Showing posts with label The Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Bible. Show all posts

Sunday 18 February 2024

About grass

  About Grass

Isaiah the prophet writes,

“A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” 

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” 

Isaiah 40:6-8.

There’s a poem that goes like this,

“Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,

And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;

Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor

Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.


"How many anvils have you had," said I,

"To wear and bater all these hammers so?"

"Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye,

The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."


And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,

For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;

Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,

The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.”

                                                                    Anonymous.

Throughout the centuries many have tried to destroy God’s word. They have tried by force to turn people away from God. They have tried to suppress the word of God. None have been successful. None will ever be. 

 All those who have ever done anything against the word of God are like Isaiah said,

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them”

God’s word lasts forever. 

Please think about it.

Thursday 23 June 2022

Surely people are grass

  Surely people are grass

The Prophet Isaiah writes,

"A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" 

"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

Surely the people are grass. 

The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

but the word of our God stands forever." 

                                                                Isaiah 40:6-8.

We humans are a frail bunch. The strongest person in the world. The healthiest person in the world have usually past on to eternity before their hundred tenth birthday. 

All of our accomplishments if we are lucky will be written down in a history book destined to accumulate dust on a shelf. Or lost among the myriad of information on the world wide web.

Who remembers good men like William Hamilton Merritt (July 3rd 1793-July 5th 1862) People living around the Niagara region in Canada see his name on many things but do they know who he is and what he did?

Who remembers Charles Lightoller (30 March 1874 – 8 December 1952). If they remember him from the Titanic. Do they even know he rescued  127 British servicemen from the beaches of Dunkirk during world war two in addition to doing other things for the British Admiralty during world war two.

We might remember Guglielmo Marcon (April 25, 1874-July 20, 1937) or Albert Einstein ( March 14, 1879-April 18, 1955) but how many of us know what the full extent of their contribution to human history was?

While these men in their own way were great. Their flowers have faded with the passing of time. 

That being said the word on God is still standing. The Bible is being read daily by billions of people world wide. That despite some governments trying to prevent it.

“Surely the people are grass.” says Isaiah, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." 

Please think about it.

Sunday 9 January 2022

A word of Caution

 A word of Caution

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.

The apostle Paul wrote,

"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 apostle Peter states,

"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.

Someone has said,

I believe in God; I just don't trust anyone who works for him."

                                                                               Author Unknown.

Sadly this is true of many non-Christians here in North America. North America someone has said, “suffers from freedom.”

Meaning, we have so much freedom anyone can do and say almost anything. And especially in the United States if someone speaks out against you can sue them.

Thus anyone can claim to be a Christian preacher, evangelist or teacher and not correctly presenting the Bible. They can and many will present and say almost anything. The reason most of the time is to get rich.

So what I am saying here to anyone reading this is to be careful as to who you listen to or follow when it comes to following a particular pastor, evangelist or teacher.

Listen to what they are saying. Then compare it to what the Bible says and see if it is in context. See if what the preacher is saying is truly what the Bible is saying. 

If not at the very least question the preacher about what he or she said. If they don’t want to clarify it with you, wont talk to you, or their explanation does not make sense, stop following or listening to them.

The bottom line is be careful. Pastors, evangelist, and Christian teachers are human and make mistakes. But if they don’t correct themselves that becomes a problem.

Always remember if there are mistakes made by the preacher it’s not the Bibles fault it is the one who is interpreting that’s the problem.

Please think about it.

