THE DANGER OF FALSE SPIRITUALITY
Deception abounds in our world. The reality of deception has persisted since Satan deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden.
One serious area of deception in our day is the recording of so many Near Death Experiences. The testimonies of those who encountered a near death experience (NDE) often insinuate there is nothing to fear about death. Furthermore, non-Christians testify of a beautiful light that produced peace and joy they never knew in this life.
There is deception in these experiences as the Bible does not teach death is a wonderful experience for everyone. Those who know the Lord go to be with him at the moment of death. However, those who die without Christ do NOT see a glorious light. Rather, like the lost rich man described by Jesus in Luke 16, they lift their eyes in hell.
Recently two video clips crossed my path about near-death experiences. I am providing links to these clips below and invite you to listen with a discerning ear. If you know your Bible, then you will see the problem with the dangerous teaching set forth by those deceived by these experiences. Remember, Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan works diligently to blind the eyes of a lost world to the need for the Savior. Beware of the world of NDE.
HE Died and Came back | Jesus Revealed Shocking truth to him | NDE | Near death experience (youtube.com)
Why I don't fear death (and you shouldn't either) (youtube.com)
Certainly, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ need not fear death. However, a lost world has every reason to be afraid of death. The answer is not to console those headed for a lost eternity. Rather, the answer is to teach everyone to die with their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
ISRAEL
The Jewish News Syndicate provides the world with a window into the thinking of the Jewish people. You might want to pay attention to news provided from JNS. Truth about what is happening in Israel is not clearly communicated by our news media.
With that said, I found this podcast from Jonathan Tobin of JNS interesting. His take on J. D. Vance as Vice-President is timely and I think you will enjoy it.
On another front, did you know that Hamas is about to get one hundred million dollars from America? I just shake my head in disbelief. How can we provide money to the enemies of Israel bent on the destruction of the Jewish state and simultaneously claim to be pro-Israel?! Of course, this type of confusing behavior on the part of our government is not exactly new. The Israel Guys can bring us up to date on this latest unexplainable act coming out of Washington D.C. Here is the link.
PASTOR TO PARENT
Will your children become evolutionists? Will your children become Biblical creationists? I certainly hope your children develop a Biblical worldview. However, if they do develop strong convictions rooted in the Bible it will be no accident. YOU MUST WORK AT IT CONSISTENTLY AND YOU MUST EQUIP THEM TO WITHSTAND THE HEAVY INFLUENCE OF UNBELIEF PERMEATING OUR WORLD.
Here is an article containing recent polling about origins. It is interesting. Thankfully, many do believe the Biblical record. However, a growing number of Americans are embracing evolution. Check out the article below.
Gallup Poll: Belief in Creationism at All-time Low
By Brian Freeman - Newsmax
The percentage of Americans who believe God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years is the lowest in the past four decades, while the share who do not believe God had any role in human evolution is the highest recorded, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.
The polling agency started asking views related to the issue in 1982.
Other results from the survey include:
The largest segment of Americans (37%) remain creationist purists, despite the all-time recorded low, saying God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years.
The scientific theory of evolution, that humans evolved from less advanced forms of life over millions of years without God's involvement, is accepted by 24% of U.S. adults, an all-time high.
Straddling both theories are 34% of Americans, who say humans evolved, but with God's guidance.
Belief in creationism and God-guided evolution hit their peaks of 47% and 40%, respectively, in 1999 and have since trended downward. Support for evolution without divine intervention has nearly tripled since the same year.
Views on human origins continue to vary significantly, depending on people's religious identification, how often they attend church, their political ideology, and their education level.
Majorities of U.S. adults who attend religious services at least weekly identify as politically conservative, are Protestant, and believe that God created human beings in their present form. Half of those who attend religious services nearly weekly or monthly also believe in creationism.
A majority of those who say they do not affiliate with any religion think humans evolved over millions of years without any involvement from God, as do pluralities of those who attend religious services less than monthly and political liberals.
Pluralities of Catholics and college graduates believe in evolution over millions of years that was guided by God.
You can draw your own conclusions about this poll. My aim in sharing it is simple. I want to alert parents to the very real influence of evolutionary thinking running rampant throughout our society. Make sure your children learn the Biblical doctrine of creation. It is the foundation of our faith.
