Setting the Record Straight: a Closer look at Jeremiah 1:5

 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” -II Timothy 2:15.

When I look at symptoms or causes of this great “falling away” period, the prosperity gospel is right at the top of the list. It is ANOTHER GOSPEL, and is therefore accursed (Galatians 1:6-9). It is also a prophetic fulfillment of II Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3&4, and II Peter 2:1-3, 17-21.

The Prosperity Gospel isn't only about material wealth, but it also would promote self & ego; it will pull away from the idea of mankind being sinful, and needing a savior. It tells the individual that he/she is already "good" in God's eyes, and has no need of repentance.

But every false Christian teaching will still have scriptures it is built around, and misuses. One verse I keep hearing within prosperity circles is Jeremiah 1:5. Because of Jeremiah's particular calling, prosperity teachers push the idea that Jeremiah had a DESTINY; and by this they falsely claim that God has a “wonderful plan,” or destiny for everyone, prior to salvation. This is how they attempt to allure people to Christianity! It is all about realizing our destiny, and not at all about redemption from our sins. Let's look here at the scripture in question;

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

Truly, I do love the Word of God, but we have to recognize that the devil spends a lot of time twisting it in order to deceive. You will notice that the destiny doctrine is built almost entirely on this one verse (there are 1,364 verses in Jeremiah alone), and there is nothing within it to support the claims of a pre-planned destiny for every person. But to say such a thing boosts a person's ego and self-worth, rather than requiring a brokenness over sin. That's why it is so popular.

The truth about the human condition, and our needed response to it will be found in the New Testament of the Bible. That is where we live today, and you will find nothing in it about a pre-birth destiny for every person. The following might better describe our natural, unsaved destiny; and what God did to change it;

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” -John 3:36.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." -Romans 5:8,9.

We know that God uses prophecy, and so some things are deliberately orchestrated by Him for His own purposes; such as with the arrival of John the Baptist and Jesus. Fulfillment of prophecy testifies for God, and through it we can know if a thing is of Him or not. The message that we get from scripture is that all of the law & prophets were brought by God as a foundation for the gospel; the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah was a part of that. If this was the plan God had all along, it only makes sense that individuals would be specially selected to carry it out.

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:" -Luke 1:68-70.

"To him (Jesus) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." -Acts 10:43. More supporting scriptures will follow.

There is no question that the promotion of "destiny" implies positive rewards for those that adhere to it. One prosperity teacher quotes the 2^nd half of Proverbs 11:9; "...through knowledge the just shall be delivered." Then he claims that the just will not only be delivered from trouble,, "but into his inheritance: prosperity, health, healing, deliverance and all the other blessings of salvation."

And so it is that the concept of each person having a "destiny" like we see for Jeremiah really falls short of the intended goal. Jeremiah was heavily persecuted, and nearly killed several times! To get an idea of how bad it was, just read Lamentations 3. The truth is, even without knowing the clear purpose of God in it, the Old Testament itself doesn't support the promoted view of Jeremiah 1:5. A) God made Jeremiah's purpose clear to him; so why do we have to "discover" ours? B) God doesn't say that He deals with everyone like He did with Jeremiah. C) Jeremiah was already an Israelite, one of God's people. D) Jeremiah suffered E) Nothing like it in the New Testament.

Isaiah seems to have had a call similar to Jeremiah, but most of the others didn't. Psalm 58:3 & Hosea 9:11 both tell of rejection by God from the womb. Amos 7:14 &15 tells how God chose him as he followed the flock. David's call sounded similar to Amos in II Samuel 7:8. Elisha was plowing when Elijah came and threw his mantle upon him (I Kings 19:16, 19-21). What about Samuel's call? His mother Hannah first had to bargain with God before even getting a son. Jonah fled away from God's mission to Nineveh, but was truly brought back the hard way! And the Apostle Paul? He was the Lord's enemy, until God moved. These examples greatly take away from the concept of destiny, and seem to fall back into the realm of CHOICES- whether it be God's or our own.

