Responding To The Oregon Tragedy

“The Holy Spirit will teach you on that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:12). 

At Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, an armed man wearing body armor shot the professor and demanded that any of the cowering students who were Christians stand up.

Anastasia Boylan was among those who did so, and the gunman shot her. She fell, wounded, and then pretended to be dead. Then she heard the shooter say to another student, “Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second.” Anastasia is in the hospital now, recovering.

In a time when followers of Christ in other parts of the world are beheaded or crucified for their faith, or driven out of their homelands as refugees, some Christians in the West have been far too quick to use the word “persecuted” to describe the decreasing tolerance for Christianity and Christian conviction in the public square.  Although many of our principles that we hold dearly to are not widely accepted and some are taken away, this does not constitute physical persecution.  It is one thing to have some of your principle beliefs removed, it is another thing to die for your faith.  We as Christians have it relatively easy in America and we will do well not to forget this.

How should Christians respond to the Oregon crisis? What is the heart of our Father?  

First, we need to be prepared to always give an answer to the hope that has been put within us (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).  When tragedies like this occur, pastor, you know what you ought to be preaching about on Sunday.  I am amazed to find out how many pastors struggle on what to preach on.  God gives us the topics and subjects on a regular basis – are we listening?

Christians, you know when you go to work or school, such topics you’ll be talking about that’s all over news will be the same topics on people’s minds. People without faith in Christ will be searching for answers. Jump right on in and share about the hope that has been placed within you.  God has wet the appetites of the people, water it with the Word and a thoughtful and gentle response.

Second, preach forgiveness.   I know this is not natural, and you’re right, to forgive such extreme evil is supernatural – it comes from God. This is how people know that Christians got something more than man-made psychology. 

  

Third, this is our time in the Spirit to wax eloquent on the nature of God. People are going to be asking, “How can God allow this to happen?” Their view of God is distorted.  You are given the task to help clarify and add much needed light to their view of God. Of course, don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.”  This is nothing to be ashamed of. The topic of God is well beyond our mental grasp. But the Bible does give to us many crucial and clarifying informative doctrines about the nature of God.    Pass it on!

When it comes to witnessing about Christ, I hear Christians often say, “I don’t know what to say?”  Start paying attention to what is going on in the world around the people you are with, and God will show you the needs and how to respond. 

A Nation Against God

America at its most highest level has taken a position against God.  Such spiritual and moral rebellion is energized by the corruption and collection of sinful human hearts, which is what all nations are made up of.  But here is the point we must also address:  Behind the collection of sinful, corrupt, human hearts—that make this kind of rebellion against God possible and acceptable—is the realm of Satan and demons.   Am I not, right?  “We wrestle against not flesh and blood, but the world of demonic influences” (Eph. 6:12).

The Bible says Satan holds the whole world in his hands; the whole world lies in the lap of the evil one (1 John 5:19).  God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, the church, and truth are the enemies of Satan. Satan rules this  world system. He rules the world of sinners. He has positioned his power in high places. He is the ruler of the kingdom of darkness, and he hates and seeks to destroy all that is light, all that is truth, all that is pure, all that is holy, all that is virtuous, and all that is good.

Therefore, do not put your hope in the polls, or elections, or marches and demonstrations, or petitions, instead, the way the church is going to see breakthroughs is when the people of God are battling the forces behind the sinful hearts of men on their knees in prayer.   

No advancement into the gates of hell will ever be possible without prayer.  Look over your schedule and ask yourself, “How much time will I set aside to pray?”   Allow the Spirit of God to lead you to do what is right and necessary. 

Terrorism That No One Is Talking About

We have had our focus concerning terrorist attacks on one target and off of another. But listen: The greater terror attacks will not come from ISIS, but sadly, from within.

The three greatest terror attacks on America in which America has not fully recovered from has come from the Supreme Court of the United States.

First was when the Supreme Court in the early sixties abolished bible reading and prayer in public schools. Since then there has been no restraints on bad morality. Teachers can say what they want and do as they please. This nation listened to an atheist (Madalyn Murray O'Hair). Since then, our decline has continued to go south.

