Identity Theft Selected Scriptures

Transcription

1 Week #10 Identity Theft Selected Scriptures I. Introduction A. Jude instructs us to contend for the faith but what if that will make some of us rather angry 1. Should I just say nothing 2. And become a modern day Sargent Schultz 3. Jude s admonition is one we cannot avoid and our Lord wants us to obey 4. When He discusses this the topic of obedience with Joshua, He urges him to be strong and very courageous B. Our generation of Christianity has been seduced, used and abused by something called the New Age Movement 1. New Age thinking has its roots, in Eastern mysticism, which attempts to bypass the mind. 2. It is essentially monism. The belief that all is one and one is all. 3. As a result this movement is about spiritualism and communicating with the spirit world 4. It has as a result involved the occult in its practices C. The New Age has several key tenets, two of which are: 1. That God is in everything, which is called panatheism a. That means that God is in everyone 2. And that experience and recent communications take precedence over Scriptural mandates 3. Consider this recorded recollection from a prominent New Ager a. The minister was preaching. He was holding up a Bible. It was open, perched atop his raised hand as if a blackbird had landed there. He was saying that the Bible was the sole and ultimate authority of the Christian s life. The sole and ultimate authority. b. I remember a feeling rising up from a place about two inches below my naval. It was a passionate, determined feeling, and it spread out from the core of me like a current so that my skin vibrated with it. If feelings could be translated into English, this feeling would have roughly been the word no! c. It was the purest inner knowing I had experienced, and it was shouting in Page 1 of 7

2 II. me no, no, no! The ultimate authority of my life was not the Bible; it is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my own soul. Period. D. They also have certain nomenclature that we can recognize if observant: 1. Christian yoga 2. Cocoons of light 3. The Presence 4. The silence 5. Sacred space 6. Contemplative prayer 7. Channels or channeling 8. Co-creating 9. The quantum leap 10. The Universal Spirit E. A key literary work of this New Age movement and its attack on Christianity is God Calling 1. This book was written by two anonymous listeners 2. These listeners tell us things like: a. I (God) am at the center of every man s being b. I who command a universe, I await the commands of my children, command your Lord c. Claim big, really big things now remember nothing is too big, claim the un-claimable, claim my power d. Know no theology, know me e. When man ceased to commune with his God simply and naturally, he took refuge in words... rely less on words f. The wonder of it... we were being taught, trained and encouraged day by day by Him personally, when millions of souls... had to be content with guidance from the Bible g. Remember that truth is many sided h. I (God) have called each of my children to a different path, distinctly designed for that one. Do not let anyone convince you that his is the only right way The writers of this work claim to have received messages from God which they want to share with the rest of the world A. But this brings to us an important question, is God still sending the church and through it the rest of the world messages which are divinely authoritative? 1. Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Page 2 of 7

3 III. 2. Deuteronomy 12:32 Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. 3. Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. 4. Revelation 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; B. Even if messages come to one person, intended for just that person, we are warned in Scripture to be very careful in what we hear C. That warning is contained in several passages 1. Matthew 24:3-5 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. 5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. 2. Matthew 24:23-26 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him. 24 "For false Christ s and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 "Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 "So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them Corinthians 11:4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 5. 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. But why should we be so concerned about this book God Calling? A. It was written a number of years ago B. Most of us in the church have never heard of it C. But there is a woman named Sarah Young 1. She was given a copy of God Calling and read it ravenously 2. She became spiritually inspired by reading God Calling 3. Instead of discerning this book to contain a New Age/Occult message, she allowed this work to inspire her to seek her own dictated messages from Jesus 4. God Calling became a treasure to Ms. Young [Pg. XI] 5. As she followed the principles in this book, she began receiving messages from Jesus also, just as the listeners had before her 6. And then, after receiving these messages felt compelled to share them with us a. First by way of a devotional book entitled Jesus Calling and Page 3 of 7

4 IV. b. Then by way of a Bible containing her messages as Scriptural notes called the Jesus Calling Devotional Bible D. So why is that so concerning? So what does Jesus Calling teach us to do A. Sarah Young urges us to: 1. To be still and allow ourselves to become channels for supernatural communication 2. The problem is that that is not what God tells us to do 3. Silence allows deceptive spirits to establish contact with those of us who are naive and undiscerning listeners 4. Being still, open and receptive is an ideal state of mind for deceptive spirits to inject ungodly thoughts and understandings into our minds B. That brings two questions to the forefront of our discussion 1. Does Sarah Young really want us to open ourselves up like that, being receptive to whatever may come? 2. Does she misdirect Scripture to teach New Age spirit communication? 3. Let s answer the second question first C. Sarah Young s primary Scriptural admonition is found in Psalm 46:10 1. Psalm 46:10 Cease striving (be still KJV ) and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. a. The part in bold is what she quotes b. What does this passage speak of? c. Consider this verse in context Psalm 46:6-11 The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God's voice thunders, and the earth melts! 7 The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. (Interlude) 8 Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; He burns the shields with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." 11 The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. d. This passage is not a call to contemplative prayer e. God is not speaking to the believer here but to His enemies (1) they must listen to Him (2) they will be forced to recognize that He is God (3) He will be exalted among the peoples of the world and not merely His own people (4) this passage is about judgment, and the call for stillness is not as preparation for worship but for impending judgment (5) Be still (cease striving) hp'r' raphah {raw-faw'} Meaning: 1) to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened 1a) (Qal) 1a1) Page 4 of 7

