Beware

Beware
The apostle Paul warns,
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2Timothy 4:3,4.
The church as an institution has been around for centuries and like any institution that has been around that long, it has picked up a lot of baggage. Baggage the founding fathers of Christianity never intended to be there. That God never intended to be there.
Not only that there are many claiming to be Christians that are not.
The apostle Peter warns
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." 2 Peter 2:1-3.
As believers in Christ Jesus we must be careful when it comes to the pastors, evangelist and others claiming to be Christians.
We must pray, read and study the scriptures for ourselves in order to know if what the teacher is saying is correct and not taken out of context.
As believers in Christ Jesus we are called to follow Jesus, to follow God by faith NOT specific preachers, evangelist or others claiming to have the truth.
Our faith must never be in a man.
As the writer of Hebrews puts it,
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.
Please think about it.

Beware!

Beware!
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping” 2 Peter 2:1-3.
Here Peter warns about false teachers arising. Introducing heresies and denying Jesus.
The apostle Paul also gives a warning about false teachers. He states,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  2Timothy 4:3,4.
As I look in the media I see these people all the time. Men and women who are perverting the word of God.
They talk a good talk but they are not speaking the word of God in spirit and in truth. It is these people we as Christians have to look out for.
I have heard a lot of wild claims made my men and women claiming to be speaking for God. Claims that have never been proven. Claims that have been disproved yet the people making these claims have not repented. They go on deceiving people usually for their own gain.
In the twenty-four seven multi media world we live in, we as Christians need to be vigilant.
We need to be studying the word of God for ourselves. We need to be in a Church that treats the word of God with respect. With pastors that truly fear God and do their best to teach the Bible the way God intended it to be taught.
Pastors who believe the words of Ecclesiastes when he states,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes12:13,14
We need to remember the words of Jesus who said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”Matthew 7:21-23.
Please think about it.

Beware

Beware
Matthews Gospel records this parable of Jesus,
“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 
“ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 
“ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.  
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” Matthew 13:24-30.
This parable reflects the church today. There are many people calling themselves followers of Jesus who are not. They are “weeds” They may look like Christians outwardly. They may even quote scripture after scripture. They may even say they have performed miracles. But they are not Christians.
Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23.
Like someone has said just because someone goes to church or even speaks from a pulpit does not make them a true believer in Christ Jesus.
The apostle Peter warns,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”2 Peter 2:1-3. 
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to be cautious. We live in a world filled with media of all kinds. Because of it we quite often do not see what a certain preacher, teacher of evangelist is truly like.
Just because someone seems a good God fearing person in the media, dose not mean they are good God fearing person. Does not mean they are following Christ.
Thus as believers we need to be praying and asking God to show us who is rightly administering his word.
We need to be studying the word of God to ensure we are not lead away by false teachers.
At the same time we need to hold those who would be espouse to be leaders in the Church, Be they pastors, evangelist or teachers up to a high standard.
The apostle Paul stated,

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? 

Are you not to judge those inside?  

God will judge those outside. 

“Expel the wicked man from among you.” 

                                                       1 Corinthians 5:12,13

While we should not judge a person as to where they will spend eternity. We do as Christians have the right to judge others who claim to be Christians with respect to what they are teaching, and how they are conducting themselves morally.
And if they are not teaching things correctly, or living a morally impure life, we have the right to expel them from our congregations.
Please think about it.