How to spiritually grow in a times we live in

 

Emergent church, the word-faith movement, positive confession, prosperity movement; Postmodernism; Inter-faith, ecumenism, the list is long as to what is being introduced as genuine. You can choose your teaching, these are the various choices of today’s poisons.

Many have already found out they have been lied to by their involvement with these aberrations but it becomes the most hurtful when it takes place to the youth as it is disguised being in the church.

Today, in the US there are far less biblical churches than there was in the 80’s and they are growing slimmer all the time. This is a result of the Christian magazines and TV stations that have influenced the unwary with their trends of new revelation. Gnosticism and Mysticism is not excluded to the new age movement any longer. These unbiblical spiritual practices have many who have begun to grow to be impeded in in their spiritual growth to turn away and look elsewhere for fulfillment in their spirituality.

When we loose our passion to excel at what we are called to do, whether it is a secular job or part or full time ministry for the Lord (indeed it is all for the Lord), we become complacent and will allow others to determine the way we should go. Complacency leads to compromise, and compromise leaves one ineffective. None of us want to end up there.

God told the people of the popular prophets of their day "Do not trust in these lying words” (Jeremiah 7:4) but they continued to “trust in lying words that cannot profit” (7:8).

Jeremiah 7:28: “So you shall say to them, this is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.” 

What is it that was in Israel’s time that we see today? We could avoid repetition if we were diligent and aware, but so many do not want to be equipped or ill prepared against the newest wave to hit the churches shores.

The newest trend to tickle the people’s fancy was the emergent church, which is really a in vogue name for interfaith. This “emergism,” is like stepping out of a small room to find numerous other rooms, each larger than the other. It continually is enlarged until one finds themselves united with all the rooms on earth. That is why Interfaith is more apropos for the naming of this view. It embraces all and negates none (except Biblical Christianity).

It is the practice of “emergination”; it is man’s imagination that produces emergent theology. It leads a large group of young people to be intentionally being removed from the word of God. We are seeing the church being ravaged by the new age movement’s practices, from straight out occultism, theosophy, mysticism has entered and pastors do not recognize it. And what you don’t recognize you cannot protect the assembly of saints from.

False teachers                                              Truth teachers

Lead you away from the word               lead into the word and preach the word

Focus on themselves, pride                     focus on Christ

Private interpretations                             rightly dividing the word

Care not for the sheep                             care for the sheep

Speak what you want to hear                  Speak what you need to hear.

What man says.                                        What God says.

First we must understand that everything a believer needs is found in Christ/ His word. Once this is abandoned for other religious teachings or following teachers that introduce what has not been written, the process of corruption begins.                       

2 Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 Everyone who is sincere in their faith should want to be equipped – and that comes by not only reading, but understanding the words you read.

It is by the Holy Spirit living in the believer and our submitting that allows the new life to transform us and be seen outwardly. He has given us what is necessary for life. This is how you will find peace and grow spiritually.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

 Col 3:1-3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” 

In Christ is Paul’s technical term, for our position and life. Our whole Christian life revolves around being in Christ. And we stay in Christ by the word.

 When you have people recommending business models or world philosophies or learning from other religions to be spiritual, we have removed ourselves from being in Christ. They may still call it church but it is no longer the pillar and ground of truth.

John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; He who does not love Me does not keep My words.” It can’t be any clearer, or simple. Much of what we are to live by is simple, not complicated.

 We learn of him by the word which is the truth delivered to us in a world that is in antagonistic opposition to him.

That is why there are so many religions and ways to choose from, and you can even make up your own, like scientology.

Teachers that are NOT basing their teaching on the word – expository teaching, we should avoid. We should always check the context. Don’t be intimidated to disobey Christ who told us to discern. You have the right and the freedom to question teaching.

We continue to build ourselves by adding spiritual virtues.

2 Peter 1:2-10: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.”  

This is Peter writing, someone who once tried to separate himself from acknowledging Jesus

At the betrayal, after Jesus said they will all abandon him, Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples.” (Matt 26:33-35)

Here we a have a perfect example of a leader misleading the people, thankfully it was temporary.

Backsliding starts with self confidence. Backsliding is different than apostasy, it is when one begins to grow cold to the things of the Lord, they become indifferent to what they once considered true and right. If one stays in this state it can lead to apostasy.

It is later in Mt.26 Peter finds himself distancing himself. V. 70-74. “this man was with Jesus, Peter denies it.

 In Acts 4, after Peter is restored, the men say this man has been with Jesus and he accepts it with honor. “And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:18-20)

You can go back to living in the flesh (your old life) and not in Spirit. As Peter said I will not forsake you when he was among the other disciples but when he was separated he had no confidence. It’s easy to be brave in a crowd. But what do you say when you are alone with the opposition?

Another example was Paul’s fellow worker Demas Phil.1:24; Col.4:14; 2 Tim.4:10 Paul watch him slide away until he became his enemy.

The same can examples can be seen in Pastors who want to be of the new treands

Purpose driven  (advanced “Schullerism”) has become the trend for the lazy pastors who cannot make a sermon on their own because they have severed their relationship with the Holy Spirit that teaches them the word. Making a mixture changes the church to be something it is not.

Are you going to walk with the Lord by reading Krishnamurti? I don’t think so.

Too many people today cannot have an independent thought unless someone gives it to them. So they follow the crowd and the crowd (the majority oftentimes) follows the trends. In a similar fashion too many pastors want to keep peace to avoid any controversy. But controversy comes – it’s unavoidable. What will you do when it does?

They promote in the church concepts for prayer-- 24/7 or community prayer zip codes and introduce these as necessary improvements for success. The pastors that are naïve and unknowledgeable will be taken captive by these trends.

They know they are introducing an unjustifiable view that goes against the Scripture,

using new age terms and meanings and when someone tells them what they are doing is wrong they not only ignore the correction but take a stand against that person. They make it difficult for them to fellowship there any longer and they drive them out.

I'm not one who believes in an actual global warming caused by man, but I believe we are seeing a spiritual global warming by men. The atmosphere in the churches are warmed up to spread these new age practices and doctrines. Jesus does not want the church to be warm.

If you think you have seen these deceptions at work today in the world and the church, your right. But get ready, put on your seat belts and hold tight as next the “wave” is coming. It will be far more extensive.  Repetition of the past is soon to come that will be far more pervasive. Laughter will be back with a stronger influence from the anointed cherub. All that Toronto and other false revivals did will converge and be used to move the youth into intense counterfeit experiences.  

 May we be equipped not to repeat what Israel did.

Hosea 9:7-10 The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity. The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; but the prophet is a fowler's snare in all his ways-- Enmity in the house of his God.They are deeply corrupted, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor, and separated themselves to that shame; they became an abomination like the thing they loved.”