Deception Coming Down (Pastor Charles Lawson)

Mike Bickle and International House of Prayer

Mike Bickle and International House of Prayer

2017 04 16 John Haller's Prophecy Update "M.O.A.U." (Mother Of All Updates)

U.N. Planned International Flood of Migrants

U.N. Planned International Flood of Migrants: U.N. Planned International Flood of Migrants, United Nations, Agenda 2030, Sustainable Development, Forced flood of international migrants, globe, obliteration, national borders, sovereignty

Poor Wayfaring Stranger - Peter Hollens feat. Swingle Singers

A Capella at its best! Goose bumps and tears of joy galore. With family reunion soon to be attended with RSVP to invitation by King Jesus!

Distance, Separation and the Cure

Written and published by Jean-Louis Mondon - http://thelightseed.blogspot.com

“See. I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers: or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5.

The ministry of reconciliation
“Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. As ambassadors committed with the ministry of reconciliation, as though God were making an appeal through us, we implore you on Christ‘s behalf:
Be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:17-20.

Distance and separation
And the space between ourselves sometimes is more than the distance between the stars. By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow we take up the basin and the towel. Read more, The Basin and the Towel


Definition of “Far away” in The Fuegian language of Tierra del Fuego. A seven syllable word which means:
“They stare at each other, each waiting for the other to do what each wants but is not able to.”

One can appreciate the rich and insightful imagery of primitive language, but the question remains: Is it a matter of inability or unwillingness?
When the Lord Jesus was approaching the hour of His death, He himself prayed giving us a model prayer: “Father not my will, but yours be done”
What keeps us separated? Basically it is our pride and unwillingness to humble ourselves. We prefer to remain in a prison of our own making, when the key has been given to us that could release us from being captive to our own will and stubbornness.

Every argument won in a verbal conflict at the detriment of forgiveness and reconciliation ends up being one more brick we use in building a wall of separation protecting us from the very ones that Christ has sent our way to help them in their struggle to find forgiveness and freedom from spiritual captivity.
Every argument won ends up being one more shovel full in digging deeper the ditch of distance between persons whose ministry is to be a bridge builder, not a wall builder or a ditch digger.

The remedy
Do we have the key that opens the door onto light and life? Only God can give us this key to freedom.

Isaiah declares: “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
The fear of the Lord is the KEY to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:6.
Do we need a sure foundation in our present time of confusion, perplexity, and contemplating our navel and worshiping the earth to find the solution with the greatest brains as guides in our cultures of death?

The Lord Jesus to John the apostle in Revelation chapter 3:7: “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”

There is a time and a season for everything under the sun, but Jesus is sending his servants to proclaim that "NOW is the day of salvation and that there is no other name under heaven but the name of Jesus by which man can be saved"
The only way men can experience real peace and reconciliation with others is to first be reconciled with God.

Oh, that we would heed the command of our Lord Jesus to build bridges and tear down brick by brick the strongholds in our hearts that we have erected patiently, day after day, month after month until it becomes the very fabric that makes up the callous covering of protection keeping other people from being welcome in our hearts.

So looking forward to this year´s Resurrection day celebration, this is my hope and prayer for the readers of this blog that do not know the Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Be reconciled first with God through recognizing and accepting the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus for you, He brought peace to us who were enemies of God; receive the pardon and salvation that are already paid for by His blood shed for you on the cross and the free gift of eternal life available to all who humbly turn to His light and life from their slavery to sin.

If you already know the Lord Jesus, His peace to you and may His grace and love abide and rule in your heart as you seek to do His will, to be fruitful and keep looking for His soon return.

Heavenly Father, by your grace and the power of your love through your Holy Spirit, free the prisoners in our families, our churches. You alone can penetrate through and behind those brick walls and fill those ditches of separation. You alone can heal bitter, broken hearts and restore us to our call to love you and serve you as we obey your command to love each other sincerely from the heart and serve our brothers in humility and submission to your will and purpose in our lives.

