Even Some with Discernment Will Stumble - Part II

Continuing with the previous post, I'd like to address some of the specific deceptions and errors I see popping up in the remnant Christian community. With one exception, I'm not going to name names because I don't want to create ill will or more more divisions in the body. 

Deception #1: If someone disagrees with me, telling him that he might not be a Christian or might lose his salvation if he doesn't agree will really get my point across.

No, what you are doing is akin to condemning someone. Jesus said:

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." - Luke 6:37

Yes, we should stand up for truth and righteousness and correct others (and ourselves) when necessary. It is true to say that Jesus is the only way to the Father and those who do not believe in Jesus stand condemned already, but it is something else to consign people to hell because they disagree with a particular theological issue.

Our ministry on earth is to follow in the footsteps of Christ. This is the ministry of reconciliation and salvation, not condemnation:

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." - John 3:17

God will certainly judge all of us. But that's his job, not ours.

Deception #2: I have the gift of prophecy, so my prophetic words, dreams or visions are direct revelation from God and not subject to the Scriptures.

No. Any prophetic word that contradicts the Scriptures is not from God. Period. It might originate from your own imagination, or it might be "second heaven chatter" that was slipped into your mind by demons and fallen angels. We are all mortals living in fleshly bodies who can make mistakes. The devil is tricky, tricky, tricky.

God is not the author of confusion. His words do not contradict themselves and do not change. They stand forever.

All prophetic revelations and interpretations should be weighed against the totality of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. If it doesn't fit, throw it out.

Deception #3: Donald Trump is God's chosen man to restore America and we are getting a reprieve.

If America is getting a reprieve, then perhaps the Lord owes Nineveh an apology, because they actually had to repent from wickedness to get a reprieve, but America has not! 

"Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, 'Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.' Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them...

When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it." - Jonah 3:4-5,10

The only way to delay or lessen God's judgment is REPENTANCE. That does not mean going to church or saying a prayer or voting for Trump. That means we have a change of heart and stop doing the evil things that offend God. America has not done this!

What bothers me so much about the Christian leaders who are promoting Trump and the idea of America getting a reprieve is that their position contradicts the Scriptures. 

When the (in)famous fireman's prophecy from Mark Taylor was announced earlier this year about Trump being God's chosen man to make America great again, I had recently read Jeremiah 28 and the story of the false prophet Hananiah. The Lord impressed on my heart that I was witnessing the same kind of false prophecy today.

God had declared to Judah that King Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon would destroy the nation and carry away the people into exile for 70 years. This was his will and the punishment for Israel's long period of rebellion against him. In fact, it would have gone easier for the Israelites if they had just submitted to captivity, but instead they rebelled against that too and were crushed by Babylon's army.

The false prophet Hananiah announced that God had changed his mind and would break the yoke of Babylon and make Judah great again. But God's real prophet Jeremiah rebuked him, and the Lord took Hananiah's life a couple months later.

I tell you what - you couldn't pay me a million dollars to stand in the shoes of these people making false prophecies about Trump. 

It's true that God has used Trump to expose some of America's sins, but that doesn't mean he was chosen to restore it. The Lord keeps leading my wife and me to 1 Samuel 8, where the people of Israel told the prophet Samuel that they wanted a king instead of prophets to judge them. The Lord said, "They have rejected Me from being king over them." Trump is like a King Saul. He is a test for Christians in America: Will they prefer to follow a man, or will they listen and yield to the voice of the Lord?

And don't get me started about the heaps of evidence that say Trump is NOT what he says he is. 

Deception #4: Since the word for God in Genesis 1 (Elohim) is different from the word for God in Genesis 2 (Jehovah Elohim), it means that Satan and the fallen angels created mankind in their image.

This is not true. There are many words for God in the Old Testament and Elohim is definitely one of them. Just because the word elohim can also refer to magistrates or angels, as in Psalm 82, doesn't mean that Satan and his angels created us in his image.

