Maintaining A Healthy Skepticism

I was thinking this whole week and I was reflecting on the time of history in which we live, and I thought to myself that if the Lord terriers doesn't return. Meanwhile our time. This period of history is going to be written in the history books as a time where right and wrong have been blurred. It will go down in history as a time where evil and good have been confused a time where truth and error have been mixed up a time when facts and fictions got muddled at time when there is a deliberate state of confusion has been created.

Although this type of deception and confusion have been with us for a long time. They are not new, yet there are certain periods in history when those times seem to be pervasive and seem to be on the increase. This period of time in which we live.

Reminded me of the period of time in which the apostle John was living on writing his epistles. Remember John was around 20 years of age when Jesus died and rose again and he lived in therapy in his 90s is so this would be around 60 years after Jesus's death and resurrection, give or take few years and within 16 years of the time of the Lord Jesus Christ dying and rising again. There were those times in which John was right 60 year where wolves were dressed in sheep's clothing. It was a time like our day where there was so many people who were deliberately and systematically trying to deceive the believers was a time when so many false belief systems have subtly surreptitiously have sneaked into the church of Jesus Christ. There was a time when there's so many false teaching and so many false teachers in the Lord rewriting the truth. As we have seen in the beginning of the series of messages, the Gnostics, who were raising their ugly head and now they raising their ugly head again, but I wanted tell you something. The problem is that we have often attempted to undermine Satan's intelligence.

We really do.

Satan is too clever to come out in the open and say I want to deceive you.

I want to take away from the truth.

No, no, he's too clever for that. He is going to mislead us away from the truth by the ever so softly approach by the ever so slowly method by the ever so deliberately attitude and so he continues subtly to deceive and to delude and to do people away from the truth. I was reading this week story about the high day of the Communists in the Soviet Union and there was a time when petty thievery was rampant in the Soviet Union, specially in the factories that were of course were all government owned people still little things here and little things there and hide them as they leave so the Communist Party decided that they're going to put a guard at the gate of the door at the entrance of every factory from where the workers coming out at the end of the day and so there was a particular sawmill factory outside of Leningrad, two-story, and their as the workers were coming out.

There was a man by the name of Petrovich and he was coming out from that sawmill with a wheelbarrow in the real world was filled with sawdust and the guard stopped them visit, come on Petrovich what are you hiding in that sawdust.

What are you hiding there is nothing on the sawdust and wood shavings is a tip it over so he tipped it over and the guard captain kicking it and why look for something that may have been hidden and that sawdust and he couldn't find anything is in THE TOP AND GO WHAT HAPPENED AGAIN THE NEXT DAY HE WENT THROUGH THE SAME ROUTINE TO PUT UPSIDE DOWN.

I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU HIDING HERE. NOTHING THERE. HE KEEPS GOING THE NEXT DAY THE NEXT DAY, BUT THE GUARD WAS ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT THE TROPHIES WAS HIDING SOMETHING AND HE DID KNOW WHAT IT WAS. SO FINALLY HE SAID TO HIM, HE SAID, LOOK, I'VE GOTTA FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE HIDING. I KNOW YOU HIDING SOMETHING, YOU GONNA TELL ME WHAT IT IS AND IF YOU TELL ME WHAT IT IS I WILL NOT TURN YOU AND I GIVE YOU MY WORD FOR THE DRIVER SAID OKAY WHAT I WAS STEALING A WHEELBARROW AS WILL THE HARRIS LISTEN TO ME THAT THE DEVIL HAS BEEN DOING THE SAME THING WITH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST FOR 50 YEARS HE HAS BEEN STEALING.

NOT SAWDUST A WOOD SHAVINGS, BUT HE WAS STEALING WHEELBARROWS HE HAS INFILTRATED OUR THINKING HE HAS PENETRATED OUR BELIEF SYSTEMS.

HE HAS FROZEN OUR PASSIONS FOR CHRIST. HE HAS TALL AND TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE FROM THE BELIEVERS.