His Name is a strong tower and we are victorious by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony that Jesus alone is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and worthy of our praise. Blessed be His holy Name. Amen.

Jean-Louis 14/4/2017 Edited and from previous posting 12/2009.

EASTER: Fact or Fiction?

Reposted from omegaletter.com
In Defense of the Faith
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Brittney Gunter 
 
A trip through any big box store will alert you that the Easter season is quickly approaching.  Stuffed bunnies, egg-shaped chocolates, and all things pastel have taken over prime real-estate in the retail business.

Easter is the pinnacle event of the Christian faith.  The crucifixion, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is so critically important to Christian doctrine that if its basis is not found in historical fact, then all hope is lost.  Salvation does not exist.  Sins are not forgiven.  And the dead return to the dust from which they came with no one to rescue.  As the Apostle Paul put it, in 1 Corinthians 15:16-19, “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins,” and we are a people to be most pitied.

So true, Paul. So true.

For skeptics and atheists, the Easter holiday is such an easy point to pick on and dismantle.  Didn't Jesus say he would be dead for three days and three nights?  Don’t Christians believe Christ died on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday morning?  Can’t they do math?  There is no way to account for three days and three nights in the 39-hour time frame if we are to believe the scriptures.  This idea is so preposterous that many will then discount the authority and authenticity of the entire biblical revelation as myth and hoax. It even has some theologians scrambling to redefine days and times to make the biblical account fit into a 72-hour time frame.

Easter: the great Christian myth perpetuated by a sect of discontent Jewish men which has its origins in pagan mythology.  Sound likely?

Not so fast.

The forethought of the events that occurred during Christ’s crucifixion were, in fact, ordained by our Divine Creator from the beginning.  More simply stated: God knew what day and time Christ would die when He spun the earth in motion. It is God who formed the universe, placed the planets in their orbits, fixed the sun and other stars in their places, and determined the moon’s rotation.  It is God who determined that evening would occur before morning in all the days of creation (see Genesis chapter 1). It is God who uses His universe as both His blueprint and His timepiece to make Himself known to mankind. Careful and systematic examination of the scriptures reveal this divine forethought to us.  In order to gain a full understanding of the wisdom of God from creation to Christ, we don’t have to look much further than the Jewish calendar.

The Jewish Calendar is, in fact, God’s calendar.  It is not some predictable invention of mankind based on the lunar cycle with randomly placed events that have no true significance. God chose to reveal His timing to the prophet Moses.  He does this when He directs Moses to go back to Egypt and to demand the Pharaoh release the Hebrew slaves.  You know the story…there’s a famous Charlton Heston movie about it. Take a closer look at Exodus 12:2 where God tells Moses, before sending him back into Egypt, ‘This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.”

That month was the Jewish Month of Nisan, the first month in Israel’s religious calendar year.  It is the month that the first Passover would occur, where God would pass over the firstborns of Israel if they smeared their doorposts with the blood of the lamb.  It is the month that Christ would be handed over to the Romans to be crucified.  And it is the month that we will be focused on to determine if the contemporary Easter timeline has any basis in fact.

This month of Nisan was to begin with a new moon.  On the 10th day of the month, that is Nisan 10, the Israelites were to choose their lamb for slaughter.  However, they were not to kill the lamb until the 14th day of the month, or Nisan 14.  Then they were to smear the lamb’s blood on the doorpost, eat the lamb for dinner, and wait.  God had made a promise to them that death was coming to the firstborns in all the land, but if anyone did these things then he and his entire household would be spared.  So the nation of Israel obeyed and waited.  But Egypt did not believe and obey, and at midnight, the Lord struck down the firstborns of Egypt. Neither person nor animal was spared, all households experienced a loss.  Then, in the middle of the night, Pharaoh summons Moses and sends them and the whole nation out of Egypt. The full account is found in Exodus Chapter 12.

