Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Profile of a False Prophet 4

GodThoughtsWired!               Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

profile of a false prophet

4
#4. They are greedy. "In their greed they will exploit you with false words" (2 Peter 2:3). The Bible says that they have, "a heart trained in greed" (2 Peter 2:14). Many of them build their "ministries" by enticing the people of God to give money to their "ministry" in exchange for a blessing. The following is a real life example:
"Partner, I want you to take just a minute
to write down three things that the devil
has stolen from you recently.  Turn to
the enclosed envelope where space
has been provided and make a sacrificial
gift to the ministry today. I (Morris Cerrulo)
will stand with you in prayer, expecting
what ever has been stolen will be
returned to you DOUBLE in the next 90 days."
I have observed some of these men over the years, watching them build multi-million dollar, international empires, by exploiting generation after generation with expertly implemented, "hearts trained in greed." It doesn't hardly seem possible. How do these individuals thrive? Why are so few of them ever exposed? The fifth attribute of a false prophet and teacher helps explain why...


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Friday, August 26, 2011

Profile of a False Prophet 2

GodThoughtsWired!                   Friday, August 26, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

profile of a false prophet

2 & 3

"You, therefore...be on your guard lest,
being carried away by the error of unprincipled men,
you fall from your own steadfastness."

-2 Peter 3:17
#2. They are arrogant. "Speaking out arrogant words...they speak arrogantly" (2 Peter 2:18; Jude 16). They speak and think very highly of themselves. Often referring to themselves as an apostle or prophet of God (see Proverbs 27:2).
They are often forceful in their manipulation of crowds. Masters of "crowd psychology." Boastful of all that "God is doing through them." They epitomize the opposite of the one God looks to, "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2).
#3. They are irreverent toward the devil and demons. "Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties...these men revile the things which they do not understand" (2 Peter 2:10; Jude 8-9). Out of their arrogance, false prophets openly defy Satan, often devoting more attention to the devil and demons, than to God.
The Bible tells us that even angels who are greater in might and power, do not do what these "disguised servants of the Lord" do (see 2 Peter 2:11):
"Like unreasoning animals...
reviling where they have no knowledge,

will in the destruction of those
creatures also be destroyed."

-2 Peter 2:12


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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Profile of a False Prophet 1

GodThoughtsWired!              Thursday, August 25, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

profile of a false prophet
1
"You, therefore...be on your guard lest,
being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness."

-2 Peter 3:17
The Bible warns that false teachers are among us. "Just as there will also be false teachers among you..." (2 Peter 2:1). It says that these teachers are numerous and that a lot of people will be deceived by them. "Many false prophets will arise and mislead many" (Matthew 24:11; see also, 2 Peter 2:2). This series is written in the hope that you will not be one of them.
The following 6 attributes are often found among false prophets and teachers.
#1. They are disguised as servants of righteousness. "Such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
This is the primary reason why so many are being led astray. The Bible clearly teaches that, "Many false prophets will arise and WILL mislead many" (Matthew 24:11). Why? Because people believe these individuals are of God...but they are not.
How does this happen? Most people do not know the Bible well enough to discern the difference.
"For though by this time you ought
to be teachers,
you have need again for
someone to teach you the elementary
principles
of the oracles of God,
and you have come to need milk
and not solid food.
  For everyone who
partakes only of milk is not accustomed
to the word of righteousness
,
for he
is a babe. But solid food is for the mature,
who because of practice
have their
senses trained to discern good and evil."

Hebrews 5:12-14, bold mine

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

"Illusions"

GodThoughtsWired!             Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion
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"Illusions"