AND WHILE WE KEEP ON GETTING HUNG UP ON THE SAWDUST OVER LIFESTYLES OF WORSHIP FOR KINDS OF MUSIC, OR THE LIKES AND DISLIKES ARE MY OPINION AND HIS OPINION. IN SOMEBODY'S OPINION. SATAN HAS BEEN STEALING WHEELBARROWS WITH THE PREACHERS PREACHING MESSAGES TO PEOPLE YEARS WITH GOSPEL THAT IS SELF SURFING THE GOSPEL WITH WATER BALANCE APPLIES MESSAGES WITH SELF-CENTERED MESSAGES AND CATERING TO THE LEAST COMMON DENOMINATOR. I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR ROD DOES NOT SO LONG AGO I HEARD A PREACHER WELL-KNOWN PREACHER ON TELEVISION HAS MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS, AND HE DECLARED THE FOLLOWING PIECE OF THE RESURRECTION, AND THIS IS CALLED EVANGELICAL BUT OTHERWISE NO LIBERAL MAINLINE CHURCH IS IS RESURRECTION IS NOT AN EVENT. IT'S A PROCESS AND I NEARLY WORKED.

LISTEN TO ME. WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN GOOD AND EVIL IS SO MIXED UP THERE WE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE. AND WHILE WE HAVE BEEN SCRUTINIZING THE WOOD CHIPS IN THE SHAVINGS IN THE SAWDUST. THE DEVIL HAS BEEN PONDERING HE HAS BEEN PONDERING OUR COMMITMENT TO THE TRUTH.

HE HAS BEEN PONDERING OUR COMMITMENT TO HOLY LIVING AND WE EXCHANGE HOLINESS FOR HAPPINESS. WE HAS BEEN PONDERING OUR COMMITMENT TO SACRIFICIAL GIVING HAS BEEN PONDERING OUR COMMITMENT TO FAITH SHARING IS PLUNDERING OUR COMMITMENT TO REACHING TO THE LOST. OUR COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST IS NOT REQUESTED AND THAT IS WHY THE VERY LAST VERSE IN CHAPTER 3 OF FIRST JOHN, WHICH WE SAW IN THE LAST MESSAGE SAYS THAT GOD GAVE US HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO DWELL IN US AND IMMEDIATELY IN VERSE ONE OF CHAPTER 4, HE GOES ON TO SAY TEST THE SPIRITS. NOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO BE NAÏVE IS TO BE GULLIBLE THAT TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY ARE NOT THE QUESTION, APPROPRIATE OR JUST CLAIMS OF FOLKS. IN FACT, THE POSTMODERN DISEASE THE POSTMODERN DISEASE SAYS THAT EVERYBODY'S OPINION EVERYBODY'S IDEA IS VALID THAT ALL BELIEFS ARE EQUAL IN VALUE THAT ALL TRUTH ARE THE SAME AND THAT WE MUST NEVER QUESTION OTHER PEOPLE'S WORLDVIEW. JOHN SAYS NO NOT AT ALL.

ON THE CONTRARY, YOU MUST PUT EVERYTHING TO THE TEST, YOU MUST PUT EVERYTHING TO THE TEST AND SEE IF IT MEASURES UP AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD, THAT YOU MUST PUT EVERYTHING TO THE TEST AND SEE IF IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO DWELLS IN YOU. NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T TURNED TO FIRST JOHN FOUR LIMITER THIS A GOOD TIME TO DO IT. FIRST JOHN CHAPTER 4 DEAR FRIENDS DON'T BELIEVE EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS TO SEE WHETHER THERE FROM GOD, WHY, WHY, BECAUSE HE SAID MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD. WHAT KIND OF A MEASURING STICK. ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO USE WHAT TIMESCALES ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO USE TO DO THAT KIND OF MEASURING AND TESTING. HE TELLS US HERE VERSE TWO. THIS IS HOW YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THE SPIRIT OF GOD. EVERY SPIRIT THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS COME IN THE FLESH IS FROM GOD ABOUT THE WAY THAT MEANS THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS GOD OF VERY GOD, AND THAT WITHOUT JESUS, YOU'VE HAD IT AT USE OF TRANSLATION, BUT YOU GET THE MEANING THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS HERE VERSE THREE BUT EVERY SPIRIT THAT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS IS NOT FROM GOD WE SERVE PEOPLE SAYING JESUS JESUS JESUS ALL THE TIME. THAT IS WHY, GIVEN THE EXPLANATION THAT JESUS AND JESUS ALONE THAT YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT TO HEAVEN WITHOUT HIM THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY GOING ALL THAT GOD IS GOING TO GO TO HEAVEN, THEY WILL NOT BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS NOW AND LIVE FOR JESUS. NOW, HOW THEY ARE TO LIVE WITH HIM IN HEAVEN. BUT EVERY SPIRIT THAT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS IS NOT FROM GOD. THIS IS THE SPIRIT OF THE ANTICHRIST, WHICH YOU HAVE HEARD IS COMING AND EVEN NOW IS ALREADY IN THE WORLD.

