Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Jesus spoke against false religion (sometimes church leaders)

In last few years I have heard more and more sermons on obeying our leaders, this is biblical to a point but not blindly. The New Age teachings are leading pastors to believe that they are above reproach. This falls in line with the New Age teachings entering our churches, we are taught to focus on our creature needs and the spiritual needs takes a back seat. Spiritual needs are given lip service to and heaven is spoken of with an abstract, pie in the sky attitude, but all is focused on living for now, or dealing with our changing culture instead of preparing for the after life. This is not the message Jesus taught, Jesus taught about denying the flesh and not worrying about the here and now but prepare for heaven.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. Matthew 6:25-27

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

We spend most of out life preparing for a few short years of retirement, but none preparing for the thousands of years we will be in heaven. We worry about tomorrow, retirement, money, power, position, prestige, all of which are fleeting. It’s clear to see who the prince of this world is, but it’s sad that the majority are following him.

Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. John 12:31

Satan has been given temporary authority over the earth and we seem to be following him in greater numbers than ever before.
Pastors are preaching doctrines of devils while calling it Christianity.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils 1 Timothy 4:1

The great commission seems to be the focal rallying cry, before I get into this lets make one thing clear “I believe in reaching the lost”. The new emphasizes on the great commission would be commendable if it had not been perverted into something ungodly.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

This call to spread the word so that all have the choice of the afterlife has been twisted into focusing on physical needs now.
Many will claim that to not focus on the great commission you have no love, clearly these people don’t know the word of God, I will leave it at that. But our focus or “purpose” as one leading New Age guru calls it, should not be the great commission as the new age teachings lead us to believe but on God. When God created Adam and Eve there was no need for the great commission, our “purpose” is to worship and adore God.
This shift in focus has several pagan side effects.

- Focus on physical needs, which leads to sin
- Focus on false peace, which leads to compromise and sin
- Focus on feelings, which leads to compromise and sin

The great commission is a by product of focusing on God, but when we take a by product and make it our focus we are in error. Gas, propane, natural gas, are all by products of crude oil, we focus on finding crude oil and everything else is a by product, we could not focus on finding auto fuel and expect to if we lost our main focus of crude oil. The crude oil needs to go through several refining steps to get the various by products out of it. Just as a Christian needs to go through a refining process to have the various by products, or fruits of the spirit manifest in their lives. To focus on the great commission leads us to loose focus on God and to focus on the physical needs. With this loss of focus a christian cannot begin the refining process and may never grow spiritually.
How can that be you ask, as humans we are prone to arrogance, and all types of other prideful sins. When our focus is on the physical needs of others and we work to assist in them we soon start thinking that “we” are accomplishing something or that our works are of greater value that they truly are. Its leads us to sin, and God knows this. This line of thinking leads us to independence which the world admires and believes is important. We even teach our children independence and stress it in their lives. And then we wonder why so many youth are walking away from God.
Independence is separation from God. It can be said no other way we cannot be independent and still love God.

13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19

Children are innocent and dependant, it is those types of people that the kingdom of heaven belongs to.

The new age gospel is to tosses out all spiritual testing. Focal point of works is introduced.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.1 John 4:1

We are told to test the spirits of those preaching the word of God.

Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Jeremiah 14:14

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dream Jereimiah 29:8

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 Peter 2:1

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18

We are warned of false prophets but today we seem to ignore this warning. The new age teaching tells us to follow blindly without thinking. We have been deluded into believing that God doesn’t want us to speak out against anyone or anything. Anyone questioning our leaders whether secular or religious is condemned. Blindly follow, do not think, and believe all is from God without testing. This teaching is contrary to God’s word, God knew that if we did not have a way of rooting out the truth demons would take advantage of us. The problem is we don’t know Gods’ word; we are too busy focusing on the physical needs of life to read God’s word. When we hear a new gospel that tells us that its alright to focus on the carnal needs of the flesh then we swallow it hook, line and sinker. Words that tickle the ears.
We are told not to speak out against leaders and therefore giving any who proclaim they are Christian a safe haven to spread false gospel. Jesus however had no problem with speaking out against the leaders and other religions.

37 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. 38 His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. 42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Luke 11:37–42

Jesus criticized the Pharisees for worrying more about the outward appearance more than the hidden inward sins. Jesus also reprimands them for putting aside a portion of what they have earned as a sacrifice in honor of God, yet all the while being judgmental of others in a way that dishonors God. In essence He is calling them hypocrites. This was not a polite conversation; to insult your host as Jesus did was considered incredibly rude and certainly aggressive. Jesus would have been looked upon as being extremely ill-mannered. Jesus was correcting a wrong in the ruling class and He took off the kid gloves to do it. This is contrary to what we are taught today, that we should not criticize the actions of those in leadership.

