We Must Root Out The Heresy Within The Church!

I sometimes struggle with explaining my opinions regarding the Modern American Church. I love seeing those within its walls who are truly seeking a deeper relationship [or even the possibility of a relationship with God]. And I can only speak from my own experience, but at the same time, I am observing more and more, that my history with the Church holds true for many others.

In fact, it was for the very reason of trying to understand the Word that led me to what would become my church for 20 years. I had sporadic introductions to a couple of churches during my childhood and maturing years, but my father's job advancements, and the interruption of college, didn't allow me to sink any kind of taproot in any of those first encounters. And it wasn't until I married, and Mark and I both felt in our spirits that it was time to get serious about being equally yoked in our covenant with God, that we began to earnestly seek Him.

At first, the Pastor at the Church we attended was our primary guide to the Word. He introduced us to a God who was real, not just some distant figure in the sky. I actually heard Him speak to me for the first time in that Church and knew Him as my loving Father in Heaven. Then we graduated from just sitting in the pews each Sunday, to a small group of older and committed Believers that grew us into a deeper connection with Jesus's teachings. They actually took us to a higher level of knowledge in the Bible; providing both historical and spiritual comprehension beyond the 20-minute sermon each Sunday morning. They made it comfortable for us to actually question our understanding without judgment, and challenged us to connect the dots between both Old and New Testament Scripture, so that we could begin forming our own opinions about God's Truth [while lovingly correcting us if we strayed too far from God's inherent purpose in inspiring His Word]. It was an exciting period of growth.

But as we hungered for [and digested] the deeper meanings of God's instructions, we began to discern that we weren't being "filled". We instinctively desired more of Him; a personal relationship, and began to be uncomfortable as our spirits revealed a new and disturbing incursion of a different kind of spirit; one that seemed to be contradicting what the Holy Spirit was teaching us. It began insidiously ... introducing the idea of "progressive theology" to the youth. [Isn't that one of Satan's favorite ways to begin attacking the foundation of anything that restricts his power]?

Mind you, I first began to see these changes in my beloved church 25 years ago, so when I began to question exactly what it meant to say you believed in progressive theology, I got a lot of varying answers. I suspect this movement was so new, that its members hadn't developed a consensus about what it stood for. What little I could find on the internet said they essentially believed in taking care of the planet [worshiping it]; the Bible was not the inerrant word of God, but influenced by men; and that Christians should be open to the idea that God speaks to different faiths in different ways, allowing for diversity in His commandments. When I approached the new pastor of my Church about my concerns over Progressive theology, he said, "Well, to me, it can mean we have moved from church services with a pipe organ, to we now enjoy worship services with electric guitars and modern music". 

Ok, then ... this wasn't exactly what I was looking for, nor did it inspire trust in me that my church was going to facilitate any growth in this new personal relationship with God that I was experiencing. I have since discovered that Progressive Christianity has grown deep roots within the Modern American Church, and has evolved into a major network of professed believers and proponents who have married with traditional Church ideology and theology. I think it is important that we know what they currently stand for, so allow me to give you a quick synopsis.

I have summarized their five Core Principles, and I urge you to read this article that expands on how they are influencing God's Church: 1) They believe that following Jesus can lead to experiencing sacredness, wholeness, and unity of all life, while recognizing that the Spirit moves in many faith traditions. 2) They seek community that is inclusive, honoring differences in theological perspectives, age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, class, or ability. 3) They strive for peace and justice among all people, behaving with compassion and selfless love which is the fullest expression of their belief system. 4) They promote embracing the insights of contemporary science and strive to protect the Earth and ensure its integrity and sustainability. 5) They believe in committing to a path of life-long learning believing that there is more value in questioning than in absolutes. 

As a committed follower of Jesus Christ, the Lord and King of the Universe, my Savior and Redeemer, and the Son of the True [and Most High] God, what I see in these Principles of Progressive Christianity is a belief system that belittles the essence of Jesus. They openly state that they "place equal or greater emphasis on His life and teachings than they do in His Death and Resurrection". Further, they believe in Social Justice [as the world defines it; not as Jesus does]. Science has become an important [and equal] part of their faith, and they believe that "embracing science necessarily means scrutinizing narrative", and that "there is more value in questioning than in absolutes". In other words, science is their idol and it requires that they question God's Word as being absolute; moral relativism has more merit that God's stated Truth. 

Understanding the direction that my Church was heading towards led to the final fracture in my relationship with what I had believed would be my Church for life. It came to a crisis point when a teacher [in a class Mark and I attended, and whom we greatly respected] began bringing teachings by leaders of the Emerging Church into our gatherings. Basically, it was brought to our attention that if you believed Jesus was born of a virgin, that the Word was true and inerrant, or that Jesus knew He was the Son of God, then you were part of the "old paradigm" of the Church. The "new paradigm" understood that the virgin story in the Bible was just an allegory; a lot of the teachings in the Bible were meant to be symbolic, not literal; and that Jesus did not understand who He was until He was hanging on the Cross. 

I couldn't understand why we were studying books of this kind, instead of the Bible. And, our teachings began to settle around themes of a political nature, such as social justice and the use of the death penalty. Let me be clear, our faith should influence our thoughts on these issues -- on every issue in our life -- but what we were seeing in discussions of these issues was designed to influence, and change, our faith!   