So the first Passover was a great success and God gave instructions to His people that they were to celebrate the Passover in the same manner every year so as not to forget the great work the Lord had done on their behalf. Nisan was to start the new calendar year.  On the 10th day of the month they were to pick a lamb.  They were to slaughter the lamb on the 14th day and eat it for supper.

Then on the 15th day of Nisan they were to hold a feast week, a 7-day festival called the Festival of Unleavened Bread.  They were also to hold a sacred assembly and do no ordinary work on the first and last days, or the 15th day and the 21st day of this holy week (like bookend sabbath days).  For a review of the laws of the Passover, take a look at Leviticus chapter 23.

Fast forward to the last week of Jesus’ life.  The events line up perfectly with the Passover observance.  Mark 14:12 says, “And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  That day was Nisan 14.  Jesus is alive on the day the Passover lambs are slaughtered.  That evening Jesus would have the Last Supper with his disciples.  Remember the original Passover in Exodus chapter 12? It wasn’t enough that the lamb was slaughtered, but it also had to be eaten.  It was eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.   It was during this Last Supper that Jesus would symbolically offer the bread and the wine of the New Covenant, which represented his body and his blood being offered for our sake.

After evening comes, Jesus and his disciples proceed to the garden where he will be betrayed and arrested. Since Jewish days begin with evening (because God’s days begin with evening…remember Genesis?), the night Jesus was arrested began the calendar day of Nisan 15. He is taken to the Jewish Council to be be tried and condemned, although, the appropriate number of witnesses cannot be found and soon it is morning. That particular morning begins the Festival of Unleavened bread and there is a large Jewish crowd gathered for the sacred assembly. 

This poses a problem for the Jewish leaders who want to kill Jesus. To do so on a sacred holy day would break the law of Moses and leave them ceremonially unclean (see John 18:28).  Therefore, they craft a different plan and offer Jesus up to Pilate as one who is claiming to be King of the Jews. This charge would imply treason against Rome, a crime punishable by death.

Scripture indicates this day is also the preparation of day for the “high Sabbath” (see John 19:31).   Preparation days occurred on Fridays before the weekly Saturday sabbath. In Jewish tradition, a regular Saturday Sabbath would be certain to fall somewhere during the 7-day festival of Unleavened Bread.  When the Saturday Sabbath fell on an intermediate festival day, that is between the two bookend sabbath days of sacred assembly, it is called Pesach Chol ha-Moed Shabbat.  It would be a most holy day. Nisan 16 accounted for this day.  So when Jesus dies during the sacred assembly of Nisan 15, his body is quickly taken down before evening so it doesn't remain on the cross during the Nisan 16 Sabbath.

This brings us to our last Jewish calendar day of Nisan 17.  All four gospel accounts agree that Jesus rose on the first day of the week.  This gives us some very valuable information!  The first day of the week in the Jewish calendar is Sunday.  Jewish people are allowed to work for six days, but on the 7th day they must rest.  This 7th day has historically and consistently been observed on Saturday.  Therefore, Jesus definitely rose from the dead on a Sunday morning, the first day of a new week.

If we were to put these events on a timeline, the last days of Jesus’ life would look like this:

• Thursday, Nisan 14 (lamb slaughtered and eaten): Jesus has Passover Meal with disciples
• Friday, Nisan 15 (sacred assembly of festival): Jesus is crucified in view of the crowd
• Saturday, Nisan 16: Jesus’ body lays in the tomb
• Sunday, Nisan 17: Jesus is risen

But, wait…that still doesn’t account for three days and three nights, does it?

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” -Matthew 12:40

Actually it does.

See, Jesus didn’t die for just Jerusalem.  He didn't even die for just those in Israel.  The often quoted John 3:16 tells us exactly for whom Jesus came to die, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus died for the world.  The whole world.  For all of time.  So that, whoever believes in him should not perish but will have eternal life.  Whoever.  That’s a very powerful and inclusive statement!  And if Jesus died for the whole world, when it was about 3pm in Jerusalem on Friday Nisan 15, then what day and time was it in the rest of the world?