So when we look at the Old Testament of the Bible, all roads were leading to Jesus, and the work He would accomplish for our salvation. This easily explains why some were specially chosen to carry out God's plans for preparation. Here are a few more scriptures supporting this;

"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." -Luke 24:25-27.

"Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." -John 1:45.

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." -Acts 26:22,23

"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:" -Romans 16:25,26.

See also Luke 18:31, Acts 3:18, 15:13-18, 24:14,15, Romans 1:1,2, Ephesians 2:19,20, I Peter 1:10.

It is a dangerous thing to make additions to the Word of God. Let us take the time to search the scriptures diligently for what they actually say; it is well worth it.

Training by Trial

 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation (troubles or trials) works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope makes us not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

God allows trials to come our way because we need to grow up! When we look at men and women of faith in the Bible, who was there among them that didn't have big trials? It is easy to say that we trust in God when we don't really need to. “It is easy to be a holy man on a mountain.”

The Bible says that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7). The trials prepare us for what is to come.

God was getting David ready to face Goliath during the time he was watching the sheep. The job was not boring! David testified that he had caught and killed both a lion and a bear that had tried to take sheep; he was more ready to face the giant Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17:32-37).

When we raise our children, do we not try to prepare them for what will come their way in life? But we cannot do everything for them, and it would hurt them if we tried to.

Our Heavenly Father is perfect, and He will train us to overcome temptations, and to grow into His likeness. He also promises not to let us be tested beyond what we can bear in 1 Corinthians 10:13. The test may be difficult, but God will help us through!

There are many false teachers and prophets today that promise only good things will come our way. People like to hear that, but it is NOT true, and it would not be helpful to us in the long run.

God tells us that He will chasten (punish) His children (Hebrews 12:5-11): I am therefore glad to endure hardship, if it means I am His child! And Jesus said that He rebukes and chastens those He loves (Revelation 3:19). I am glad to be loved by Jesus after His will! If we receive not the trials God allows, we are not His children, and will be lost. What do you choose?

DEVOTIONAL DISSECTION

 “...Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness...” -from II Corinthians 11:14 & 15.

About a month ago some children came by our apartments and were handing out one month daily devotionals, and these were for August in 2012! I don't know why. The name of this one is Rhapsody of Realities, and it is still being printed today-making 22 years worth of publication.

Most of the alleged “Christian” teachings of today are in error from the Bible. They are about prosperity, health & wealth, self-esteem, positive confession, and “name it, claim it.” They will mostly ignore mankind's natural sinful separation from God, and any Bible teaching that tends to point toward it. So I decided to examine the devotional in light of truth from God's Word. It is a really, really awful devotional, and plainly promotes another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).

What a title! Rhapsody of Realities hardly reflects any Biblical theme! This devotional was created by Chris & Anita Oyakhilome; also inside it is a copy of Loveworld News, which they also publish. My understanding is that this couple is now divorced, and no details are known, except that she remarried. The devotional continues on in the same way as before, focusing on prosperity, and unashamedly twisting scriptures to try and support what they teach. In my copy, Chris did 21 of the 31 days, and Anita did 10. I don't know if Chris got a new writing partner or not.

The devotional book is 96 pages, of which I consider 84 useable in terms of being able to list something that directly reflects on the gospel. 62 pages covered the 31 days of August, 12 pages were for “Loveworld News,” and there was a salvation page and an about the authors page. Also included was the front cover on both sides, and back cover. There were also 78 printed scriptures throughout the 84 pages; not just verses, but scriptures. Upon my brief, current visit to this site, this devotional was claimed to be distributed in 242 countries; but a Google search says there are only 195 countries in the world! This difference may only be a misunderstanding on their part.

There were certain words I looked for, which would reflect on salvation and Jesus' atonement for the sins of mankind. These base words were; sin, repent, grace, the cross, and mercy. I'll share just how absent these words were, but also go over their use in places where they appear. I Cor.2:2;

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

MERCY appears nowhere in the 84 pages possible for use! Mercy is a vital concept in Christianity, and it appears 55X in the New Testament. While I am not even counting times in the Old Testament, mercy appears 112X in the book of Psalms alone! We are saved by mercy, brethren.