My spirit screamed, "HERESY"! At this point, I think it's important that I make clear what heresy means to me. I actually agree with the Greek meaning from the word Hairesis: a choosing; a self-willed opinion which is substituted for submission to the power of truth. According to Paul in Galations 5, it leads to division and the formation of sects: "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies"... the very things with which Progressive Christianity seeks to label us obedient Christians.  

These were the first examples where I personally saw heresy begin to slip into the Church -- and, again, that was 25 years ago! It has grown and expanded exponentially since then. Within the last couple of weeks an article appeared in Harbinger's Daily, by Ken Ham, [with whom I disagree regarding the topic of young earth vs old earth]. But, on the issue of rejecting Biblical authority, opening doors of compromise, and placing our opinions above God's, we agree. 

Here's what he wrote: "A United Church of Christ minister in LA (who refers to her sermon as heretical, so at least she admits it!) preached: Well do I think that [the resurrection] could have happened and did happen? I believe so ... I feel it probably did. But if I'm scientific or realistic I don't know. And I say that because there's no "proof". Did it really happen? ... Did Jesus really raise from the dead? I don't know. If Jesus didn't physically raise from the dead and ascend, it doesn't change a thing about my love of God and Christ and Christianity ... because I truly believe in my heart of hearts that my faith ... is a resurrection faith.

Ken Ham goes on to say that it should be obvious to any Christian that her refusal to affirm the Resurrection is a problem. After all, her Salvation depends on her affirmation. And here's what I have to say: "No proof"? Faith doesn't require proof! It's our confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we don't see. It involves trusting in God and His promises, even when they are not visible. Her obvious doubt and unbelief [in my opinion] disqualifies her to be a minister in the Church. And I believe she is introducing heresy into her church.

And then there's a second example that Ken Ham provides of heresy: "A Canadian reverend of The Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto, Ontario, preached in a sermon that for 40 years he's wanted his church to remove the "uncomfortable" and problematic" word Savior from the church website as that can be a "stumbling block" to potential visitors and those seeking membership at his church". 

That pastor had this to say: Many, before they come to our church, will check out the website to see what this church is about: so, see what they believe. And many of the folks that did that will tell me, "I looked up your church, and it sounded reasonable, but when I go to that word 'Savior', it was a problem." The pastor went on ... I would hope that someday, this church would see the possibility of changing that word because it is a stumbling block for many who want to be here. It is a stumbling block for people who do interfaith work. How do we explain that phrase to Muslims, and to Jews, and to Hindus"?  

Well, Pastor, here's my answer: You explain that phrase [Savior] as you express the True Gospel of the Bible; the Good News that the One True God of the Universe sent His only Son to earth to receive the wrath that we [that means all of humanity] deserve for rejecting Him and the relationship He established with us from the Garden. He is Holy ... meaning His nature is one of absolute purity and moral excellence. There is no sin in Him, and He expects those that are made in His image to reflect that same righteousness. Because we have inherited sin from humanity's original parents, we cannot attain that righteousness on our own. We are in desperate need of a way to come before our Holy God in submission and righteousness; that necessitates someone to save us from our sinfulness. Jesus is the Way to that reconciliation with our Father. He is our Savior! 

And I would further say this .... interfaith work should not mean acceptance of the "little g" gods of other faiths as equal to our Most High God. So, to find that the connotation of Jesus as our Savior to be "uncomfortable" or "problematic" indicates to me that you are willing to compromise the Truth of who Jesus is, in order to appeal to those who don't believe in Him. And that, Pastor, is heresy in my opinion. 

As I wind up this latest post, I want to reiterate that all this is my opinion. But my opinion is founded on the beliefs expressed through the Holy Spirit and the Bible. I am not a fundamentalist believer -- I recognize that Jesus did not come to establish "the Church" as a regimental force in the world. He did not instruct us to erect buildings and keep our faith to ourselves.  He came to re-establish the relationship He created us for; to express His love for each of us and give us the opportunity to return that love to Him and to walk in that love with our neighbors. Yes, there are absolute moral values that reflect His nature and to which He calls us to follow. And I admit that it is a narrow and often times difficult road to walk -- we don't want to become so religious that we stifle the freedom that Jesus died to give us; but we also don't want to endorse so much freedom in our sins that we allow any and all diverse beliefs to be approved [only to be perverted by the Enemy].

The purpose of this post is to share the heresies that I have witnessed in my journey with the Lord and how they can easily be used to foment lawlessness and corrupt theology. It is important that we defend the Truth and absolute authority of God's Word in the world. Lord, I ask you to guide me in the way to rightly handle Your Truth and to represent You in the world. We need Your heart and Your principles today, Lord! Help us to root out the Satan-inspired heresy that has entered our church buildings, and provide Your inspiration to guide others to righteousness. Amen!

Acts 14-16.   But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So, I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 

 

Prophets and the Pagan Gods

I am aware that this blog post may not be everyone's cup of tea. I think the peoples of the world are so hungry to be free of what they innately discern is the crumbling structure of their lives that they only want to hear what makes them feel good. And I understand that! Too often, I am awakened in the middle of the night with discouraging thoughts, and it is only through focusing my soul and spirit on Jesus that I am able to take those thoughts captive and receive His peace. 

But that doesn't mean that I ignore the reality of what I clearly see as the truth of our situation. And I want you to know that I am cognizant of the whispers of the Father of Lies, so I am careful to vet the Source of what I am seeing [and hearing]. We no longer live in the times of the Old Testament when God primarily spoke to His people through the prophets [oftentimes in dreams and visions]. Today, He speaks to us through His Son, who has given us the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us in His ways. And you can count on the Spirit speaking the Lord's truth... When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you in to all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.

