Morning Moments

1 Tim. 4:2 (KJV)
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

If we are to Spot Seductive Deceivers, we must not only Remember their Purpose, but also Reveal Their Preaching. It is such as sad thing that there is so little "boldness" in the Church to stand up and speak out. We shy away from talking "politics and religion" because we are afraid we will "offend" someone. Well, my friend, if you are offended at truth - get right with God.

Please understand that my reference is not to areas in which we may respectfully disagree. I have already cited a number of those areas. We may "split hairs" but we must not split churches on "less important" issues. I have pastored Baptist churches, but in the congregation may have been hyper calvinists, charismatics, pre-tribs, mid-tribs, etc., I have never avoided the teaching of Scripture in ANY of these or other such areas, but where there is room for tolerance, I remain tolerant. Be dogmatic where God is dogmatic, but be tolerant where God is tolerant. One thing is for sure - any person who seeks to split a church with what I refer to as these "lesser doctrines", HAS TO GET RIGHT OUR GET OUT! End of story. As I said, "spliting hairs" is okay, but "spliting churches" is NOT. If Jesus is LORD of the living and the dead, then He is Lord of the charismatic and the baptist. Both may worship together in my opinion. My message is that JESUS IS LORD!

In our effort to Reveal the Preaching of Seductive Deceivers, let me hasten to say that their teaching violates the Scripture in two ways. First is controadicts God's Standard of truth and secondly it cauterizes man's Sense of determining truth.

True believers in Scripture are never referred to as liars and hypocrites, but these false teachers are referred to as both. In other words, they knowingly and willfully misrepresent the truth and disguise themselves and their intent. These are not merely innocent immature believers who lack understanding. They do what they do with purpose and intent.

As true believers we have a standard by which to "judge" and a standard by which we may be "judged". Don't miss this! We "judge" one another and ourselves by evaluation NOT condemnation. We have the Holy Spirit living within us comforting, confirming, and convicting our conscience as we respond positively or negatively to the truth. The believer's conscience is open to rebuke, reproof, and exhortation. But these Seductive Deceivers have a conscience that is closed and seared or cauterized as with a hot iron. These are they of whom Stephen spoke when he said to them, "you do ALWAYS resist the Holy Spirit".

Enough for now.

BLESSINGS!