CROSS, or CRUCIFIED appears 43X in the New Testament outside of the gospels. Jesus' suffering on the cross for our sins is the way God showed us mercy. You will find no references to the cross in this devotional.

REPENT, or repentance, is another term that is key to salvation. This is found only 1X, on August 7^th, in the opening scripture. The passage is Matthew 18:1-4, and repent is in verse one; but this word or concept is not discussed in the devotional for that day!

SIN is found 4X in this devotional; August 2, 6, & 9. August 2^nd: in describing Jesus' days in the flesh, Chris says He, "embraced sinners." Jesus did no such thing. He may have preached to sinners to repent, but He did not accept them to embrace them. August 6^th: Anita writes, "Good news to the sinner is that God is not mad at him because of his sins." Wrong again! Check out Psalm 7:11, or John 3:36. Jesus endured God's wrath in our place on the cross; sin makes God angry. August9th: Anita really shows her colors on this one. The opening verse is James 1:21, which reads;

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Anita then writes that the phrase "save your souls" is NOT referring to the saving from sin in the context of the verse! She claims it means the preserving of salvation that apparently already exists in anyone reading her devotional! She is undermining the Word of God with presumptuous ideas.

GRACE is found 5X in the book, but is it the grace of God which saves the believer, as is found in Ephesians 2:8 & 9? On 8/1 we find it mentioned in the prayer people are to repeat; he is thanking God for the grace given him to be an effective soul winner, counting him faithful, and putting him in ministry to deliver others from the power of darkness. The grace spoken of here isn't applied to his own salvation, and he is declaring his own promotion without humility. It is the same type of thing on 8/5, found in the "positive confession" at the end. Chris tells us to thank God for the grace He's bestowed on us to, "reign in life today and forever." Weren't we supposed to humble ourselves before God, so that He could exalt us in due time? See I Peter 5:6. On page 3 of Loveworld News, it reads, "we've been graced with the unique opportunity," so this also doesn't apply, it is an expression. In the confession of 8/16, grace is part of a verse that is describing Jesus' character. And on 8/27, grace is again part of a verse describing Jesus. We can then see that the 5 touches on grace, scattered over the 84 pages here, was not being used in reference to what a person needs to be saved.

There is a Prayer of Salvation message in the back, and it is there without any leading into it. Amazingly, there is no mention of sin, grace, mercy, repentance, or the cross! The message begins with, "We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying thus;" Didn't they miss something? Shouldn't Jesus be their savior first of all? But again, Biblical words typically used when leading to salvation are missing. Scriptures listed are Acts 2:21B & Romans 10:9, with a mention of I John 4:4. And it ends by self-declaration of their status, with NO THANKSGIVING toward God! What? The horrible, substitutionary death of Jesus for OUR sins receives no thanks? But the phony gospel of these last days is all about promoting SELF, as is well indicated by the verse on the cover of this devotional, Proverbs 4:18-please look it up, and note the absence of God.

Now consider the Bible's description of mankind in the last days, as per II Timothy 3:1-5;

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

All bold type was added to emphasize characteristics I have noted. And this was all predicted;

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." -II Timothy 4:3,4.

Opinions are one thing, but twisting scripture, or carelessly mishandling it to promote your point of view is something far worse, and the consequences are dire (Revelation 22:18,19). Chris & Anita are shameful in their work. Yet I am really not warning you about them in particular, but because it's the example I have at my disposal to warn you about false teachers (II Peter 2:1-3, 17-21). It is my prayer that this article will help you to be more watchful in your Christian walk.

The next section was to be going over specifics of their daily devotional teaching, but there is so much bad to write about, I must abbreviate it. So please bear with me...

August 3^rd: Anita said "Abraham talked to a barren womb," but he didn't.

August 5^th: Chris writes, "God wants you to enjoy the life He has given you because that's the reason Jesus came in the first place." People already try hard to enjoy life, don't they? Many sinners go to their graves after lives of enjoyment. Jesus came, suffered & died to give us eternal life.

