Beware of False Teachers!

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:10-18)

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.  For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.  If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?  Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different form anyone else?  Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

A very popular “Christian” website publishes pictures and stories of the current Islamic “Crusades” happening in the Middle East and Africa.  The author is supposedly a convert to Christianity from Islam, having weighed the ways of Islam against his own moral compass and deciding that Christianity is superior.

As such, he calls his readers to take up arms to wage “Militant Christianity” and cites history’s many examples of Christians taking up physical arms, swords, and such to physically fight against zealous and extremist Muslims and purge them from the earth, since they are wicked and spiritually inferior to Christianity.

He writes about the “Us Versus Them” stance that Christians must take and he says the root of the spread of Islam throughout the world is the Church’s lukewarmness.  Essentially, he says, if the Church was strong, Islam would be a non-issue. But where Islam is strong, it is evidence that the Church is weak.  He says, if the Church is strong, then Islam will be weak.  But what kind of “strength” is he referring to?  He equates spiritual lukewarmness to physical battle-ready weakness and spiritual zealousness with a Christian’s willingness to physically battle flesh and blood wickedness.

A quick read of his standpoint and theory makes sense to the emotionally charged mind.  It’s a very human stance; one that every religion and nation has taken at some point.  He says his call for Christians to take up their “sword” is backed even by New Testament Scripture and he says that Jesus calls on Christians to do this. Whatever he found in Christianity that he considers “Superior” to Islam, he has yet held fast to the extreme Islam principle of killing the “enemy”.  Sadly, a skimming of the hundreds of comments on his website from fellow “Christians” shows that even those who wish to be zealous for God are lost and worldly in their reasoning, as they unfortunately agree with him.

But this is the age-old trick that makes Satan so powerful.  Present 90% truth, mixed with 10% falsehood, and those without the power of discernment in their spirit will believe that all of it is 100% truth.  The best liars that have ever existed have followed the evil one’s lead on this and it is most common in religion and politics, where the average person is fed just enough truth to believe everything that is being said.  CHRISTIANS, BEWARE OF THIS AND PRAY TO GOD ALMIGHTY THAT HE WILL GIVE YOU A DISCERNING SPIRIT THAT CORRECTLY DIVIDES TRUTH FROM LIE.

The old saying, ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” has never been so real as it is in matters of spiritual warfare.

What did Jesus Christ tell us to do about our enemies?  He told us to love them.  Indeed, He commands us to LOVE our enemies and to pray for them.  The “sword” our Lord speaks of is the Sword of the Spirit of God (The Word Of God), which we wield in prayer and obedience.  We protect ourselves by putting on the Armor of God, spiritual armor.

It is true that the mainstream Church, especially in the West, is lukewarm and dull; being subjugated more and more each day to liberal agendas and philosophies that are popular in culture but completely contradictory to Scripture.  The Word of God has instructed us that this is a sign that the end is near.  

The answer is not to take up arms and take part in the new Crusades of violence and hatred that is spreading across the globe, but to live righteously and to pray.

The battle is the Lord’s. We are called to pray. The Lord will purge evil and wickedness according to His perfect will on Earth, as it is not His will for evil to be in the Earth.  But, we are called to pray for it!  Prayer is the vessel that carries the will of God.  The lukewarm, dull Church is failing in this regard because they are not praying for God’s Will or His intervention in the Earth as they should.

The Lord raises up kings and authorities and armies as we see time and again throughout Scripture.  He uses people according to His good pleasure to accomplish His Holy Will. But Christians, who have been handed the keys to the Kingdom in Christ Jesus, must exercise our authority by praying and living righteous lives; demonstrating that we are citizens not of this world, but of the Kingdom of God.

Our lives should be living testimonies of the glory of God and his Supreme Authority over all creation.  Our lives should be conducted in a way that cannot be criticized: “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.  Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” (Philippians 2:14-15)

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” (Philippians 1:27a)

We harvest what we plant.

