Could you recognize a counterfeit gospel?
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If only it was that simple
In USA Today an article title "More Americans tailoring religion to fit their needs" Religion statistics expert George Barna states "We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs — our clothing, our food, our education," he says. Now it's our religion."What is the cost of not identifying the counterfeit gospel? Could you explain the true gospel? If you cannot answer to these questions, you are more likely not saved or you are not wearing the armor of God which make you very vulnerable to be deceived, Ephesians 6:11! Not wearing the armor of God is compare to not protecting your computer with anti-virus software, Romans 13:12, Ephesians 6:11-13.
There is one thing a merchant does not want? It is a counterfeit bill. When depositing the end of the day earning, the bank teller goes through the bills, and if one bill is found to be a counterfeit, it is worthless, and is deducted from the merchant profit. For this reason a merchant instructs their cashier to verify a suspect fraudulent bill by comparing it with a genuine bill. Some merchants even have at their disposal a special light to expose more easily the counterfeit bill. Merchant know and understand the cost of a counterfeit bill have on their business.
Major consequences of the counterfeit gospel within the Church are:
· It causes division in the Christian community
· And lead astray unbelievers.
What about you as a Christian? Do you really understand the cost for not questioning the gospel that has being taught to you? Many will be more than surprised but upset when Jesus will pronounce that He does not know them and that they are not found in the book of life. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness,’ Matthew 7:21-23.
A Christian who continues to practice lawlessness is one who has not thoroughly understood the significant of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are to stand before the judgment seat of Jesus, you will argue that you did not know and that it was the gospel that you were taught. You will strongly defend yourself by blaming your pastor, a priest or minister. Mark God’s word, false teachers will not get away with it also because Jesus will bring everyone accountable, Matthew 24:48-51, Rev 22:18
Therefore, it is the responsibility of each one of us to question what is being taught. Jesus is coming back as promise. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city,” Rev 22:7, 12-14. Are you sure that you have the true gospel?
You ask, “How can I be sure that what I have being taught is the truth?” One way is to follow the example of the Berean. They search the scripture to see if what the apostle Paul and Silas were teaching was the truth, Acts 17:10-11. Now, that was a difficult task because all they had was the Old Testament. The scriptures were not as ergonomic as the bible is today. It was a scroll. Yet they were knowledgeable of the scripture, so they knew approximately where to look. All Jews as a child were instructs in The Torah. Apostle Peter quoted from the Old Testament to convinces about 3000 Jews on the day of Pentecost. Please read Acts 2 for the detail.
I agree, we are not Jews, yet we have more then they had. We have all the letters of the Apostles. The Epistles are instruction given to churches especially in the area of warning against false teaching. In the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, Jesus also instructs us to listen. “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” You may dispute that you did not understand the scriptures and were in need of someone to explain it to you and were lead to stray. Jesus warned His disciples, and is a warning to us, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many,” Matthew 24:4-5. “Will deceive many.” Most Christians were brought up in a religious institution and are taken for granted everything that was taught to them without questioning. And there are gentiles, new in the Lord, that fall for the first comer and stop searching.
Jesus instructed us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,” Matthew 7:7-12. Whatever God gives you; share it also with others. You found the truth, share it with others who also are looking for it.
Do you truly understand the important of doing your own homework? Jesus explained that there is only one truth and that is the one you are to look for. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,” Matthew 7:13-14.
Not only are you to be aware of the counterfeit gospel but you have to be aware of where it comes from also. It comes from secular humanism belief (of this world). The truth is truly narrow. The secular society teaches that there are many ways to reach a higher plain of existence, to ascension. Satan is the master counterfeiter. He wants to deceive as many as possible so that who ever do not believe and do not accept Jesus would be condemned to spend eternity in the lake of fire with him. Satan motto is “They must not believe in the true gospel.”
Even Christians fall away to another gospel. “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed,” Galatians 1:6-8. It is so simple to recognize the other gospels. They all led you away from Jesus. It defiles the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” Exodus 20:3. Anyone who breaks this commandment commits lawlessness. Please watch Demonic
Counterfeit title, "TheRestless Church (Part 8b - We Lack The Spirit's Power)"
So you see, it was foreseen that it would happen especially close to the time of our Lord return, which is now. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,” 1 Timothy 4:1.