August 20^th: Chris states that for the battle of Jericho, the strategy was for the Israelites to "lay down their swords, shields, and spears" as they marched around the city for 7 days. The Bible says that they were armed as they marched around it. (Joshua 6:7,13)

August 23^rd: Chris claims his opening verse was medical instruction given to the priests for the people in Ezekiel 47, which it never says, but it was part of a vision that began in chapter 40.

August 24^th: Anita pulls out a couple verses to claim that Christians are NOT TOLD TO OBEY GOD in the New Testament!!! What about John 15:13 & 14? Acts 5:32? Romans 6:16? Philippians 2:12? II Corinthians 10:5? Her thought is that since Christians are already justified in Christ, we are already "good to go"" in God's eyes. But to say that we aren't told to obey is simply a lie.

August 27^th: She says that believers need to wake up to realize that we are blessed in all things, and that we are, "...like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; your leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever you do shall prosper." -from Psalm 1:3.

But she neglects to mention that the promise of this blessing is CONDITIONAL; and to use it accurately, we must include verses 1 & 2 before it. Those verses indicate a separation from unbelievers, and a delight/meditation in God's Word before we can expect verse 3 to be fulfilled. Is she really that blind? Or was this scripture cleverly edited to keep her work popular?

There is much more that could be said, but I don't want to be tedious. This example should give you an idea of the kind of false doctrines we are facing today. Rhapsody of Realities is a popular devotional (because it sidesteps sin), but it is only one piece of a "Rhapsody" of bad doctrine. Be careful what you are feeding upon for your spiritual food.

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before." -Matthew 24:23-25.

Losing the World

 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father (God) is NOT in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:15,16

What do we hold to be valuable, or important? A born-again Christian life will have a growing desire to God's will to be done, “on earth, as it is in heaven.” We are told to seek God's kingdom first, and His righteousness, then God will provide all of our needs (Matthew 6:33). This is a promise.

So, as we seek to grow spiritually our desires should more and more reflect what God wants, and should decrease with regard to what the world holds valuable.

Not long ago I heard a Christian friend say a very bad thing. His words were, “I want to see America before I die.” To say such a thing in this way shows that he would be disappointed with heaven if this did not happen! The scripture tells us to desire God's will in all such matters; “For that you should say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” - James 4:15

My friend's words show a dangerous love for this world, and questions the depth of his love for our heavenly Father. That's what our beginning verses indicate!

What things do you love more than Jesus? These would then be idols in your heart. We need to spiritually crucify our worldly desires. “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” - Galatians 6:14

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:21

Losing the world is a challenge Christians will face throughout their lives, for our old ways can be hard to let go of – even if only because they became habits.

But we will also find a divine peace within ourselves, and often see the wisdom behind God's directing hand. Remember that, “A man is not a fool to give up what he can't keep, in order to gain what he can't lose.” (eternal life)

The Devil is Real

 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

What do we think when we read verses like this one? Or when we are told that our fight is not really against the physical things that anger us, but our fight is with the evil spirits that we cannot see? (Ephesians 6:12)

Many times, I think we do not really believe it, unless we experience it. Jesus says to us now, “Be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)

How well I remember when the devil first became very real to me...It came during what was clearly the hardest trial I ever had.

My job was in a wood shop, working for a good friend. He let me come in and work on my own projects after working hours. This particular day was a Saturday, and neither he nor his family was home.

So I went to the shop, planning to make a small wooden cross as my project. It would stand on a base, and was about the size of a 1/2 liter (16.9 oz.) drink bottle. I had never made such a thing before. The project was going well, and I was almost done...But I was hit with many depressing thoughts about the crisis I was in. Then one particular bad thought hit me, and I knew it was the devil speaking; it did not come from myself.

As I was aware of this, I became angry, and I “told off” the devil in fleshly rage, really putting him down. I left the shop for maybe 5 minutes, but when I returned, the cross was GONE! I could hardly believe it! I searched at all the work areas I had been in, but found nothing. Besides, I knew I had left it in my work assembly area. The devil had responded to my rage against him. I had to start over, and it did not go nearly so well.

I told my friend about it on Monday, and later he found it in a big pile of saw dust – the devil had thrown it in a scrap pile, and no, this was not an area I used!

