Beware of Spiritual Fraud

I am extremely punctilious when it comes to my family’s finances. I have spreadsheets,
budgets, and online accounts and I check them regularly. And by regularly I mean several times a day, minimum! Last Thursday morning I attempted to log on to my banks website to check activity and update my records as I always do. But the login failed and I was told that my account had been blocked and I needed to contact the banks customer service department.

What I found out infuriated me! Someone had gotten access to my credit card and used it Wednesday evening (While I was sleeping peacefully in bed mind you) to make nearly $250 of purchases through iTunes. The bank apologized and said we would have to wait to see if Apple would flag these as fraudulent before we could actually file a fraud claim. So, being the proactive guy I am, I called iTunes. Yes, the purchases had been made with my card, but not to my account. In fact, after the last purchase (the bank had said a purchase was attempted after they blocked the account) the iTunes account that was used was shut down. “Sorry,” Apple said, “we cannot refund the money.”

Now, the church is not in the banking business. We are in the soul-saving business.
Nonetheless, fraud can still take place, even with the most diligent of efforts to avoid it. But we should never stop taking whatever measures necessary to limit it from happening.

Elders are responsible to watch for the souls under their oversight and will have to “give account” for their shepherding (Heb 13:17). Because of spiritual fraud Paul, by the Holy Spirit, directed the elders to “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the 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. Therefore watch;” (Acts 20:28-31a).

To the Christian Peter warned to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8) and to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet 1:10). Paul again wrote “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12).

Why was all this necessary? Spiritual fraud! Again Peter wrote, “But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Pet 2:1). And to the Corinthians Paul said that, “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14).

This was not a new phenomenon for Jesus Himself warned to “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt 7:15). “He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1). “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:22).

The charges cleared my bank. They have issued me a new card and a fraud claim has been made. I should get my money back, but we all pay for fraud in interest rates and bank charges. The person who committed this crime (sin) probably will get away with it, in this life anyway (Num 32:23). But we all need to be diligent that we, and the church, doesn’t fall victim to spiritual fraud. The loss will be far greater.

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The Cry of Wisdom (Proverbs 8)

Many understand that wisdom often incorporates knowledge and experience. Since the acquisition of knowledge takes time, and experience underscores time, then older adults often gain wisdom that our youth do not have as of yet. The Bible emphasizes that youth need to heed the wisdom from those who are older and more mature (1 Kings 12:1-15). This is why the book of Proverbs begins with instructions from a father to a son (Prov. 1-10) and ends with the virtue of a mother (Prov. 31). In other words, our youth need to listen more to the wisdom of their parents! Yet, it seems to this author that our current generations need this lesson more than ever. What is the relationship between wisdom and youth? Let us seek to answer this question by noting some things in Proverbs 8.

First, we see the open cry of wisdom (8:1-4). The fact that she cries and puts forth her voice indicates the openness of wisdom. Solomon then points out the variety of places where one may find her—high places, paths, gates and doors—illustrating that one may find wisdom everywhere! Therefore, our youth need to have their eyes wide open to the situations around them and be able to recall instruction from their parents and other wise adults to detect her open call. Usually, all it takes is the willingness to listen (1:5-6; 2:1-5). Thus, youth have no excuse when it comes to acquiring wisdom—her open call renders their excuse, “Oh, but this is just the way that I am!” useless!

Second, we see the upright cry of wisdom (8:5-9). Wisdom does not hide behind falsehood, but is always honest and righteous. Youth often face temptation from their peers and friends to join them in dishonest ventures (1:10-19), but youth need to learn the cautious wisdom from those who are older and wiser—“Evil companionships corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33, ASV).

Third, we see the valuable cry of wisdom (8:10- 11). As Solomon would often reiterate, wisdom is more valuable than silver, gold or any precious jewel (3:15; 16:16). Therefore, Solomon is able to place the acquisition of true wisdom as the principal object to gain in life (4:5-7).