It has become apparent to me that it is not just any spirit that speaks the truth and prophesies what is coming, but the Holy Spirit! It is not my spirit, or another man's or woman's human spirit, but the Spirit that is God! And it most certainly is not a demonic spirit who owes its allegiance to Satan. We cannot trust the latter two spirits to be speaking truth. And it must be discerned among the people of God that the demonic spirits can come from worshipping false [pagan] gods who love to fool our human spirits into accepting what "sounds like" it's coming from the One True God. I often think it's inherent among the human race to always be looking to replace what they don't like about the state of their existence with a new vision of their own creation, instead of looking to the perfect existence in the True Creator. 

And that takes me to an unlikely reference to what I'm trying to express. The 70s anthem, "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who, communicates the need to be critical in our assessment of whose voice we are listening to as we strive for truth and transformation that is real and lasting in the Lord. The song is a picture of Satan's unchanging and predictable plan of causing chaos that leads to rebellion, and then convincing people it's all new. It could be the anthem for today ... There's nothing in the street looks any different to me. And the slogans are effaced, by-the-bye. And the parting on the left is now parting on the right. And the beards have all grown longer overnight...I'll get on my knees and pray we don't get fooled again.  

You see, the prophets of old were called by God to be His spokesmen and share His message to His people within the historical context of what was happening in their lives. They reported the will of God in the particular situation. The prophets not only exhorted and challenged men to obey God's will, but entailed His plan for the situation, and either encouraged the righteous according to God's promises or warned the people of coming judgment -- all according to what God revealed to them, the prophets. Because of the people's preponderance to follow false gods, worship idols, and disobey God's laws, the prophets of old spent lots of time rebuking sin [and repeating God's warning about the punishment He intended] if they didn't answer His call for repentance. 

They also announced what God told them regarding their deliverance that would come with the Messiah and His kingdom. The difference between a true and false prophet could be discerned by which prophecies were fulfilled. And that is an interesting detail in light of today's "prophets". How many of our modern-day prophets were proclaiming worldwide "revival" and the Third Great Awakening just a year ago? And how many of those same prophets have now reversed course and are warning that worldwide war, persecution, and dark days are coming? 

I guess my basic question is this: Are you truly hearing from the Lord? Are your prophesies coming from your own discernment? Or are you prophesying what the people want to hear? And because our Lord predicted that false prophets would abound in the Last Days to lead us astray, I am careful to observe if today's prophets are only relating conditions and events in the world without pointing us to Jesus and His promises. I am not a prophet and do not claim to have the last word on whether a proclaimed prophet is the real deal or not. But I am able to see evidence of their fruit [or not]. I have simply been assigned to stand on the walls of this nation and warn against what the Lord shows me are the dangers we are being tempted to participate in. I do NOT require people to believe me. They must take what I've been equipped to see and ask the Lord for confirmation and act accordingly.

Both my husband and I are particularly sensitive to the idolatry the Lord is highlighting as our nation is influenced by the pagan gods of old to adopt spirits of greed, perversion, ungodly rituals, sacrifices of children, and a reliance on the pursuit of Religion instead of the Kingdom. You see, in ancient history, those gods were worshipped as Mammon, Moloch, Baal, Chemosh, Astarte, etc. Today, we know them as Wealth, Power, Lust, Abortion, Knowledge, and again, Religion with a capital "R" [which Jesus never brought, nor asked to be exalted]. The names and means of worship may be more sophisticated, but the results are the same: suffering and a painful separation from God. Our Bible tells us that any elevation of a false god above the One True God comes with consequences. You shall have no other gods before Me makes that pretty clear. 

And I want to make it clear that I have not heard from the Lord as to His plan of judgment or punishment, and am not called to prophesy of their certainty. At the same time, my God repeatedly points me to His Word for confirmation that both are grave possibilities when He shows me what He wants me to see from my position on the wall. But I am to only report what I see, and what could happen, not declare what will happen. Hopefully, that makes us all take stock of where we are in our obedience to God's will.

In conclusion, this is what I know for sure ... God can [and has] delayed His judgment; sometimes for hundreds of years, in the hope that peoples' hearts will change and they will return to Him. But He will not be mocked and He will not be patient forever. The Word says that there will come a time when The Restrainer's hand will be removed. For now, I pray that I will continue to clearly see what the Lord is pointing out to me, His Watchman; and that the true prophets will be easily discerned as authorized mediators who speak for God. I read somewhere that even in Elijah's time, there were 450 false prophets for every authentic one anointed by God! One anointed prophet is more than enough to overcome Satan's strategies of delivering false warnings and/or promises. I pray that we come together with pure hearts and reject every false god, false prophet, and false religion, all for the glory and power of the Kingdom of God! From my view on the wall, the time is now! Amen!

Philippians 2:10-11      ... so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord [sovereign God], to the glory of God the Father.    

Choose Now Whom You Will Serve ... God of the Bible or Your AI god?

Need we remind ourselves of one of the primary and most important commandments of God almighty, El Shaddai? You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship]. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God, demanding what is [rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me...