Second was the legalizing of abortion. Since Roe v. Wade, over 55 million people have died within their mothers’ womb! The blood of those lives cries out from the ground for divine vengeance on this nation (Gen. 4:10).

Third great act of terror perpetrated by the Supreme Court was the legalization of same-sex marriage. Get rid of the Bible and prayer, get rid of human life, and get rid of the family. Hey, with this kind of track record, no attack by ISIS can come near to what we have had to endure from those who had sworn to protect and uphold the law and values of this country.

No human court has the authority to redefine morality. But the Supreme Court has said, “This nation does not need divine guidance; this nation can legally murder for the sake of convenience; and this nation can redefine marriage and the family as society changes with time.”

In essence, this nation has usurped the authority that belongs only to God. “We can get along perfectly without God!” Just look at what’s happening to this nation and do you still think that living without God is possible and that man can pull this off?

Next time you hear on the news about the threat of ISIS to this nation, remember that long before ISIS, the Supreme Court was already in the terror business.

Something HUGE is Coming

Something huge is coming. I don’t know what it is, but I got this gut feeling something is on the horizon. 

Now I am not someone who navigates off of feelings.  It is assuredly the Word of God that must hold our focus and determine our beliefs.   I know that the Rapture is coming, but I do not know when.  I know that after Rapture comes the seven year Tribulation Period mentioned in Revelation chapters 6-18.  During the Tribulation Period the antichrist or Beast will rule for a season. I know that during the Tribulation, scores of Christians and Jews will be martyred.  Toward the end of the Tribulation Period comes a series of war campaigns known as Armageddon.   After this Jesus comes to set up His kingdom.  I get this!

But somewhere between now and the Rapture of the Church, something huge seems to be on the horizon.   There are multiplicity of signs that point is this direction.  The military appears to be engaged in crazy things making preparation for something.  The country we know as the U.S. is slipping down the moral landscape big time. Our leaders are only thinking about themselves and there are no check and balances to keep them accountable.  People in this country are at war with themselves over race, patriotism, and the fulfillment of greed. There is this overwhelming desire to live for pleasure at all cost. We have the presidential elections coming up and there are no leaders worth noticing.  It is all politics as usual. Families are being torn apart. Kids are in rebellion. Marriage has lost its appeal.  And most sadly, the church is weak. We look to the government and the courts to legislate morality.   

When I read the Book of Jeremiah, I am reminded of what God says about both the prophet and priest.

God says that both are polluted (Jer. 23:11).  Both prophesied by Baal (a Satanic deity, v. 13).  Both strengthen the hands of evil doers (v. 14).

Something huge is coming from the hand of God.

It is a dire warning from the Lord when He says:  “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. ¹⁷ They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’” (vv. 16-17).

God says that there will be two kinds of preachers (prophets): Those who tell you what you want to hear (a positive message that is not based on the truth), and those who tell you what you need to hear (a truthful message that is designed to bring people to repentance). 

What kind of people will these preachers be preaching to?  

“And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ ¹¹ then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law,¹² and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. ¹³ Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’” (Jer. 16:10-12). 

These are people who will respond to the truth of a message on judgment by saying, “What have we done? Why is God so mad at us? What sin have we committed against the Lord to make Him so angry with us?”   

Something huge is coming. What comes between now and the Rapture of the Church is anyone’s guess.    What is coming, we do not know, only that something huge is coming.

Prepare now and do not wait until it is too late. This is the church’s finest hour for making personal, spiritual and practical preparations. 

The Great Divide

I’ve been a Christian since the age of 12.  I’ve been to college and seminary and served in various churches throughout the years.  Each church God put me in was for me a learning experience and filled with teachable moments.

As I reflect back on some of those teachable moments, I’ve noticed that the average Christian church is divided into two parts:  Those who are strong on teaching bible doctrine / theology, and those who are not.  They are more into teaching practical Christian living or things that center in pragmatism. One group values doctrine and the other values practicality.

In some churches, you’ll hear a seven part sermon series on God’s Eternal Decrees.  In other churches you’ll hear a seven part sermon series on how to have a more joyful marriage. 