The devil is real, and we are no match for him without Jesus. We must always remember that the battle is the Lord's, and depend on Jesus to win!

The Saving Faith of a Christian: Examining the View of Eternal Security

 I have recently written a newer and more thorough blog on this topic that can be found at The Remaining Remnant: The Saving Faith of a Christian: Examining the View of Eternal Security https://share.google/bbIBoQadgddrSLacs

To my brothers in Christ;

It is a great blessing to share with you in enthusiasm for the salvation bought for us by God, through His Son Jesus Christ. Our joy in Him is just beginning, even though now in this present world we have trials day by day-but a promised peace through our beloved savior (John 16:33).

Yet I write to you now in response to that question which plagues you, which regards the enduring nature of our redemption. We start out as sinners, fully separated from God. But once we have been reconciled to Him through the cross of Jesus, could we again become separated?

The answer I must give you will be honest, and from the clear light of scripture. It's warnings are definite. In the same way God has reached out to save us, the devil will now fight against that good work begun in us, and try to overthrow it.

The good news is that nothing done by our enemy can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord, as we see in Romans 8:35-39. But the sobering news is this; all that is listed in this section of scripture are EXTERNAL forces, and have nothing to do with the free will of the individual. It is not a matter of losing salvation, but choosing against it. Few people that are truly saved would knowingly reject their faith. This is where Satan's deceptions come in. Our enemy will try to trick us into compromising against the Lord we love!

Jesus wants a relationship with us, and salvation is just the beginning. Our relationship with God the Father through Jesus has been likened to a marriage. Even though the initial commitment of marriage is meant to be permanent and life-long, we know that they can end when compromise comes in and leads to unfaithfulness, and broken promises.

Between a man and wife, the division could come by either partner, or both. But when it is between the Lord and His bride, the division will NOT come from God, the great, “I am.” And even after that division, we may yet repent and return to Him, as the Apostle Peter did. Remember that as we get into the scriptures; all is taken from the KING JAMES BIBLE.

Jesus had taught that if a person would deny Him, He (Jesus) would then deny that person before the Father (Matthew 10:33). Peter denied Jesus, and we see from Luke 22:32 that he needed to be converted. And in the mention of disciples by the angel, Peter was separated from the others in Mark 16:7. This should forever testify that a believer may fall out of right relationship with God, but that the possibility of reconciliation is still there. We see this mentioned in Romans 5:1,2;

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Before going on to list the many warnings we are given by scripture, it should also be clear from scripture (and common sense) that God will not easily turn from His children. God has commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. If He loved us so much before we came to know Him, He will not quickly discard us now (Romans 5:8-10). Please read the following passages for encouragement; God is merciful, and He knows how frail we are.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” -Romans 7:18-8:1.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” -I John 1:8-2:2.

The “parable of the sower” is written in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For the seed in shallow soil, and the seed among thorns, both indicate a falling away from the faith. In Luke it specifically says that they, “believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.” Refer to Matthew 13:20-22, Mark 4:16-19, and Luke 8:13&14 for the specific seeds mentioned.

And the Bible warns us many times of deception, so why are we being warned? Why should God do this, unless there is a danger? Look at Matthew 24:4,5,11,24, 48-51; II Corinthians 11;3,4,13-15; Mark 13:5,6,22; Philippians 3:17-19; II Thessalonians 2:3-10, Revelation 13:14. And pay close attention to this one from Acts 20:28-31: why would Paul so earnestly be warning them for 3 years, day & night, with tears? The warnings came with no reassurances for their salvation.

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”

From the gospels you may also look at Matthew 7:21-23, 12:43-45, 18:21-35, 25:1-13, 14-30; Luke 21:34-36, John 6:66, 15:2-6. Remember also 5 of the churches in Revelation: 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19; these needed to repent, or they were lost. Again in Revelation we see in 3:5 & 22:19 that names can be REMOVED from the book of life.

We find other warnings through Peter, in I Peter 5:8,9; II Peter 1:4-11, 3:17. But II Peter chapter 2 is an extensive prophetic warning to believers about deception, and falling away;

"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not...These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." -II Peter 2:1-3,17-21.

