Gleanings From The Word

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  • Vantage Point – From the eyes of God

    Vantage Point – From the eyes of God

    lake and surrounding country from hilltop

    I stood at the bottom of the hill and looked around. I could see a pretty view of parts of the lake, but most of it was out of my line of sight. As I climbed. At times, I could see more of the lake. At other times, the trees blocked my view, and I couldn’t see any of it. It all depended on my vantage point.

    Finally, after about two hours of hiking, I reached the viewpoint at the summit. The view was breathtaking. Not only could I see the entire lake, but also many of the nearby farms and the forested hills. Looking up, I could see a huge expanse of sky.

    The scenery hadn’t changed, only my vantage point; my ability to see it did.

    I thought of God’s view of the world. Being outside of time and space and omnipotent. He can see every detail all at once. He sees our victories and joys as well as our failures and sorrows. He sees the hidden thing that we would never share with others. He sees no matter the lighting conditions, dark and daylight are the same from His vantage point.

    He sees us at our most unlovable and rebellious and still loves us. I’ve seen myself at my most unlovable, and it amazes me that He could love me. Sometimes I don’t even like myself, let alone love myself. I think most of us have those moments.

    For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:5-8

    From His vantage point, He sees something worth loving and saving. Only He alone knows what that is.

    I’m grateful that He saw something in me that I couldn’t see. I’m amazed that He would want reconciliation with a habitual sinner like me. I’m surprised and astounded that He can love me.

    Yet it’s true. The Bible declares it so. Jesus came and died for that very reason. He came to set us free.

    Praise God for His mercy, grace, and love.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Above the Clouds – Heaven Bound
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear

  • Clean Laundry – Clean Hearts

    Clean Laundry – Clean Hearts

    Woman washing laundrt in Mexico c1930's original photograpger unknown

    Yesterday morning, as I finished my coffee and writing Gleanings, I prepared to go to my aquafit class. Before I left, I threw a load of laundry on to wash.

    A perfectly ordinary task, but it got me thinking. We are blessed with a machine that tends to the laundering, and another that tends to the drying. We don’t have to haul water to do it or carry our laundry down to a creek and wash it by hand, like this lady from Mexico in the 1930s.

    I not only have enough clothes to launder, but also clothes to wear while the laundry is being done and while enough clothes accumulate to do a load.

    I like clean clothing. I confess that at the end of the day, I’m not always fresh.

    Clean clothes are a very pleasant luxury that we take for granted sometimes.

    So are clean hearts. Before we come to Christ, we are dead in our sin. We have no concept of how repulsive our sin is to a God who is completely and perfectly holy. We get quite used to walking in our sin and even wallowing and rolling in it.

    Now the Holy Spirit restrains people, even those who are not His. We have no concept of how depraved we could be if the restraints of the Spirit and the rules of society were to be removed,

    Every act of an unbeliever is sin, even our so-called good deeds, because “without faith it is impossible to please God” Hebrews 11:6.

    That is a pretty astounding statement. Yet it is true.

    Fortunately for us not only is God perfectly holy and righteous, He is also merciful and just. Sinners who receive the penalty due their sin, eternal torment. That is justice. Do the crime and you do the time, Perfectly reasonable and fair.

    Yet he makes the offer of mercy. I am not going to get into the debate about the theology of election here, wherever you fall on the topic as a believer you understand some are saved and none of those by merit. That is mercy and grace. The penalty due us has been paid by Christ.

    The Psalmist understood that our hearts and minds need laundering

    Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:1-12

    The Lord Spoke through the prophet Isaiah (1:18)

    “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

    Clean laundry is a luxury, and it stays clean only until I wear it again. Cleanhearts and minds covered in the blood of Christ remain clean forever. Our flesh may fall back into patterns of sin, but when we are His, He does not reject us. He cleanses us anew.

    Until next time, I wish you clean clothing enough to wear and, more importantly, a fresh, clean heart from Christ and an appreciation for what He has done for you.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
    Nothing But the Blood – Clean in Christ
  • Murder – death of Jesus for our sake

    Murder – death of Jesus for our sake

    four crows on a tree branch

    Today, I saw a murder of crows in the tree. In case you don’t know, a murder is the formal name for a gathering of crows.

