Religion is Not Recognizing Jesus
By Lions of Christ.com
In The Bible, the Pharisees, the teachers of religious law failed to recognize Jesus. Jesus said that they were more concerned about man-made laws rather than truth and pleasing men more than pleasing God. The ironic thing here is that they were Jews, sons of Abraham, and God’s chosen people and while they knew traditions and scriptures of old they failed at the most important thing, recognizing Jesus when He came. Much of the church has seemed to follow in the footsteps of the Pharisees. While they believe in Jesus, they seem to follow tradition, rituals, and routines more than seeking and following Him. How many churches have you attended that limit worship to 20 minutes or make sure their services end absolutely no later than noon on Sunday? This is not recognizing and following Jesus, this is trying to fit Jesus into our mold.
Did not Jesus tell us to take up our cross and to follow Him? How can we follow Jesus if we don’t know how to or fail to recognize Him? The only way we can truly follow Jesus is to know Him and be able to recognize His voice.
So where have we gone wrong?
The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 provides much insight into this matter. The Bible says that “Martha was distracted with much serving” but Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and heard His Word. When Martha complained to Jesus that she was doing all the work Jesus said to her, “you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
It is clearly shown here how many of us have been distracted with serving like Martha did. We get caught up in the machine and our focus turns to operating and maintaining it rather than staying on the one who gave us the machine.
So how do we turn our focus back on Him so that we can recognize and follow Him?
We need to diligently seek Him and when we find Him we need to constrain Him before He passes us by. The solution is clearly illustrated throughout the Bible. In Luke 24:13-31 Jesus drew near to two men walking to a village called Emmaus but their eyes were restrained so they would not know Him. Verse 28 & 29 says “Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent’ And He went in to stay with them.”
In Song of Solomon 3:1-4, seeking and constraining Him is also illustrated. Verse 4 says “When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go.” When the disciples saw Jesus walking on water in Mark 6:47-50, He would have passed them by but they cried out.
The only way we can truly take up our cross and follow Jesus is not to just simply know about Him but to know Him. Our job as believers are to continually seek Him, cry out to Him, hang on to Him, and follow Him and if we learn to continually hear the voice of the Good Shepherd we won’t fail to recognize Him, therefore, He will not pass us by.
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Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
How to Know a Man of God?
How to Know a Man of God?
They will be persecuted; are they being publicly persecuted?
JOHN 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
You will know them by their fruit; are they saving souls? Display love? Faith, etc?
MATTHEW 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
A kingdom divided cannot stand; are people delivered in their ministry?
MATTHEW 12:25-30 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
By the demonstration of the Spirit and power; are people being healed, etc.?
1 CORINTHIANS 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
By the testing of spirits; do they confess Jesus is the Son of God?
1 JOHN 4:1-5 & 15 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Verse 15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
They will be persecuted; are they being publicly persecuted?
JOHN 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
You will know them by their fruit; are they saving souls? Display love? Faith, etc?
MATTHEW 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
A kingdom divided cannot stand; are people delivered in their ministry?
MATTHEW 12:25-30 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
By the demonstration of the Spirit and power; are people being healed, etc.?
1 CORINTHIANS 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
By the testing of spirits; do they confess Jesus is the Son of God?
1 JOHN 4:1-5 & 15 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” Verse 15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
Made Perfect Through Love
1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
How to test spirits according to the Bible
Again, with all the mudslinging on Todd Bentley with people calling him a false prophet, I thought I post how to test spirits for those who are unsure...
There are three good ways to test or discren spirits:
1. Does the spirit confess Jesus Christ was made flesh, died, and was raised, and is Lord. (see scripture below).
2. Does it align with the Bible? Not what you where taught but what the Bible actually says.
3. A spiritual gift of discerning of Spirits. (see 1 Corinth 12).
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
In regards to Todd, does he confess Jesus and glorify Him?
So, according to 1 John 4, is Todd a true or false prophet?
I hope this helps to clarify things for some!
God bless!
There are three good ways to test or discren spirits:
1. Does the spirit confess Jesus Christ was made flesh, died, and was raised, and is Lord. (see scripture below).
2. Does it align with the Bible? Not what you where taught but what the Bible actually says.
3. A spiritual gift of discerning of Spirits. (see 1 Corinth 12).
1 John 4:1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
In regards to Todd, does he confess Jesus and glorify Him?
So, according to 1 John 4, is Todd a true or false prophet?
I hope this helps to clarify things for some!
God bless!
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