Simply put, when Jesus gave up his life on the cross, it was the evening and the morning of Nisan 15 for the entire earth.  And there was evening and there was morning, the first day… Does that sound like a familiar verse?  It’s from Genesis chapter one.

When Jesus lay in the grave on Saturday, the entire earth experienced God’s calendar day of Nisan 16. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day…

When Jesus rose on Sunday morning, the entire earth experienced God’s calendar day of Nisan 17.  And there was evening and there was morning, the third day…

Jesus died and rose from the grave after 3 days and 3 nights, just as he said he would.  The problem with our understanding is simply our perspective.  We want to examine the events of Jesus’ crucifixion from man’s perspective, counting the hours and days that pass from the location of Jerusalem, but God’s ways are higher than our ways.  When we look at the events from God’s perspective, taking into account the days and nights the entire earth experienced during this time, the wisdom of God is revealed.

Of course, there will always be those who doubt.  Let’s remember, your very salvation is dependent upon your faith.  “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8.  If there were not an opportunity to have faith, then who could receive the gift of grace?  None.

But, for arguments sake, let’s just entertain for a moment that the story of Jesus is a hoax…. If so, then we have the mother of all conspiracy theories ever known to mankind!  The significance of that is so mind-blowing that it is impossible to believe. If the story of Jesus is a fairy tale, that would indicate that a sect of uneducated Jewish men rebelled against the Jewish religious establishment of the day.  This establishment was comprised of well-educated men who spent years and years studying and examining the scriptures.  Then, these ordinary men were able to concoct such an intricate story line that it fulfilled God’s timing all the way back to the book of Genesis.  It fulfilled Jewish law to the letter, right down to the events that occurred day by day. They would have had to understand the Jewish calendar, the Jewish law, the significance of each event, the symbolism…the list goes on and on.

You can’t simply write-in Jesus, as the Hebrew Torah and its laws have been so closely guarded by the Jewish people for thousands of years (who by the way, still reject Jesus). If the Hebrew Torah was re-written by unhappy Jews and pagan Greeks to incorporate a fake Jesus, then the Hebrew Torah should reveal an inconsistency in the fulfillment of its laws by the Christ.

The truth is that Jesus is real.  He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17. The reality is that the Hebrew Torah is our greatest witness to the work of Christ.

The cross of Christ was a predetermined event ordained by God from the very creation of the world. When God suspended the earth on its axis He knew the exact calendar day and time He would give His Son up for our sins.  He ordained feasts and holy days and events to foreshadow this coming.  Then, He gave all this knowledge to a people who wouldn’t even believe it.  About them, Jesus says this, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Luke 16:31.

So, dear Christian, go your way and celebrate your Easter with passion and thankfulness. Your faith has healed you.  Let the mockers mock and the scoffers scoff, but do not be discouraged!  And when you have the chance to share the hope that is in you, do so with grace, kindness and great patience.  “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

Pray fervently that all people will come to a knowledge of the truth of salvation. They don’t even understand what they don’t understand.

*Brittney Gunter is a long time friend of our Wendy Wippel.  Brittney is a freelance artist in Mississippi and spends much of her time helping in her community and abroad.  She and her husband are very serious Christians and wonderful parents to their children.

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2017 04 09 John Haller's Prophecy Update "On Cruise Control"

A message for this generation - Pr. Charles Lawson

Got Milk?

 Reposted from omegaletter.com

In Defense of the Faith
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Wendy Wippel 


If I said, I'm going to study the Bible 'till the cows come home', would you look for a herd of  longhorns?  No!  It's an idiom, a phrase that says one thing but is understood to mean something else.  The same thing could be said about ''Bible Study''.  And that does involve cows.