In fact, the Apostle Paul referred to Satan as a "god":

 "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving..." - 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

This is a reference to Satan's worldly influence and authority during this age, at least until Jesus Christ shows up on a white horse with a sword to deal with him. It doesn't mean Satan created anything. Satan can manipulate creation for his twisted purposes, and even contributed to the corruption of mankind, but he didn't create anything.

Paul also clarified that we are created in God's image:

"For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God..." -2 Corinthians 11:7

Therefore, men and women are created in the image of God, the Lord God, the Creator God.

Even Some with Discernment Will Stumble - Part I

A couple days ago my wife and I went on a date night to the local ski resort for some evening skiing. It was nice to get up on the mountain for some fresh air and clear views while the grandparents watched the kids. But I think I skied one run too many because I fell spectacularly the last time down. Somehow I turned too sharply, clipped off one of my skis and fell over. There was a patina of ice on the slope and I slid quickly downhill. I tried to dig in my remaining ski as a brake but flipped around so I was sliding down head first on my back. So I rolled lengthwise to get the ski under me again and tried to dig in the edge. It was tough but eventually I came to rest on the side of the run near the trees.

A compassionate snowboarder brought down my other ski and asked if I was okay. I said yes and thanked him. The fall had pulled the hat and goggles off my head and I just lay there a couple minutes, shaking the ice out of my hair and thinking, "What the heck just happened?"

Which is how I have felt in general recently. 

Some Will Stumble

This blog has been fairly quiet lately because, to be honest, I sense the time of warning is over. The Lord's judgment is upon America and things will break loose any day. People have either received the message or not.

However, after published my previous post in November, Living in the Time of the Antichrist - The Message of Daniel 11:32-35, I was not expecting to see a fulfillment of the Daniel 11:35 prophecy right away:

"Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time." (Complete Jewish Bible)

But in fact this is what happened. Christians, even in the "awake" remnant community, have been falling into error and deception all over the place. Personally, in the last couple of weeks I have seen trial and temptation and stumbling too. I was racked with frustration and doubt about prophetic fulfillments a couple weeks ago. Fear, lust, anger and unforgiveness have raised their ugly heads. My older daughter got a gushing nosebleed in the middle of the night that lasted so long I feared she might lose consciousness or have to go to the ER because of blood loss. (It turns out she has an allergy or some strange reaction to artificial food coloring in food!) I have felt rattled and then watching other people I respect stumble has only added to it.

I have seen solid people with prophetic gifts suddenly put forth messages and doctrines that contradict the Scriptures. When reproved, they dig in their heels. A person who is normally sweet-natured and kind wrote a venomous post with false teaching. A ministry I thought was credible and listened to their shows has been exposed for deception and teaching sorcery! I'm seeing people criticize others with harshness and condemnation, creating fractures and divisions among believers.

Folks, Satan & Co. are having a field day. They are probing for weaknesses and stepping up attacks everywhere. The spiritual battle described in Ephesians 6 is real. If the enemy can coax a Christian to fall into sin or deception, they can discredit or derail their ministry and cause mayhem in general. If they can coax Christians to hurt each other, they can create divisions, and a house divided against itself cannot stand.

I want to warn everyone, including myself, that we need to stay close to Jesus, guard our hearts and repent often.

Avoiding Deception

My wife and I asked God how to avoid being deceived and were led to this verse:

"The rod has budded; arrogance has blossomed." - Ezekiel 7:10

Pride is a soul killer and an open door for deception. If we think we have it all figured out, and won't let God continue to teach and mold us, then we are setting ourselves up for deception. Spiritual discernment begins with humility and purity of heart. It's not about intelligence or education or belonging to the right club. God did not choose Moses to lead the nation of Israel because Moses had all the "right answers." He chose Moses because he was humble:

"Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth." - Numbers 12:3

In contrast, the spirit of America, which is the daughter of Babylon or mystery Babylon in the Scriptures, is PRIDE:

"Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, who dwells securely, who says in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, nor know loss of children.'" - Isaiah 47:8

And pride comes before the fall:

"Pride goes before destruction, and arrogance before failure." - Proverbs 16:18

In fact, any sin creates an open door for the enemy to slip in deceptions. This is why we have to listen to the Holy Spirit, read the Bible, stay true to its teaching and repent often.