"For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord; Who say to the seers, 'You must not see visions'; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy
to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words,
prophesy illusions
.'"
-Isaiah 30:9-10, bold mine
Ok, then, from the front page of the Life Section of the USA Today Newspaper, Monday, August 22, 2011:
"Country singer Chely Wright has tied
the knot with her partner, Lauren Blitzer.
Wright, 40, married Blitzer, 30, at
Blitzer's aunt's home Saturday in
Connecticut.  Both brides wore white
wedding gowns but skipped veils.
Because Wright is Christian and
Blitzer is Jewish, a reverend and a rabbi
officiated the outdoor ceremony..."
Upon reading this, I feel compelled to report on some other news items that wouldn't surprise me in this "age of delusion":
-the Christian organization, Prostitutes for Jesus (PFJ) recently announced that their annual fundraiser will be held at a convention center in Las Vegas.  10,000 pastors from around the country are expected to attend.*
-the Christian Gambler's Association (CGA) will once again be hosting their annual "BlackJack for Jesus" Tournament, September 9-11, 2011.*
-Reknowned Christian entrepreneur, Billy Jackson, owner of the world famous "Filled with the Spirits" Bar & Grill, will once again be offering "Free-Beer- Friday's" to all local pastors.*
-The annual, "Hollywood & Jesus Seminar" will take place next year at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, Ca.  This training event, which teaches "up-and-coming" christian entertainers how to effectively represent Jesus in an ever-increasingly "tolerant" culture, will be co-hosted by Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.*
-Christian Jewel Thief, John Thstolen is starting a support group in downtown San Francisco for Christian Kleptomaniacs.  The group will emphasize the development of coping skills against the alarming increase of "bullying" on high school campuses.*
And finally,
-The long awaited, ChrIslam Study Bible is now in book stores everywhere!  With a forward by Rick Warren (explaining why 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 doesn't say what we think it says), the ChIslam Study Bible takes the best of  the old Christian Bible and the Muslem Koran, and eliminates all of the intolerant, biggoted, narrow-minded, hate language that plagued so many of the old Bible translations.



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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Deception of...TRADITIONS!

GodThoughtsWired!                     Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

the deception of...

traditions!

See to it that no one takes you captive
 through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men,
 according to the elementary principles
of the world, rather than according to Christ.

-Colossians 2:8, bold mine

One of Paul's great concerns was that, over time, religious traditions would replace relationship with Christ.  Jesus Himself railed against "religious traditions" (see Matthew 23).  He also said,
"“Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you
hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT
THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES
THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’"
-Mark 7:6-7
I recently quoted the following verses from the book of James:

"What use is it, my brethren, if someone says
he has faith but he has no works?
Can that faith save him?...Even so faith, if it has no works,
is dead, being by itself...For just as
the body without the spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead."
-see James 2:14-26, bold mine
 
And then I said that the Bible clearly teaches,
Faith without action is delusion.
Any so-called "faith" that does
not result in obedience to Christ
is not a "faith" that can save you.
In response, one subscriber wrote,
"You are the very heretic that you warn against."

And I replied, "What is it about my teaching that you find unbiblical?" 

And his response, "I didn't say that your writing was 'unbiblical,' I'm telling you that you're WRONG!"
All-righty then.

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Dangerous Abuse of Bible Translations 2

GodThoughtsWired!                 Friday, August 19, 2011
TODAY'S MESSAGE IS TAKEN FROM PASTOR BRAD'S BOOKLET, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: THE BRIGHT SIDE AND...THE DARK SIDE. FOR YOUR FREE COPY SIMPLY EMAIL US YOUR REQUEST (BEEvangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

TODAY'S MESSAGE IS TAKEN FROM PASTOR BRAD'S BOOKLET, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE: THE BRIGHT SIDE AND...THE DARK SIDE. FOR YOUR FREE COPY SIMPLY EMAIL US YOUR REQUEST (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS).
Dangerous Abuse
 of
 Multiple Bible Translations

2
Warren goes on to say that "We should thank God that we have so many different versions to use for devotional reading." Such a blanket statement is very troubling to me. By "devotional reading," I'm guessing he means a more "casual" reading than say someone preparing to give a sermon? 

Regardless, we're talking about the ONE book in all the world, that claims to be "God-breathed." A book that says of itself, "The law of the Lord is perfect" (Psalm 19:7), and "all scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16), and, most significantly, "No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20). This indicates that God has only one intended meaning, one intended interpretation for the revelation He has given to us. Therefore,
THE ONLY RIGHTEOUS PURPOSE
FOR THE USE OF MULTIPLE TRANSLATIONS
IS TO BEST DISCERN GOD'S ORIGINAL
AND INTENDED MEANING.
However, all too often (and frankly, many of Warren's choices of translations leave him open to such criticism), when a writer or teacher or speaker uses multiple translations, he is found guilty of manipulationg words to prove a point, rather than purely attempting to find God's intended meaning.
In today's world of multiple Bible translations, one can "build a case" for almost any opinion one chooses to argue (and find some translation somewhere to support it.  i.e. The Study New Testament for Lesbians, Gays, Bi, and Transgender). However, our challenge as sincere followers of Christ is not to choose a lifestyle and then seek a Bible verse to support it, rather, we are called to "rightly divide" (accurately translate) the word of God, and then make whatever lifestyle adjustments necessary to accomodate such truth.