Way too many churches today define “Bible Study” as getting a roomful of saints together to discuss the latest Christian pop theology book or self-help bestseller:  Radical, Crazy Love, Wild at Heart, Power of a Praying Wife, Every Day a Friday.  Whatever.  The fact is, there are lots of great books out there, and there are lots of not so great books.  But there’s only one Good Book.  And the Bible makes the distinction between itself and all the rest pretty clear.
It calls them milk.  (Really?)  Well, OK.  Nowhere in either the Old or New Testaments does it say Radical is milk.  But think about it.  Milk, by definition, is nutrition that someone else put in their mouth, someone else chewed, and someone else digested.

And someone else spit out for you to swallow.
Don’t get me wrong.  There’s nothing wrong with milk.  It’s protein.  It’s nutritious.  But an adult whose entire diet consisted of milk would not be a very healthy individual.  And if you are a Christian whose entire spiritual diet consists of Christian radio, devotionals, sermons, and how-to books on the Christian life, all you are consuming is milk.

And it’s time to moooooooove on.  (Sorry. I just couldn’t help myself.)
It’s time to become a carnivorous Christian.  Just you and your Bible, fed from God’s word.  But that can be kind of intimidating.  Where do you start?
I was taught, as a brand new Navigator, to approach God’s word in this manner: read a passage a day and ask yourself questions like this: "Is there a verse for me to obey?"  "A promise for me to claim?"  "A sin for me to avoid?"  "An example for me to follow?"

You get the drill.
And that’s fine.  Nothing wrong with that.  It’s not milk.  But is that really high-quality  nutrition?
The problem with that kind of Bible study is that it’s the Bible seen through 'me'-colored glasses.  Everything is about me.  It’s kind of like spiritual bacon.  Tastes good, but it's nutritional value?  Not so much. 
It only really works for the Epistles, letters written specifically for the church. 
And the pitfalls of this approach are many with regards to proper Bible interpretation.

Exhibit A:  Joel, chapter 2 and verse 25:

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”

How many Christians have you heard claim this verse?  I admit it, looking through the lens of me, I did too, before I knew better. 
But before asking what the verse says about you, you have to figure out what it would have said to its primary audience, the group of people God was talking to when He spoke it into the human being.  The church was not the intended audience for this promise.  What is its context?

God is addressing Israel, with regards to a very specific time in their future.  The Battles of Armageddon.

"Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong,  The like of whom has never been; will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,And behind them a desolate wilderness;  Surely nothing shall escape them.… The earth quakes before them…,  For strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible;
Who can endure it?"

God then tells Israel,

“Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”
So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God… Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, Weep between the porch and the altar;
Let them say, “Spare Your people, O Lord, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples,‘Where is their God?’”

And then comes the promise:

"Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And pity His people…But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, “So I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten…You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,  And praise the name of the Lord your God," (Joel 2:1-26 NKJV)

This is a specific promise to the nation of Israel, who was consistently promised an earthly kingdom.  A promise that though God will bring desolation on the land of Israel during the campaign of Armageddon, He will keep His promise to restore the kingdom in prosperity.  He will repay them for the years the locust have eaten, in context, the seven years of Armageddon, even defining the locust as the “great army that he sent among them.”  A specific promise for a specific time and a specific audience.  And that audience is not the church.

The second problem is that, claimed by a New Testament believer, the verse kind of contradicts what the rest of the Bible tells us.  As the church, we’re promised, not an earthly reward, but a heavenly one.  We’re promised that in this world, we will have tribulation.

Look at the church in Smyrna.  God’s promise to them was essentially this: you’re going to die.  (But, in the words of Jesus Christ Superstar, "to conquer death you only have to die”.)

My current pet peeve with this the 'me' method of Bible interpretation is a song called “Savior King" by Hillsong.  Actually it is a great song but the lyrics just bug me.  It starts out with,

“And now, let the weak say I have strength”.