In my last post, I talked about the consequences of the iniquity that results from a lack of trust in God. And that is what can happen to each of us, as individuals, when we lose sight of our Creator. But now, in these last days, I am seeing a threat that could exert ungodly influence on the masses, and potentially result in the extinction of mankind, or at the very least, corrupt the personal relationship with our Heavenly Father; the personal relationship that Jesus died to restore to all mankind. 

Frankly, I am shocked at just how rapidly this threat has risen. I'm talking about the dire warning that technology execs and creators are signaling ... warning that "we are creating a god". Notice that both these execs and the God of the Bible use a "little g" when referring to false dieties. Just read what Mo Gawdat, former chief executive of Google X had to say: he believes "that artificial general intelligence (AGI), the sort of all-powerful, sentient AI seen in science fiction like Skynet from The Terminator, is inevitable — and that once it's here, humanity may very well find itself staring down an apocalypse brought forth by godlike machines". 

In the article, Gawdat shared the revelation he received during tests with AI developers to check the dexterity of robot arms trying to pick up a small ball. After a period of slow progress, Gawdat said that one arm grabbed the ball and seemed to hold it up to the researchers in a gesture that, to him, seemed like it was showing off. "And I suddenly realized this is really scary," Gawdat said. "It completely froze me... The reality is," he added, "we're creating God." Now, I'm fully aware that his use of a "big G" for God, in this instance, is entirely misappropriated. No one can create God! He is I AM; he's always been. If Gawdat had said, "we're trying to replace God", I would probably agree with that.

So, while he among others, like Elon Musk, are warning that the advancements in AI technology are potential threats to the human race, there are others who have avidly and aggressively promoted divine attributes to Artificial Intelligence. In 2021, former Google executive Anthony Levandowski closed his artificial intelligence-focused church, called Way of the Future (WOTF). An article on The Verge, reported that Levandowski was interested in pursuing “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), in preparation for the Singularity [and the betterment of society]". Although he closed his "church", it is not too hard to imagine that someone else will pursue that same goal. [NOTE: the Singularity is a hypothetical future where technology growth is out of control and irreversible. These intelligent and powerful technologies will radically and unpredictably transform our reality]. And included in that transformation is the merging of humans and computers; a being with both organic (God-made) and bio-mechatronic (inorganic) body parts.

That brings me to who, in my opinion, is one of the most dangerous men in this technology conversation, senior World Economic Forum (WEF) advisor Yuval Noah Harari. According to an article on Charismamag.com, Harari is "considered by many to be one of the most influential intellectuals in the world today". He is a best-selling author of over 45 million books on the future of science and technology. His opinions are valued by WEF founder and economist, Klaus Schwab, as well as icons like Barack Obama and Bill Gates. But it is his opinions on Creation, the sovereignty of God, and the truth of the Bible that is highly concerning to me. Let me just share a few of his statements:

"We don’t have to wait for Christ’s Second Coming to overcome death. A couple of geeks in the laboratory can do it if you give them enough time and money".

"God seems to be making a comeback, but this is a mirage. God is dead … it just takes awhile to get rid of the body".

"I don’t think life has any meaning. I know many civilizations and philosophies have based the meaning of life on death and what happens after death. But I think these are all fictional stories that people have invented throughout history. They are not the truth".

"You think about the Bible for example. So, in the first book of Genesis, what God does is to create animals and plants and humans. And we now want to gain these abilities ourselves… to manufacture animals and plants and humans. And even go beyond God! Even if you believe in the Bible, the only thing the God of the Bible managed to create is organic beings. He managed to create the cows, and the tomatoes, and the giraffes and the humans – all organic. Now we try to go beyond the God of the Bible and create inorganic life, a thing He never managed to do, according either to the Bible or to biology. For 4 billion years, all life was organic. Now we want to create inorganic life. Divinity is not far enough to describe what we are trying to do"! [NOTE: By "inorganic", he means machines!]

"I think one of the most interesting places today, from a religious perspective, is Silicon Valley. I bet that this is where the new religions of the 21st Century will be created; are being created. And these will be a kind of techno-religions; religions based on technology; religions that make all of the old promises possible of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and so forth. They all promised happiness, and prosperity and justice, and even eternal life.  [We can know those promises] here on earth, with the help of technology; and not after we die, but now with the help of super human beings. And in a way, I would say we have already seen the first techno-religion in history, in previous centuries, and that was Socialism".

I think you've read enough to get an idea of where this guy is coming from. And as a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, what he is saying is offensive and alarming. But none is more controversial than his opinion that the Bible needs to be re-written "to correct" the wrong ideas it has presented for centuries. We know that Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press and printed a copy of the Bible in the 15th Century. But according to Harari, "it [the printing press] had no ideas of its own about the Bible: Is it good? Is it bad? How to interpret this? How to interpret that? AI can create new ideas [from its opinions]; [it] can even write a new Bible,” Harari declares. “Throughout history, religions dreamt about having a book written by a superhuman intelligence, by a non-human entity". Oh, really? Can you provide some evidence of that, please? 

Are you as aggrieved as I am that this pompous proponent of AI dares to compare human's ability to create with the creativity of the God of the Universe? I am strongly discerning that we are on the precipice of what Scripture prophesies... Because of this God will send upon them a misleading influence, [an activity of error and deception] so they will believe the lie, in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe the truth [about their sin, and the need for salvation through Christ], but instead took pleasure in unrighteousness. Now is the time to fortify ourselves for the battle that is coming. We must become clear about what we believe and why, so that we can discern the difference between the delusion God is bringing and the immutable Truth of His Word that we carry in our hearts. 

