Remember them which have the
rule over you, who have spoken unto
you the word of God: whose faith
follow, considering the end of
their conversation. Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and to day,
and for ever. Be not carried about
with divers and strange doctrines.
For it is a good thing that the heart
be established, with grace; not with
meats, which have not profited
them that have been occupied therein.
Hebrews 13:7-11
"Remember," to exercise memory and what was needful to remember is the One who rose from the dead: Jesus Christ. We are not to passively sit by and allow anyone, pastor, preacher, teacher, whoever to just say what they want even if it sounds good to the ears. We must especially examine those who "rule" over us, our pastors, and teachers, and others and not just accept all that they say as though they have some special connection to God. Our responsibility is to make sure that what is being taught that which is being spoken is the "word of God." We cannot become disinterested in what goes on in our Churches, our homes and with our friends. All that we have studied thus far led us to the one fact: we are the temple of God. Therefore we have a responsibility to act accordingly. We do not blindly follow someone's else whose faith may seem truthful, no, we examine all things and hold fast to that which is good, (1Thessalonians 5:21). There are those who teach a Jesus that is not the Jesus of the Bible making Him to be "a god," or as a teddy bear Savior, or willing to do all that a person may ask, and here is a thing to remember, if a person is not following in the footsteps of Jesus why would that person think that God, Jesus Christ, would answer their prayer? The only prayer that will be answered for sure is the prayer, a truthful prayer of repentance. Jesus Christ has not changed, He is the same, in the past, in the present, and will be in the future and only God can claim that so if Jesus, and He did, claim this then He is pointing to the fact that He is God, the Second Person of the Trinity.
So many various doctrines have come to mislead people and this misleading and those doctrines that are not based on Scripture began in the most early times of the Church. Some have persisted until now, others have been changed in some way but in actuality they are still a heretical view of God, of Scripture. Here is one persistent heretical view and can be found especially in the Roman Catholic Church: Baptism for the dead. Paul wrote: "Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead" (1Corinthians 15:29). An early Church father wrote: "He asks, "What will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise?" ... Do not then suppose that the apostle here indicated that some new god is the author and advocate of this practice. Rather, it was so that he could all the more firmly insist upon the resurrection of he body, in proportion as they who were batpized for the dead resorted to the practice from their belief of such a resurrection. We have the apostle in another passage defining "only one baptism." Therefore, to be "baptized for the dead" means, in fact, to be baptized for the body. For, as we have shown, it is the body that becomes dead. What, then, will they do who are baptized for the body, if the body does not rise again" (Tertullian (c.207,W), 3.449,450: italics mine)? Some denominations teach a form of doctrine that includes that there is a special anointing by the Holy Spirit and to speak in some form of "gibberish sounds," or as the Bethel Church of Redding and the School of the Supernatural teaches is that a person will receive some special visitation and that they are to go around and find people to pray for expecting that those anecdotal stories of healing and the raising of the dead are true and they will see this for themselves, and they believe this because they have come to believe that those teaching them are not attempting to mislead them. They do not examine all things. There are many more of such misleading doctrines that have taken its toll on people who are seeking the truth. Do not be one of them: Remember what Jesus taught, and what the inspired writers wrote who always taught the Gospel, nothing else, and how we are to apply the words of Jesus in our everyday life. Do not add anything to the Gospel as others have done for it is simple: do and live according to the laws, commands, and precepts of the Bible, and do not live in any other way. Easy to say, hard to do, of course we live in a sinful world, but Remember: you are the temple of the living God and God, the Holy Spirit resides in you and will lead you if you allow Him to do so.
Today is my birthday, I am now 74 years old, and find that I must continue to study, to make sure of my election, to not fall back on those things that seemed so good and fun but led me to have many unnecessary heartaches. I have found to live for Jesus is the only way that truly brings joy, and happiness. Someday I will be with my Savior in heaven and with that promise I can face anything and so can you.
Hear me, O LORD, hear me,
that this people may know
that thou are the LORD God,
and that thou hast turned
their heart back again.
1Kings 18:37
Do not allow yourself to be fooled
Richard L. Crumb
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