It is important, of course, to have a sound and biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty over all things, to at least have a beginning understanding of His decrees. One way to get there might be a seven part sermons on His decrees. It is also important, however, to have a joyful marriage. One way to get there might be a seven part sermons on joyful marriages. We can talk about and be preached to about both of these precisely because the Bible speaks to both of these issues. These two approaches need not be at war with each other. Both have their place.

What becomes an issue and a great concern is the dichotomy we create when we talk about doctrine and practical matters in this way. That is, it is a profoundly practical matter to understand God’s decrees. And how we have joyful marriages is deeply connected with sound doctrine.   The theology of having a joyful marriage is doctrinally connected to understanding Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church (Eph. 5).

Not only, however, are doctrine and practical matters inextricably bound together, but there is another element we would do well not to forget. The Christian faith touches not just on what we think, not just on what we do, but also on how we feel. We are called to doctrinal orthodoxy (right thinking), to practical orthopraxy (right doing), and to emotional orthopathos (right feelings).

The world, of course, has a different perspective. Just as epistemological relativism affirms, “I can have my own truth and will have no one rule over my mind,” and ethical relativism affirms, “I can affirm my own right and wrong and no one shall rule over my conscience,” so emotional relativism affirms, “I can feel whatever my heart desires, and no one will rule over my feelings.” Indeed, in the world, feelings have no need for any justification. Whatever we feel, we feel. It is what it is.

We as Christians, however, are not of this world. We have another calling. The great commandment demands that we love the Lord our God not just with all our minds and with all our strength, but with all our hearts as well. Love encompasses knowing who He is. It encompasses obeying His commands. But it also is genuine emotion. A failure to love Him with all our hearts isn’t something that happens to us but is instead something of which we are guilty. Love is the only right and fitting response to His glory, for He is altogether lovely.

These three, however—our heads, our hands, and our hearts—are not just three pillars standing side by side. Rather, they are three strands of one strong cord. They are intertwined with each other, strengthening each other. The more we know about who God is, the more our heart resounds with joy.

Doctrine matters. Practice matters. Feeling matters. For all that we are is His. There is nothing more practical than doctrine. There is nothing more true than obedience. And there is nothing more moving than a growing and vibrant relationship with God.

The New Calamity

What did the Supreme Count do? In a 5-to-4 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States of America has ruled that states cannot ban same-sex marriage. 

The Bible is not silent about such decisions. Alongside its clearest explanation of the sin of homosexual intercourse (Romans 1:24–27) stands the indictment of the approval and institutionalization of it. Though people know intuitively that homosexual acts (along with gossip, slander, insolence, haughtiness, boasting, faithlessness, heartlessness, ruthlessness) are sin, “they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:29–32). “I tell you even with tears, that many glory in their shame” (Philippians 3:18–19).

This is what the highest court in our land did — knowing these deeds are wrong, “yet approving those who practice them.”

My sense is that we do not realize what a calamity is happening around us. The NEW THING — new for America, and new for history — is not homosexuality. That brokenness has been here since the early beginning of Genesis.

What’s new is not even the celebration and approval of homosexual sin. Homosexual behavior has been exploited, and reveled in, and celebrated in art and literature for ages.

What’s new is normalization and institutionalization of such sins. This is the new calamity.

Hopefully the church will feel the sorrow of these days and the magnitude of the assault on God and his image in man. Christians, more clearly than others, can see the tidal wave of pain that is on the way. Sin carries in it its own misery: “Men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error” (Romans 1:27).

Christians know what is coming, not only because we see it in the Bible, but because we have tasted the sorrowful fruit of our own sins. We do not escape the truth that we reap what we sow. Our marriages, our children, our churches, our institutions — they are all troubled because of our sins.

The difference is: We weep over our sins. We don’t celebrate them. We don’t institutionalize them. We turn to Jesus for forgiveness and help. We cry to Jesus, “who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Confusion Over Transgenderism

There’s a lot of talk about transgenderism.  It appears that there are a lot of Christians who are confused and many are straddling the fence on this issue.

The thing to keep in mind is knowing the value of having a good compass when you feel lost and confused. The Bible is that compass. It will always point you north when you feel like taking another path especially when you see others doing so.

Here are some passages to keep in mind.