Fourth, we see the uncompromising cry of wisdom (8:12-13). When it comes to the cry of wisdom, there can be no compromising between good and evil! “The fear of the Lord,” which is “the beginning of wisdom” (1:7; 15:33), dictates that I must hate and oppose all forms of evil. Youth need to learn this lesson early, as they will be tempted often with that which is ungodly.

Fifth, we see the strong cry of wisdom (8:14-16). Wisdom is not weak; doing that which is right is always strong! Youth may confuse that which looks weak in the worldly eyes to be such, but wisdom understands that godly strength is always strong, no matter how it appears in the public eye!

Finally, we see the blessed cry of wisdom (8:17- 36). This chapter of wisdom closes with various statements made as to the by-product of wisdom, or the effect in the life of one who acquires wisdom. Parents need to model this wisdom so that youth can see such and learn by it.

Therefore, the relationship of youth and wisdom can be gleaned from this cry of wisdom—it is open, upright, valuable, uncompromising, strong, and blessed. No wonder this book of wisdom stresses the importance of the attitude that youth have towards their parents. One of the most basic and fundamental lessons of life for young people is to learn to develop the right attitude towards their parents, because parents are to teach and model these cries of wisdom in the home. Godly parents will develop a right relationship with God, and form this within the life of their children. How our youth respond to their parents (and other wise adults) will determine how they develop in their own lives as adults, and whether they glean from wisdom early in their lives. Usually, selfish children become selfish adults and do not prosper from wisdom. A child who thinks that everything belongs to them will develop into an unhappy adult. A child who chooses bad relationships hinders their acquisition to wisdom. Unless youth hear the cry of wisdom early in their lifetime, they could forget about God when they leave home (cf. Eccl. 12:1).

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Without God

The Human Condition Without God

The material that you will be reading herein is a study in contrasts. The contrast is the distinction between the person that serves the one true God and the person that refuses to serve the one true God. This study might be consider an exercise in theology relating the distinction and ultimate end of the saint and the sinner based upon their reaction to the Divine instruction available to them via the Written Word (i.e., the 66 books of the Bible).

CONSIDER THIS: It is never acceptable to study the condition of the sinner and the saint from the human perspective without Divine input via the Written Word of God. The reason the writer insist upon this point is simple, there is no Divine truth except that found within the Book of God. Since this is evident to the simple as well as to the scholar, we might now proceed to examine the evidence found in the Book of God.

THE ACCOUNTABLE PERSON MUST BE A CHRISTIAN AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH TO GO TO HEAVEN

Revelation 14:13, “And I heard the voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them”

Luke 11:28, “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (ASV).

The accountable person is a person that has the ability to make an intelligent choice about his/her relationship to God. If a person does not have the ability to make a choice because of age (i.e., infant) or mental handicap, that person is not amenable to the law of Christ. Only those persons that reject the gospel of Christ personally may be referred to as those without God — 2 Thessalonians 1:8, “rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (ASV). — Romans 2:8, “but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, (shall be) wrath and indignation,” — 1 Peter 4:17, “For the time (is come) for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if (it begin) first at us, what (shall be) the end of them that obey not the gospel of God”(ASV), to follow another religion is unacceptable to God — for there is but one God, His name is Jehovah. Based upon this line of argument it is clear that only men and women capable of choosing to serve the one true God (i.e., revealed via the 66 books of the Bible) are acceptable to Him.  Since this is factual, we must not accept other god’s as equal to the God of the Bible they are not equals but are inferior as were the god’s of the Canaanites  of the Old Testament era, cf.,

2 Kings 19:17-18, “> Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, > and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them”

2 Chronicles 13:9-10, “> Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests after the manner of the peoples of (other) lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of (them that are) no gods. > But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and (we have) priests ministering unto Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work: (ASV).

