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The Current Confusion Between what is false and what is true In our time lies seem to be everywhere, in every facet of society. There is an increase of confusion which exemplifies that we live in a day of increasing evil. And because of the increasing darkness it can become harder to distinguish what is right from wrong. It can be frustrating trying to distinguish or explain matters of importance. We should be able to explain why someone is wrong about something without berating them calling them names to humiliate their intelligence, education, spirituality or reputation. This shows someone is immature and is unable to walk away from a disagreement and not turn it into a feud. We are told Col 4:5-6 “ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Wisdom is applying knowledge which must come first. Prov. 2:10 “ When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul ” Prov. 3:13 “ Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding ” Wisdom is peaceable not antagonistic. It may offend some by speaking what is true, as James 3:13-18 tells us, “ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” The truth is far rarer to be heard in our day then at anytime in recent history. People are quite content to be fed misinformation, as they go by their feelings not by facts. Disinformation by the media and religious leaders (the church included) are accepted as long as it makes them feel good. The media brings their own interpretation on events to spoon feed those who cannot think beyond the first letters of the alphabet. These are those who could care less about their country and the lives of people suffering here and elsewhere. However, the church is to have wisdom and know truth from error and not fall for the same error that the world has. We are to have the mind of Christ, think as He does, see things the way He does and react differently. We are to be peace makers by bringing the good news (Rom.10:14-21). Rom. 10:18: “ But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world .” But the world has their own agenda for peace, for everyone to get along. We are told by the media: Islam is peace while they continue to kill people, even their own. They cannot see the error of this. We are told by the media that communism and socialistic societies are every bit as good those who promote an individual’s freedom. There as humanists who see only the good in people to be the guiding light of the world. While man can still do some good (and it is commendable when the unsaved do so) mankind is fallen, lost and does not know what good actually is. When you cannot decide what is good you certainly cannot recognize evil, (or they may not want to admit it) This is the same reason that prevents them from being saved (Jn.3:17-18) they do not come to the light. Control is the key issue, so Satan raises up men into leadership like Arafat and Saddam and Ahmadinejad and so many others in politics (like Mao, Lenin and Stalin and Hitler to bring oppression, confusion and utter hatred, using them to influence the people and the world. But God has his times and seasons and He is sovereign and ultimately in control of our world events (1Thess. 5:1-3). Why do we have confusion in the church? Tune into Christian TV and you will rarely hear what is true because of the false prophets and teachers. They are unable to speak what is necessary to the church. As long as we allow the false prophets to continue to speak, the truth will be heard less and less. They speak about the tongue and the words you say bring what you want. James 3:5-7: “ Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” The prophets boast and lie on their experiences, the church is being set on fire by lies that pour out of their mouths. 1 Cor. 14:32-33: “ And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints For those of us who only want the truth, our Lord is our refuge. Psalm 31:18-20 “ Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” Paul writes in 1 Tim. 3:15 We are the, “church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Without the church preaching and practicing the truth (which includes exposing and removing lies) she cannot be a pillar of truth. We are to be both active and pro-active, reaching out to the lost and at the same time protect the sheep. God is more concerned with the church’s health than He is with the world; we are his body, representing him as His salt and light to reach those that are living in darkness. They are to look at us and see Christ. And the difference should be like night and day. And as the days grow darker our light should shine even brighter. Some people believe they already have the truth without Jesus. But Jesus said He is the truth, the truth is found in a person and that person is God’s Son who spoke truth - His Word. No one is born in this world with the truth, one must be born spiritually to know this truth (John 3:3-6). When Pontius Pilate had interrogated Jesus just before his crucifixion (John 18:37-38), Pilate therefore said to Him, “ Are You a king then?” Jesus responded “You say rightly that I am a king. “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth? ” He immediately left Jesus not staying around to hear an answer; he couldn’t hear his voice (v.38). Pilate was staring at Truth incarnate in front of him, he was so close yet so very far. His walking away ended with him putting to death the truth, crucifying truth incarnate. It is no different today, with all the information and knowledge available in our technological age the truth is even more rare than it was to Pilate. Why? There is spiritual war going on planet earth, it involves everyone. It pervades society, politics and religion. It is about “The truth” a person who is also the way and the life