Tuesday 4 June 2019

A Thought

A thought.
Jesus said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”John 3:16 
On February 14, 1990, NASA at a distance of 6 billion kilometres (3,7 billion miles) had the Voyager 1 space probe take a picture of the Solar system. It showed earth as a pail blue dot smaller than the head of a pin.
Looking at it we see just how small earth is in the universe. Within the vastness of the universe it seems insignificant. Yet it is everything to those of us who live on it.
Some have said there may be more planets out there in the vastness of the universe that has life. While that may be true it is our planet and our planet alone that is important to us. We have no other place in the universe to live.
This pail blue dot we live on is also important to God. For He entered the world in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’ John 3:16,17.
When we look at the Bible we must remember that it is not a science book. But rather a book of relationships. Man’s relationship with God as well as man’s relationship with his fellow man.
Galileo Galilei wisely said,
“The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, 
not the way the heavens go.”
                                 Galileo Galilei.
The way I see it is God did not see those who live on that pail blue dot as insignificant. Quite the contrary He created them to have fellowship for all eternity with them.
That being said He chose to give each person a free will to do as they wished. To believe in Him and that He created the universe and everything in it. To believe that He entered the world in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ or not to believe.
Thus the choice is yours. Do you believe there is a God? Do you believe in Christ Jesus?
The writer of Hebrews said,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 
                                                                  Hebrews 11:6 
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Thursday 7 February 2019

God Exists

God Exists
The Psalmist writes,
“Be still, and know that I am God; 
I will be exalted among the nations, 
I will be exalted in the earth.” 
                                     Psalm 46:10
The writer of Ecclesiastes 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.
Billy Graham the great American evangelist warned,
“The Bible says today is the accepted time, today is the day of salvation... But there will come a time when it will be too late for you.” Billy Graham.
I am a Christian and the way I see it. You either believe in God, and the Saving Grace that comes through Jesus Christ or you do not. There is no gray area.
The Choice is yours. If God does not exist. If Jesus is not the Christ the Saviour of mankind then you have nothing to fear.
On the other hand if what I and all Christian believe is true you have at the very least something to seriously consider.
Please take some time to read at least the New Testament. Read it with an open mind. Ask God to show His reality to you. Read it to at least see what those early men and women who knew Jesus believed about him and God.
Please think about it.

Saturday 22 April 2017

Walk in Truth

Walk in truth
The Psalmist writes,
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked 
or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, 
and on his law he meditates day and night.” 
                                                                                                Psalm 1:1,2.
Where do you walk? Take a look at your life. Who do you take counsel from? Do you let your views on politics guide you? Do you let a certain philosopher, pastor, or evangelist direct what you believe?
The Psalmist makes it clear we as believes in God should be delighting in “the law of the LORD”. We should be studying the word of God. Doing what God wants us to do.
Over the years I’ve seen many calling themselves Christians who have followed a specific evangelist, pastor or teacher, only to fall away from God, when the one they were following was found to be a fraud or was caught in sin.
We as Christians should be following the example of Jesus and the apostles. We should be delighting in the ways of God. Not some for lack of a better term “formula for living”.
The formula for living is in the Bible. We should as Christians be at the very least studying the New Testament directly.
At the church I attend we have a mid week bible study group that does just that. We study the Bible. We encourage people to bring different versions and we use several commentaries that help us understand some of the background of the scriptures.
What we do not do is rely on the interpretation of one person or one commentator. We believe that it is important to look at scripture from various points of view and in the context of the day it was written.
Sadly all to many people today read scriptures from the point of view of their culture and the values of their society. They pick and choose what they want to believe. You cannot do this.
Someone once said “if you pick and choose only what you want to believe in the bible then you are only listening to yourself not to God.” You are if you will living in an echo chamber.
The apostle Paul writing to Timothy states,
“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.” 
2Timothy 2:15.
This is what all Christians should be doing.
Please think about it.

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Warning!

