Beware of False Prophets

Beware!

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly…are ravenous wolves” (Mt. 7:15)

are you listening to false prophets

Are you listening to false prophets!

With every new year it seems that there is no shortage of people who predict the Lord’s return. This has especially been the case in the years surrounding  2000.  Many so-called prophets have given the days and times of the Lord’s return – and these have proven to be false time and again.  Jesus said, “…the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matt. 24:44).  He also said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).  Now if Jesus Himself doesn’t know, how could man possibly know?   Moses said, “when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken…” (Deut. 18:22). Therefore, let us reject these false prophets, for they are proven liars.  And let us always be satisfied with the complete and all-sufficient word of God.

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Kindness? Always?

When People Mistreat You

I could quote the verse long before I really felt the impact God intended for it to have in my life. It was several years ago, when we lived in Birmingham, that one of my children’s Bible classes was memorizing short phrases from the Bible. The teacher asked for my help and I readily responded. Decades have passed, but I distinctly remember those six words of Paul and the impact they had on me. What were those words? “Be ye kind one to another” (Eph. 4:32).

remember kindness

Remember kindness!

The Bible demands kindness. We are told to be kindly affectionate to each other (Rom. 12:21); to be kind and forgiving (Eph. 4:32); to put on kindness (Col. 3:12) and to give all diligence in adding kindness to our faith (2 Pet. 1:5-7).

The Bible illustrates kindness. The lives of those saints of old show what kindness is, and we are amazed as we read about them. Joseph was kind to his brothers who sold him as a slave (Gen. 50:21); Moses was kind to the seven daughters of Reuel who were mistreated by the evil shepherds; David was kind to the crippled grandson of evil King Saul (2 Sam. 9); and the good Samaritan was kind to that stranger, beaten and bleeding, whom he saw beside the road. As we read these stories, we are amazed at how differently these saints reacted from the way we would have reacted!

It is so easy to be kind to some people. When people show kindness to us we readily respond kindly to them. Jesus described it in these words, “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matt. 5:46). The measure of our kindness is not determined by how we treat those who are kind to us.

It is so hard to be kind to some people. Those words of Jesus follow His words about how we should deal with our enemies, with those who curse us, with those who hate us and those who despise us, with those who out of spite take advantage of us and persecute us. We are to love them, bless them, do good to them and pray for them. Here is the measure of true kindness. It is manifested in how we treat people who are rude to us in the market place, to co-workers who mistreat us, to family members who aggravate us and to all those whose agenda seems to be to hurt us with words and deeds. Here is the measure of true kindness.

Kindness is not what we do, it is what we are. The reality is that if we wait until the moment of conflict with unkind people to decide what to do, we will likely respond unkindly. Kindness is a trait of heart, not an artificial action. Kind people do not have to decide to act kindly. This is their automatic response! It is who they are.

God help us to be kind one to another!

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A Reason to Change

Let us Reason Together

 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  (19)  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  (20)  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it…” (Isaiah 1:18-20)

reason to stop sin

Reason to stop sin!

Our Lord invited the unfaithful children of God to reason together with Him. They had forgotten the sovereignty of God. They had turned away from the One who had brought them up out of bondage and delivered them into that land “that floweth with milk and honey…” (Lev. 20:24) They had done that which even their domesticated livestock had not done – they had forgotten who their master was.

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.  (3)  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider…” (Isaiah 1:2-3)

God had done so much for them, yet they forgot Him;  turned their back on Him; went in the opposite direction from Him.  “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward…” (Isaiah 1:4)

Even with all this, the Lord pleaded with them to reason with Him. The word “reason” here indicates that God is calling (commanding really) for an end to His dispute with Israel over their sin. He offered them complete and total pardon. Though their sins were a red, bloody stain upon their lives, He would pardon them to point that the scarlet stain of their sins was washed away and the condition of their  souls were made pure once more. This reasoning was based upon all that He had done for them. This pardon was offered to those who would become obedient to His will. The offer of cleansing would not be extended to those who chose to remain in their sin.