To read the second part of this post, click here.

The Spirit Guides Us into All Truth

 
We live in a time of GREAT DECEPTION and it is imperative to be anchored in the TRUTH. Lives and souls and eternities are at stake.

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth." - John 16:13

Jesus said it is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. In my 27 years as a Christian, I have never been to a church or ministry that taught the full meaning of this verse or how to implement it in practical terms. Yet it is fundamental to walking with God. This is an enormous failing of the modern church. For the most part, what I know I learned directly from the Spirit as He opened my eyes to the truth in the Scriptures.

Let me ask a question that may challenge your core beliefs. Did Jesus say it is the Bible that leads us into all truth? No, He didn't. He said it is the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Bible is the inspired word of God and we need its truths to grow our faith. But we only discern the meaning and application of the Scriptures by hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit always comes first, even before the words in the Bible. That's what Jesus said. 

That's what the Apostle John said too:

"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." - 1 John 2:27

The anointing is the Holy Spirit, who abides in us and teaches us about all things. We don't need anyone to teach us if we are born again and have the Holy Spirit.

The prophet Jeremiah said it too, as he looked to the future and wrote about the new covenant God would make with his people:
 
"'But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the Lord, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'"- Jeremiah 31:33-34

So, do pastors or ministers lead you into all truth? No. How about really smart geniuses with PhDs in theology from brand-name seminaries? No, absolutely not. How about churches and denominations? No. Does having the "perfect" Bible translation or the best scriptural analysis tools lead us into all truth? No and no.

The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. 

The Apostle Paul said the wisdom of God is a mystery. It is hidden, not of this world, and revealed only by the Spirit:

"We speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory." - 1 Corinthian 2:7

"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." - 1 Corinthians 2:10

How do we hear the voice of the Spirit? Jesus put it simply:

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." - John 10:27-28    

If we are born of God, in our heart of hearts we know the voice of our Shepherd and follow him. The recognition comes naturally if we are reborn supernaturally.

Hate, discord, confusion, fear and doubt are not God's voice. They are the enemy speaking.

God's voice is peaceful and pure, gentle and bears good fruit:

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." - James 3:17-18

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

Learning to hear God's voice comes with faith and practice. Do we trust him to speak?

Seek Justice, Walk Righteous, Be Shrewd as the Devil

I just wanted to pass along what the Lord has impressed on me about how to operate in the days ahead:

"Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow."
- Isaiah 1:17

Seek justice. In this verse, the God is pointing out what Israel needed to do to repent and turn back to him. The people's failure to seek justice provoked God's anger and judgment against Judah and Jerusalem.  

Note that seeking justice has two aspects:

1. Stand up against oppressors.
2. Stand up for the oppressed.

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves."

- Matthew 10:16

Be shrewd as the devil and walk righteous. If there is ever a time when Jesus' disciples are going out as sheep among wolves, it is the days ahead.

Serpents, in this verse, are a metaphor for the devil. And wow, is the devil shrewd! Jesus wants his children to be as shrewd as the devil: Wise, knowing, clever, canny.

The other half of this verse is to walk in the ways of the Lord: Love, truth, righteousness. 


"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."
- James 3:7

Finally, be at peace. God is a God of peace.

What About Right and Wrong?

How then do you determine right and wrong or good and bad? How does one know what to do? The Bible is filled with brilliant moral teaching. It virtually explodes with wisdom and direction for life. This book leaves no stone unturned, no ill motive unexposed, no good deed unpraised, and no important issue unaddressed. If you want insight about relationships, money, career, church, love, sex, life, death, heaven, hell – it is there. Every book in the Old and New Testaments has great lessons to offer.

