Farewell 2013

This last day of 2013 was cold in Iowa, but us watchmen can handle a little cold weather, and I got out to the corner of Anson & Center Street this afternoon, to send off the old year with one more day of witnessing cross evangelism. Got a handful of Titanic gospel tracts out, three "God of Wonders" DVD's, and a Spanish "Are You A Good Person" tract. God has surely blessed this year with numerous opportunities to lift up Jesus Christ & share the gospel with friends, neighbors, co-workers, and many strangers, here in Iowa, and in the various places I've travelled this year: Florida, Michigan, Arkansas, and Minnesota. There really is no greater privilege we can experience than pointing people to Jesus Christ, and eternity will bear this out.

And today, I completed my Bible reading schedule for the year, which took me through the Old Testament once, and through Psalms and the New Testament twice. God graciously gave me one more year to read and meditate on His Holy Book. Wow!

This verse really struck me:
"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17)

Three times, the Holy Spirit is urging us to COME TO HIM.
Ever wonder who are the "called", who are the "chosen", who are the "elect?"
Well, it is the "whosoever will." I think Adrian Rogers once said this, and this verse just nails it.

Friend, are you thirsty?
Thirsty for forgiveness of all your countless, countless sins against a Holy God?
Thirsty for cleansing and a new life with Him that never ends?
Look at the moral law, the 10 Commandments. Listen to your conscience, and face the truth about your sin.
Almighty God knows your every thought, word, and deed: like me, you are guilty, guilty, guilty.
We deserve judgment, and the eternal penalty of our sins, the Lake of Fire.
Are you thirsty?

If so, I have good news for you.
God calls you to come and be made new and whole....

So, how does one come? John 6:35 tells us - by believing on Jesus Christ!
You must look to Jesus Christ, who for your sake was crucified, died, buried, and rose again.
He took the wrath of a Holy God that was meant for you, and if you will repent & believe on Jesus Christ, God will forgive you, cleanse you, make you his child, fill you with the Holy Spirit, and give you the gift of eternal life.

May we who know the Lord step up our love for one another, and our love for the lost, in 2014 and beyond.

A Church Infiltrated....

Following up with the last article on "Jesus Calling": this example of extra-biblical communication being taught within the church is alarming enough. But if you zoom out to a 30,000 foot level to get the big-picture look, it seems beyond question that the Christian church as a whole has been infiltrated and compromised with false, anti-biblical, anti-Christ teachings, as described in 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3. It is truly breathtaking.

Here are a couple of older videos (part 1 & part 2)  with Todd Friel and Justin Peters examining the Lakeland, Florida "revival ministry" of Todd Bentley. Please pay special attention to the phrases used to disarm and silence those who question these perverse teachings. As a new believer back in the mid 1990's, I got hit with similar responses, like "You can't put God in a box." These are meant to totally disarm your discernment, and throw open the doors to any and all kinds of madness to be dumped onto the body of Christ. You've heard these statements too, I'm sure, and it is one of the methods that have brought us to this point.

 

 If you are a born-again child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, you are commanded to prove all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and to try the spirits (1 John 4:1). Let me echo the words of Mark Cahill: beware of men (and women) with microphones. Keep your guard up. Especially RELIGIOUS men! Check everything - EVERYTHING - you are taught against the word of God. The Jews that Paul preached to in Berea are called "noble" (Acts 17:11) in that they "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Today, many who would be noble Bereans are chastised for questioning the Pastor, Preacher or Evangelist, labeled divisive or lacking in faith, kicked out of their churches, marked & avoided in an un-biblical manner.

 

Brothers, we need more than ever to heed the words of Jude 3, and earnestly contend for the faith with was once delivered unto the saints.

 



Jesus Calling: A Warning from Warren Smith

Note from Paul: I am adding more links and information to the bottom of this post as I become aware of them. I've added 2 additional links since the original publication. Please be a Berean and check all things against the scriptures of the Holy Bible, to see if these things are true. Maranatha!

 

 

"Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young is selling like hotcakes. It has a rating of 4-1/2 out of 5 stars on Christianbook.com, and 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Warren brings a warning, from his past in the New Age, on what appears to be another deceptive teaching being embraced by the Church. I really love Warren and his ministry, and thought you might appreciate this message.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further listening, here's a LINK to a podcast from the program, Stand Up For The Truth, featuring an interview with Warren Smith. Here's some introduction to the podcast from their website: 

 

"Today we are asking:  Can going into a meditative silence help us actually hear the voice of Jesus?
Many people are attempting to hear the voice of our Savior speaking to them, thanks to a wildly popular book franchise you probably have heard of. The “Jesus Calling” book was written nearly a decade ago by author Sarah Young, who practiced a contemplative prayer method and actually heard a voice speak to her. She wrote down everything the voice told her to and published her first book which has now sold over 9 million copies and is ranked #1 on the Wall Street Journal Non Fiction Bestseller list. It’s product list includes books for women, teens, a children’s version, calendars, devotionals and even a smart phone app.

We have some concerns that many people are turning to their own experiences over the real Truth that God promises can be found in the Scriptures.

 

With us today is Warren Smith, a frequent guest on Stand Up For The Truth. Warren has just finished writing his newest book, “Another Jesus” Calling: How False Christs are Entering the Church through Contemplative Prayer.” Warren spent many years in the New Age practicing the very types of spiritual exercises put forth by Contemplative Prayer proponents. He knows full well that not every experience is from God but in fact can be from familiar, seducing spirits."


Here's another very extensive article on the discernment blog, Herescope (herescope.blogspot.com), posted on Saturday, November 30th, 2013, authored by Sarah Leslie of the Discernment Research Group. It starts back in the 1960's with the author's experiences in the New Age, and moves through to the present, exposing how the spirit behind the New Age has penetrated and spread into and throughout the church. Covers a review of Warren Smith's book, "Another Jesus Calling" and has some good endnotes. Wow! A must read, and please share this with your friends.

Christmas Greeting