Today's Turning Point email message contains one of my Bible verse favorites that doubles as one of the most important verses (IMO) to live by. It is one of the verses that I often included below my signature when I was actively posting on messageboards.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8
The following Old Testament verse instructs us that God is looking for those who would be fully commited to Him. And, according to the gospel message of the New Testament, that commitment involves depending upon His Son, Jesus Christ.
The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9
As the Turning Point message will clearly show, it is so easy to be deceived when we either don't know or doubt God's Word. Depending upon "human tradition" and/or the "basic principles of this world" can, and often does, lead us astray. Depending on what "the world" tells us rather than depending on Christ alone is what gets us into trouble.
Jesus warned us about what the Prince of darkness desires:
Jhn 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
That "thief" will continually put up "mirages" in front of our eyes that are designed to lead us astray. Often, it is something sinful that we have been led to wrongly desire. We can be drawn to it so strongly that we make the mistake of putting blinders on; not recognizing the flashing warning signs that God has placed on either side of us. And, just like in the story of the soldiers below who didn't listen to their trusted commander and instead, followed their own delusion into the desert sands, it ultimately leads to death.
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Today's Turning Point message:
Monday, July 10
Deceive-Proofing Our Minds
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8 NIV
Recommended Reading
Psalm 119:137-144
Years ago, when Egyptian troops first conquered Nubia, a regiment of recruits was crossing the desert. The heat was oppressive. Their supply of water was nearly exhausted. On the horizon, they seemed to see a lake bordered with palm trees. The experienced Arab commander told his men that there was no lake in the distance, and that what the soldiers saw was only a mirage. But the thirsty men trusted their sight more than the words of their commander. The men ran toward what they believed to be the cool waters of an oasis. Weeks later, authorities found the soldiers, all dead, far out in the desert where they fell in their vain search to find water where none existed.
We are so easily deceived - particularly when we do not have a trustworthy guidebook to direct our way. Fortunately, God has provided such a guidebook in His flawless written Word, the Bible. The Scriptures truthfully reveal who God is, mankind's greatest need, and the loving lengths to which God went to meet that need. Our task is to read the Word and then do what it says.
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1 comment:
Hello Christine:
I know I haven't been here in quite a while, about three weeks to be exact but, I got tired of the constant rhetoric of debate with Gm and others who refuse the truth.
There is a very dangerous movement within the churches at this time. To my fear there are far too many who know nothing about the movement and even less who will do anything about it.
This movement is known as Emerging Church Movement. Seeker sensitive, tolerant to the point of acceptance of willful sin. Many "new ways to do church etc. To my understanding of the Word of God, we who are born again are to shun false teachers and any who would dare put the God of creation to their own testing.
Some who are involved in this ECM have been exposed but there are others that are part of it and teaching error who would shock many in the Christian faith.
Many of them fail to mention any “negative” subjects such as the Antichrist, false prophets, spiritual deception and even the convincing anyone of sin is left out. They fail to give them a clear understanding of God’s wrath over sin (Joh. 3:36). The gospel is so watered down that it can at best only offer a form of godliness. Success then becomes your main aim in life and not discipleship which means that in effect you follow “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4).
All of this is teaching that has been soft on the ears of millions of people and does not bring them to the foot of the cross.
With the ECM we have begun to be what is to be called “One Nation Under Delusion,” it will be a deadly threat to the youth of our country should the Lord tarry.
Not anything new under the sun, regurgitated repackaging of the old lies from Satan himself. According to them, God understands that people today have many different ways to come to Him in worship. They are now so enlightened to believe that good ol’ God is just happy that people today wish to worship Him in whatever way their particular culture may happen to teach. Man now decides how he will experience God because a changing postmodern culture finds the concept of absolute truth too narrow for their way broad way of thinking.
Jeremiah 17:9 says,The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? ECM adherents will tend to slough that off as some primitive OT concept telling us that, unconditional love and acceptance is what Jesus of Nazareth was teaching.
Christ Jesus, the One these ECM people claim to know, teaches exactly what the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament themselves have always said.
(Mark 7:20-23)“What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
ECM is so close to the real thing, that is what makes it so dangerous.
See for yourself:
http://www.christianresearchservice.com/
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