And again, the Bible tells us that My people perish for lack of knowledge. But it is incumbent upon all us Christians that we make it clear to all within our sphere of influence that the Word is speaking of knowledge as God's Truth, not man's. Mr. Harari is full of knowledge. But his foundation comes from the deception and deceit of the Father of Lies. We must not only stand on the principles of God's Truth, but must be willing to stand against the lies, and correct the false teachings, data, and information that will most assuredly be fomented by artificial intelligence and the humans who unleash AI upon the world. Trust in the Lord to fight for us and protect us as we continue to preach the Word; the unerring, perfect and unimpeachable Word of God to those who love Him and follow His commandments. 

Romans 1:21-23    For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 

The Words of Jeremiah Are For The Ages

"For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you," says the Lord, "plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope... I will be found by you, "says the Lord, "and I will restore your fortunes and I will free you..".  This is the familiar Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11 and 14; favorites of mine. In context, Jeremiah is speaking to the Israelites and telling them that the "plan" is that they are about to go into captivity for 70 years, but God will not abandon them.  There is hope for restoration. Jeremiah is calling out the false prophets who are proclaiming that everything is OK, and telling the Israelites they will not be taken to Babylon.  Through Jeremiah, God tells them "don't believe the lies." Jeremiah has the unpleasant task of warning the people of the coming judgment from the Lord due to their rebelliousness and wickedness. But the Lord also tells him to speak to the people, reassuring them that when the captivity is over, the Lord will restore them and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will seek Him with all their hearts and He will be found by them.

In the middle of sleepless nights, I hear my Lord and Savior encouraging me; telling me that whatever is going to happen in the coming difficulties; He has a plan.  He is sovereign in my circumstances, and if I seek Him with all my heart, He will listen and I will find Him.  My future abides in Him. 

I wrote the above in 2011, but I could have just as easily written it today. I know I have said it many times before, but there have been days in the intervening years that I have identified with Jeremiah. No, not as a prophet. I believe that only Jesus can assign that office. But I have cried out to Him, because my spirit has sensed that we have been lied to by our politicians and our own false prophets. EVERYTHING IS NOT OK! I do not believe God is pleased with the state of the world, the Church, or many people who call themselves Christians. At the same time, I know He has not abandoned us, and His covenant promises of victory in Christ remain intact. But I do not want to see my fellow believers fall prey to the false hope that is being delivered by self-appointed prophets, and become devastated when we enter into our own captivity.

Just as in Jeremiah's day, present-day believers proclaim, "The Lord has raised up prophets for us". And these modern "prophets" speak of "Kingdom" and "Revival" and "Restoration"; all praiseworthy tenets of God's promises. But are they speaking the whole truth of what  God is revealing to us in these days? How can one point the Body of Christ to Revival and Restoration without warning that both are in jeopardy because of our idolatry of [and seduction by] the false gods of ecumenicalism, self-promotion, and a counterfeit "feeling" religion? It's as if what the Bible tells us is going to happen before Christ returns is just a story written for another time; it doesn't really pertain to us. If we just keep using the buzzwords "Kingdom","Revival", and "Restoration", we can pretend that what the Word says is not meant for us, after all!

So, instead, we will choose to believe that Jeremiah 29:11 and God's promises of peace, hope, and a future are meant for us, but choose to ignore that what He says just six verses later could also be a warning meant for us ... "Behold (listen very carefully), I am sending the sword, famine, and virulent disease (pestilence) on them, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with virulent disease; and I will make them a terror (warning) to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a horror, a hissing, and a disgrace among all the nations to which I have driven them, because they have not listened to and honored My words...".

Our God is the same God today as He was when He spoke those words to Jeremiah over 2500 years ago. His Nature, His Character, and His promises have not changed. Look around; really pay attention! The sword of war is upon the earth, and our nation is in the cross-hairs. We have already suffered through a traumatic season of virulent disease, and every prognosticator on the earth is warning of global famine. It is a very real possibility in the coming year! And lest you hear the lie that this Word from God was meant for ancient Judah in the Old Testament and was spoken under the old covenant, and it is said [again] that we are meant to experience Kingdom, Revival, and Restoration, I would ask that you hear the Word of Jesus in the New Testament and His foretelling of our future under the New Covenant ...

In response to the Disciples question of how we would know the time was near for Him to return, Jesus said, "Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many. You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble]".

But people are frightened when they hear these warnings, and they do not want to receive them; rather, they prefer what tickles their ears and makes them feel better. Those that declare themselves to be modern-day prophets, speaking only words of Hope in the return of Jesus and our victory, may not call themselves Christ or the Messiah, but they will declare themselves anointed. By whom? By the Lord? ... Or other men? Jesus, Himself, says there will be wars, famines, pestilence and "intolerable anguish and unprecedented trouble" [including persecution] before He returns. Just this week, Newsweek reported that a member of Finland's Parliament, and a Finnish Lutheran Bishop were charged with a Hate Speech crime for quoting from Romans in their defense of Biblical marriage. But the Helsinki District Court dropped the charges and determined it wasn't their job to "interpret Biblical concepts". But that's how dangerously close we are to religious persecution becoming a global entitlement. And do not think that our Constitutional right to free speech will be a safeguard when that anti-Christian agenda is whipped into a frenzy. 