A falling away from the truth was prophesied and any Christians who studies Bible prophecy have observed a drastic change in our society cultural belief. The falling away will only increase to a point where the world will accept Satan himself disguise as an angel of light. “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God,” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4.
Today is the time you are to question the gospel that you had been taught. Do not be deceived as Eve had. “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it,” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4. Paul goes on saying, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,” 2 Corinthians 11:13.
If the cross, the resurrection of Jesus Son of God, and repentance is not in the gospel that you were taught, it is a false gospel. Anyone who denies the deity of the Father, of the Son Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit is teaching a false gospel and he is against Christ, therefore anti-Christ, Matthew 12:30, 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, 2 John 1:7. Surprise! The whole secular society is anti-Christ knowingly or by ignorance. Any one who proclaims to be the vicar between man and God other than Jesus is deceiving the many, John 14:6.
As I previous stated, some merchants even have at their disposal a special light to expose more easily the counterfeit bill. Christians and those who seek the truth have a similar detecting device. It is available to whoever asks for it. It is Jesus that gives the light. God revealed to an old man named Simeon who is the light.
“…he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel,” Luke 2:25-32.”
Do you get that? “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.” You are to keep your eyes on Jesus to know the truth and to stay in the truth. Do you want more proof? Read the testimony of Zacharias, John the Baptist’s father: “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying… “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1: 67,76-79.
John the Baptist’s commission was to point salvation to Jesus. The true gospel can be simplified in one verse, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” Acts 4:12. That name is Jesus. As Peter respond to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” John 6:68.
So what is the truth gospel? It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus the Son of God who became a man, born of a virgin women, who lives a sinless life to die in our stead on the cross and resurrect on the third day so that who ever believe in these acts of redemption receives eternal life. That is in a nutshell the simplicity of the gospel “THE CROSS”, and all that it represents. It is all about Jesus paying for the price for our sins. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus, Jesus points to God the Father. Read my commentary titled, “To become a Christian, that is easy, First & Final Step...that explains that all you need to do is to Believe. This is why and how.” Another important article I encourage you to read is, “Repentance is a must”.
To summarize: you must believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, which is being saved from a terrible destiny in hell for eternity. Once you accept Jesus as your Savior and your Lord, He sends a helper and a teacher, the Holy Spirit, to assist you in walking with our Lord. Isn’t that wonderful! This is no mystery, believe in the teaching of the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit always point to Jesus, John 14:26, 1 Cor 2:13. This statement might offend some, yet is true; “God reveal to those who love Him, 1 Cor 2:9”, and “those who seek him Heb 11: 6.” Therefore love Him and seek Him, and the door to the truth will be wide open. “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name,” Revelation 3:8. ‘My word’ is the true gospel; ‘My name’ is Jesus.
To find a church or denomination that teach and keep the true gospel…. ask Jesus and He will direct your path. Jesus promised that the gates of Hades would not prevail against it, Matthew 16:18. Here is an excellent article title "Find The Right Church" by Greg Laurie. Remember, you have Jesus the ‘light’ to guide your path. If you are interested to know why the ‘The Church’, the body of Christ is separated in so many denominations please read the commentary title, “Christianity is like an ice cream parlor.”
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me,”
Revelation 3:20.
Please take the time to watch this excellent video prepared by Greg Laurie. “How to Know God” at http://www.harvest.org/. I also encourage you to read this commentary by Joe McKeever title, “The Most Overlooked Aspect of Salvation.”
Please listen to: Play When Contending Becomes Cantankerous - Understanding the Times with Jan Markell
Note:
Ra is the sun god of Ancient Egypt - To the ancient Egyptians Ra was the ruler of the heavens. He was the god of the sun, the bringer of light, and patron to the pharaohs. According to legend, the sun travels the skies as Ra drives his chariot through the heavens. Although he originally was associated only with the midday sun, as time went by, Ra became connected to the sun's presence all day long. He was the commander of not only the sky, but the earth and the underworld as well.
DOES THE CHURCH OF ROME WORSHIP A DIFFERENT JESUS? BRANNON HOWSE INTERVIEWS MIKE GENDRON WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF ROME FOR 37 YEARS (CLIP #1) Find out.