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.
The apostle Paul echoes these words saying,
“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. 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Later in the same letter to Timothy Paul 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.
This is happening today in the twenty-first century. Living here in North America I see evidence of people frequently claiming to be Christians who are not. They misquote scripture. They twist the holy scriptures to conform to what they believe. They choose to teach only what they want people to here.
They are as the apostle Paul puts it,
 “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.”
Sadly it can be hard to tell who these people are when we see them in the media. We have no personal contact with them. Thus it’s hard to tell if they are living life the way they claim to be.
What Christians can however do is check every word they say from the scriptures. Find out for ones self if the way they are presenting scriptures is correct and not taken out of context.
One of the big things in North America is with evangelist and others in the media asking for money. Making the statements that if you give to God (usually meaning their ministry) God will give you back ten, a hundred or even a thousand times what you give. This is utter garbage. God is not a banker that gives super interest on your giving.
We should give to God’s work because we want to give. Not because we expect anything in return.
One pastor told me if you want to give to a specific Christian ministry ask to see where the money is going to. He even went as far as saying ask how much the evangelist salary is.
The purpose of giving to a ministry is to further the kingdom of God. To reach the lost and to help the poor. As a result a minister, or evangelist should get a good salary, but the bulk of the money given to any ministry should go directly to spreading the gospel.
Giving aside we should also be very careful about any teaching. We need to study the New Testament and indeed the whole bible for ourselves.
We need to become familiar with the scriptures for ourselves. We need to pray and ask God to show us the truths there in.
Remember the New Testament was written to ordinary people. Thus we can if we read carefully, understand them.
What I am trying to say here is what the apostles Peter and Paul are saying. Be careful. We are in a time when there is a lot being preached in the media and in some churches that are not of God.
You however as an individual are called to do as the apostle Paul told timothy,
“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.

Wednesday 25 January 2017

For

For
The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy tells him to do what all Christians should be doing.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2.
As Christians, we need to remember that the scriptures are all “God-breathed”. That God has set down within scripture a blueprint if you will for all people everywhere to follow concerning their relationship with God and their fellow man. We see this blueprint in the ten commandments.
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 
“You shall have no other gods before me. 
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing love to a thousand  generations  of those who love me and keep my commandments. 
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  
Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 
“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 
“You shall not murder. 
“You shall not commit adultery. 
“You shall not steal. 
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 
Exodus 20:2-17
Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
  These laws are eternal easily understood and easily followed by all who hear them.
Paul tells Timothy,
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 
The key the Christian message is to stay on message. To tell people that God loves them. To show the Love of God to all who are around.
If someone who claims to be a Christian deviates from this message then as followers of Christ we are to correct them in a loving way.
Additionally if we claim to be Christian, we are to be ready to express our faith to others at all times in a loving caring way. We are as the apostle Peter said,
“Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
Please think about it.

Monday 8 August 2016

You and God

You and God
The writer of Hebrews states.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12,13.
The Bible is the Word of God. It sets down for all of mankind God’s ideals. It tells each individual what God requires of them. How God expects them to live morally and ethically. Within the Bible are God’s moral absolutes without which mankind cannot survive.
Abba Hillel Silver wrote,
“Faith in God is the strongest bulwark of a free society.  Human freedom began when men became conscious that over and above society and nature there is a God who created them...who fashioned them in His likeness, and that they are, therefore, possessed of intrinsic and independent significance and are endowed, as individuals, with original and irrevocable rights and authority.” Abba Hillel Silver.
As one reads the Bible it is possible to see just how far we fall short of God’s ideal. We cannot live a life that is good enough to stand before a Holy God. That is why in the Old Testament God called for the sacrifice of animals to cover the sins of man.
With the coming of Jesus however the sacrifice of animals became unnecessary as Jesus paid the price for all our sins.
The Apostle Paul tells us,
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”1 Corinthians 15:3.
That’s why God  entered the world he created in the form of His one and only Son Jesus. To point mankind to Himself offering each individual eternal life.
Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
C. S. Lewis points out,
“He (Jesus), died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” C.S. Lewis.
The Bible call us to turn to God. To confess our sins directly to Him.
In the New Testament the apostle John tell us,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:9-10.
God understands what it is to be a mortal man. He in the form of His one and only Son Jesus Christ walked the earth. He knew what it was to grown up as a child. He felt sun and rain against his face. He attended weddings and other events. Knew what it was like to be tempted. To be accused of a crime he didn’t commit. To be beaten unmercifully and executed in a most hideous way. And he did it all for us. That by His sacrificial death we can obtain eternal life.
The writer of Hebrews states,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3. 
All we have to do is accept by faith all Jesus did for us.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:9-13.
I know to the non-Christian this can sound strange. Even the apostle Paul notes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
God does not however do things the way we necessarily would do them. God does things his way and asks us to have faith in Him.
The writer of Hebrews saying
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1.
Are you willing to put your faith in Jesus? You faith in God?
Please think about it.

