Woodbury Lutheran Church  

Devotion Archive

True Faith: Judgement #109
30th April 2010

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Good Morning Dear Ones,

In response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit I continue to write this morning about what God has had to say about the messages of false prophets [teachers]. We look at 2 TIM 4: 3-4 against the backdrop of Christ's words on judgment in His Sermon on the Mount, MT 7: 1-19. 2 TIM 4: 3-4, "The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth an give their attention to legends." The statement couldn't be clearer than it is.

This is a human pattern that has been repeated over and over again throughout mankind's history. For Israel, the events of this time of turning toward idolatry have been richly documented in the books of IS, JER, EZK, and others. IS 1: 2, "The Lord said, 'Earth and sky, listen to what I am saying! The children I brought up have rebelled against Me.'" God didn't hold back on airing the consequences of this rebellion either. Scolding Jerusalem for her idolatry, God says, in IS 1: 21, 24-25, "The city that once was faithful is behaving like a whore! At one time it was filled with righteous men, but now only murderers remain...so now, listen to what the Lord Almighty, Israel's powerful God, is saying, 'I will take revenge on you, my enemies, and you will cause Me no more trouble. I will take action against you. I will purify you the way metal is refined, and will remove all your impurity." Much later Isaiah avers, in IS 64: 6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we are shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." JER 2: 17 are God's words through His prophet-to-be, Jeremiah. "Israel, you brought this on yourself! You deserted Me, the Lord your God, while I was leading you along the way." Later after the Jews of Judah were in Babylonian captivity, God's prophet, Ezekiel, is allowed to see just how far disobedience has gone in a vision of what was going on in a room built into the walls of the temple in Jerusalem. EZK 8: 10, 12-13, "So I went in and looked . The walls were covered with drawing of snakes and other unclean animals, and of the other things which the Israelites were worshipping...God asked me, 'Mortal man, do you see what the Israelite leaders are doing in secret? They are worshipping in a room full of images. They excuse is 'The Lord doesn't see us! He has abandoned the country.' Then the Lord said to me, 'You are going to see them do even more disgusting things than that.'"

We also know from the historical records in the Bible and from Josephus Flavius [a Jewish historian who lived during and after Christ's time] that groups like the Gnostics, Anti-nomians, and Judaizers lived and tried to vie for control of hearts not yet strong in their faith in the one and only true God [HE 1: 8-9; RO 3: 7-8; RO 14: 13]. As it was, the adversary did and still does what he can to cause groups of believers to splinter into sects disagreeing on the interpretation of Scripture, matters of theology, and church polity. Doubt and confusion are two favorite fiery arrows he loves to shoot off to believers in God. So where does this end? Anyone with true faith knows that these false teachings are still going on today. Those understanding DN 9: 24-27 and the book of REV know that God will eventually put an end to this evil, but none of us knows the exact time [MT 24: 36]. If one has read Ezekiel, they are familiar with one of the saddest events in human history, the departure of God's presence from the temple in Jerusalem, in EZK 10: 18-19, 22-23, "Then the dazzling light of the Lord's presence left the entrance of the temple and moved to a place above the creatures. They spread their wings and flew up from the earth while I was watching, and the wheels went with them. They paused at the east gate of the temple, and the dazzling light was over them...Their faces looked example like the faces I had seen by the Chebar River. Each creature moved straight ahead."

If we look around us today, there are hundreds of denominations, sects, and groups of people trying to drag others away from Biblical truth. Some try to change the history of the Christian roots of our own country and are succeeding in furnishing power and spread to secular movements and New Age paganism. Other countries are saddled with Satanism, the occult, and other practices abhorrent to God. All of this leaves us to examine the status of our own faith in the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount on judgment and everything else that God has given us in the Scriptures. The devil's temptations to depart from it are enormous, but not insurmountable for the true believer. That is because we can find discernment and courage through study, prayer, worship of the one true God, and faithful obedience to Him. We can find peace, instruction, delight, and strength in the Scriptures and in prayer. 2 TIM 3: 16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and given instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed." Join me in praying for wisdom and discernment, and God will give these things to us.

PRAYER: O Lord, we come to You today to thank and praise You for Your wonderful presence and intervention in our lives. Despite the temptations to err and to sin around us, You gave us, though Your Son, Jesus Christ, the strength to fend them off. First we must spend daily time in study of Your word and meditation on it. PS 1: 1, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." We also know the value of having an active prayer life with You. PS 86: 5, 7, 11, and 15, "You are good to us and forgiving, full of constant love for all who pray to You...I call to You in times of trouble, because You answer my prayers...Teach me, Lord, what you want me to do, and I will obey You faithfully...But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God, always patient, always kind and faithful." The empowerment to battle the adversary successfully in Christ's holy name is indeed a blessing. It takes courage and willingness for us to take Your direction, but we do this knowing we can count on You. 2 CH 16: 9, "The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those who are fully committed to Him." You give us courage and urge us on in this battle against the devil's temptations. JS 1: 9, "Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go." We must remember PS 37: 30-31, "A good man's words are wise, and he is always fair. He keeps the law of his God in heart and never departs from it." GAL 5: 22-23 gives us the fruits of the Spirit, things of which we are all capable, thanks be to You. "But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these." There is so much hope for those who are true believers in You, because You are to be praised and thanked forever for Your love and generosity, Your protection and provision. In Christ's holy and mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Next week, the Holy Spirit directs me to continue writing about some central truths that actually apply to all the Scriptures revealing God's words on false prophecy. He gives us some important information that will help us realize the actions of false prophets for which we must look. Our challenge is to discern between legends and truth, a power that God will give us if we pray for it. PS 51: 6 and PS 119: 125, "Sincerity and truth are what You require; fill my mind with wisdom...I am Your servant; give me understanding, so that I may know Your teachings." God is eager for us to know Him better and to found our lives on both Biblical truth and ethics. He wants that, because He knows it is the only way to travel "the hard path that leads from a narrow gate" [MT 7: 13-14] that will take us to a blissful eternal life with Him. Firm belief in the Lord Jesus, Who gave His life on the cross so that we could be saved [JN 3: 16], coupled with genuine repentance will honor God and give us eternal life. Nothing else, no human effort will do this [EPH 2: 8-10]. When we have faith, study the Scriptures every day, live a life in Christ, and listen to God in prayer, we are being given the ability to overcome false teaching and be brought into God's light. Then, we can truly believe 1 PET 2: 9, "But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, Who called you out of darkness into His own marvelous light." Praise and thanks be to Him!

Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn

© Lynn Johnson 2012. All Rights Reserved.

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