I understand the sentiment.  It is when we recognize our weakness that we are strong. But the context is Joel too:

"Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong'. Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. (Joel 3:10-11)

It's the same gathering of the nations described in Joel 2.  A gathering of the nations also, described in Psalm 2:

"The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,“Let us break Their bonds in pieces  And cast away Their cords from us.”

A gathering of the nations, at the end of Tribulation, with the intention of destroying Israel and thereby rejecting God's authority finally and forever.
They think. 
The Psalm goes on to say,

“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh."

That laughter is recorded in Joel 3, when God says "now let the weak say I am strong". He’s mocking the pathetic defiance of the gathered nations. 
Translation:  God is saying “You think you can take me?  Bring it on!  Let the weak say "I am strong.”

And there’s my issue.  Maybe it’s just me, and I’m being too too much of a "church lady" with my panties in a wad. .  But God says that He elevated His word even above His name.  And we’re not to take God’s name lightly.
I think His word deserves a little more respect than we’re giving it.

"When Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name,  O Lord God of hosts." (Jeremiah 15:15)

You can't "eat" milk.  And it's only when you get past looking at the word for information about you that it becomes the fascinating treasure that the Bible describes.

I think Carly Simon wrote a song about this kind of Bible Study:

"You're so vain, you probably think this Psalm is about you…"

Wasn't that how it went?

Pr. Charles Lawson - Mysteries and Parables

John Haller´s Prophecy Update - March 19 2017 - "Web of Lies and Ties"

John Haller Prophecy update - Unintended Consequences

Update to "The Poison of False Teachings" -- An International Perspective on Global Spiritual Contamination

An International Perspective on Global Spiritual Contamination
 by Jean-Louis Mondon

A few years ago, I was researching for an article I was writing on the subject of  “The Poison of False Teachings”. I found an interesting comment related to the theme posted by a brother on a French site “VoxDei”. The comment might be sufficient to illustrate the main idea of my article since I cannot locate the original French text. See the additional commentary below.

My original article was written in the spring of 2005 when I had just come back from my second trip to Brazil. While shopping in a Christian bookstore, I was surprised and dismayed to see the same books we could find on the racks of most Christian and secular bookstores in the US. They were translated and sold quickly because of their popularity in the US. Needless to say, discernment is absent and sorely lacking from a lot of Central and South American Churches

Back in the US, I was hit with the news that the conservative church I was attending since 2001 had started a Sunday School study program with Warren´s book “Purpose Driven Church”. I was helping the Pastor in the Hispanic mission and after talking to him about the book, he invited me to teach a class on the New Age Movement and false teachings instead of Rick Warren´s book. Our Hispanic brothers were very receptive, the discussions were lively and interesting often expanding on other ramifications of the deceptive nature of other Christian emergent and other "movements" and their misleading doctrines. 

I could sense a real hunger and thirst for knowledge and the need to be equipped to expose the lies when they were witnessing to people in the community. I was greatly helped in my research by Warren B. Smith´s first edition of his book “Deceived on Purpose” that can be purchased at “Lighthouse Trail Research”

While still in the US, I started blogging about the same time as the book “The Shack” by Paul Young was received so openly with great fanfare in the Christian Community since after all it was only fiction and we christians also need to be entertained by writers who are not teaching doctrine, but simply are using their God-given inspiration in relating true experiences so touching and personal that they resonate with the majority of readers. Hoorah for sanctified imagination!

Well, back to the present with a movie based on “The Shack” and the recent release of another book “ Lies we believe about God” which doesn´t leave a lot of wiggle room as to the intent in writing his first book. Find the excellent review by the “Lighthouse Trail Research” where you can also purchase the new booklet “The Shack and its New Age Leaven HERE   http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=12290

              __________________________________________________

The Poison of False Teachings

The ever pressing need for spiritual discernment in today´s church.

The following is an illustration demonstrating the process of contamination. (Based on my own experiences both physical and spiritual as a flower grower and supervisor on a  chrysanthemums flower ranch in S. California.)