for all (Jn.14:6). Darkness is against light, lies against truth; in fact everything is turned around in our day as Isaiah describes: “ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter !” (Isa. 5:20) The Spirit of the age, opposes the Spirit of Holiness. Darkness against light, falsehood against the truth. There is the spirit of the world, that lives in the natural man preventing him from receiving any of the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 2:12-14). The spirit of the coming Antichrist, we are told is already in the world (I Jn. 4:3), that has people deny Jesus is the Christ, which “ is the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 2:2), yes even those who claim to be of Christ and his church. This spiritual influence and the fallen human nature are both strongly in play. Rom. 1:18: “who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” v.25 “ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie.” There are so many lies taking place that many do not know where to find the truth anymore. Lies from the highest offices of the land to the pulpits. They “ love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking righteousness . Selah (Ps. 52:3). The lies are so prevalent that many do not recognize the truth when they hear it. James Dresden writes, “ When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic .” As Paul stated in Rom. 3:4 “let God be true but every man a liar”. Trying to find a church service where the word of God is honored, and expository preaching is consistently spoken from the pulpit is almost like finding a suitcase filled with $100 bills. If you can find a church in your nearby neighborhood that has not adopted the Purpose Driven program or gone for the way of entertainment to reach the unchurched, or gone emergent it is a rarity. John speaks of Jesus twice as one full of grace and truth. John 1:14, v.17 “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Truth is of the utmost importance to God, He speaks to us by His word and its power to change us works by His Spirit. Who is the spirit of truth. John 17:17: “ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” But there are those who have disregarded the truth as their basis for teaching and joined the worlds philosophies. What can take us away from the truth we are to base our lives on? (2 Tim.3:16). The “ useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth ” (1 Tim. 6:5); listening to those who blaspheme the way of truth (2 Pet. 2:2); listening to myths and made up laws from man (Titus 1:14); not renouncing the hidden things of shame, by walking in craftiness and handling the word of God deceitfully (2 Cor. 4:2); removing the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14); not receiving the word of God as truth for it to effectively work in us (1Thess. 2:13); or loving the truth (2 Thess.2:12). Paul tells us that love “rejoices in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6). John writes about the truth as much as Paul, in his 3 epistles and 1 gospel. He tells the church that knows the truth, “ and that no lie is of the truth” (I Jn. 2:21). All falsehood is void of truth. He juxtaposes light and darkness for the truth and a lie I Jn. 1:5-6: “ God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth .” We are not to just say the right words but have the right actions to accompany our words, that is what gives weight to our words. I Jn. 3:18: “ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ” The epistles are filled with admonishments to obey the truth and walk in it to train ourselves and be conformed to the image of the Son. John makes it clear the world speaks one way and those of the world respond, however “ We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error ” (I Jn. 4:5-6). The only way you can fight falsehood from influencing you and taking over is by keeping the truth, understanding it. Truth is like disinfectant in a festering wound, a light that dismisses the darkness. Our God is described as light, as “a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deut. 32:4; Psalm 31:5). The word faith movement with its heretical teaching on positive confession for health and prosperity have become the norm. Word faith has monopolized the TV airwaves, the church is being influenced and controlled by its own corrupted media. We all know how arrogant politicians can be and so are the TV prophiteers that are selling the church a lot of worthless promises in the name of God as a means of gain. We have all heard of junk science, what about junk doctrine, noxious speech that is useless for our spiritual growth. As Jeremiah wrote, “ Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit” (Jer. 7:8). This influence for the most part, has taken away the incentive for people to study the Scripture on their own, instead they are telling people to just have faith, a faith which is disconnected from the truth of word in its context. Tithe for your blessings, give to the TV prophet for the hundredfold, and depend on the words they confess. You can turn to the majority of Christian channels and hear these so called prophets tell you to call in the next few minutes to give money so that your situation can turn around by their speaking the word out loud. The Christian TV has become an extension for the false teacher’s message of money as the gospel. They have a centralized control, a monopoly on the air waves. They preach an unbiblical pseudo - ponzi scheme called “seed faith.” Their teachings for years have moved the church in the wrong direction affecting evangelism, discipleship and tithing, giving and now many are reaping the whirlwind. By each wind of doctrine they push their audience this way and that way, few have strength to resist it. This all implemented by men who claim to