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Dangerous Abuse of Bible Translations 1

GodThoughtsWired!                   Thursday, August 18, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

TODAY'S MESSAGE IS TAKEN FROM PASTOR BRAD'S BOOKLET, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE:  THE BRIGHT SIDE AND...THE DARK SIDE.  FOR YOUR FREE COPY SIMPLY EMAIL US YOUR REQUEST (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS).
Dangerous Abuse
of
Multiple Bible Translations

1
Rick Warren rightly notes that, "No matter how wonderful a translation is, it has limitations." Indeed, the Hebrew language of the Old Testament is especially challenging in this regard and Warren acknowledges how easily "nuances and shades of meaning can be missed."
In this regard however, he further states that "It is always helpful to compare translations," and, therein, lies the premise for my initial concern. The assumption that all translations are worthwhile is dangerous and can lead to deception.
The scholarship and integrity of some of todays "paraphrased" and/or "thought for thought" translations are, at best, questionable, and, at worst, blasphemous.*  What better way for Satan to deceive the Church than through a sincere, but faulty translation of the word of God. Is it really "Always helpful to compare translations" as Warren suggests? I think a much safer and prudent approach would be to say,
IT CAN BE HELPFUL TO COMPARE
A VARIETY OF WELL-RESPECTED
TRANSLATIONS IF OUR QUEST IS
TO BEST DISCERN THE MOST

ACCURATE INTERPRETATION.
Nitpicking? I wish it were. How we approach the Bible and what criteria we use in discerning what is, or is not, the "inspired word of God" is perhaps, the most important, and practically significant question in all of 21st century Christianity.
more tomorrow.
*see The Study New Testament for Lesbians, Gays, Bi, and Transgender,for a book that claims to be the Bible but is actually straight from the pits of Hell.


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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Living in Sodom

GodThoughtsWired!               Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

living in sodom

"This is the nation that did not obey
the voice of the LORD their God
or accept correction; truth has perished
and has been cut off from their mouth."
-Jeremiah 7:28

"Yet let no one find fault,
and let none offer reproof...
My people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge.  Because
you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from
being My priest.  Since you have
forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children."
-Hosea 4:4-6
"And with all the deception of wickedness
for those who perish, because they did not
receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all  may be judged who did not believe
the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness."
-2 Thessalonians 2:10-12


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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Deception of...TRADITIONS!

GodThoughtsWired!                     Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

the deception of...

traditions!

See to it that no one takes you captive
 through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men,
 according to the elementary principles
of the world, rather than according to Christ.
-Colossians 2:8, bold mine


One of Paul's great concerns was that, over time, religious traditions would replace relationship with Christ.  Jesus Himself railed against "religious traditions" (see Matthew 23).  He also said,
"“Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you
hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT
THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES
THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’"
-Mark 7:6-7
I recently quoted the following verses from the book of James:


"What use is it, my brethren, if someone says
he has faith but he has no works?
Can that faith save him?
...Even so faith, if it has no works,
is dead, being by itself...For just as
the body without the spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead."
-see James 2:14-26, bold mine
 
And then I said that the Bible clearly teaches,


Faith without action is delusion.
Any so-called "faith" that does
not result in obedience to Christ
is not a "faith" that can save you.


In response, one subscriber wrote,


"You are the very heretic that you warn against."

And I replied, "What is it about my teaching that you find unbiblical?" 

And his response, "I didn't say that your writing was 'unbiblical,' I'm telling you that you're WRONG!"

All-righty then.

For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here.

For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.
Please follow us on:
PLEASE prayerfully consider supporting the GodThoughts Ministry (click on "donate" button below). The cost to provide this FREE Ministry world-wide in 2011 is $59,100.00 (see Annual Report for full details).