The issue is how to interpret this moral teaching. There are two distinct approaches, and one represents the way of law and the other of the Spirit:

1. Read the Bible to assemble a set of absolute rules by which to live and then try to follow them. The thinking goes that if a person follows the rules well enough, he or she will have an abundant, successful, and righteous life. This is why many Christian books have titles like “Ten Steps to a Deeper Walk” or “How to Share Your Faith”. We want a tidy program to follow. However, if a person does not follow the prescribed rules, the result is sin, failure, spiritual decay and unrighteousness. A corollary is that if life is not going well for some reason (e.g. marital, financial, work problems), the likely problem is not having the right set of rules or not following them rigorously enough. This creates a temptation to judge others, if things are going well, or to feel like a spiritual loser if they are not.
   
   It is difficult even for sincere truth seekers to sort out which rules are best or right. Each church has a slightly different rule set. In fact, many denominations and church splits have their origins in these differences. The Bible is a large and multi-faceted book. Good-hearted, intelligent people have studied it thoroughly and still disagree on interpretations. Culture and church traditions also influence the rules. While mainstream Christianity agrees that we no longer live under the law of Moses (e.g. we are not obligated to sacrifice animals, we can eat pork), many comb the New Testament to decipher a new set of moral laws. Churchgoers are encouraged to study the Bible and/or church doctrine to learn their particular rules. These are many and varied:
   
   Be kind to others. Be generous. Share your faith with unbelievers. Communion is for church members only. Communion is for everyone. Everyone should seek to speak in tongues. No one should speak in tongues. Tithe ten percent of your income. Give how you feel led. Do not go into debt. Debt is only okay for a durable asset, like a house. Divorce is always wrong. Divorce is wrong except in the case of adultery. Divorce is regrettable. Pastors can marry and have children. Priests cannot marry nor have children. Elders must be men, not women. Christians should vote Republican. Christians should vote Democrat. Saturday is the Sabbath day. Sunday is the Sabbath day. It is good to take a day off sometimes. And so on.
   
2. Read the Bible to understand God’s ways and moral principles, and then trust his Spirit to direct when and how to apply them. This way acknowledges that religion is first a matter of the heart. We live from the inside out, not by merely following an external framework or program. The heart of a man or woman is the core of their being, seat of the Holy Spirit and wellspring of life. It is where we discern truth and wisdom. The heart of a Christian, a person who has been “born again”, is good and can be trusted, even though the “flesh” or sinful nature still vies for influence. (See Romans 7:21-25 and Ezekiel 36:26-27. These verses refute the teaching that a reborn Christian’s heart is still evil, implying that we cannot trust our hearts and therefore need an external laws to follow. )
   Moreover, this way acknowledges that the moral teachings of the Bible are principles that shape our values, not absolute laws to be applied in all situations all of the time. There is a big difference in practical terms. Love is the only absolute, and there are more ways to love than grains of sand in the ocean. We trust the Holy Spirit to show us how to apply these teachings and principals in all the complexity of life. The Spirit actively speaks and, as Jesus said, is the one who illuminates truth and wisdom (see John 16:13). We can trust him to lead us in the moment.
   
   Life is not simple. Navigating it cannot be reduced to a set of magic formulas and cookie-cutter sound bites. The world is complex, multi-faceted and usually colored in shades of gray. Cartoon caricatures of good and evil are found only in the realm of fantasy and fairy tales. The real world contains striations of good and evil that blend and mix through people and events. Life is full of mystery, paradox and contradiction. Pain, suffering and loss share the stage with joy, triumph and gain. Clear-cut black and white is a welcome exception, but not the rule! Every situation is different; every person is unique; every life has a special purpose. We have to exercise judgment and discernment. We need God’s infinite and wise Spirit to see through it all. Living by a simplified set of laws short-circuits his participation and essential influence in our faith.

The second approach describes living by the Spirit. It is quite different from legalism. It is quite different from how mainstream Christianity tends to operate. It assumes a deep, personal, intimate, powerful connection with our Creator. And that we have because of Christ! Today is Easter, as I write. I am reminded that he rose from the dead and established this connection to God. He made it all possible. We must lean on this connection and trust the Spirit. Such an act of faith feels like stepping onto a tightrope strung taught between two skyscrapers. Don’t look down! Look at him. He is there and will keep us balanced and upright.