The Christian does not plant hatred and violence, but love and righteousness. This is what separates us from the world and makes us stand out as citizens of the Kingdom of God.  Things that concern us, make us worry, make us feel helpless and scared, make us feel unprotected and fragile, or make us feel that we’re at the mercy of evil and wickedness, are the very things we must take to the throne of God Almighty in the Name of Jesus Christ who conquered death and has promised us eternal life.

We must live zealously, yes!  Zealous living for God is one of worship, right living, obedience and prayer.  This kind of zealousness is a sacrifice that greatly pleases the Lord and demonstrates that we belong to Him and are under His supervision and provision for our lives.  When we live this way, we show that we have a King we belong to and we trust Him in every way and in every situation.  If our dying breath is at the hands of a Muslim or any other persecutor, then so be it, as this world is not our permanent residence anyway.  We are guaranteed that we will leave this place behind, whether comfortably or violently.

The goal, therefore, is not to kill whoever does not believe in our God.  The goal is to present them with the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ so that they may believe and be saved from the second death, that is the spiritual death.  Many of us may find that this is our last action on earth; and what a glorious action that would be.

If we are ever tempted in any way to react to troubles the way the rest of the world does, the devil is nearby, guaranteed. Stay alert and pray!

“This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15b)

When Unbelievers Knock On Our Door To Share Their Religion

“You must not have any other god but me.” (Exodus 20:3)

“In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.  The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:1-5)

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (John 1:14)

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  The government will rest on his shoulders.  And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

“The Savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.” (Luke 2:11)

“For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:3)

“I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.” (Isaiah 43:11)

“I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.  May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.” (Titus 1:4)

“Consult together, argue your case.  Get together and decide what to say.  Who made these things known so long ago?  What idol ever told you they would happen?  Was it not I, the Lord?  For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior.  There is none but me.  Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other.  I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.” (Isaiah 45:21-23)

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and he was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.  Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said.  As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side.  They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, ‘Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven.  If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came.  They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he replied, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.’ Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them.  The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them.  ‘Peace be with you,’ he said.  Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at my hands.  Put your hand into the wound in my side.  Don’t be faithless any longer.  Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed.  Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me.  Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.’ (John 20:19-29)

“I am the Alpha and the Omega–the beginning and the end,’ says the Lord God.  ‘I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come–the Almighty One.‘”(Revelation 1:8)

“‘Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.’ Blessed are those who wash their robes.  They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.  Outside the city are the dogs–the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshippers, and all who love to live a lie.  ‘I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches.  I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.  I am the bright morning star.'” (Revelation 22:12-16)

Occasionally, a rare opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ presents itself without any effort on our part.  Most people dread this because they know there is just enough technicality involved that if they are not well versed in Scripture, an argument may happen at their door where what they profess —that Jesus Christ is God and the Salvation that all the Scriptures pointed to— will be countered by the unbelievers who will use Scripture to try to show how Jesus is not God after all, but a “witness” or a “prophet” or an “angel” or some other “creation”.

It is critically important that we not allow ourselves to be trapped into an argument with these people.  They go from door to door equipped with the exact verses they have memorized to make their case, using the verses out of context and ignoring the plethora of verses that testify that Jesus Christ is God.

It is NOT the Christian’s duty to change these people’s minds.  That is the work of the Lord.

It IS our duty to open the door and share the Gospel of Jesus, thereby planting the seed that the Lord will use to call them home.

We have an obligation to open the door when they knock, as these people are lost; they are deceived, and classically deceived in that they study their Bible but have missed the most important element of all the Scriptures; that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and the only worthy sacrifice to redeem us from death is a PERFECT sacrifice, One untouched, unaffected and uninfected by sin.  Only God Himself meets the requirements of this Perfect sacrifice, as every created thing is affected by sin. And we know that Jesus Christ is that perfectly acceptable and worthy sacrifice Who meets this requirement once and for all time (Hebrews 9:14, Hebrews 10:12) and that He willingly gave His life as the atonement for the sins of the whole world, that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.  (John 3:16)

Yes, the wages of sin is death.  The wages of sin is death even if we help the poor and donate all our money and time, fill our lives with good deeds, go out of our way to be kind to all, have a great reputation and lots of people who admire us, love puppies and kittens and never hurt anyone.  None of our good works can save us from death because we are sinners.  Yes, if there is just one instance in our whole life when we lied, stole, used God’s Name in vain, loved something or someone more than we love God, coveted someone else’s belongings, didn’t keep the Sabbath day of rest Holy, didn’t honor our parents or any other Holy command of God, we are guilty of sin.  And the wages of even one sin is death.

