A Need to Study

A Need to Study
The apostle Paul writes,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” 2Timothy 3:1-5.
Paul’s warning to Timothy is especially true today. Today as never before there are many in the church who have a form of godliness but are not true believers in Christ. They are not following the scriptures correctly.
These are people within our church congregations and denominations. They are evangelist pastors and people in the pews. Men and women we need to be cautious of.
I believe the best Christian is an educated Christian. Someone who not only studies the Bible but also studies church history from the time of Creation to the present.
Believers in Christ should at the very least know what they believe and why they believe it. Sadly all too many Christians do not know why they believe what they believe. They simply go on the word of a pastor or evangelist.
The thing is, as good as pastors, evangelist and Christian teachers are they are fallible and from time to time even the best teacher and preachers make mistakes. That is why we need to study the scriptures.
The advice of the apostle Paul told Timothy applies to us all,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15.
Do you study the Bible on your own? Do you take time to study the history surrounding the scriptures?
Please think about it. 

Keep True to The Faith

Keep True to The Faith
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.  
Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.  
They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.  
For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 
If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.  
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 
This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance  (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:1-10.
Here the apostle Paul is telling Timothy a young minister to teach the word of God correctly. Not to stray from the truth. He tells Timothy that people will arise claiming to be teaching the Gospel message but are not. They are teaching things Jesus never taught.
Jesus told this parable about the church,
“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.
Christianity has been around for a long time and like anything that has been around for a long time it has picked up things that are not Christian. Things are done in the name of Christ and the church that are not true.
What the apostle Paul stated,
“...in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” is happening today.
There are those claiming to be Christians both in the media and out, that are not Christians. Such people will be around until the return of Jesus. Ultimately however they will be judged by God for their misdeeds. Ultimately what Jesus said when he said,
“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 7:22,23. Will happen.
For the moment however false teachers are still around thus we must be cautious.
To those on the outside of the church and to many within the church it can be hard to tell the difference between what is true and what is not. That is why Paul states,
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”
In order to do this we need to study the Bible. We need to know what it says. What those who actually were there with Jesus said and believed.
Please think about it.

Some are not

Some are not
Jesus told this parable,
“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.
Believe it or not there are men and women in the world today who claim to be Christian but are not. There are pastors, evangelist, teachers and others in the Media within denominations, and within individual church congregations who are not Christians.
Jesus said,

“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 7:22,23.

 Just because someone has a pulpit in the media or in a church be it large or small. Just because someone goes to church and is active in a church congregation of denomination does not mean they are Christians.
The Church has been around for a long time it has sadly picked up a lot of baggage. There are men and women claiming to be Christians who are deceiving many. Some are taking advantage of people both spiritually and financially.
The apostle Paul tells us,

“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.

This is happening now in our day.
Equally however there are I believe far more honest, good and faithful servants of God within the twenty-first century church than there are bad people.
However the key to anyone who supports a ministry, preacher or evangelist is to constantly be on guard. To study the scriptures for yourself.
Make sure what is being preached to you is taken in context and not being twisted to forward an agenda of the one speaking.
God will one day judge those who claim to be Christians and are not. The key for now for Christians is to follow the advice of the apostle Paul who wrote,

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

 a workman who does not need to be ashamed

 and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  

2 Timothy 2:15

It is advice I would also give to non-Christians. Reading the Bible and learning what it says cannot hurt. At the very least you will learn what Christians believe and be able to decide for yourself if you believe what is being said.
Please think about it.

A Warning

A Warning
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. 
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.
As Christians we need to be carful who we follow and who we support. In this multi media age there are many out there claiming to be Christians who are not. They twist the scriptures to say what they want them to say. They take scripture out of context.
There are even those out there who make up things, lies in order to mislead good people.
As a result we need to find a church that is following the Bible correctly. We need to be studying it for ourselves. We should even be studying some church history and looking at the culture in the time the Bible was written. Doing so will help us to determine who is teaching correctly.
Never take any preacher, teacher, or evangelist at face value. Study their sermon and see for yourself if there is anything wrong. Anything that you don’t understand. If there is talk to others about your concerns and even approach the person who spoke the words. A good minister or teacher will explain things to you. If they don’t, have nothing to do with them.
Always remember the Bible is the word of God not what some preacher or teacher may say. Men can and do make mistakes. Men can and do lead people astray. So the word is be careful. And get to know the Bible. For in doing so you are less likely to be led away from God.
Please think about it.