Setting the stage

A greenhouse full of flowers and plants.

It´s time to fertilize the plants to help them grow and to become strong and beautiful.

Equipment needed:

A tank for mixing, water, a pump and a hose with a nozzle to carry the water and fertilizer mixture under pressure to spray the plants.

Worker´s equipment:

Waterproof  protective suit, boots, gloves and a protective respirator mask.

Fertilizer: (Percentage not accurate, solely used for the story).

Chemical contents in a paper bag in soluble powder form.

Inert ingredients: 99.5 %

Active ingredients: 0.5 %

Instructions:

Fill the tank, dilute the appropriate dose of fertilizer and start spraying the plants.

Expected results:

Plant growth.

Change of scene

Now let´s imagine a scenario in which instead of fertilizer somebody inadvertently, without paying attention to the warning on the label or perhaps intentionally would mix an insecticide or pesticide to the water.

Everything stays the same, the place, the worker, the plants and flowers, the water, the equipment, even the inert ingredients in equal measure, everything, except the 0.5 percent (more or less) of the lethal amount of poison for the plants.

What would be the effect on the plants?  At least, they would wilt, become yellow, lose their vigor, their beauty and even dies if the insecticide concentration was strong enough.

Now let´s change the scene once again.

Let´s imagine any church building. We see the building, the people, the praise group or choir, the musical instruments, the pulpit and the pastor preaching from the word of God, the Bible. 

Or it could be a Sunday school or a home group meeting in which the leader and participants share their testimonies, stories or illustrations aimed at helping the group understand the lesson.

So you see the parallel with the situation in the greenhouse.

Every time someone (the worker spraying the plants) brings the Word of God and explains simply, clearly and faithfully the Scriptures under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the listeners (represented by the plants) grow in wisdom, understanding, love, inner strength, etc. and are consoled, encouraged in all the aspects of  Christian living if they practice the lessons of the Scriptures with diligence and obedience to the Lord´s words and his commands.

The stories, illustrations, parables, poems and personal testimonies can be compared to the inert ingredients that help to carry the biblical message to the participants. They are neutral and serve as a framework for the spiritual content.  They can be interesting, fascinating, but what provides the growth in the Christian hearer is the powerful and penetrating Word of God that operates a work of conversion in the sinner, purifying the human heart and spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who through the Word illuminates, establishes and edifies by giving him or her light, strength, peace and consolation. The list of blessings and benefits of the Word of God in the life of the believers is inexhaustible.

The Word of God is so filled with life, power and so efficacious that just one verse of the Bible is enough to change a hard and impenetrable heart, to open the mind and change the  life of a man and to draw him from death to eternal life, from darkness into His marvelous light by the power of the Holy Spirit who applies the Word of Life in the heart of the sinner and operates His invisible and yet manifest work. Jesus said: “my words, they are life and they are spirit”.

New change of scenario.

Here we have the same situation, the same building, the same congregation, the same praise group, instruments, pulpit, the same pastors, The same Bible, everything is similar.

It could happen that some illustrations, poems or stories accompanying the message or the biblical lesson contain doubtful and imperceptible doctrinal elements and false teaching, read from a book or watched and remembered from a radio or a TV program. Or even worse, a deliberate departure, addition to or subtraction, or distortion from the very meaning of the words, verse or context, an action forbidden by God himself  who made this very clear in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

Let´s suppose that the person doing it lacks discernment and speaks with no knowledge of the origin, nature or the impact of what he is relating. It does not matter, the effect can still have devastating consequences in the life of the people who hear, absorb and assimilate the teaching because poison is poison even in small quantities, even coming from a well-intentioned person.  Depending on the vulnerability and lack of discernment of the believer the influence and its effect will be more or less serious.