The times that we are living in are just as precarious as the times of Jeremiah. We have entered into a 21st Century version of captivity in Babylon that is no different than the ancient nation of Judah's experience. The question remains if God is going to turn this nation over to its captors for a time of judgment for abandoning Him and prostituting the blessings that He bestowed on this land. Make no mistake, I believe He has not abandoned us, nor will He turn His back on His remnant, anymore than He abandoned the exiles who would return to Jerusalem from their Babylonian captivity and restore the Temple of Jehovah. But, now WE ARE the temple! And God will restore His righteous remnant in these last days! That is our hope and our future! But WE MUST NOT BE UNPREPARED for God's judgment against those [in the nation and the Church] who misled, corrupted, and compromised His holy commandments. 

If we are truly His people, we see and understand His whole counsel. And we will be united and stand strong through both the judgment and the restoration. So, I encourage you to read the Book of Jeremiah. Let the words of long ago feed your soul and spirit with the horror of our offenses against the God of the Universe. But let the ancient words also encourage and comfort you as we await our redemption and our restoration to holiness. We have never been promised that we would escape troubles, persecution, or even death. What we have been promised is a glorious inheritance in Heaven where we will be united with Jesus, and we will rule and reign with Him after He has defeated Evil on the earth. That is the hope and the future that I look forward to! Whatever I have to endure until then will be done through His strength in me, and with praise of Him on my lips. I know that He loves His own with an everlasting love, and He will continue His faithfulness to us until the day we stand in His presence. That is the hope that we can all believe in!

1 Corinthians 14:3     On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

 

"Will We Stone Those Sent to Us?"

This is the title of an article written by Guy Cohen, founder of the Harvest of Asher Congregation and Ministry in Acco, Israel. He is affiliated with Tikkun International, a global family of ministries dedicated to the dual restoration of Israel and the Biblical Church. Tikkun means restoration, renewal, rehabilitation, and repair [in Hebrew]. It is the cry of the Hebrew prophets for the Messianic Age, and for about 10 years I have been blessed to see the dedication and the work of this organization for the Kingdom of God.

Mr. Cohen's title captured my attention and I wondered if there might be some common ground of understanding between a Messianic Jew in Israel, and a Christian woman in America. Furthermore, I found his religious background interesting, as well. He grew up in an orthodox Jewish religious environment in Israel, studying the Old Testament and rabbinical teachings. Then in 1997, the Lord opened Guy's eyes and he accepted Yeshua as his Messiah! His background and training in the Hebrew Scriptures gives him a unique perspective into the Word of God and the Jewish roots of faith in Yeshua. I am a serious lay student of those same roots in reference to the Christian Bible and my faith. 

The subject of Cohen's article was the prophet Elijah and the environment in which he lived. Elijah was one of the major prophets God sent to Israel to call His people back to Him. But Elijah ran into some formidable foes in King Ahab and his pagan queen Jezebel. According to Scripture, Ahab had done more evil in the sight of the Lord than all the kings who were before him. He built a house for the worship of his wife's false god, Baal, and there he built an altar to Baal and worshiped him. At his wife's instigation, he also built an Asherah pole, a sacred monument and tribute to the Canaanite goddess, Asherah, who was said to be "the mother" of a pantheon of gods with the other "creator god", El. The nation of Israel was tempted to follow these false gods, just as their king had. Elijah could not convince them to choose whom they would worship; their noncommittal attitude only served to greatly provoke the Lord God of Israel. 

But Elijah was anointed by God to confront the idolators, and he fulfilled his mission, gaining a fiery victory on Mount Carmel. As you will recall, the spiritual showdown occurred after Israel had suffered three years without rain, due to their unrepentant idolatry. All Israel gathered at Mount Carmel, where Elijah confronted the evil king and his false prophets. The challenge went like this: Elijah was the lone prophet of the God of Israel. Against him were 450 prophets of the false god, Baal, and 400 prophets of the false goddess Asherah. The challenge was to prepare a bull as an offering to their respective gods. But there was a condition that had to be met ... they could light no fire on their altar. The God who answered with fire from the sky would be declared the true God.  

The fire of the Lord fell and consumed Elijah's offering, after which the people of Israel fell on their faces, saying, "The Lord, He is God"! And after God provided evidence to the people of His sovereignty as the one true God, you have to believe Elijah would be thinking, "I've known why I was sent; to harken the people to the Lord's voice and His presence. How can they not repent and return to the Lord, now?" Instead of what he thought was irrefutable proof of God's supremacy and the truth, Elijah found himself the target of Jezebel's wrath and on the run for his life. The spirits of fear and doubt engulfed him and he ended up in a cave, ready to give up. How dispirited he must have been! He saw his beloved nation forsaking the covenant they had with their God. He witnessed the altars to God being destroyed, and the prophets were all killed. He was the only one left, and they were trying to kill him, too. 

But the Lord did not abandon Elijah. He didn't appear in the grand manner that Elijah expected Him to, but rather as a still, small voice that encouraged him and then sent him back into the spiritual battle. Elijah followed the Lords commands to anoint Hazael as king over Syria; Jehu as king over Israel; and Elisha as a prophetic voice to take his [Elijah's] place. Sadly, both kings failed to do as God bid, and only Elisha carried out his assignment. 