First, Jeremiah 17:9:  “The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

You cannot trust your heart.  It will lead you astray on many important and orthodox issues. Notice the passage says, “the heart is deceitful.”  This puts our hearts on the same level as the devil who is the ultimate deceiver. Left alone without any spiritual guidance, your heart will steer you down the wrong path.  

This is why God says in the next verse: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

God knows our deceitful heart and has given us His Word to help steer us in the right direction. The problem is when we choose not to take seriously God’s Word and even question on whether or not we are interpreting certain bible passages correctly.

Why should we not trust our hearts?

Here’s what Jesus had to say about the heart: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matt. 15:19). 

The heart is the source of these sinful things. Then add “deception” mixed in and you’ll see why you cannot trust your heart!

What should I do, Pastor Rich? 

Love the Lord with all your heart (Matt. 22:37).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Prov. 3:5).

Serve God with all your heart (1 Chron. 28:9).

Pray for a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).

Treasure the Scriptures in your heart (Psalm 119:11).

Watch over your heart with all diligence (Prov. 4:23). 

Don’t let your heart be troubled (John 14:1). 

Draw near to God with a sincere heart (Heb. 10:22).

What we are witnessing today with transgenderism are people listening to their deceitful hearts.   When the world does this it’s one thing. When the church follows the same course even though we got the Play Book before us, it is mind blowing!

Listen to what James says – James 1:26:  “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but DECEIVES HIS HEART, this person's religion is worthless.”

Two very important things to be concerned about:  First, your heart is deceitful – thus it can deceive you. Second, according to James, you can also deceive your own heart.

Now with all this in mind and there’s so much more, am I going to let the world guide my heart concerning what is true and false regarding morality?

One last thing.  When Noah entered the ark with his family (total of eight people, cf. Gen. 7:7), they entered as the MINORITY.  After the flood, when God told them to exit the ark, they came out as the MAJORITY (Gen. 8:15-9:1).

So shall we.  The only people the world is allowed to be bigoted toward are Christians.  Christians are the whipping boy for the world to persecute. There will be times when you will feel like you are in the minority!  Hallelujah! 

Stay true to the Lord and hold fast to His Word. In the end, like Noah, you will come out as the majority. 

Only God Can Give Deliverance From God

I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. ¹² I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God. ¹³ Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?” – Isa. 43:11-13

In this passage, God declares Himself to be the Savior.  There is no other god in existence who can save or deliver. In fact, God declares that “there is none who can deliver from my hand.”

This poses a question:  What do we need saving from?  Since God is the Savior or Deliverer, what is it that we need to be delivered from?

Some will say that we need to be delivered from our sins.This is true.  It is the Son who can set the captives free (Luke 4:18). When the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).  

Some will say we need to be delivered from hell.  This also is true. The Bible says that the “unbelieving will have their part in the lake of fire” (Rev. 21:8). The way out of this is to place one’s trust in Jesus only for salvation and forgiveness of sins.

Some will also add that we need deliverance from Satan.  This is so right. By the kindness and greatness of God, “He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).

We can also add a few other things we need deliverance from. But you know what the bottom line deliverance we need from?  God! It is God who we will all stand before and give an account. It is God who casts people into hell. It is God who judges sin. It is God who will keeps the fires of hell burning for all eternity.  It is God who will judge Satan and his demons and throw them all into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). It is God who punishes people for their sins. It is God who has the final word.

God says in Isaiah, that “I am God; there is none who can deliver from my hand.”  You see, it is not the wrath of Satan that ought to scare us, but the eternal wrath of God. As a result, looking to other so-called religions, man-made science and self-help techniques simply will not do. Who can deliver out of My hand? 

Therefore, when God proclaims Himself to be the Savior and Deliverer, He is letting us know that everyone’s destiny lies within His power. Some will have a favorable destiny and some will not.  But no one will ever be delivered from God’s hand by any other means than God Himself.  Only God can deliver from God.

Think about this. 

When God sends people to hell, no one will walk away free. When God takes people to heaven, no one will be lost.  Everyone’s life and breath is in the hand of God. He makes the determination to cause one person to breathe longer and another person to stop breathing completely. Who is able to deliver from His hand?

Think about this life.  It is God who “causes well-being and creates calamity; I am the Lord who does all these” (Isa. 45:7).  God grants you success and good health, and it is God who takes away your health and gives to you calamity. Does this bother you? If you do not know Him personally as your Lord and Savior it should.

