“The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so.” JEREMIAH 5:31
The Hebrew word for prophet is nabi, meaning “one who is called.” The mark of biblical prophets is that God called them into His service and He gave them—as He gave Jeremiah—a message to deliver (Jeremiah 1:4–5). According to the Law, if the prophecy came to pass, the prophet was authentic. Those individuals exposed as false prophets were to be executed (Deuteronomy 18:20–22). The twenty-first century has its own version of false prophets: they are people in the pulpit who merely say what people want to hear. Going to church to be entertained—a state of mind characterized by evaluating the performance of the worship band or critiquing the choir’s anthem—makes us vulnerable to welcoming a sermon that amuses rather than convicts, to remember the anecdotes rather than listening for God’s truth. Never accept a preacher’s words without verifying the message with God’s Word. If you leave a service asking yourself what, if anything, you heard from the Lord, and you’re not sure, the reason might be your heart as you listened . . . or the prophet as he spoke. - Blackaby Being Still With God
Jesus said, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). Now, let me ask you something. If we are not of this world but chosen out of the world, shouldn’t everything about us be under the King’s control? Shouldn’t we yield all we are and all we have to the King of kings and Lord of lords? If so, it is God—not government—that orders our lives. To persevere in an increasingly socialist culture, you’re going to have to decide whether to be a Christ-follower or merely a Christ-admirer. Søren Kierkegaard wrote something similar: “The admirer never makes any sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how he praises Christ, he renounces nothing, will not reconstruct his life, and will not let his life express what he supposedly admires. Not so for the follower. No, no. The follower aspires with all his strength to be what he admires.”33 This is what Jesus was talking about when He explained the cost of discipleship: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26, 33). There’s no getting around this, nor do we want to. This method of discipleship has brought untold blessings to endless generations of Christians for the last two thousand years. Now it’s our turn to put these words into practice. - Dr. David Jeremiah Where Do We Go From Here
We who are in Christ are indeed to be in the world but not of the world. We are in a battle of the ages. We are behind enemy lines. That's the truth of our existence.
My Dear Reader, if anything you see in this life pulls you away from the truths of God’s Word, you must be wary of it!
There's no joking around in regards to lives won or lost in regards to salvation.
We have an enemy who's disdain for the Cross of Christ knows no limits.
We have an enemy who's considered the god of this world. As such demands worship, adoration and loyalty that belongs to God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Spirit.
Our God’s enemy is to be our enemy.
Our lives shouldn't be lived admiring a walk with Jesus, but should be a life lived for and with Jesus. There's not room for riding a fence between living for Jesus and doing your own thing.
Many thousands of so-called Churches entertain people every week. They don't teach the Word of God as He intended it to be taught. Too much concern is placed on not offending people. We might scare them away. If that is your view then you are not on God’s side in this battle. Your ideology isn't embracing the power of the Spirit of God to rescue and transform lives. You're too far removed from being a Disciple of Jesus and likely are just an admirer of Him.
To Jesus we are supposed to belong. We are to be in the world but not of the world. Taking up our own cross and following Christ. Isn't that what HE said?
Read for yourself the letters that Paul wrote. The warnings given to the early Church. Read of the letters to the Churches found in the book of Revelation. Go on, read!
You will find, interlaced in those words, the truth that you, when you come to Christ, that your life is and should be different from the world. You will find that it won't be easy, but it will be worth it. You will find that you have to let go of things to be able to pick up the Holy things of God. You have to daily put off the old self and put on the new in Christ.
We are charged with doing what God the Spirit brings to us each day to the best of our ability, as unto the Lord Jesus Christ. To be Holy as He is Holy. Is there room at all in the lives of believers to intentionally be Holy AND live for the evil that the world embraces?
We need to realize that there is no great future for the human race in and of its own works and ways. Apart from God we can do nothing. As Scripture says the last days will be like the days of Noah. The thoughts of man would be evil continually. See that in our headlines? Murders, selfishness, self-centered people. Forced sinful practices that they are trying to make us accept? Trying to shut up the truth of God because it doesn't agree with the sins they embrace?
We were told by Jesus to be alert.
Are you?
We were told to be looking for His glorious appearing.
Are you?
We were told to beware of false prophets, false teachers.
Would you even know how to recognize one?
We were told that the coming of the Son of God would be coming.
Do you even believe that?
We were told by Jesus to be about the Father's business.
Are you? Or are you too busy seeking luxury and not trying to live in obedience?
We were told by Jesus that there would be indicators to look for before God the Father said it was time. Do you look for them?
We are to be His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. Do you walk in them?
False teachers are still going to be here after the Rapture of the Church.
Those who are admirers of Christianity will fill those Churches right along with them after the Rapture.
All will be fooled into believing the lies of the AntiChrist after the true Church is taken up to Heaven to forever be with Jesus.
Those left behind because of rejection of the salvation of God through Christ Jesus will enter the Tribulation written about in the book of Revelation. The wrath of God will be upon them.
There's no room to be of two minds.
There's no room to live two lives.
You and I are in a battle where eternity is at stake. Die without Christ as your Savior and you will be separated from God for all eternity living in torment, paying for your own sin.
People die every second. Their opportunity to receive salvation is gone if they had not chosen Jesus as their Savior already. Nobody can pray anyone out of Hell. The Judgment of God is final on all who refused Salvation in Christ Jesus alone.
It's time to realize that the seriousness of your life in Christ. If you haven't come to Christ the opportunity is ending soon that is being offered. That's the reality of the state of this world. Scripture says that the earth would experience birth pangs and that up to the point Christ returns they would increase in frequency. Read the headlines. Those who know what to look for can see clearly that they are increasing in frequency.
You and I stand in a battlefield. Souls are on the line. Eternity is at stake.
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