People, I am profoundly disturbed today. I was washing dishes and thinking about this seminar that I recently attended. Their entire premise is that their way is the only way that works, and if you just do it exactly the way they tell you to do it, your life will be pretty close to perfect. I feel God led me to this seminar, and walked me through it to show me something. First, let me say that the seminar was not a Christian one, so the philosophies were pretty easy for me to reject. The startling thing to me was that God was showing me that this kool-aid philosophy is rampant in the church, and is much harder to discern if you aren't careful. How many classes, or ministries claim to have the answer? Whether it be addiction, marriage, deliverance or even spiritual growth, many times these classes or ministries lead you to believe that if you just do it their way, things will be better. People of God, BEWARE!!!
How do you protect yourself from the kool-aid? By being a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY dividing the Word of Truth. II Timothy 2:15 Paul says in the beginning of this verse that you must study to show thyself approved. Deuteronomy 8:3 says (Amplified) And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and PERSONALLY know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.
That tells us the importance of His Word which at this time is predominantly the Bible.
I'd like to throw in the verses just a little bit further down. Verses 11-14, 17 Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His precepts, and His statutes, which I command you this day, Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, And your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, Then your [ minds and] hearts be lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, ... And beware lest you say in your [mind and ] heart, My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this. This is a strong warning to us that when we become successful, the temptation is to forget God and think we have done it on our own. We can even feel this way about salvation!!!! I know that may be shocking to some people, but it's true. A lot of these classes or ministries lead you to believe you can do things in your own power and that is a falsehood. We are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God. Not by works lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8,9.
So, my premise is that you can save yourself from "drinking the kool-aid" either spiritually, or even worldly philosophies SOLELY by being a good Berean. What does that mean? Acts 17: 10-11 says (KJV) And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming hither and thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. We must take what we are hearing and search the scriptures daily to discern whether it is correct. I tell you what Paul told the Galatians in Gal. 1:8 (Amplified) But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be cursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! It doesn't matter what the source is, it matters what the message is. Even if your pastor says it, even if your most favorite TV preacher says it.... it doesn't matter. You need to search the scriptures daily to see if it is so.
Many people these days are casting a shadow on the Word of God and downplaying it's importance. But I tell you it is the ONLY thing we can trust these days. Here is why I say this: Let's start at the beginning. John 1:1-2 says, (Amplified) In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ) and the Word was with God and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. So, this verse establishes that God and Jesus (who is also the Word) are one and were there in the beginning. Hebrews 13:8 says (Amplified) Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today [yes] and forever (to the ages). So, now we know that Jesus and God are one and that Jesus is the Word, and that He is always the same. That is something in which we can place our trust.
Now let's go to I Peter 1:21 (Amplified) For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so- it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit. So, the Bible is not a bunch of man's ideas, but men were moved by the Holy Spirit to speak God's Words. The Bible is made up of God's Words.
Now, let's go to Hebrews 6:18, 19 (KJV) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil:
This verse is saying that it is impossible for God to lie.
Let me put this all together. Jesus is the Word. God and Jesus are one. The Bible is God's words written by men moved by the Holy Spirit. God cannot lie. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. This is the basis of our faith! This is the anchor for our souls! Anything taught or spoken that conflicts with the Word of God, must be rejected. And, it doesn't matter where the teaching comes from, Paul even said if it's an angel from heaven preaching a different gospel, may he be cursed.
People, I beg you, be careful! I see the Kool-aid being passed out. It has many pretty colors, it may look appetizing; but remember -the people who drank the kool-aid in Jim Jones' camp did not live! I believe this will be true of people who drink the spiritual and philosophical kool-aid being passed out now. They will not live. Although I have used a metaphor which may be amusing, there is nothing amusing about this.
I leave you today with Paul's advice to Timothy in I Tim 6:20,21 (Amplified) O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble, and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination. [For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith.
Please use the Word of God to discern what you hear. I don't want you to miss the mark regarding your faith.
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