Also, make sure you provide answers to the questions that arise in their thinking. It is natural to ask questions and it is for sure they will encounter attacks on the Biblical doctrine of creation. They will need answers. Providing those answers equips them with an apologetic for their faith. See the weekly “Creation Connection” for help with this matter.
CREATION CONNECTION
One of the errors propagated in the church since the secular world began promoting the idea of millions of years of earth history in the 1800s is the misguided concept
of a “gap” of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. This seemed to be a convenient way for Bible teachers to accommodate the supposed “scientific” idea of millions of years of earth history coming out of the scientific community at that time.
However, there is no justification for this compromise with a pseudo-scientific idea we know has no support from real data collected from the scientific method. We could try to excuse the compromise of Christian leaders in the 1800s and the early 20th century, but they should have known better.
We should never allow the words of men to sit in judgment on the Word of God. Since the Bible nowhere teaches the pagan concept of millions of years of death and dying before Adam’s sin, the church should have silenced such babble from the scientific community with a clear stand on the Word of God. Tragically, in some ways the church has never recovered from those days of compromise.
Here is a link to an article that gets you started with sound Biblical teaching on the subject. This article also links you to four more great articles to help strengthen your understanding of this matter.
PASTOR APPROVED
Recently we enjoyed hosting the Lore Family at our local church in a CBM event. They did a great job and I think their latest music CD entitled THE WORLD NEEDS A SONG would be a blessing to your family. You can find information about their ministry and music at www.thelorefamilyministries.com
Another way to receive their latest CD is to share a one-time gift of any size in support of Christian Broadcast Ministry (CBM). Visit cbmtoday.org where you can donate online, and our office will get a CD mailed out to you in a timely fashion.
PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP
GROWING IN CHRIST
Every believer grows in Christ as he or she feeds upon the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2). Growth in Christ results in a deeper assurance of salvation and a greater grasp of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, as we grow in Christ we learn to walk in the Spirit. We put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man who is created after the image of Christ. Said another way, we become more like Christ as we walk in his Spirit.
With that said, I want to bring your attention to a powerful teaching of our Lord found in the gospels. Jesus clearly says we must deny self if we are to be his disciple. In fact, he says in Luke 14, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
I encourage you to read Luke 14:25-35. In this teaching Jesus insists that one must bear his cross or he cannot be his disciple. Listen carefully. In context Jesus is saying you must love him more than whatever it is keeping you from following him. Christ says if loyalty to family keeps you from following him, then you must bear the cross of rejection and follow no matter the cost.
Denying self to follow Christ begins at the point of conversion. However, it does not stop there. As we grow in Christ, we recognize we must give up life as we would live it and lose our life for Christ. The work of the Spirit in our life stands in stark contrast to the spirit of the world and the works of the flesh. The Holy Spirit leads us to deny self and to live for Christ. Thus, we must daily deny self (Luke 9:23).
Don’t be surprised when you feel a constant tug within against the things of Christ. Self is synonymous with the fallen nature and must be denied daily!
VISIT MY WEBSITE FOR SERMON NOTES AND MORE
The sermon notes from my last message on “The Ministry of John the Baptist Part Two” based on Isaiah chapter forty and Luke 3:1-9 are available on my site for free download as usual. Also, all the other message notes in my current verse-by-verse series through the gospel of Luke are available on my site.
In addition, if you would like to view the sermon spot lighting Isaiah chapter forty as it relates to the ministry of John the Baptist you can find it on my site.
THE LAST WORD
This week is especially busy as our local church hosts a week of VBS. What a blessing to see children coming to learn the truth of God’s word. I pray the Lord prospers the efforts of his people everywhere to win our children to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are not in church for some reason this week, remember to join us for our “live” worship service this Sunday at 10:30am. We broadcast live on television and radio. Visit cbmtoday.org for more information.
Feel welcome to share feedback with me at [email protected] and may the Lord bless you is my prayer.
Pastor Rusty Yost
P.S. You can access past issues of Discerning the Times by visiting the blog page on my website. Once on the blog page simply scroll down the page and past issues become visible. Tell others to check this information out. For the most part, the content in these past blogs remains relevant today.