be spirit filled, anointed, prophets and apostles, but they are not spiritually minded, they have succumbed to another spirit at work. How can we tell? The Bible says if they do not speak according to this Word they have no light in them (Isa. 8:20). In other words they keep the darkness over the people and bring no dawn, not for you, nor themselves. Occasional inter-mitten Scriptures are sprinkled as salt on an old rotten piece of meat that should have been thrown out long ago. Isaiah then says vv. 8:21-22: “ They will pass through it hard pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness .” I don’t think many of us realize how far gone the bulk of the church (Christian media) is with the prophetic and signs and wonders movements influence. We have a parade of heresies: the newest revelation from prophets; The word faith philosophies of divine health and wealth; The new moves of the spirit with people lying that they are visiting heaven; The newest tactic in spiritual warfare; the newest deliverer to release one from curses and demons they still have; The newest fantasy book that claims to teach about God, The whole Gnostic idea of being taught strictly by experience while the Scripture tells us to learn by doctrine, the word; Etc. etc. ad nauseam. They who speak what is true are certainly rare on TV. Why do we have so few on TV that point out the state of the church? First, because of the control factor of who owns the TV station and the satellite lease (TBN leases to many). The false teachers have hijacked the programming so there is no contrary view seen. The voices that will speak in the opposite view are silenced. The other problem is the associations. You cannot preach against false doctrine when you unite with those inside the church that teach it, it compromises your position of truth. You will either influence them or they will influence you. Paul writes 1 Cor. 15:33: Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” Many had started off with good intentions only to be shipwrecked alongside the others they befriended. Giving a defense for the truth and the gospel is more important to God than friendships that have you compromise on this. It is the truth of Scripture that matters first, not someone's ministry or who they are. Jesus told the people the truth and offended the religious crowd. Nothing has changed, they react the same way. Those who are exposed are wrong or false in their teaching are always angered at those who obey God for exposing them. 1 Cor. 5:11-13: “ But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner-- not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person .” Covetous, idolater, reviler and extortioner are what we see in the Christian media (TV) with all their false promises as they rake in your money and live luxuriously. To Judge is as bad a word as sin these days. But it is even more a necessity as we see the worlds influence affecting the church. We do not need less judgment but more, for our own safety. We have exhibited a high level of tolerance, but it is time to have a righteous anger. We had better start judging teaching for our survival. Respect does not mean we allow men to teach whatever they want from the pulpit to the congregation; that is disrespect for God. We should be concerned when those in the position of leadership are off doctrine and do not allow themselves to be questioned on what they teach. Watch out for those who refuse to explain what they are teaching as unbiblical and are unresponsive to others in the body of Christ. A “Godly” pastor or teacher tries to be accurate in what they teach, transparent when they are questioned - able to answer from the Bible what they teach is true (Tim.1:7). They do not make excuses or ignore the questioners or vilify those who ask as if they are unspiritual or ignorant. They walk in a state of humility. God says the teachers are to be more accountable (Jms.3:1). Imagine if we heard - how dare you inspect our meat we sell in our restaurants? How dare you inspect our cars coming off the assembly line? How dare you question our education for your children? Before we invest in buying a house or a car or fly on a plane we want to make sure everything is in good shape. We not only thank those that inspect it, we insist they do this. But when it comes to teaching in the church, which can mean the difference between spiritual growth, or our becoming shipwrecked; heaven or hell for our soul (our most precious possession), we care not. This is insane! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result. This defines a good portion of the church with the word faith teaching of confession brings possession. Too many have tried it and not had it work. Not surprising, since it is not a biblical teaching, but they don’t abandon it they press in harder thinking something is wrong with them because the teacher of this horrid doctrine says it works. We are not following the path to repentance but we want the results without any confrontation of our sin or straying from God. We are to be watchful in the times we live in. We show our love by caring for each other, being involved (I Jn. 3:16). James 5:19 teaches, “ if anyone among you wanders from the truth” “to turn a sinner from his ways” we are to try help them return to save them from judgment. In a world filled with lies we are to “ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5). We are to bring to them something they do not have, but we can’t if we too do not have it. Paul states in Eph. 4:17-18 that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God” John writes in 3 John 3-4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” May we let God continue to do His work in us so that we can do His work to others. |
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