You object, “Pastor Rich, I think this sucks!  I will not believe in a God who has all that power to use and abuse!”  God’s response:  “Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker”(Isa. 45:9).  You may not like it, but your objection will in no way be enough to deliver you out of God’s hand.  Only God can deliver from God.

Why does God do what He does?  “His good pleasure” (Isa. 46:10).  It is the good pleasure of God to save some and not to save others.  Nothing that God does, He does without in some way to bring Him good pleasure.

You know what this is called?  Sovereignty.

Try to water it down if you want; try to explain it away if you must. But in the end, only God can deliver from God.

Therefore, we preach the saving grace of God to offer others deliverance from God. It is God who in the end will punish sin; who will send people to hell, and who will even cast the devil himself into the lake of fire. “Who is able to deliver from my hand?” God declares. 

Only God is strong enough to deliver from God.

Double Predestination, Part 10

When Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, ¹¹ though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— ¹² she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” – Rom. 9:10-13

Often when Bible students think about how some are elected to salvation and others are not, they erroneously conclude that God looks into the future and sees who will believe in Jesus and on that basis, He chooses to elects them unto eternal life. Those who reject the gospel are simply not elected.

This foresight of God in looking into the future and seeing who believes on Jesus is called “foreknowledge.”

However, when the Bible mentions God’s foreknowledge, it has an altogether different meaning to what some proclaim.

For example, the “foreknowledge of God” is mentioned in the following passages:

Romans 8:29:  “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Notice carefully the passage states, for “those whom” He foreknew, not for “what” He foreknew. This is critical. Whenever the word “foreknew” or “foreknowledge” is mentioned in the Bible, it always refers to people, not things or events.

To say that God looks into the future and “foresees” what people will do with Jesus and on that basis either elects or not elects is an “event” or an “action.”   The foreknowledge of God is not used to describe events, actions or human decisions.

Romans 11:2:  “God has not rejected His people WHOM He foreknew.”

Here it is again – God foreknows people, not events or human decisions.

1 Corinthians 8:3:  “but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.”

Although, the word “foreknown,” is not specifically used, a part of it is – “known.”  Notice again, it is people – specifically those who love God who are known by God.

1 Peter 1:1-2:  “Who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.”

Not to be redundant, but “WHO are chosen,” is based on the foreknowledge of God. No events or decisions are mentioned.

1 Peter 1:20 – “For He (Christ) was foreknown before the foundation of the world.”

Notice that Jesus is said to be “foreknown.” Did God look into the future and see what Jesus would do and on that basis declared Him to be the Son of God?  LOL!  A thousand times no!

Acts 2:23 – “this man (Jesus), delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.”

Who was delivered over by the foreknowledge of God?  Jesus. Notice, nothing is said about the cross of Christ being in the foreknowledge of God, but the Christ of the cross. Also, used with the foreknowledge of God is the phrase, “predetermined plan of God.”

The cross of Christ was based on the “predetermined plan of God,” but the Christ of the cross was based on the “foreknowledge of God.” 

Now let me put this all together here:

The word “foreknowledge” in the Greek is prognosis.  Two words are in this word: “pro” – before, and “gnosis” – knowledge.  Therefore, the word “foreknowledge” means “to have advance knowledge” or “to know beforehand,” coming from the word, “foreknew.”

Now catch this: When Adam “knew” Eve, what was the result? She gave birth to a son (Gen. 4:1). When that term (“know”) is used in connection with God, it often signifies to regard with favor, denoting not mere cognition but an affection for the object in view. "I know you by name" (Ex. 33:17). "You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew you" (Deut. 9:24). "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you" (Jer. 1:5). "They have made princes and I knew it not" (Hos. 8:4). "You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Amos 3:2). In these passages knew signifies either loved or appointed.

In like manner, the word "know" is frequently used in the New Testament, in the same sense as in the Old Testament. "Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you" (Matt. 7:23). "I am the good shepherd and know My sheep and am known of Mine" (John 10:14). "If any man love God, the same is known of Him" (1 Cor. 8:3). "The Lord knows them that are His" (2 Tim. 2:19).