5 to sink down 1a2) to sink, drop 1a3) to sink, relax, abate 1a4) to relax, withdraw 1b) (Niphal) idle (participle) 1c) (Piel) to let drop 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake 1d2) to let go 1d3) to refrain, let alone 1d4) to be quiet 1e) (Hithpael) to show oneself slack 2. This passage is not one that guides us into contemplative prayer, or to be a channel for new communication, or to open ourselves up to whatever destination a mind clearing meditation may bring us to. 3. Ms. Young seriously misinterprets this portion of this verse 4. What about the first question? D. Instructions from Jesus Calling to its readers (ostensibly from Jesus) 1. Come to Me with your defenses down... Relax and feel the relief of being totally open and authentic with Me. [Pg. 306] 2. Make your mind like a still pool of water, ready to receive whatever thought I drop into it. [Pg. 228] 3. Sit quietly in My Presence, letting My thoughts reprogram your thinking. [Pg. 200] 4. Let Me control your Mind. [Pg. 116] 5. The world has changed enormously since I first gave the command to be still, and know that I am God. However, this timeless truth is essential for the wellbeing of your soul. As dew refreshes grass and flowers during the stillness of the night, so My Presence revitalizes you as you sit quietly with Me. [Pg. 258] E. Scriptural Meditation teaches something different 1. Psalm 119:48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. 2. Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3. Psalm 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 4. Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. 5. Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. V. Testing Sarah Young s Jesus by what he says: A. Consider these concepts: 1. Co-creating with Jesus a. The idea of Co -Creation involves man recognizing that he is god and then acting as god to co-create a positive future b. This is a very practical way of collaborating with Me (Jesus). I, the Page 5 of 7

6 VI. Creator of the universe, have deigned to co-create with you. [Pg. 362] 2. Taking the quantum leap a. this involves a paradigm shift that occurs when we awaken and accept the fact that we are all one with God, because God is in us all b. when you make the quantum leap into eternity, you will find Me awaiting you in heaven [Pg. 285] 3. The cocoon of light a. Since this movement is convinced that we are all one because we are all God, they describe us as a chrysalis which has been immersed in a cocoon of light from which we will emerge to a complete oneness with God b. I am all around you, like a cocoon of Light [Pg. 166] What would the real Jesus say A. Sarah Young would say be still and listen to Him and He will tell you B. I would say, No! He has already told us in the Scriptures 1. Psalm 138:2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your loving-kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. a. Since God has magnified His word in accordance with His name, it (His word) instructs us (1) NKJV For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. (2) NASB For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. (3) l[; al Meaning: upon, above, over b. We will never experience His presence in any way that is not totally consistent with the truth of the Scriptures c. As a result we can know that if a voice, or presence or anything else tells us something different that what s in God s word, it is not from a divine source but from Satan 2. Could it be that God meant that then but now? 3. Consider than Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. a. Pass away pare,rcomai parerchomai {par-er'-khom-ahee} Meaning: 1) to go past, pass by 1a) of persons moving forward 1a1) to pass by 1b) of time 1b1) an act continuing for a time 1c) metaph. 1c1) to pass away, perish 1c2) to pass by (pass over), that is, to neglect, omit, (transgress) 1c3) to be led by, to be carried past, be averted 2) to come near, come forward, arrive C. We must understand that if we choose to put experiencing God s presence above His word, we are leaving ourselves open and vulnerable to a counterfeit presence D. It should not surprise us that a counterfeit presence will promote experience over the Page 6 of 7

7 Scripture E. We find the truth of God in the Word of God F. Consider Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. G. But the voice in Jesus Calling said: 1. My Word is a lamp to your feet; My Presence is a Light for your path. [Pg. 233] 2. Let the light of My Presence soak into you, as you focus your thoughts on me. Thus I equip you to face whatever the day brings. [Pg. 3] H. But then the real Jesus warned us by saying: Luke 11:35 Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. I. Maybe the last word we should take away from this study is the admonition that Paul gave to Timothy: 2 Timothy 2:15 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth Believer s Bible Class, & Douglas W. Brady Page 7 of 7