I HAD A DEAR FRIEND WHO WAS A HEADMASTER OF A PRIVATE SCHOOL OLD PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT PART OF THE TRADITION WAS TO HAVE A CHAPLAIN ON STAFF AND HE SAID TO ME HE SAID I GOT SO WEARY HIDING CHAPLAINS WHO DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING. I FINALLY BOILED DOWN MY INTERVIEW TO TWO QUESTIONS TO SIMPLE QUESTION THEY JUST SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO PHILOSOPHY THAT I WANT TO GET THIS THEOLOGY AT ONLY TO THE PSYCHOLOGY I WILL GET INTO THE IS IT TO SIMPLE QUESTION HERE IS HOW VS IS YOUR NUMBER ONE. I NEED YOU TO TELL ME YES OR NO WAS THE BABY IN THE MANGER.

GOD OF VERY GOD. SECOND QUESTION DID JESUS GET OUT OF THE GRAVE AND WALK ON THE THIRD DAY ON THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO SAY YES OR NO. OUT OF THE 23 CLERGYMAN THAT HE INTERVIEWED ONLY ONE WITHOUT HESITATION, SAID YES TO BOTH QUESTIONS, LISTEN TO ME THAT TEST IS NOT WHETHER IT FEELS RIGHT, BUT WHETHER IT IS A FRUITLESS THAT TEST IS NOT WHO SAYS IT, OR WHO TEACHES IT, INCLUDING THIS ONE, BUT IS IT THE TRUTH IS IT MEASURED AGAINST WHAT THE ARE TO THE PEOPLE WHO GOING AROUND ON THEIR FEELINGS.

WELL IT FEELS RIGHT. WHEN I HAD TO HATE TO SEE THEM IN THE LAST DAY WHEN THEY CROSS OVER INTO ETERNITY AND THE SHOCK ON THEIR FACES.

REALIZING THAT IS NOT THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT YOU GOING TO BE JUDGED, BUT IT IS THE TRUTH BUT WERE TO BE JUDGED HERE ON THIS ONE.

IF YOU LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS IF YOU LOVE YOUR COWORKERS IF YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS. YOU MUST SAY IT SAY IT LOVINGLY SAY IT HUMBLY SAY IT CAREFULLY, SAY THOUGHTFULLY THAT GOD WILL NOT JUDGE YOU BASED ON WHETHER SOMETHING FEELS RIGHT OR WRONG, BUT IT WAS VERY IT IS THE TRUTH OR NOT. SOMETIMES I THINK PEOPLE ERRONEOUSLY SAY WHAT WE NEED IS MORE LIGHT IN THE WORLD KNOWN IN THE WOOD ON THE MOLECULAR BLOOD EVERYWHERE IN THE WORK, THE LIGHT OF JESUS IS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND OUT EXPERIENCING FROM BROADCASTING TO THE VAST MAJORITIES OF THE POPULATION OF THE WORLD. WE KNOW THERE'S PLENTY OF LIGHT IN THE WORLD, THE LIGHT OF JESUS IS ALREADY IN THE WORLD. WHAT WE NEED TO PRAY FOR INSIGHT. THERE IS LIGHT BUT UNTIL PEOPLE GET THEIR SIDE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE LIGHT. WHY DOES JOHN SAY THAT BELIEVING THAT JESUS IS GOD OF VERY GOD AND THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. THIS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN.

