Don't become confused. I'm not writing about agricultural-type fruit inspections!
One of my favorite Christian blog authors, Bill Muehlenberg of Australia, has written an excellent post called "The Desperate Need for Biblical Discernment" over at his Culture Watch blog.
Please share the link with your Christian brothers and sisters. The need for biblical discernment seems to be increasing exponentially as the years go by. Why? Because the warnings that Jesus Christ himself gave us in Matthew 7:15-23 are happening at such an alarming rate these days. The false prophets, false teachers, anti-christs, etc. are creeping into the churches unnoticed at times, and the people who are being duped by such charlatans need to be awakened and shown the Truth.
My comment there (in moderation at the moment):
Bill, you have the wonderful skill, the keen ability, and the spirit of a willing soul to write essays that are so important for the times that we live in today. How timely, how excellent, and how teachable is this article!
Our former church pastor used to tell the congregation to "call him out" if what he shares in any sermon is not Bible-based. We attended that church for about ten years. Suddenly, when the church as a whole wanted to do an in home Bible study on Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life," I began to see the compromise creeping in. What stirred me to recognize it? The fact that Warren's video "welcome" and introduction to the book study course left out the fact of the need for confession of sin and repentance at the foot of the cross of Christ! Several other study leaders noticed this as well. When I raised my hand and shared my concern about this, the lecturer/leader organizer just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'll look into it." Never heard anything back about this gross error in presenting how to be born again in Christ. So, since I was committed to being a leader I added what was missing to the prayer of salvation and during the six weeks of in home study, made sure that the people attending knew what was needed to be saved according to John 3.
I had recently contacted you via email about an error in judgment that was done by another pastor and church that we formerly attended. Thanks again for your great discernment and advice.
These are not frivolous problems or disagreements. They are huge! That's why we have the warnings in Scripture that you have pointed out here. Warnings to beware - directly from Jesus himself!
I love your last paragraph - especially the need for "vital fruit inspections." Can I borrow that great phrase for my blog post title today as I link to your essay?
God bless you Bill. Your Holy Spirit led discernment abilities shines through like a ray of light on this darkened world of sin, evil and death. I admire you greatly for your essays and articles that teach us well and bring Bible-based wisdom alive to Christians all around the world here at this blog!
Hat Tip:
Culture Watch
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1 comment:
Christine,
People buy books on spiritual warfare but can't explain Ephesians apart from their books.
People buy books on the end times but can't explain Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel or Revelation apart from their books.
The problem is people aren't reading their Bible. They're reading these other books. They are attracted to something else.
Deuteronomy 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Do false prophets have to tell you they dreamed a dream? Can the Lord proveth you whether you love Him or not? Who do we follow? Someone with a tape or a book? Why depend on a false teacher to teach us? Are we that lazy? I spent nine years writing about the Bible and it was a fight because people tell me that I'm not normal for doing it or what I'm doing won't add up to anything. Why is the false teacher any more important than I am? Why flock to them?
What is our screen saver? Is our screen saver us being fed by a teacher when we are idle? Or do we grow up and study the meat of the word for ourselves? Whatever our main thing is our screen saver.
Hebrews 5:13 For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
And I thought about this in terms of Esau.
Hebrews 12:16 Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Profane is the opposite of Holy. Profane is common. Common is not sacred.
So where is everyone's treasure?What do you spend your time on? Holy or profane?
Esau was only thinking of the present. Esau wasn't thinking of the future when he sold his birthright.
I think about the future by studying things I don't need yet while people aren't reading the Bible. They are only thinking of the present by reading these books that promise to give you an understanding of Biblical concepts for the "now".
1 Corinthians 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I [am] of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
They will defend their false teachers and they are giving them authority that they don't have:
They say "I am of Paul" or "I (am) of Apollos" and they were using names as their authority. We were baptized in the name of Jesus. We weren't baptized in the name of Paul, Apollos or Cephas. We were saved by the authority of Jesus. Jesus has the final authority and the false teachers don't.
1 Corinthians 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
We're they baptized in the name of their false teacher?
Sosthenes
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