So, why does this ancient situation spoken of in an article by a Messianic minister speak so much to my spirit today? Mr. Cohen fights the battle of speaking as a believer in Yeshua, the Messiah, to a nation of orthodox or unbelieving Jews. He identifies with Elijah in speaking to an unbelieving nation that bows the knee to political Zionism. For me, as a Christian in America, I see how much our governmental leadership and so-called prophetic voices have disappointed. The nation's leaders are as guilty of idolatry and abandoning the true God as King Ahab was. They worship at the altars of power and wealth, and the "voices" of so many prophets assault our ears! What is God's Truth in the midst of all this? Both government leaders and "prophets" battle for their messages to be heard, leading to deception and confusion among the brethren of believers. So what are we seeing? False prophets leading many astray, lawlessness increasing, and love for our fellow man growing cold. 

Did the Lord identify with Elijah, when He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"? Today, we often find that Christians don't want a message that interferes with their comfort zone, or troubles their spirit, or challenges their belief system. We need the spirit of Elijah today! We need the true prophets who are willing to call out the false gods this world is bowing down to.  We need an Elijah willing to challenge and confront the false prophets and their empty promises. We need an Elijah to call the Church to account for compromising with the culture and beast system. We all need the spirit of Elijah in us to be bold to declare, "The Lord, He is God"!

It may seem as if we are alone; like Elijah, we may feel like most around us have abandoned this nation's covenant with God; that all our foundations have been torn away. God is no longer welcome in government, our schools, or the public square. He and His statutes are openly mocked by what seems like a growing mob of haters. It may feel like we are facing overwhelming odds. That's how Elijah felt. But God reminded him that he was not serving the Lord alone. In fact, God told Elijah there were 7,000 left in Israel that "had not bowed their knee to Baal nor kissed his mouth". 

I believe God is doing the same in our generation! There is a faithful remnant that echoes the 7,000 in ancient Israel. And it is up to us to discern the ones God has sent, and listen to their words in truth and spirit. We will know them by their fruit! The challenge will be to accept the ones God sends and reject those with messages that draw us away from Him. It will be tempting to listen to those who only preach what makes us feel good. That's the lesson to be learned from the people of Israel, who followed the false prophets of Baal, and rejected the Lord's prophet, Elijah. If we are true followers of Christ, we know the whole agenda ... it includes troubles, hardship, and persecution, BUT concludes with victory, eternal life, and glory to God in the highest! Again, let us be diligent to accept the ones God sends to us and resist "stoning" them if the messages seem uncomfortable. And if the Lord calls us to be His voice, we can be the Elijah, Daniel, and Jeremiah of the generation that sees the return of Jesus! Remember, the Lord was with Elijah the whole way, encouraged him, and provided his successor. May we all receive the same favor from our faithful God!

Luke 1:17     It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous [which is to seek and submit to the will of God]—in order to make ready a people [perfectly] prepared [spiritually and morally] for the Lord.”

 

 

Will We Christians Recognize God's Strong Delusion?

 

Those of us who are Christians with discerning hearts and spirits are aware that lawlessness is on growing/ There are spirits of anarchy, chaos, and rebellion that seem to have been given free reign over the land. And we are all aware that it won't be long before the Man of Lawlessness, as prophesied in the Bible, appears on the scene and is revealed. In 2 Thessalonians 2, we learn that this son of destruction will oppose the worship of any other god besides himself; and indeed, will exalt himself above the One True God, seating himself in the temple of God [in Jerusalem], and proclaiming himself to be God. We can take courage, though, because the Bible tells us that the appearance of this imposter is a sign that the Lord Jesus will soon appear and kill him with the breath of His mouth! 

But how has this blasphemous and profane man found his way upon the world stage? Again, the Bible gives us the answer ... "by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." As Christians, we know that Satan has the ability to fool and deceive many into rejecting the salvation that Jesus offers. But surely that warning to "those who are perishing" can't apply to us who call ourselves saved and believers! Or can it? Remember, that Jesus, Himself, in Matthew, Chapter 24, refers to the prophecy of Daniel that there will be an abomination in the House of the Lord when a usurper stands in the Holy Place. This will be a future Man of Lawlessness who perverts the sanctity of God's House. Jesus goes on to warn that there will be great persecution against His followers, and "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." But how can that happen? How could people who consider themselves strong believers possibly be so deceived? We find the answer in 2 Thessalonians 2 ... "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

Surely, that only refers to those who persistently reject Jesus as the Son of God, denying His redemptive death on the Cross for our sins and denying His resurrection to eternal life. But I would ask you to consider this ... again, I want to emphasize God's Immutable (Never-Changing) Nature. As tired as you may be of hearing it, He truly is the same as He was yesterday, is today, and will be tomorrow. So, we must recognize that God lets us know throughout the Bible that Judgment is part of His character and nature. The Book of Psalms is full of descriptors of His Judgment:  It is true; it is in all the earth; He has established His throne for Judgment; and He will most assuredly execute His Judgment.

But there is another topic that surrounds this theme of "Judgment", and it can be found in both the Old and New Testaments.  In Ezekiel, Chapter 9, God shows the prophet a vision of an effectual slaughter of the people of Israel for the abominations they have committed against Him.  Ezekiel sees God commanding an angel to put a mark on the foreheads of those who mourned over the sinfulness and kept themselves apart from it.  Then come the devastating words of the Lord: Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary. It is quite apparent that God's Judgment is swift and terrible, and His Judgment begins with His sanctuary. We, my friends, are His sanctuary today! We, as individuals and the corporate "Church" are His dwelling place on the earth. But soon, there will be a man who will arise, and being full of deception, he will perform great signs and wonders, so that he will be able to deceive even the elect -- if it is possible. 