Once we have been redeemed in Christ, Jesus becomes our advocate, and we can return to Him if we have backslidden, But II Peter 2 talks about false teachers that will bring in heresies to groups of believers: this kind of deception is the worst! It is so bad because before these individuals came to salvation, they knew that they were sinners, separated from God. But after these false teachings come in, they turn back into fleshly living, and think they are still saved. It isn't likely that they are able to hear God's call to repentance at this point, for they think they are already pleasing Him.

Look at Romans 8:13, 16:17 & 18, and 11:19-22;

"Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

I Corinthians chapter 5, read about the falling situation within the church. But also I Corinthians has 3:16,17, 9:27, 10:12, 11:31,32, 15:1,2. II Corinthians has 6:1, 12:20,21, and 13:5;

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

Galatians is an entire book written to a group of believers that were falling back into a works-based salvation. See 1:6-9, 3:3,4, 4:9-11, 5:1,4, and 2:17&18;

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor."

Ephesians has 5:3-7, and the classic section on our spiritual warfare in 6:10-18. Why would God warn us so extensively about the devils, unless there was a danger? Why is there no reassurance about our salvation? Remember that the kingdom of God is not only in word, but in power; we have to live out our faith every day.

Please see Colossians 1:21-23, Philippians 2:12, 16, and 3:12-14;

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

From I Thessalonians we have 3:5,8, 5:14; II Thessalonians 3:6, and 2:3,4,9&10;

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God...Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

In I Timothy we find 1:5,6,19,20, 5:11,12,15, 6:9,10, and 4:1;

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

II Timothy shows us 1:15, 2:10,12, 16-18, 3:5,13, and 4:3&4;

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

In Titus we see 1:15&16, 3:10&11; Hebrews has 3:6, 6:4-6, 10:26,27, 12:5-8, and 3:12;

"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

We can also look in James 1:21, I John 5:16,17, III John 9,10, Jude 4,5, and James 5:19&20;

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."

Christianity is about an ongoing relationship with God, through Jesus Christ; that's what the Lord wants. We have many assurances in God's Word of our relationship with Him; we stand by grace, and not works; we stand in the righteousness of Jesus, not in our own, because we have none; we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help and strengthen us; and we have all of His precious words of life preserved for us in the Bible, which can give us a strong foundation for weathering all the storms the enemy can throw at us. And we look forward to receiving the promise of eternal life, when our lives in the flesh shall be at an end (I Corinthians 15:50-54; II Corinthians 5:1-9).

May the Lord bless you, brothers, with the true comfort we can take from His Word.

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:31-32

Invisible Answers to Prayer

 The Bible says that faith is the evidence of unseen things (Hebrews 11:1), and that God himself is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17). The result of this is that many times when we pray, we will not see how God is working...

But I left work one sunny and hot day for the 10 minute walk to go home. No dark clouds could be seen, but I was hearing thunder coming from the west. All along my short walk home, it grew louder, and dark clouds had not yet moved in.

I didn't remember “seeing” anything like this before, hearing loud thunder without seeing the storm. So I thought this might mean it was a strong and dangerous storm. I prayed protection for us and our home...

When the storm overtook us, we had about 40 minutes of very good rain, something to praise God for because we need rain! Yet nothing damaging or unusually strong hit our neighborhood.

Many times our senses might think that there was nothing to be concerned for, the storm wasn't bad after all. But God had answered prayer, and let us know it.

The strong storm made headlines in our county. The damage was estimated at over 2 million U.S. Dollars! One woman was electrocuted from fallen wires in her own yard. My wife had a young woman from her workplace say that a tree had fallen on her house! Another man she worked with said more than 100 trees had fallen on his property. (exact tree numbers not known)

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares upon God, because He cares for us. We won't trust in a weather forecast, or the sight of our eyes, or have confidence in men's construction, like those things can save or protect us.

Why trust the weather forecaster, when you can put trust in the Living God, who created the weather in the first place? Plead your cause to the unseen God who has all things in His hand. “Commit your way to the Lord, also trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5