Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
The following article seemed fitting to start off this blog for 2009. And I am sure many will be able to relate to it. I certainly relate to it. Too often in my past, I assumed those in church leadership positions must know more, must be more spiritual. Too often, I never questioned their speeches or products, and I consumed and thereby spread their poison. I am committing myself to question what I believe and why I believe it, as self-examination of my beliefs is critical to leading me away from error and detoxification. I may well change my position on certain things over time for I will endeavor to become more established in the Word and thereby in truth. A firm foundation comes from the Word of God, and not in the philosophies and traditions of men. As I write now this verse comes to me: "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" 1 Peter 2:2 . Many "meat eating" leaders condescendingly quote this to their flock while steeped in falsity. Yet it is not meat they eat, but regurgitated cud grown out of deception. Pride will truly be the downfall of many, for pride will prevent a person from questioning what they believe to be true, and to dwell in smugness. Laziness will do that too, but riding on the coat tails of other people's sermons and prophetic words...will not take you far. Read this great article directly below:
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Another Jesus? A Different Gospel? A Different Spirit?
Rita Sanders, March 25, 2007
v "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!" 2 Corinthians 11:3-5
v "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
These are the days of great and maybe final deception! I am eternally grateful to Almighty God for granting me repentance and leading my family out of the deceptive and self-centered gospel of greed being promoted in the pulpits of the churches today. Today's believers are replacing the call to "deny themselves" with the desire to pursue "their best lives now". We have ignored the command to "test the spirits" because of the perverted use of "touch not My anointed" by today's pulpiteers.
For too long, and to my shame, I "well put up with it". Why? I believed I loved God and was serving him - but the cold hard truth is I loved the things of this world more! I wanted the new house, my own business, money and all the "blessings of Abraham" I was being told was my inheritance. My heart was being trained in covetousness and I was ripe for deception and seduction by "lying spirits" disguised as the "voice of god".
After a couple of years I had stopped studying the Word of God except through the veil of deception I was now fully immersed in through false messages, tapes, books, conferences, etc. I was relying on those in the pulpit to be led by God! Like the many, many still trapped in these building projects designed to enrich the “pastors” (CEO/Owners). I was even convinced I was "hearing directly from God" and receiving "now words from the Lord". I was losing sight of the "more sure word of prophesy" I already had - the Word of God. I was no longer "testing the spirits" or "searching the scriptures daily" to see if what was being said was in line with the TRUTH. Oh, but for the MERCY OF GOD!
v "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed . ." 2 Peter 1:19 v "And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
- Luke 12:15 v "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. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 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." 2 Peter 2:1-3
The short of it is I was "shaken" out of my slumber by a merciful and loving God. I was reminded instantly by the Spirit of God that it was the "Laodicean, wealthy and huge church" that finds Jesus OUTSIDE and knocking on the door! That remembrance sent me running back to the Word of God (and nothing but the Word of God). We cleaned our house of all the tapes, books, DVDs, etc. and trust only in the forever settled, unchanging Word of the Living God.
As I continue to be "cleansed by the washing of the water of the Word" I am able to see that it is the enemy who has transformed himself into an "angel of light" and his ministers into "ministers of righteousness!" They fill the pulpits of America!
v "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
May God grant repentance to all still under the influence of the "deceiver of the whole world!"
v "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:24-26
May God in His wrath remember mercy on "ministers" who have twisted, added to, taken from, or changed His Word which is forever settled in heaven and in doing so have led millions away from the True Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
v "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 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. 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." Galatians 1:6-9
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!