How can it be possible to deceive the elect? Let's start with 1 Peter 4:17, which says, For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Note that Peter says "for those who do not obey the gospel of God". Not "believe" but "obey" the gospel of God! First of all, the gospel of God includes all the good news of His nature, His character, His mercy, His love, and His laws. Can today's Church honestly say that they have obeyed His statues and His instruction to us? Have we followed His strict mandates for how He desires we worship, honor, and obey Him? Or have we followed our own hearts and compromised with the world so His House looks less like Him and more like what pleases us?

And has the modern church considered which gospel Peter is talking about? Is it the gospel of Salvation or the gospel of the Kingdom? Oh, we understand the gospel of Salvation pretty well and most of us will say we have obeyed its tenets. But remember, there are strong warnings to those who refused to "love the truth", thereby allowing themselves to be deceived and deluded. What is the truth? Yes, Jesus came to die for our sins, but He came for so much more! 

He came to re-establish His Father's kingdom on earth and to share the good news that the dominion of the earth could be ours again. Yes, His death gives us the choice to choose eternal life through faith in Him, but that salvation is just the first step. We cannot even see [or understand] what the Kingdom of God on earth is to be until we've been saved, and we cannot enter [or be a part of] the Kingdom [as citizens of heaven on earth] until we've been saved. Jesus, Himself, states that in John 3:1-5. Yet so much of "the Church" hasn't embraced and "loved this truth". Furthermore, we are commanded to take back dominion of the earth by healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom to all earth's inhabitants. Those actions can [and should] be done by every Christian in order to defeat Satan's kingdom. 

We are not to simply receive our salvation and live out the rest of our lives waiting to die and go to Heaven! I believe our refusal to obey these commandments, once we have acknowledged their truth, are grounds for condemnation at the throne of God... "each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). God desires more FOR us than our salvation. And He desires more FROM us -- that we enter His Kingdom, do all that He commands us on earth, and receive our inheritance in Heaven. That is the "bigger truth" of our faith.

So, back to this "strong delusion" from God. What might it look like? First, let's establish what the ancient writers would have meant by using that word delusion. It's interesting that in the Hebrew, the word can describe "a tyrant", which would certainly be indicative of the Man of Lawlessness. In the Greek, the word means fraudulent; a straying from orthodoxy or piety; wrong opinion; a forsaking of the right path (whether in doctrine or in morals); a wrong opinion or error in morals or religion. So, does the Bible give us any clues as to what this delusion could look like and how people could [and will] fall for it?  We just need to look to the Book of Revelation to see the vision...

This important and last Book of the Bible holds the key to answering our questions. It speaks in Chapters 12 and13 of several "players" in this great delusion. We have a dragon, who is Satan. And we see a beast, who was given the dragon's power, throne and authority. This is the Anti-Christ. We have another beast with two horns "like a lamb", who is the False Prophet. Hopefully, you are seeing that Satan is counterfeiting God's true hierarchy. Jesus, is of course the True Lamb, who shares in the Father's power, throne and authority. He was considered a great prophet in His day and proven to be the true Messiah. The beast, who is "like a lamb", will be a False Prophet [in the manner of John the Baptist}, who will be declared to be "like Elijah" [just as John was] and who is commissioned to make way for the appearance of the False Messiah [just as John made way for the true Messiah]. It is the False Prophet who will do great and miraculous signs and wonders [counterfeiting those of Jesus] and who will establish a one-world religion, with the objective of bringing about the crowning of the False Messiah. His call for a "universal church", blending all religions into one, will be a tempting message to those in the world who are tired of the persecution, strife and chaos that will be rife in the world. He will speak of "love" and "peace", which will be comforting words to ears that are desperate to hear them... especially Christians!

But we must not be deceived! We must hold fast to Jesus' warning that "false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."  In fact, He tells us that many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another.  And again, Satan will counterfeit God's moves. In Ezekiel 9, God placed a mark on the foreheads of those who remained righteous and followed His precepts, keeping themselves separate from those who followed evil. Satan will cause a mark to be placed on the right hand or the forehead of those willing to go along with the False Prophet's enticing agenda. And just like God, Satan will destroy those who do not have the mark.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that the Household of God be aware of what is coming! We cannot bury out heads in the sand and pretend that what the Bible prophesies will not happen. What is spoken of in Ezekiel, 1 Corinthians, 2 Thessalonians, and the Book of Revelation will take place! There will be a fiery test of the quality of one's faith.  In other words, there will be a process of judgment that leads to a decision [by God], resulting from His investigation.  Those who are sealed with the mark of true faith will be exempt from the Judgment. Make no mistake ... there is a Man of Lawlessness waiting in the wings, and there is a strong delusion coming from God to separate the truly righteous from the pretenders. I pray the foundation of your life has been laid with the fullness of Jesus's truth and Gospels. May the true Church expose the deception of the Enemy and guide the faithful through the delusion that will cause many to fall away from their faith. To God be the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever and ever! Amen! 

NOTE: If you are a current subscriber to this blog, Google is eliminating Feedburner as a method of receiving my posts by email. Please re-subscribe through the form on the right-hand panel to continue receiving this blog. (If you receive this blog on your mobile phone, then go to www.salvationandsurvival.com on your computer to see the full page and the panel where you can re-subscribe). Thank you!

1 Samuel 15:23    For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling), And disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you as king.”