Monday, February 28, 2011

Do not go beyond what is written. I Cor. 4:6

Throughout history many have ventured to go beyond what is written in the Scriptures. They all claim to have received “Special Revelation” from God. In every case, this has led to a different gospel than the one that Paul preached. And Paul said if anyone preaches a different gospel than the one he preached, that that person would be eternally accursed.




It is sad to say that there are people out there who gain the trust of people and then lead them so far away from the truth. But it is done. All the time.



There are many religions out there that have spawned from “Special Revelation.” I hope that some of the people who have been drawn into those religions will read this and understand that the Holy Spirit commands us not to go beyond what is written. To stay with what is written is a safeguard for us and protects us from false doctrine.



Any doctrine that leads people away from the Truth of God’s Word is a doctrine of demons. I believe these doctrines of demons are intended to introduce to those who hear it a different Jesus, a different Messiah. I’ll speak specifically about a doctrine I’ve only learned about recently, that has far reaching implications.



There have been some recently who have been saying that the Lord has revealed to them

that after the Lord died on the cross that He was taken into hell and had to take on the nature of Satan in order to defeat Satan, that Jesus became a sinner. That is completely contrary to what is taught in Scripture. That goes beyond what is written. In Hebrews chapter 7 verse 26 we are told that Jesus is set apart from sinners. And in the same chapter verse 27 we are told, “Unlike the other high priests, he (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the people.” For Jesus to have taken on the nature of Satan would have made Him the epitome of sin. This is blasphemy. And in the eyes of those who preach this, doesn’t this leave room for another Messiah? These same preachers claim that the Lord told them that they could have made the same sacrifice on the cross that He did and saved all of us.



It is important for all of us to read God’s Word on a regular basis so that we will recognize false doctrine when it comes along. So I encourage you to do this. It will be a safeguard for you.



Pray also, along with my wife and I, that the Lord will bring the conviction of His Holy Spirit upon those who are preaching these doctrines of demons, and that if they will not repent of it, that God will remove them from their position and raise up men and women who will preach the truth from the pulpit.



And again, pray that God’s children will read their Bibles, so that they will recognize the difference between truth and error.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Draw close to Him

Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.


Why are we to make the first move? Why doesn’t God draw close to us so that we can then draw close to Him?

I believe it’s because He wants our faith in the finished work of Christ at the cross.

The high priest was the one who offered the sacrifice for the people, and then entered into the Holy of Holies.

Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away your sin, is the Great High priest who entered into the Holy of Holies. Who was it who rent the curtain in two and entered in? It is the priest who enters in.

Jesus said, “It is finished (paid in full),” and then left His body.  The curtain was then rent in two.

Jesus destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility between God and us, our sin. Ephesians 2:14.

What prevents you, or me, from confidently going to the throne of grace to receive help in our time of need? Is it that God is holding something against us? He’s not. Love keeps no record of wrongs, and God loves you.

I believe what hinders us is self-condemnation or the accusations of the devil. “God won’t forgive you for that,” he says. But that’s a lie. There is no dividing wall of hostility. The Holy Spirit tells us that.

So, no matter where you’re at, by faith believe what God has told you. God’s not angry with you. Because Jesus Himself has destroyed the barrier, enter with confidence in the work of Christ to the throne of grace and have fellowship with your Heavenly Father. He longs to fellowship with you and wants you to know that Jesus His Son made the way for you to do that, no matter what you’re going through or what you’ve done.

Draw close to Him today, and watch Him draw close to you.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Wave of Discontent

Who will ride the wave of discontent?




We’ve seen it in Iran. We see it in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia. We see it here in the United States. Discontent. Injustice. Poverty.



We all want contentment. We all want justice. We want all of our needs to be met.



I heard something on the news last night. Usually when people are discontent and protesting injustice, there are always sinister people who are ready to ride that wave, offer promises if we will only let them be our leader, promises that they will never fulfill.



But God is able to ride that wave and bring contentment, justice, and fulfillment to our lives.



Psalm 118:8,9 says: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.



Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (our needs) will be given to you as well.



It is good to respect and honor our leaders, and to pray for them. But let us put our trust in God to meet our needs and make our petitions known to Him. When we look to a man, an institution, or an organization to meet those needs, we give opportunity to those who don’t have our well being in mind.