Welcome!
Date: Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Today: Discerning the true and the false teachings
Passage: Ezekiel 13: 22-23 NIV
22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”
God’s charge against His own people goes on and on
As we read chapter 13 of Ezekiel, we see these charges:
First, they were seeing wrong visions and prophesying wrong things to the people
Then, they tried to cover up the cracks in the walls, with white wash
Now, God is saying that they encourage the wicked and discourage the righteous!
So true, in today’s world too
God says that He will save the people from the hands of such people
More harm is done to the Church today, by leaders with no vision and those with selfish motives, than those who oppose the Church
Commercialism has destroyed Christianity. Hidden agendas have spoiled it
Many preachers we see in TV and all these days preach their own gospel and not God’s. Christ is rarely the subject or center of their talk/ministry
In the 1990′s, when I was in Mangalore, India, there was a Pentecostal Church there with about 150 medical students attending their English service
A small group of people, two from US, two from U.K and one from India, came there to give them a special “Spiritual Skills course”. The people from US were from Tulsa, O.K
Their teachings were based on prosperity, miracles and so on
After that meeting, the first thing that happened was that the Church was broken to pieces
If some of these students failed in a certain subject at the medical school, they would come and say, ” I failed but I believe by faith that I passed”
They were taught about miracles, signs and wonders, but not about living a life that pleases God
When people do not properly understand the word of God and the instruction of the Holy Spirit, this is what happens
God is looking for people and leaders who are committed to God, His word and controlled by the power of the Holy Spirit
Wisdom and knowledge, discernment and love are missing from the Church!
A life that pleases God alone can be a good witness for the Lord
Signs, wonders and miracles, gifts of the Holy Spirit, do have their place in the Church and the ministry of the Church
But everything must be Christ-centered and Holy Spirit guided, for the name of God to be glorified
We may be craving for a ministry that is effective
But that comes with a life that is surrendered to God completely
When we replace our plans and agendas with God’s, revival happens
There is a book I read about twenty years back, which touched and changed me
The book is “Why Revival Tarries” by Leonard Ravenhill
God demands you and me fully; He demands All, not “some” of us
May the name our Lord be blessed – not blasphemed, through you and me
BG
Prayer: Lord, help me to discern the right and wrong teachings and to follow the right one. Help me to encourage the righteous and be a light to those who are not. Amen
Bethel Ammachy (Kuttyamma) died last Friday in India, funeral Wednesday, Sept 01, 2010 at Kottayam. Her only son-in law, T.V Thomas is my dad’s brother. Sony, (New Delhi) Simu (New Jersey) and Sweety (Toronto), are children of the Thomas family (Chennai, India)