Deception abounds in our world. The reality of deception has persisted since Satan deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden.
One serious area of deception in our day is the recording of so many Near Death Experiences. The testimonies of those who encountered a near death experience (NDE) often insinuate there is nothing to fear about death. Furthermore, non-Christians testify of a beautiful light that produced peace and joy they never knew in this life.
There is deception in these experiences as the Bible does not teach death is a wonderful experience for everyone. Those who know the Lord go to be with him at the moment of death. However, those who die without Christ do NOT see a glorious light. Rather, like the lost rich man described by Jesus in Luke 16, they lift their eyes in hell.
Recently two video clips crossed my path about near-death experiences. I am providing links to these clips below and invite you to listen with a discerning ear. If you know your Bible, then you will see the problem with the dangerous teaching set forth by those deceived by these experiences. Remember, Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan works diligently to blind the eyes of a lost world to the need for the Savior. Beware of the world of NDE.
HE Died and Came back | Jesus Revealed Shocking truth to him | NDE | Near death experience (youtube.com)
Why I don't fear death (and you shouldn't either) (youtube.com)
Certainly, those who know the Lord Jesus Christ need not fear death. However, a lost world has every reason to be afraid of death. The answer is not to console those headed for a lost eternity. Rather, the answer is to teach everyone to die with their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
ISRAEL
The Jewish News Syndicate provides the world with a window into the thinking of the Jewish people. You might want to pay attention to news provided from JNS. Truth about what is happening in Israel is not clearly communicated by our news media.
With that said, I found this podcast from Jonathan Tobin of JNS interesting. His take on J. D. Vance as Vice-President is timely and I think you will enjoy it.
On another front, did you know that Hamas is about to get one hundred million dollars from America? I just shake my head in disbelief. How can we provide money to the enemies of Israel bent on the destruction of the Jewish state and simultaneously claim to be pro-Israel?! Of course, this type of confusing behavior on the part of our government is not exactly new. The Israel Guys can bring us up to date on this latest unexplainable act coming out of Washington D.C. Here is the link.
PASTOR TO PARENT
Will your children become evolutionists? Will your children become Biblical creationists? I certainly hope your children develop a Biblical worldview. However, if they do develop strong convictions rooted in the Bible it will be no accident. YOU MUST WORK AT IT CONSISTENTLY AND YOU MUST EQUIP THEM TO WITHSTAND THE HEAVY INFLUENCE OF UNBELIEF PERMEATING OUR WORLD.
Here is an article containing recent polling about origins. It is interesting. Thankfully, many do believe the Biblical record. However, a growing number of Americans are embracing evolution. Check out the article below.
Gallup Poll: Belief in Creationism at All-time Low
By Brian Freeman - Newsmax
The percentage of Americans who believe God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years is the lowest in the past four decades, while the share who do not believe God had any role in human evolution is the highest recorded, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.
The polling agency started asking views related to the issue in 1982.
Other results from the survey include:
The largest segment of Americans (37%) remain creationist purists, despite the all-time recorded low, saying God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years.
The scientific theory of evolution, that humans evolved from less advanced forms of life over millions of years without God's involvement, is accepted by 24% of U.S. adults, an all-time high.
Straddling both theories are 34% of Americans, who say humans evolved, but with God's guidance.
Belief in creationism and God-guided evolution hit their peaks of 47% and 40%, respectively, in 1999 and have since trended downward. Support for evolution without divine intervention has nearly tripled since the same year.
Views on human origins continue to vary significantly, depending on people's religious identification, how often they attend church, their political ideology, and their education level.
Majorities of U.S. adults who attend religious services at least weekly identify as politically conservative, are Protestant, and believe that God created human beings in their present form. Half of those who attend religious services nearly weekly or monthly also believe in creationism.
A majority of those who say they do not affiliate with any religion think humans evolved over millions of years without any involvement from God, as do pluralities of those who attend religious services less than monthly and political liberals.
Pluralities of Catholics and college graduates believe in evolution over millions of years that was guided by God.
You can draw your own conclusions about this poll. My aim in sharing it is simple. I want to alert parents to the very real influence of evolutionary thinking running rampant throughout our society. Make sure your children learn the Biblical doctrine of creation. It is the foundation of our faith.