Sin leaves a crimson stain upon all who give into it. Our sins mar the perfection of our souls; ruin our holiness; destroy our immortal souls. God calls on us to respond to His offer of salvation and cleansing. Let us reason based upon the love of God who “gave His only begotten Son” to take away the stain of our sins. When we apply the understanding of this great love and sacrifice, and our knowledge of the “mercies of God,” surely it must cause us to want to give our reasonable response to that perfect sacrifice.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God…” (Romans 12:1-2)

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Eschatology

Eschatology

I believe the first time I ever saw the term “ eschatology ” was when I was thumbing through the classic work, “Systematic Theology” by the late Rex A. Turner, Sr., years and years ago. The term simply refers to “a study of last things.” Indeed, the afterlife intrigues many people. What will happen after death? Will one cease to exist? Will some eternal entity reincarnate the dead into another creature? People pose endless questions concerning that which is beyond our grasp, at least, without divine revelation. The Bible gives just what we need concerning eschatology, and without such, we would be in the dark, groping for knowledge that is impossible to perceive. In fact, Jesus taught much concerning it. If we look at some of His teachings while He was on earth, we could refute many false doctrines that many teach about this subject.

Jesus repudiated the doctrine of universal salvation. Many in our society and world today believe that God will save everyone and anyone because He is so good and gracious. In fact, former President George W. Bush reacted to the death of seven astronauts in Space Shuttle Columbia back in 2003 by alluding to their place in heaven, regardless of how they lived or whether they obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, Jesus repudiated such thinking when He said in Matthew 7:13-14,

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

With this as His background, He later explains that only those who obey the will of God will inherit heaven (7:21-27).

Jesus repudiated the doctrine of annihilation. Atheists certainly believe that when one dies, he simply annihilates and ceases to exist. Yet, others who claim to be Christians believe that the wicked souls will be annihilated rather than live eternally in torment (i.e. Edward Fudge). Jesus repudiated such when He said in John 5:28-29,

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Jesus repudiated spiritualism, such as psychics and necromancers, who claim to be able to speak with the dead. The great magician Harry Houdini told his closest friends and family that his ultimate feat would be to come back from the dead to speak to them. Naturally, he never did. Currently, we have several well-known spiritualists airing on television who deceive far too many in our world of their faux powers. Jesus denied such activity in His account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:27-31. The rich man desperately wanted to go back and speak with his family, but he could not.

Jesus repudiated the idea of having a second chance after death. The Buddhist’s doctrine of rein – carnation and the Catholic’s doctrine of Purgatory are just a few of such doctrines. Yet, Jesus spoke a parable about a rich fool who said,

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:19-20)

There would be no second chance for him. Jesus repudiated the teaching of miraculous power apart from the word of God. With so many false doctrines concerning miracles, including those to take place with the afterlife, Jesus explains that one could never separate miracles from scripture (John 6:44-45; 8:31-32).

Jesus repudiated the doctrine of temporary punishment. For those who think that the punishment of the wicked is only temporary, consider again the teaching of Jesus about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:23-26.

We might not know every answer to every question concerning the afterlife, but certainly God revealed exactly what we need to know in order to be prepared to meet Him in that time (cf. Deut. 29:29).

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The Power of Influence

The Power of Influence

One of the most striking ways the Bible teaches us concerning the power of influence is with the illustration of leaven. The statement, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” is stated twice in Scripture (1Cor. 5:6, Gal. 5:9).  In fact, the word “leaven” is used 11 times in the New Testament and in each place, it is used with reference to the pervading power of influence.  Now, leaven is a substance that causes fermentation, like yeast, and when only a small amount is added to a large lump of dough it ferments the whole lump.  Thus, while it is small in quantity that permeates the whole substance it comes in contact, so it is with influence, meaning, that it only takes a little to have a great effect.

a little can influence much

A little can influence much.

Now, influence can be either for good or bad.  The kind of influence we have on others is based on what we allow to influence ourselves and if we are not careful, some influences may be slowly corrupt and change us.  One can see the influencing power of leaven by the way it changes the dough’s shape and temperature.  Thus, if we allow the leaven of this world to influence us, our lives will slowly be changed from what God would have them to be, into lives filled with worldliness and sin.  For, it only takes one companion with wicked thoughts and lifestyle to gradually lead you into the same kind of sin.  Likewise, evil influences are all around us and if we are not careful, we could infect our minds with filth and desires that God does not want us to have.  Therefore, we must focus on the good and have good influence on others less we do wrong and be held accountable for our wrongful influence on others.

Now, whether we think so or not, there is someone who is watching us.  Consciously or not, someone is being influenced by our words and actions.  Thus, what we do and say might seem insignificant, but in reality, our influence has a far reaching effect.  We have influence in our community, in the work place, and especially in our homes.  Children are mainly molded by the kind of influence they receive from their parents and children who are influenced by parents who are worldly minded and insensitive toward sin, will grow up to have the same mind set. Therefore, we must never allow our influence to become a stumbling block to others.  For as Jesus declared, “whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.  Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh!” (Matt. 18:6-7 ASV).  Now, what are you allowing to influence your life?  What kind of influence are you having on those around you?

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