Friday 22 January 2016

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?
C. S. Lewis wrote,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. 
You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 
  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Since the birth of Jesus people have had to decide who he is. The Luke’s gospel records what happened when Jesus’ parents took him to the temple to dedicate him. Luke notes,
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,  
“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 
                                                                                                  Luke 2:25-32
At the crucifixion of Jesus Luke records one of the criminals deciding who Jesus is. Luke records the criminal as saying,
“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” 
                                                                                                                       Luke 23:41-43.
Notice here Jesus states, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” in saying this Jesus is saying He has the authority to tell where this criminal will spend eternity. Something only God could do. So Jesus even as he is dying on the cross is saying He is God.
Ultimately the decision on who Jesus is comes down to the individual. You must decide who Jesus is.
John records this conversation with Martha just before he raises her brother Lazarus from the dead. John records,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world, 
John 11:25,26.
This is the question we must all answer.
I would ask anyone reading this to don’t rely just on what you’ve heard others say about Jesus. Instead get a Bible or at least a copy of the New Testament and read carefully especially the New Testament.
Then make your own decision on who Jesus is.
Please think about it.

Thursday 2 July 2015

Who do you serve?

Who do you serve?

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” 
                                                                                                                             Joshua 24:14,15

As Christians we must be careful whom we serve. I’ve heard too many people over the years say I follow such and such an evangelist or pastor. Or such and such a pastor or evangelist says this or that.
These people take the words of these men and woman at face value. They never question them. They will even argue with others who disagree with them as if the pastor or evangelist they are following is infallible.
Such things happened in the early church the apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians said,
“My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.  
What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas’”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?”
                                                                                                                    1 Corinthians 1:11-13.
As Christians we should never let one man or woman’s interpretation of the scriptures be our only source of teaching. Men make mistakes they are only human.
There are even some teachers and preachers who deliberately pervert the scriptures. They believe a certain way and, if you will “cherry pick” the scriptures that back their belief. They fail to listen to scriptures that contradict their beliefs.
The classic line I hear from such preachers is “don’t come against the elect of God.”
There is a fine line here. Within the Christian community we have differences of opinion on various things and that is fine, provided, it’s not on the major issues. Issues such as the sovereignty of Christ.
So we must be careful not to speak out against any minister, preacher, teacher or evangelist simply because we disagree with them on the minor points.
There are still however false Christian teachers out there who say they believe in Christ who are out there to get rich or deliberately lead people astray. The apostle Paul writing to Timothy 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.
Sadly thanks to the mass media world we live in we are exposed to false teachers all the time.  These teachers may even seem legitimate. They string scriptures in such a way as to make their doctrine seem correct when it is not.
That’s why we as Christians need to be on guard. We need to know our Bible. We need to study the scriptures daily.
We need to find a body of believers that have as their base the Bible. A group that studies from the bible directly. A group that does not just use study notes from one pastor, evangelist or teacher but from a wide range of teachers.
I’ve found over the years some of my best learning experiences have come when I’ve read teachings of those I disagree with.
When I come across someone I disagree with I ask myself why do they think the way they do? Are they right or am I? If I get a chance I even speak to the person who has opposing view to me.
In our adult bible study I lead at the church I use this technique. Everyone who attends has the right to express their view whether my pastor or I agree with it or not. We then discuss it as a group using the scriptures as our authority.
We are careful to see that every scripture is taken in context.
We also look at the history and culture of the time as well as various commentaries from a wide range of authors.
I believe that the word of God is so important it is our duty to see that we are preaching and teaching it in as accurate a way as possible.
I believe this because the potential eternal resting place of someone’s eternal soul may depend on what I and other teachers teach.
Therefore  my advise to all Christians is to study the Bible carefully. Use a wide range of commentaries. Listen to a wide range of teachers. Question what they say and what you believe. Be open an honest and willing to accept that you may be wrong in some of what you believe. If you are proven to be wrong, be willing to change.
Remember the absolute authority about God is the Bible not some Televangelist, evangelist, preacher, or teacher.
And through all of your studying pray, pray, pray. Pray and ask God to show you the truth in the scriptures.