NOTE:  These facts are not presented for the purpose of embarrassing anyone or of creating enmity against any person or religion but these facts are presented in the hope of converting some of these people to the true God. The process of conversion is outlined in the New Testament and cannot be found in any other book of religious authority. Consequently,  it is this writer’s contention that everyone that pleases God will have become acceptable to Him by following the same procedure. The same procedure that I refer to is found only in the New Testament and contains the following items; Belief (Mark 16:15-16), repentance (Acts 2:38), confession (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38). According to the teaching of the Bible we find that the first converts from the Law of Moses did these very things, things, which constituted the first congregation of disciples (i.e., Christians – Acts 11:26). This first congregation of disciples was formed in Jerusalem of converted Jews according to Acts 2:1-47.

As we conclude this part of our study, we are made aware of the great gap that divides religious people throughout the world today. Indeed, there are millions of people who are without God in their lives. Those who are without God in their lives are without hope as were the Gentile nations before the advent of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:11-12, >”Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; > that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (ASV).

We have a great responsibility to the masses of humanity that are scattered throughout the world, we must do our very best to inform them of the doom that awaits those that are without God, cf., Luke 12:4-5, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. > But I will warn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” — 2 Thessalonians 1:8, “rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (ASV). This is a great and difficult task for most religious people throughout the world are satisfied with the religion that they currently serve. Not only are most religious people in the world satisfied, they are dull of hearing and blind guides of the blind, unwilling to examine other religious alternatives. The same might be said of the masses of people that have no religion at all, many of them have no interest in religion for one reason or another, often reasons without creditability. Yet, regardless of the objections, and difficulties connected to evangelizing others, we must surely do the works of God which encourage us to teach others of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, cf.,

Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” ASV

THE HUMAN CONDITION WITH GOD

According to the teaching of the Bible, our proposition, “THE HUMAN CONDITION WITH GOD” simply means, man’s condition with God as a faithful disciple.

Whenever one walks with God one must be in step with God, before one can walk with God he must have complied with whatever conditions that God has stipulated.  On the one hand, if God has not made stipulations for man to follow, man may walk with God predicated on any or no qualifying conditions but if God has provided qualifications for man to meet before walking with him, man must meet these qualifications.

GOD REQUIRED CONDITIONS FOR FAVOR UNDER THE “Patriarchal Dispensation”

Abel and Cain

Genesis 4:4-9, > “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: > but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. > And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? > If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door: and unto thee shall be its desire, but do thou rule over it. > And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. > And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother’s keeper” (ASV)?

Enoch

Genesis 5:24, “and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (ASV).

Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God” (ASV):

GOD REQUIRED CONDITIONS FOR FAVOR UNDER “The Law of Moses”

Exodus 16:4, “Then said Jehovah unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not”

Exodus 18:20, “and thou shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.”

Leviticus 26:3, “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them” (ASV);

1 Kings 6:12-13, > “Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute mine ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father. > And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel”

GOD REQUIRES CONDITIONS FOR FAVOR UNDER THE “Christian Dispensation”

The Christian Dispensation is no different from the other two that men have lived under in the past. God expects mankind to conform to His instructions (i.e., commands) under the last dispensation too. Please notice the following teaching from the New Testament that relates to this proposition:

Christ died on the cross for the sins of humanity; this is an act of grace. Even though that is true, Christ has stipulated conditions for benefiting from that grace He has provided, please note, cf., Hebrews 5:8-9 — “> though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; > and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation” (ASV).

Has Christ provided conditions that man is to obey before he can be saved from sin? Yes, He has, please note the following Biblical references:

Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, > hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in (his) Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds” (ASV);

How has Jesus Christ communicated these conditions (i.e., commands) to humankind? He has communicated them via the Written Word (i.e., the Bible), please note the following references:

Jesus is talking to His Father on behalf of His apostles and those that will believe on Him through their teaching. The teaching of the apostles is contained in the New Testament today. Since the New Testament contains the teaching of the apostles (i.e., the teaching that Christ authorized them to present), we can know what to do in obedience to Christ by reading the New Testament. The New Testament tells us that we “ought to rightly divide the truth” cf., 2 Timothy 2:15 — (i.e. the teaching of Christ and the apostles).