Warning to Christians

Warning to Christians
The apostle Paul wrote,
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”2 Timothy 3:1-4
Later in chapter four of 2 Timothy he writes,
“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.
People in Paul’s day were deviating from the truth about Jesus. People were twisting God’s word to suit their own agenda. It is happening today. Such things are made even worse by the electronic age we live in.
Christians in the twenty-first century need to be vigilant more than ever. We need to question pastors, evangelist and teachers about what they are teaching. We need to be studying the word of God ourselves.
When we hear a sermon don’t take it at face value. Study it. Check the scriptures to see if they are taken in context. If you have any questions ask the person who gave the sermon. If they won’t answer you or don’t answer you correctly have nothing to do with them.
Don’t give to a ministry until you have checked them out. Ask them for a full accounting If you are uncertain about them don’t send a penny to them.
Here in Canada where I live our Church is required to give a full accounting to the members at least once a year. That includes listing salaries of all workers for the church. All ministries should do that.
The bulk of the money given to a Christian ministry should be going to the work of the ministry to spreading the word of God. Not into salaries.
Remember the words of Jesus who said,
“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 7:22,23.
Included in those Jesus talks about will not only be those sitting in the pew but pastors, evangelist and teachers.
Thus the word to Christians is the same as the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, saying,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.
Please think about it.

Christians Beware

Beware

“But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 
They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”  
These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  
Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 
Be merciful to those who doubt;  snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”
                                                                                                       Jude 1:17-23.
Throughout the New Testament there is a call to beware of those who divide the church. Those who to quote Jude, “follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”
From my earliest days as a Christian I was taught to pray and read the Bible. To ask God to show me the truths there in.
I was taught by very good pastors to question what was being taught to make sure it was the truth.
There are many out there calling themselves Christians today who are not. They are following their own desires to either deliberately lead people the wrong way, to obtain wealth, or to gain power and prestige or all of the above.
The apostles warned about such men and women that is why we need to be cautious about who we support.
Jude tells us,
“But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  
Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life...”
The only way we can build ourselves up in the Holy Faith is to first pray, then study the world of God both on our own and with other believers.  We need to be around other Christians and discussing the word of God. This helps us grow and keep on track.
You can’t grow effectively if you are not around other believers. Watching a televangelist as good as the person may be shouldn’t keep us away from assembling with other believers.
The other thing Jude calls us to do is,
“Be merciful to those who doubt;  snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”
Put simply we are to help those who may have doubts about their faith. Additionally we are to reach out to the lost to save them from a Christless eternity.
Please think about it.

False Teachers

False Teachers

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough....  
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  
It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 
            2 Corinthians 11:3,4,13-15
The Bible is the ultimate base for our Christian beliefs. Sadly the truths contained in the Bible have been twisted by many preachers and evangelist over the years. It happened in the time of Paul it is happening today. The easy access to the media we have today makes it even easier for false teachers to propagate their message.
The Apostle Paul here writing to the Corinthians warns the Corinthians and through them us about such false teachers.
Paul makes it clear “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
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 7:15-23.
As Christians we need to be vigilant. Paul referred to the false teachers at Corinth sarcastically as “super apostles”. They apparently were far more eloquent of speech than he was. And there in is the danger. People that speak well and sound good but are really wolves in sheep’s clothing.
I remember when I was much younger a couple of us went out side during a break at a Christian conference.
We were dressed in suit and tie and so we looked like we had integrity. We simply went out and started to point into a sky that had scattered clouds. All we said was “there it is. I can see it” “yes it’s there. Just there.” within a few minutes we had half a dozen people pointing and saying they seen “it”.
We didn’t even say what “it” was. It didn’t matter however there was nothing in the sky.
We didn’t have the nerve to tell the people nothing was there, so we simply walked away.
“It” however showed how people could be easily misled by a few people who looked honest.
Christians who are taught to be trusting can also be led away easily by preachers and evangelist who look honest and trusting.
 The best way for Christians to know the truth is to read the Bible for themselves. To find several commentaries and books on church history and Jewish culture in the day of Christ. There are a lot of good books out there.
Make sure however that you don’t put the commentaries ahead of the Bible. The Bible is the supreme authority for all Christian teaching.
A good commentary will point out both sides of an argument over what may be a contentious portion of scripture.
Also be careful some groups and evangelist put out their “own commentary”. While claiming to be a commentary these are frequently really one person’s thoughts on scriptures. They give only what they believe and not the whole picture.
 When it comes to church history there is a lot out there. Read about the early church and the various movements that lead up today.
As for Jewish culture, it is rich in symbolism and meaning. For the Christians learning about Jewish holiday and the various customs opens ones eyes to greater meaning within our own faith.
The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy wrote,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.  
Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,  who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.  
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 
2Timothy 2:15-19
What Paul is saying could be said to people today. As can everything that is written in the Bible.
The Bible is a living book showing believers how to live. It is a beacon to the none believer to come into a personal relationship with God.
Please think about it.