    Seeing the crows brought murder to mind. I started to think about all the murder mysteries I have watched and read over the years. They all had something in common, besides the body. In all of them, as far as I can remember, the victim was unable to prevent his own murder.

    There is one murder, however, that I know of, where the victim willingly submitted to being murdered for a greater cause. I’m Speaking of course, of the murder of Jesus, planned by the Jewish leaders, and carried out by the Roman rulers.

    The Jewish leaders perceived Jesus as a threat, and when they could not discredit him, they planned to kill him. They used Pontius Pilate to have him crucified, a most ignominious death.

    Let’s set the scene, before Jesus was taken to Pilate, one of his disciples betrays him and shows up at the Garden of Gethsemane with troops to arrest him

    Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. Matthew 26:50-56 ESV

    Jesus willingly goes with them and submits to being convicted in a kangaroo court on completely fabricated charges. He is mocked, rejected, tortured, and eventually killed on the cross.

    Why would the God of the universe permit himself such indignities? Because he loves us. He humbled himself, set aside his rights, and came to earth to die.

    “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8 ESV

    If that thought doesn’t amaze you, you need to stop and think about what he has done for you.

    Praise God for all his mercies.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    For the Birds – God’s provision
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
  • Complaining? Turn it to praise.

    Complaining? Turn it to praise.

    We live in Abbotsford, BC, in the Lower Mainland. That means rainy winters, and it’s raining this morning. A few people at church yesterday (including me) were complaining about how wet the weather had been. So, I set myself on a quest to find out how much rain we had so far this year. Okay, not really a quest per se; I went online and looked.

    In January, we had 178mm (7 inches) of rain. That’s enough to fill 1.5 average Vancouver umbrellas. That’s a lot of moisture, but…

    The average rainfall for Abbotsford in January is 200 mm, so it has actually been drier than average. I guess we had no real reason to complain. Then I remember where we used to live and converted the rain to snowfall, about 5 inches. That’s enough to bring the Lower Mainland to a full stop if it fell at once, and it’s hardly noticeable in many places.

    Either way, there was no reason for complaining. It amazes me how often we can fall into complaining, even over first-world problems. There is something in the fallen human condition that seems determined to look at the world through darkened lenses and tell one another how bad things are.

    It’s nothing new. The Israelites in the wilderness complained about hunger. The Lord visibly and miraculously provided their daily bread. They still found reason to complain and wanted to go back to slavery in Egypt. We are fickle people.

    Compare that to the way the Bible tells us we ought to be.

     Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5-18 ESV

     “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”  Psalm 136:1 ESV

    “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” Job 1:21 ESV

    We often forget or fail to notice the many things we have to be grateful for. Some people keep a gratitude journal, where, at the end of the day, they note all the blessings, large and small, for that day. Others post an image of something they are grateful for on their social media page daily.

    There are many things to be grateful for. Even our street people have better living conditions than many people in the world. By and large, North Americans are still wealthier than the majority of people worldwide and across generations.

    If we are believers, our sins are forgiven, and we are reconciled to God. We are the recipients of His love and mercy. He walks with us in all our trials. The Spirit can intercede for us and more.

    It’s time to take some time and reflect on our blessings. As the old song says, “Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done.”

    Instead of being people who complain, let’s remember how blessed we are, despite our circumstances, and praise God.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Grateful in every situation

    Some thoughts on finding a good church

    Find a good church

    Live in Abbotsford? There are many good churches. This is where I attend.

    Rebound Stronger – How trials build unshakeable faith
  • Are you truly alive

    Are you truly alive

    Black squirrel eating seeds

    Yesterday, I drove past a common and sad sight. The corpse of a black squirrel lay in the gutter beside the road. It looked so small and pathetic. There was no mistaking that it was no longer alive.

    I had seen that squirrel just the day before; it was sleek, bushy, and full of life. I guess it’s a habit of running across the street in front of traffic that brought the inevitable conclusion. 

    When people pass away, they have that same look of death. There is no vibrancy, no animation, and no spirit. YOu can see they are no longer alive. We expect that.

    What we often fail to recognize are the walking dead among us. I don’t mean zombies. I’m talking about those who are still dead in their sins. They look alive and can be animated and fun.  Yet, they are dead in the spirit, wilfully blind and destined for a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

    Contrast that to believers. We face the same trials and struggles. We still have problems, and our lives didn’t somehow magically become perfect. Yet there is an inner joy that circumstances can’t take away. We have a promise of everlasting life with the Lord.