Also, make sure you provide answers to the questions that arise in their thinking. It is natural to ask questions and it is for sure they will encounter attacks on the Biblical doctrine of creation. They will need answers. Providing those answers equips them with an apologetic for their faith. See the weekly “Creation Connection” for help with this matter.
CREATION CONNECTION
One of the errors propagated in the church since the secular world began promoting the idea of millions of years of earth history in the 1800s is the misguided concept
of a “gap” of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. This seemed to be a convenient way for Bible teachers to accommodate the supposed “scientific” idea of millions of years of earth history coming out of the scientific community at that time.
However, there is no justification for this compromise with a pseudo-scientific idea we know has no support from real data collected from the scientific method. We could try to excuse the compromise of Christian leaders in the 1800s and the early 20th century, but they should have known better.
We should never allow the words of men to sit in judgment on the Word of God. Since the Bible nowhere teaches the pagan concept of millions of years of death and dying before Adam’s sin, the church should have silenced such babble from the scientific community with a clear stand on the Word of God. Tragically, in some ways the church has never recovered from those days of compromise.
Here is a link to an article that gets you started with sound Biblical teaching on the subject. This article also links you to four more great articles to help strengthen your understanding of this matter.
PASTOR APPROVED
Recently we enjoyed hosting the Lore Family at our local church in a CBM event. They did a great job and I think their latest music CD entitled THE WORLD NEEDS A SONG would be a blessing to your family. You can find information about their ministry and music at www.thelorefamilyministries.com
Another way to receive their latest CD is to share a one-time gift of any size in support of Christian Broadcast Ministry (CBM). Visit cbmtoday.org where you can donate online, and our office will get a CD mailed out to you in a timely fashion.
PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP
GROWING IN CHRIST
Every believer grows in Christ as he or she feeds upon the Word of God (1 Peter 2:2). Growth in Christ results in a deeper assurance of salvation and a greater grasp of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, as we grow in Christ we learn to walk in the Spirit. We put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man who is created after the image of Christ. Said another way, we become more like Christ as we walk in his Spirit.
With that said, I want to bring your attention to a powerful teaching of our Lord found in the gospels. Jesus clearly says we must deny self if we are to be his disciple. In fact, he says in Luke 14, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
I encourage you to read Luke 14:25-35. In this teaching Jesus insists that one must bear his cross or he cannot be his disciple. Listen carefully. In context Jesus is saying you must love him more than whatever it is keeping you from following him. Christ says if loyalty to family keeps you from following him, then you must bear the cross of rejection and follow no matter the cost.
Denying self to follow Christ begins at the point of conversion. However, it does not stop there. As we grow in Christ, we recognize we must give up life as we would live it and lose our life for Christ. The work of the Spirit in our life stands in stark contrast to the spirit of the world and the works of the flesh. The Holy Spirit leads us to deny self and to live for Christ. Thus, we must daily deny self (Luke 9:23).
Don’t be surprised when you feel a constant tug within against the things of Christ. Self is synonymous with the fallen nature and must be denied daily!
VISIT MY WEBSITE FOR SERMON NOTES AND MORE
The sermon notes from my last message on “The Ministry of John the Baptist Part Two” based on Isaiah chapter forty and Luke 3:1-9 are available on my site for free download as usual. Also, all the other message notes in my current verse-by-verse series through the gospel of Luke are available on my site.
In addition, if you would like to view the sermon spot lighting Isaiah chapter forty as it relates to the ministry of John the Baptist you can find it on my site.
THE LAST WORD
This week is especially busy as our local church hosts a week of VBS. What a blessing to see children coming to learn the truth of God’s word. I pray the Lord prospers the efforts of his people everywhere to win our children to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you are not in church for some reason this week, remember to join us for our “live” worship service this Sunday at 10:30am. We broadcast live on television and radio. Visit cbmtoday.org for more information.
Feel welcome to share feedback with me at [email protected] and may the Lord bless you is my prayer.
Pastor Rusty Yost
P.S. You can access past issues of Discerning the Times by visiting the blog page on my website. Once on the blog page simply scroll down the page and past issues become visible. Tell others to check this information out. For the most part, the content in these past blogs remains relevant today.
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