John 17:17-23: Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth. As thou didst send me into the world, even so sent I them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, (art) in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we (are) one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that thou didst send me, and lovedst them, even as thou lovedst me. ASV

The teaching of Christ and the apostles presents a plan for the salvation of men’s souls, it follows — Jesus Christ told the apostles that their mission would be to preach and teach the whole creation, Matthew 28:18-20. — The New Testament (i.e. the teaching of the apostles) reveals to us the gospel plan of salvation.

1.  Hear the gospel, Romans 10:17

2.  Believe the gospel, Mark 16:15-16

3.  Repent of sins, Acts 2:38

4.  Confess Christ as the Son of God, Romans 10:9-10

5.  Be baptized, Acts 2:38

Indeed, Jesus Christ will save everyone that will follow His instruction, look again at Hebrews 5:8-9 listed above.

CONCLUSION: Finally, look at the apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy in, cf., 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (ASV). Consequently, whenever we preach the apostles doctrine today we tell people that they are saved by grace through faith and obedience. Why do we teach that? Because the Bible teaches that and we are bound to teach whatever the Bible authorizes.

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New Testament Christianity

Should We Still Be Trying To Restore New Testament Christianity?

Well, The word restoration means the act of restoring something or someone to a satisfactory state.  Others say that it is to get something back again, indicating it was lost.  But usually, when Christians speak of the word restoration, it is either speaking of an era of time or it is referring to restoring New Testament Christianity.  Sadly, it is true that there are some who believe that there was no Lord’s church between say AD 400-AD1800.  I fully disagree with that.  We can see throughout history, that it has never been lost.  Sure, it was not publicized as other religious groups, but it was still there.

Now, as to the word restoration, many Christians, and that would include myself, do not like the term “restoration” when it comes to the church.  The reason why I say that is because the Word of God tells us that His Word will never end.  In Matt. 16:18, Jesus said to Peter, “And I say also unto thee, That thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  That includes that the church will continue to stand.  In 1 Pet. 1:25, Peter said, “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”  There are so many scriptures in the NT that imply that the church will exist until Judgment Day.  I mean, how can one “walk in the light as he is in the light” or how can we “have fellowship one with another” (1 Jn. 1:7) if the church didn’t exist for a period of time?  No, the church is His body and that body was established on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and regardless if there was a physical building or not, the body of Christ has remained since that day.

Now, sure there were persecutions, or they were scattered, or they worshiped in private or even in enormous caves, but the Body of Christ was, has been and will always be His Church which He died for, which will not be overpowered.  And, it is not for man to ‘eliminate’ or destroy.  I mean, you think about if the church had completely disappeared for around 1100-1400 years, then no one would possibly be able to know or obey the truth.  God would not allow that.  And so, because of these reasons, the church never needed to be restored, but rather a better ‘terminology’ would be “revived.”  I mean think about the church: she survived the “black ages” and around the 1500s or so, she was free again to worship openly, telling and teaching others the Gospel.

Now, the idea of using the word restore came from these four verses: Matt. 17:11; Lk. 19:8, Acts 1:6 and Gal. 6:1.  But, these words in the English language do not do justification here because often in English we use is done without clarifying the meaning.  But with Greek, it is much more precise because sentences give the definition and meaning of the word and not dictionaries.  For example: Matt. 17:11, restore here refers to making all things complete and closing the Mosaic law since Christ fulfilled it.  Lk. 19:8, restore here is referring to giving back by way of repentance or if any wrong was done.  Acts 1:6, here the kingdom had been taken away from some time, from the Jews and Judea was reduced to a Roman province and now under Roman power. Here the word restore shows that something was completely vanished and had hoped for its return. But, it never returned.  Gal. 6:1, here the word restore indicates taking a weakened Christian or unfaithful one and bringing them back again, resetting them in the church and restoring them to their former usefulness and good conduct which is to be done.