    Only Believers have true life. That’s a harsh fact. It means that most of the people we encounter every day are spiritually dead. That’s an uncomfortable truth we don’t like to think about.

    Yet, there is good news. Those of us who are truly alive have a message of hope to bring to the world of those lost in darkness and without hope. We bring the gospel.

    The very word gospel is from an Old English word, God’s spell, meaning good news or blessing. It derives from the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news.”  The four gospels aren’t called gospels by mistake; they bring us the good news of Jesus.

    What is this gospel? It appears in many forms, fully and partially formed in the Scriptures.  We know that all of us are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. We know that we must be born again by faith. Paul gives us assurance that accompanies those thoughts.

    For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV

    He died for our sins, died, and was resurrected. He is alive today. It’s not a wish, it’s a historical event and a promise rolled into one. That’s astoundingly good news.

    God has given us the privilege of taking this euangelion to the world. He’s responsible for the result; our job is simply to live and proclaim the truth.

    Will we?

    Jesus, the one who came and paid the penalty for our sins, is real and alive.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    The Walking Dead
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
  • Awe – How was worship today at your local church?

    Awe – How was worship today at your local church?

    Morraine Lake

    Today’s image is Moraine Lake in Alberta. The sight always stops me in my tracks and leaves me in awe. How much more can I be in awe of God? Thinking of awe led to this morning’s Gleanings.

    Have you ever done this? I confess that I have, and too often. You’ve just attended the Sunday service at your local church, and before you’re out the door, you’re complaining. That was boring. The service was too short/long. The music wasn’t the right volume/genre, and the songs were too old/new.

    Maybe it was, “Did you see what Mrs. Smith was wearing? Or, perhaps, “Did you see that teenager who wore his hat in the service or had that rude t-shirt?” How about “Did you see who was ushering. How can they even show their face in the church?’

    The pastor spoke too long, I didn’t like the prayer time, that baby kept fussing, the list goes on and on.

    Perhaps we were focused on the wrong things. Any one of those comments might be accurate (or not), but we’ve missed the point of “going to church.”

    The Sunday service (or whatever day yours happens to be) is a time to gather in godly fellowship with other believers, to meet with the one true God and worship Him corporately. We do that through serving, teaching, singing, giving, fellowship, and loving others.

    When we go to meet with God, our focus changes. I believe it was RC Sproule who once said, “People in awe never complain that church is boring.” 

    Whenever we read of people in the bible encountering God, awe is a common factor.

    “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”  Revelation 4:8 ESV

    “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.”  Job 40:4 ESV

    “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore, you are feared” Psalm 130:3-4 ESV

    Now, I’ll be the first to admit that not every Sunday service causes us to fall on our faces in awe of God. Still, if our focus and desire are to meet with the living God through the message of the Word, the singing, and true fellowship, He will meet us there.

    Our hearts and minds will be transformed.

    If you’re not happy with your local church, perhaps the first thing you ought to do is check your own heart. Maybe something about the format isn’t to your liking, but was God present? Is the congregation being transformed into the image of God? 

    The local church, with all its warts and flaws, all the people still in progress, and all its problems, is still the bride of Christ. We need to learn to love her as much as we do Him.

    Wherever you worship this Sunday, set aside everything else and seek His face with joy and awe.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Do Not Forsake Meeting Together
    Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12

    Some thoughts on finding a good church

    Find a good church

    Live in Abbotsford? There are many good churches. This is where I attend.

    Crowns of glory
  • Determined – thoughts on the state of the world

    Determined – thoughts on the state of the world

    Jasper sitting at the base of a tree he chewed

    This is Jasper, a border collie-maremma cross. His temperament is by far more maremma than collie. he is very determined. He lived with us when we had the acreage, but when we moved to the city, he and Misty, the border collie, moved to a friend’s farm, where they live happily today.

    Border collies are hyperactive herding dogs that seem to have to work to live. Maremmas are livestock guard dogs that are content to lie on a raised area, surveying their kingdom and flock with regal authority until danger arises. Then watch out.

    Jasper is a master at regally surveying his domain until danger arises. Unless there’s a squirrel. A squirrel throws a switch in his brain, and he just must get them. Then he thinks he’s a hunting dog crossed with a beaver. 