In the church, our Father God gave us everything we need, the structures, the equipment, the pastors, the teachers, the brothers and sisters participating in the worship. He gave the breath and the voice to praise him, to proclaim his message of love and pardon, our mind and heart to receive, believe and share the good news of the Gospel. This Word, and the practice of good works that the Father entrusts to our responsibility helps us to grow, mature and  to be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus. His Word is pure and cannot be mixed with anything  else that is impure. 

 

A teaching that is contrary to the Word of God is poison to our soul. We must not allow our mouth to transmit what is poisonous (venom coming from the  serpent mouth) to others ears.

Pastors and teachers, of course, bear a greater measure of responsibility when it comes down to exercising wisdom and prudence towards preaching and teaching the Word of God. Indeed, every Christian ought to use the Word (written) as a filtration system to judge what is good and true (see Acts 17:11 as Paul talks about the noble Bereans) when spiritual teaching is involved. The Scriptures along with the help of the Holy Spirit help us to discern and to protect our minds from error and we must handle them as offensive weapon to combat the lies and wiles of the adversary.

  

Antidote, protection, discernment of the Spirit and preserving our freedom in Christ.

The best antidote if we inadvertently or willingly swallowed spiritual poison is the truth of Word of God that purifies us (Eph. 5:26-27). Interestingly enough the hope of seeing our Lord and waiting expectantly for his soon return purifies us also. (I John 3:3). 
Confessing our participating in the process is important to be cleansed according to 1 John 1:9:  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

 
Deception by false teachers involves both false teachers and those with itching ears who prop them on a pedestal that will eventually be exposed and fall. Unfortunately, the followers will suffer great harm and suffering when their eyes are finally opened. Matthew 15:14: "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

The Word of God is compared to bread. Jesus warned us that our bread must be kept from any addition of the yeast of the Pharisees that is hypocrisy when we embrace the position and conduct of those who spread false teachings and add burdens that the Lord himself has not given us. It is interesting to note that the leavening that the baker uses to make the bread rise can only be effective in a lukewarm environment described perfectly in the spiritual condition of the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation.  It is enough to observe the effects to recognize the causes. 

Zeal without knowledge is unprofitable. Prov. 19:2; Romans 19:2.

Knowledge without love puffs up like yeast.

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. I Corinthians 8:1.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?  That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.  “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”  I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. Galatians 5: 6-10.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16.

In conclusion, here is a strong word of exhortation to love and walk in the Spirit in order to preserve the freedom to which we were called and for which Christ died.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:13-18.

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Additional commentary on the effects of the spiritual contamination of false teachings.

Philippe, a French blogger shared the following in a comment: (Translation by this blogger)

"I found an article on false doctrines with the following passage with a  good explanation of the mixture with false teachings.

In the Greek text of 1 Thessalonians, the name for the impurity rising to the top through the infiltration of an erroneous teaching is “Akatharsis”. The opposite term in Greek is Katharsis, from which the English name “Catharsis” is derived. This term does not mean impure in the sense of “our sin not being washed”. (In that case, a very different  word  “Absolusio” would be used, where we get the term “Absolution” from.)

It does not mean either “separate the evil and hold on to the good”. The Septuagint translates this from the Hebrew text with the meaning of “take the good from the evil”, using again another Greek word “Ekagageis” found in Jeremiah 15:19. The impurity of "Akatharsis" means that there is a mixture that cannot be washed and for which there exists no efficient process of separation. In "Katharsis", there is a purifying form of some substance. However in Akatharsis, we find something which is a mixture of pure and impure.

This mixing is not simply something superficial that can be washed away. We are dealing with an homogeneous blend that needs to be discarded and totally replaced.

It seems impossible to me once the leaven incorporated to the dough has risen to separate the flour from the leaven.

Therefore, we must leave the churches that spread false doctrines, because it is impossible to change them.

We need to leave them before we become contaminated ourselves."

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For a deeper study of the passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, link to 1Thessalonians 5:22—The Sin Sniffer’s Catch-All Verse