Therefore, if we use this word “restore or restoration,” we must be careful how it is used because those who are progressive in the church use this word meaning to keep updating the church to suit person preferences.  This is the reason why many Christians are now saying that they are a member of the church of Christ and not a member of the restoration movement.

Again, as for the word restoration, it is true that the church can stray into liberalism and be restored or brought back to the truth.  But, one cannot be restored to a truth of which it never knew, upheld or taught.  Therefore, the church, as a whole, was never lost.  And, read lights should go off when we hear of congregations who are restoring the New Testament Christianity or church.

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The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom

It is common today to say that wisdom is knowledge in practice. While this may help us understand more about wisdom, this statement is not entirely accurate because it assumes that wisdom cannot be presented in the form of knowledge. Really, wisdom is a subset of knowledge; it is practical knowledge. Book knowledge is know-what knowledge. Wisdom is that area of knowledge that deals with know-how. For example, a medical student may know that the gall-bladder is near the liver, but only a seasoned surgeon will know how to identify the gall-bladder anatomically. The goal of wisdom literature is to provide some insight into the know-how of life.

The book of Job, the Psalms, and the Proverbs are in the part of the Old Testament known as Wisdom Literature. This is because these books of the Bible purport to set forth practical knowledge and understanding regarding day-to-day living. The first principle of wisdom literature is this: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Job 28:28; Psa. 111:10; Prov. 9:10). The reason you find this principle in all three of these books is simple. All wisdom begins with God as He is the source, par excellence, of how the creation works. After all, He is its creator, and no one knows better how something operates than the one who made it.

The ancients of the Old Testament knew that a healthy respect for God resulted in clean living, and this is something that has been lost on society today. The rise of modernity with its emphasis upon resolving all problems through autonomous human reason (humanism) has resulted in the disparaging of ancient wisdom. Modernism skeptically asks, “How could the ancients have known about the social sciences without the empirical method?” Yet when the so-called empirical method is applied rigorously today, the social-sciences have seldom (if at all) rendered novel conclusions. Traditional families really are the basis for a stable society. Attending church regularly really does make one a more charitable person. And a healthy respect for God leads to a more positive outlook on life. While just a few, each of these conclusions has been demonstrated in the social-science literature.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because when we fear God, we are going to have respect for His word. The Bible is the word of God, and it contains more than just facts. It is a history of God’s people as they interact with the world and with one another. While this history unfolds, those who read the Bible are taught how best to live so as to maximize good relationships with one’s fellow and with one’s God. God is always the priority in these relationships because He has the keys to knowing what will best suit each person’s effort to build these relationships. God stands as the source for all good relationships because He is the ultimate source of goodness, and He is the ultimate source for understanding what best perpetuates relationships. God’s word is key to fearing God, and fearing God is the key to having true wisdom.

Wisdom, however, may be appreciated not only from the standpoint of its utility in providing for good relationships, but for the beauty of what it reveals in and of itself. Wisdom as a virtue (and God is the source of all that is wholly virtuous) may be sought as a good in and of itself. One receives blessing simply by studying the wisdom literature, and simply by imbibing at God’s fount of knowledge and goodness, whether one seeks to apply what one has learned or not. This is because God is ultimately beautiful and may be appreciated in and of Himself for Who He ultimately is. Wisdom, as an aspect of God’s character/nature, may also be so appreciated. This is partially why Proverbs 19:8 says, “He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.” If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, perhaps the love of the Lord is the end of wisdom, for when this world ends, and all we have left after this life is our eternal relationships with one another and God, loving that which is truly beautiful in and of itself will prove to be an intrinsic good. The practical ends of wisdom for this world may come to an end, but the eternal aspects of and for an appreciation of wisdom will endure in heaven as we know God’s true beauty.

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