Therefore, it is not events or actions that God is said to foreknow, but people that He has chosen “to love beforehand” to place His divine favor upon. 

Conclusion:  The foreknowledge of God is not God looking into the future and seeing what man will do with Jesus Christ and on that basis electing or not electing him. It is God choosing beforehand to love and set His divine favor upon apart from any decision or work of the human will.

Now, let’s go back and read again the above passage.

When Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, ¹¹ though they (Jacob and Esau) were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— ¹² she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, “Jacob I loved (i.e."known"), but Esau I hated" (i.e. "not known").

Election is based not on what anyone does – either good or bad, but it is based on the God who calls and chooses to love beforehand.

You say, “I don’t like that!” 

You know why you do not like this?  Because it strips away whatever control you might think you have, whatever decision you might think you did, and whatever power of the will you might think you possess.

Even in our present life the Bible teaches that “in Him (God) we live, and move and exist” (Acts 17:28).  Do you think that your very breathing is your own doing? Do you think that getting up in the morning and heading straight to the bathroom, washing up, going to work or exercise is your own doing? Did you have a say so in your own birth? 

In fact, look at two verses above: “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (v. 26). 

In other words, God is so in control that you and I were determined to exist at this particular time by God who also preordained our place of habitat. Since this is all true in the present, how much more will it be true in eternity past concerning God’s choice and election?

Here are two prime warnings for us:

First, don’t neglect your duty to pray for those who are lost and witness to them as God allows you to. God does His part, and He commands us to do ours.  Although God is the cause of all true salvation and conversion, He has ordained for us to be the “means” to bring about some of His set purposes.

Second, if you’re a Christian and you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).  Therefore, do not walk around with pride as if there is something special about you. 

Listen carefully, the decision of you becoming a Christian was God’s choice, not yours.  It is not nor ever shall be, “I found Him,” but “He found me!” 

It is and always shall be, “We love God, because He FIRST loved us” (1 John 4:19).

God did not choose me because He found something valuable in me; but because He chose me, I am valuable! 

The Hell Bent Methods of the Devil

The enemy of our soul is hell bent to do three things to you:

1.  To steal

2.  To Kill

3.  To Destroy

(Cf.  John 10:10)

First, he tries to steal you away from God through “indoctrination.” This is done through “false teachings” (2 Peter 2:1). 

Second, he tries to kill you through “infiltration.”  He is determined to get a foothold in your life, in your small group, in your home, and in your church, to slowly capture you completely and offer you up in death as his sacrifice to himself.    

This is why Peter says that false teachers (those of the world), now watch this:  Will “secretly introduce destructive heresies” (2 Pet. 2:1), even going so far as to deny the Master who bought them.

This means that their modus operandi is very subtle. They will not infiltrate your life with a shout and a sign warning you of their intentions.   They will be secretive and subtle. They do not want you to know what they are up to.

Therefore, when some point out these subtle and secretive heresies, many say, “What?  That’s insane!  You are making way too much out of nothing.”

This is why Peter goes onto say, because of them, “the way of the truth is maligned” (v. 2) or slandered, smeared or defamed.  In other words, because of their subtle ploy and carefully crafted secrecy, exposure by the truth appears stupid.  The truth will be called “conspiracy!”

What is the driving force behind these false teachers?  “Greed” (v. 3).  How does greed work in their method of operation?  They will “exploit you using false words” (v. 3). 

Once Satan infiltrates your life, home, small group or church with “false words,” and “secretly introduce destructive heresies,” and therefore gain a foothold, he then will try to kill you.

Now to “kill” in the Bible can means one of two things:  “Separate you from your power source -- your fellowship with God” (through sin), or separate your soul from your body” (through death).  He has no problem doing both. But he has to infiltrate your life first and gain an advantage.

Here is now Jude puts it:  “For certain persons have CREPT in UNNOTICED. . .ungodly persons” (Jude 4). 

This why you and I simply cannot turn a blind eye toward such things and think naively, “I’ll just focus on Jesus and ignore all the bad things around me.”  You, my friend will be like a sheep led to the slaughter.