There is ONE Way, One Truth, One Life and that is Jesus Christ, Who is the Word and through Whom everything was created.  Jesus was already there in the beginning; He is NOT a creation.  It is Jesus, who became human, made His home among us, fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah. It is Jesus Who worked mighty miracles, offered His life as a ransom for many, died, was buried, and 3 days later was raised from the dead, thereby conquering the power of death over us forever.  There is no other god or mortal who has done this and there never will be.

All we need to do is believe and we will have salvation in Christ Jesus. Jesus was raised from the dead and given a new eternal body and we who believe in Him will also be raised from the dead and given new eternal bodies.  This is our hope and what we rest in!

Indeed, if Jesus was a mere man or a creation, then he was flawed and as such was, by default, not a worthy sacrifice for the redemption of sin, for only one who is not under the power of sin and death can conquer the power of sin and death. “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.” (Romans 8:22)

Only God qualifies in His Perfection for this magnificent undertaking and that is the beauty and majesty of what Jesus Christ did for you and for me.  No creation qualifies for all of creation is under the curse of God due to sin.

Those who don’t get this part of the puzzle are deceived and blinded by the oldest trick in Satan’s book: deception by confusion whereby the victim has every piece of truth EXCEPT for the truth that saves their eternal life.  Their good deeds and kind hearts won’t get them there.  They need a Savior and they have One in Jesus Christ.

As followers of Christ, this is all we need to proclaim when opportunities come our way.  We don’t have to be Bible scholars.  We don’t have to have an arsenal of various scriptures at the ready.  We just have to stand on our testimony that we are saved through Jesus Christ the Savior and that ONLY God can save.  Anything else is a half-truth and half-truths have deceived countless souls to their doom.  We plant that seed into the ears and hearts of our visitors when they bring their religion to our door and let God Almighty do the rest.

A Rare Glimpse into the Mind of a Muslim

“The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.” (Psalm 116:15)

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”  (Psalm 91:14-16)

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.  And we are witnesses of this fact!” (Acts 4:15)

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23)

The following video is a segment from a documentary called “Precious Life”, from 2010.

From YouTube channel Facu S: “This Palestinian mother was shown such kindness by Jews when her young son was treated, free of charge, for his heart problem in an Israeli hospital. She freely acknowledges this, but she still hopes that her child will grow up to be a martyr. This video is a rare look into the mind of someone who worships death and destruction. She describes the difference between her culture and all of Western society perfectly when she explains that for her people, life is meaningless.”

The Palestinian woman in this video says the words she is supposed to say to satisfy the demands of her religion, but her face tells a different story; her face reveals that every fiber of her being rejects the very words coming from her mouth.  Her words defy the Author of Life and instead glorify death.  As a creation of God Almighty, her body itself resists every word she utters, yet she obediently repeats the chant of death and destruction she has heard her whole life.  If only she knew how precious she is to the Lord.

For Muslims who read this blog, your life IS precious and most valued by God Almighty, the Author of Life.  The truth is that God formed you in your mother’s womb, carefully knitting together every detail of your body.  He knows the very number of hairs on your head.  He knows your thoughts.  He knows your dreams, your hopes.  He knows everything about you because He created you.  You are His masterpiece.

Read the Psalm below and ask yourself if this sounds like a God who thinks your life is meaningless.  On the contrary, no one has ever invested themselves so wholly into your life as God.  We know this by instinct!  We have to defy our very instinct knowledge of our Creator to think for one second that we do not matter to Him.

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  I can never escape from your Spirit!  I can never get away from your presence!  If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.  If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.  I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night — but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.  To you the night shines as bright as day.  Darkness and light are the same to you.  You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous –how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, you are still with me! O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!  Get out of my life, you murderers!  They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.  O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?  Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?  Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139)