    You can see from the picture that he has a squirrel treed and is determined to bring it down. Yes, he gets so excited that he gnaws the tree. 

    That’s determination…or madness.

    There’s a lot of that sort of determination come madness in the world. The world is determined to dethrone God and do whatever it wants. That’s bad enough, but they want everyone else to celebrate the insanity.

    What is evil is now considered normal, even virtuous, by many.

    The Bible has some thoughts on that subject. The prophet Isiah was inspired by God to write on the subject 2800 years ago.

    Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, who draw sin as with cart ropes, who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work  that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!” Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! Isaiah 5:18-23

    Paul opened his epistle to the church in Rome by talking on the subject (it’s worth taking a moment to read Romans 1 in full).

    For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Romans 1:20-23

    Such people are under the wrath of God. Still, there is hope they will see the light and turn back before it’s too late.

    Our job isn’t to hate or judge these people; it’s to love them. Loving them doesn’t mean that we accept or follow their view, but it does mean that we pray for them, meet their needs when we can, and treat them as our neighbours.

     We, too, were lost in our sin and enemies of God at one point, and in His mercy, He reached down and saved us. Let’s pray He does the same even for those we might consider our enemies.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    General Revelation: Why No One Can Claim They Didn’t Know
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
    Going Squirrelly? It’s time to be still and know
    Life Squirrelly? Make time for solitude and prayer
  • A Bucket of Rocks and the Church

    A Bucket of Rocks and the Church

    pail of semi precious lapidaty rocks

    A simple photo of a bucket of pretty rocks. It caught my eye because I love rocks. Since I was a small child, I have gone through many phases of collecting and working with stones and minerals. I can’t imagine how many shiny stones my mother must have dug out of my pants pockets on laundry days. If I’m honest, it can still happen today.

    Collectors range from the casual to the obsessed, from the small child bringing a few shiny stones home in their pocket to those who travel the world to collect the perfect piece.

    A collector might simply collect pieces that catch their eye while out walking. Someone else might spend vast sums of money purchasing rare and unique specimens. One person might bring home common pieces, while another might collect only a particular type. Everyone’s tastes and circumstances are different.

    I have found that rock collectors are very willing to talk about what they collect and often share their collections. I have had great conversations with perfect strangers on beaches, gravel bars or even in the landscaped sections of parking lots about rocks. The rock bug seems to bite early in life and never go away for most people.

    A conundrum for rock collectors (or collectors of anything else for that matter) is “what to do with them when you have brought them home?” How do you display them? How do you make room for more?

    Of course, there will never be enough room. There will always be more or bigger specimens to collect. The variety of stone is virtually inexhaustible. Many are found in only one location in the world. Others are common, but they come in an infinite array of colors, shapes, and patterns.

    There is a set of something that is guaranteed to be complete in time. That set is the church. I don’t mean the outward manifestation of denominations and groups, or buildings or even the gathering of believers. I am referring to everyone throughout time that God has ordained to be saved.

    True believers are a gift to Christ from the Father.

    “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.” John 17:6-10

    If we are a gift from the perfect Father to his precious Son, we will not be lost. Everyone, from everywhere, in any era that is included in the present, will be saved.

    Knowing that doesn’t give us an excuse not to evangelize. We don’t know what our effectiveness will be, but God commands us to go. We go in obedience, trusting in Him for results.

    Knowing that all are secure in the Lord’s hands ought to give us comfort. We know the Lord won’t return until all the sheep are gathered. We can rest assured that anyone in the ranks of the yet unborn who is called of God will be secure.

    We can pray, serve and evangelize in the comfort of knowing that God’s precious gift to the Son will be intact.

    God won’t be displaying us in a basket. We will be transformed into everything he made us to be and will be in His presence for eternity to come.

    He elected His followers before the beginning of time to complete His work in them.

    For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:28-29

    Believers are chosen by a perfect God for a holy, eternal purpose. My bucket of rocks might be pretty enough, but it will never compare with the wonder of the assembled, glorified church in the presence of their God.

    I can hardly wait to see.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Some thoughts on finding a good church

    Find a good church

    Live in Abbotsford? There are many good churches. This is where I attend.

