier.
This pastor and his wife also led a home "Bible" study on "The Tao of Pooh and Te of Piglet"...and most members of the church saw absolutely nothing wrong with any of this; there was no discernment among them. To me that was the most horrifying of all.
The grossest, most chilling apostasy this man and his wife committed was evident in their "favorite" hymn, which they included in almost every service. It is a well-known and well-loved hymn written to praise our God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it was sung by these two in a different spirit entirely, and to a different god: it was "This is My Father's World." The gall of it is what angers me to this day.
Jesus wasn't kidding. And neither was Paul. Nor was Jude.
The activity of demons and the spirit of deception is more active now than ever before. We must be prayed up.
Matthew 7:13
"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.
Matthew 7:14
"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:15
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 7:16
"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:17
"Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Matthew 7:18
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Matthew 7:19
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:20
"Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:21
"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.
Matthew 7:22
"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?'
Matthew 7:23
"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
(NKJV)
2 Timothy 4:1
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 Timothy 4:2
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
2 Timothy 4:3
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;
2 Timothy 4:4
and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
2 Timothy 4:5
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
(NKJV)
good LORD'S day!!
ALLWAYS REMEMBER THE LIE CLOSEST TO THE TRUTH IS THE MOST PERFECT LIE.
Ec 11:9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
(NKJV)
WALK CAREFULLY!
5 SOLAS!
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