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, Matthew 21:12
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matthew 21:13

Jesus made a very strong statement of what was happening in God’s temple, He showed a righteous anger in His actions.
False doctrine and false prophets cannot fall under the same umbrella as those truly proclaiming the word of God. We are to stand against Satan and exposed it to the light of God and anything that proclaims a different message no matter how close it is to God's message.
If we keep quiet over false doctrine we are not following God’s words

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them Ephesians 5:11

God not only warns us of false doctrines and those who would lead us astray but also tells us to expose the works of darkness. One cannot be quiet about false doctrine and still expose it. How can you expose something without talking against it? If you do not expose false doctrine and false prophets you are in disobedience to the Lord. In God’s eyes it is no different than breaking any of the ten commandments.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10

If you are disobedient you have broken all the laws and God is displeased with you. These are not my words but God’s. We are told to expose evil, either you obey God or you do not, but it is the right thing to do in God’s eyes.
One of the funniest passages in the bible is when Elijah challenges the followers of Baal to a contest of the Gods. Its long so I will edit it.

1 Kings 18 20-40: 20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 “Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24 “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

Elijah said lets decide once and for all whose God is real, lets build 2 piles of wood and a bull to send a sacrifice.

25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.
Elijah then said don’t light the wood but pray for Baal to light it and prove that Baal is real.
27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.”

Elijah then starts making fun of them and the god Baal. He taunts them "Maybe he’s out, or on a trip, maybe he’s asleep call louder."

28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

After Baal didn’t answer the prayers then Elijah took his turn

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34 And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Three times they soaked down the wood for the fire with water

36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” 40 Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

Some people need to be shocked out of their religious blindness. Elijah made fun of their false god. Then he asked God to win the contest. God heard his prayer and brought fire from heaven. If Elijah lived today, a lot of people would think he was rude or maybe unchristian like, unloving even, certainly politically incorrect. He made fun of other people's religion. If people believe in a false religion, what should we do? Jesus spoke against the leaders of false religion. He called them snakes to their faces! He said they were hypocrites who looked beautiful on the outside but were dead on the inside (Matthew 23:25-33). Jesus hated false religion, and he spoke against it.

This has got to be the greatest example of what God thinks of other religions and yet today pastors are preaching that we should work with those of other faiths. (Rick Warrens PEACE plan) God didn’t work with pagans to do good works and yet the new age gurus claim its God’s will. We are told that we are not loving if we do not accept other belief systems and consider them equal with us. Jesus put together a group of believers and instructed them to spread the word. Jesus worked with only believing people to do God’s work. Ricks PEACE plan tells us to work with other faiths and even twists the word of God to claim God said so. Contrary to Rick Warrens “opinion” God is against anything that has to remotely do with a false God. The Baal false prophets were killed, all 450 of them. They were killed for working with a false God and now Rick Warren and other movements tells us to do exactly that. The one world religion, ecumenical movement, Purpose driven movement, new age movement, evangelical manifesto, and more; all under different names but all working for the same thing.

I believe that we should not go nit picking our pastors or even country leaders for that matter. But pastors are going on a crusade to stamp out all dissent in the church. This would be admirable if pastors were not human and purely divine, how ever that is not the case. We are told to test the spirits of those who lead us and any who proclaim the message of God. I believe we are not living up to our end of this.
I worked on a church board for several years proclaiming that we should support and lift up the BIBLE preaching pastors in our church. I Stood with them while they were condemned for saying something scriptural but against the politically correct congregation they were preaching to. It’s for this very reason I that I will stand with a bible preaching pastor and I will stand against and expose the false prophets. The false prophets make all the men of God look wrong and its us that allow it.
I have seen dozens of pastors driven out of churches for preaching the word of God and not submitting to the politically correct crowd. Some pastors reading this may want to think about who will stand with them when their turn comes. The way that the world is going it may be sooner than later.
Stand firm on God’s word now so that you may be under the protection of the almighty. Psalms 91 one of my favorite chapters in the bible.

Psalm 91:1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, 2 Say to the LORD, "My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust." 3 God will rescue you from the fowler's snare, from the destroying plague, 4 Will shelter you with pinions, spread wings that you may take refuge; God's faithfulness is a protecting shield. 5 You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come. 8 You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see. 9 You have the LORD for your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold. 10 No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent. 11 For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways. 12 With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon. 14 Whoever clings to me I will deliver; whoever knows my name I will set on high. 15 All who call upon me I will answer; I will be with them in distress; I will deliver them and give them honor.16 With length of days I will satisfy them and show them my saving power.

This is not an exhaustive work on God’s words and feelings concerning false doctrines, or on exposing sin, however maybe it would be good if you were to get into God’s word and find the rest yourself. Let God talk to you directly, read his word daily, and practice a consistent prayer life. Know the word of God, like never before in the history of the earth we are about to be tested on our faith. This is a test for your soul, did you study?

God loves you

In His name
Diakonos

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Chatter: Current Events Updated weekly

March 10 2009
- The Chatter is that the stock markets will move higher until mid summer then drop to levels below 6000
- Oil per barrel will rise moderately but the price at the pump will climb disproportionately higher.
Profit taking and gouging.