    Read the Word. Read the Word. Read the Word.
    Rocks and Minerals and Crystals… Oh My –
    A rockhound looks at the church
  • Crowns of glory

    Crowns of glory

    Water droplet crown

    I like to watch water drip and form perfect little crowns as it impacts the surface beneath it. I’ve never quite managed to get the photo of that event I wanted, so this morning I’m using someone else’s shot to illustrate it (I couldn’t track down the photographer’s contact info, so I couldn’t give them credit). 

    What can I say? Some people say small things amuse small minds, but personally, I think we simply become blasé and ambivalent about much of what we see about us. We look and see, but we never truly see.

    The physics involved in creating the drop aside, I think that it is quite a spectacular event every time it happens. We tend to overlook it because it is small and common, but every one of those marvelous crowns is unique and really something to behold. It happens so fast that it is very difficult to appreciate without the aid of a photograph, but it is majestic, nonetheless. None of the crowns worn by any king or queen has the same beauty as that of a simple raindrop or the drip of atap. 

    That’s kind of humbling in a way. God dresses the everyday raindrop in a crown of splendor that surpasses the crown jewels of any monarch that ever lived. We are surrounded by infinite beauty created by God that we simply never take the time to notice. 

    The crown of the raindrop, the puff of a dandelion, the curve of a mouse’s whiskers, and more escape our gaze, yet they surround us. 

    When I am trout fishing, the flash of a rainbow as a trout leaps out of the water should take my breath away, but I often miss it in the excitement. 

    Such things are not seen with our busy eyes. They require us to be still and truly look at our surroundings. When we do that, we can sample a taste of the glories of God. 

    These things are to be appreciated, but not worshipped; after all, we worship the creator, not the created. Yet they can draw us ever closer to Him. 

    We are called to pause and think on Him. 

    Commit your way to the Lord;
        trust in him, and he will act.
    He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
        and your justice as the noonday.

    Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
        fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
        over the man who carries out evil devices    !     Psalm 37:5-7

    “Be still, and know that I am God.
        I will be exalted among the nations,
        I will be exalted in the earth!”     Psalm 46:10 

    I can hardly wait until glory, when we will be able to truly appreciate all He has created without the veil of sin on our eyes. When we can do that, I think we will be much more able to give Father the praise and glory due His name. 

    When was the last time you stopped and were still? I mean, truly still with no background music, no cell phone, just you and God and the wonders of His creation. When was the last time you paused to look at the wonders of His handiwork? 

    If you are like most of us, it has been too long. Take some time today and just look for the crown jewels our Lord has put in your path. 

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Going Squirrelly? It’s time to be still and know
  • Those Darn Rats

    Those Darn Rats

    a rat eating seed

    Our neighborhood is located directly below a large hill that has several acres of brush and grasslands; immediately beyond the hill used to be a farm. For many decades, it was a prime habitat for rabbits, deer, raccoons, birds, and, of course, rats and mice.

    When clearing started on the farm, we saw less wildlife; that’s to be expected. Now they are cleaning up the hillside for a future park, and the rodents have no place left to live. Our neighborhood is having a minor rat epidemic, and people are doing their bit to eliminate the problem.

    Now, I don’t have a fundamental issue with rats. They’re kind of cute, inquisitive, and smart. They can even be friendly to a degree, and I’m told they make great pets. I do, however, understand that they can cause a lot of damage and can often cause health issues, so it’s undesirable to have lots of them around. That means they must go. I found myself wishing for a mythical pied piper to lead them away (without taking the children later).  We’ll get them in time.

    The rats sneaking in remind me of the way false prophets can creep into a church. They typically come in innocuously enough, but soon the poison can spread through the entire congregation, causing incredible damage.

    It isn’t a new problem

    But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

    Now, not everyone who comes into the church who has wrong thinking is a false prophet with a dangerous agenda. Many can be corrected with sound teaching and/or church discipline.  True false prophets need to be found out and removed from fellowship.

    The pastor, the under shepherd of God, acts as a sheepdog to help keep the bad ones at bay. 

    He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. Titus 1:9

    The pastor can’t be everywhere at once or hear every conversation, so the sheep must also learn to be vigilant.

    How do we know who a false prophet is? By knowing the truth ourselves. That comes through regular bible reading and study, listening to grounded preaching, and learning good theology ourselves.

    We must do our bit to be aware and discerning. Let us be diligent to ensure we know the truth.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

    Read the Word. Read the Word. Read the Word.
    Coffee shop talk and false churches.