I like how Nehemiah got his people to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem during times of extreme opposition. Half of those worked while the other half stood guard (Neh. 4:16-17).  Then they switched. The other group took up a hammer, while the other half held onto their spears.

You see, you have to be watching and vigilant.  There are no such things in God’s kingdom as ostrich Christians.  

Third, Satan seeks to “destroy” you through “contamination.”

If he cannot kill you, then his next aim is for you to become a non-threat to him. He will destroy your testimony so your message will be laughed at or not taken seriously.

In war, when a soldier is wounded, what happens?  Usually two other soldiers stop their shooting and go and assist the wounded one. By wounding one soldier, the enemy had taken out three.

This is how it is done in the church. When Satan can wound or contaminate one Christian, then more will leave the battle to assist the wounded warrior. And if Satan can destroy or spiritually contaminate enough Christians in the church, pretty soon no one is left except for a tiny minority who are vigilant, watching and on the alert. Everyone had been cleverly taken out of the battle.

Be on the alert!  Preach the gospel, yes!  Be a shinning and bright witness for Jesus, yes!  But be sober and be vigilant.  "For the enemy of your soul is like a roaring lion seeking ways to devour you” (1 Pet. 5:8) –

Through Indoctrination

Through Infiltration

Through Contamination

“But we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11).   

Whom Does Satan's Antichrist Counterfeit?

As we head toward the end, Jesus predicted this to occur:  “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and will mislead many” (Matt. 24:5). 

Notice Jesus did not say, just a “few,” but “many.” 

Now watch this:  Who will the many seek to counterfeit?  “Jesus Christ.”  He said, they will come “in My Name.”

Now think about that for a moment.

Heading toward the last days, many will seek to counterfeit Jesus Christ, not Buddha, not Mohammed or Allah, not Joseph Smith or the gods of the Mormon Church, not some New Age Guru, but Jesus Christ.

Folks, listen:  No one counterfeits gum wrappers, right?  If someone is going to make a counterfeit, it will be of something that is considered to be a value and importance. This is why some counterfeit money – example $100 bills.

Satan, although deceived and wicked, is no dummy. He is not going to waste his valuable time – what little time he has left, seeking to counterfeit that which he knows he himself created and conjured up in order to deceive others with.

Instead, his man known as the Antichrist will come in the name of Christ Himself and it will be that man that the Antichrist will seek to counterfeit.

The Bible says, now watch this: When the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who will he be opposed to?  “Every so-called god or object of worship” (2 Thess. 2:3-4). 

Hey, newsflash:  The god you love and serve will be opposed by the god who is behind it all.  In the end, Satan will have his man – now watch this – “sit in the temple of God” (this will be the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem), “displaying himself to be God” (v. 4).  He will not sit in structures that reveal the greatness of Buddha, Allah, Shinto, Humanism, Roman Catholics, etc., it will be a Jewish Temple, where the Jews are giving worship to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matt. 22:32).  Why this God?  Because it is this God, the God of the Bible who is the God of the living and not the dead.

Folks, again think about this.  Of all the gods and religions for Satan to counterfeit in order to receive the maximum worship he so desires, he only wants to be like one – the God of the Bible.  This is his dream, for he said so long ago, “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14).

Satan is not going to counterfeit that which is not a threat to him. He is not going to waste what little time he has left seeking to counterfeit anything of lesser value. He wants to be like the God of the Bible, the same God that Jesus came to earth to reveal (John 17:6).  Antichrist will sit in the temple of Jerusalem and proclaim himself to be only one God – the God of the Bible, or more specifically, Jesus Christ.

This is why during the seven year tribulation period, those who are killed are those who have held onto the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 6:9) and who will not worship the beast or antichrist, the great God impersonator (Rev. 20:4). Satan hates Christians because they can see into his plan and expose it to others of whom some will turn to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.

So folks, truth and the gospel is being presented in the Bible, not only in a positive manner (by the Bible declaring that Jesus is the only God and Savior), but also in a negative manner (by showing that even the devil himself impersonates only one God – the Most High that he dreams of becoming.)

Think about that.  There is a message here.

Of all the religions and gods out there who claim to be the real one, Satan counterfeits only one – the God whom the Jews will be worshiping in their new rebuilt temple during the Tribulation.

Open your eyes!