WHAT WHY IS THAT OF SUCH IMPORTANCE WHY HE KEEPS EMPHASIZING IT HERE BEEN SEEING THROUGHOUT THE EPISTLE, LISTEN TO ME BECAUSE IF JESUS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN, THEN CHRISTIANITY WOULD'VE BEEN JUST ANOTHER RELIGION CHRISTIANITY WOULD'VE BEEN JUST ANOTHER APPROACH TO GOD. CHRISTIANITY WOULD BE JUST ANOTHER WAY OF GROPING AND TRYING TO FIND THE TRUTH, BUT GOD BECOME MAN JOHN SAID SAW THE DISCHARGE CAN BE OVER AND THAT IS WHAT SETS THE CHRISTIAN FAITH APART AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. AND BECAUSE GOD TOOK UPON HIMSELF HUMAN NATURE. JOHN SAID JESUS GAVE HIS DIVINE NATURE TO EVERY ONE WHO COMES TO BELIEVE IN HIM SURRENDERED TO HIM. RECEIVE HIM AS SAVIOR AND LORD OF THE LIFE DID YOU GET THAT JUST AS HE GOD OF VERY GOD TOOK ON HUMAN NATURE. JESUS CHRIST GAVE HIS DIVINE NATURE TO THOSE WHO COME TO HIM BELIEVE IN HIM, TRUST IN HIM. IF YOU GOT IT SALMON I CAN KEEP REPEATING IT.

I LOVE IT. AND BECAUSE WE HAVE RECEIVED THE DIVINE NATURE.

WE ARE ABLE TO DISCERN THE TRUTH FROM FALSEHOOD.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THAT DIVINE NATURE IS SO POWERFUL THAT IT CAN OVERCOME FALSEHOOD AND FALSE TEACHING. THIS DIVINE NATURE IS SO POWERFUL THAT IT CAN OVERCOME DECEPTION AND DECEIVERS THAT DIVINE NATURE IS SO POWERFUL THAT IT OVERCOMES TEMPTATION AND TEMPTED. LOOK AT VERSE FOUR MY DEAR CHILDREN, YOU DEAR CHILDREN ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM. WHY BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONES IN THE WORLD BECAUSE I WANTED TELL YOU SOMETHING.

THIS IS THIS IS A MESSAGE THAT BELIEVERS LISTEN, I WOULD.

I WOULD LITERALLY SHAKE YOU UPSIDE DOWN UNTIL YOU GET IT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T GET IT. YOU ARE LIVING AT THE FEET OF LIFE IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS TRUTH. YOU ARE NOT WALKING IN VICTORY.

WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE OF CHRIST.

YOU WILL BE IN OVER, YOU WILL HAVE THE VICTORY YOU WILL BE MORE THAN CONQUER AND THE HOWLING MOVES OF FALSE TEACHING.

THEY MY POUND ON YOUR DOOR, BUT THEY CANNOT COME IN THE HOWLING MOVES OF FAITH LIVING THERE.

WILL TRY TO TEMPT YOU, BUT THEY WILL NOT PREVAIL THAT THE HOWLING MOVES OF SMOOTH TALKING WILL TRY TO ENTICE YOU, BUT THEY WILL NEVER SUCCEED, THAT THE RAGING WOLVES OF SIN AND TEMPTATION WILL COME IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING, BUT YOU CAN UNCOVER THEM.

WHY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT OVERCOME YOU. ACCORDING TO JOHN THEY CANNOT DEFEAT YOU. THEY CANNOT RAVAGE YOU, THEY CANNOT DECEIVE YOU, THEY CANNOT DESPISE YOU IS WHAT JESUS SAID IN JOHN CHAPTER 10 VERSE FIVE HE SAYS MY SHEEP DO NOT RECOGNIZE A STRANGER'S VOICE MET HERE. THEY MAY BE TEMPTED TO FOLLOW BUT THEY KNOW IS NOT THE CHEF'S VOICE. THEY WILL RECOGNIZE CHRIST'S OWN SHEEP DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR SUCCESSES. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR CONNECTIONS NOW THEY HAVE THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THE CROSS OF AN EMPTY TOMB. AND SO, MY BELOVED FRIEND.

IF YOU ARE DEFEATED OR DISCOURAGED TODAY.

IF YOU'RE DESPONDENT, LISTEN TO ME IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT YOU ARE A PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE OF CHRIST WHICH IS THE TRUTH THAT IS DECLARED BY PETER AND BY JOHN AND BY PAUL IN THE WRITERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IS BECAUSE THAT YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT YOU ARE MORE THAN CONQUER THROUGH CHRIST TO CONTINUOUSLY STRENGTHEN YOU IT IS BECAUSE YOU FORGOT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PREDESTINED TO VICTORY THAT YOU BEEN PREDESTINED TO TRIUMPH IN CHRIST, AND THAT YOU HAVE LIMITLESS RESOURCES OF POWER AND STRENGTH BECAUSE HE WAS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE IS IN THE WORLD. THE SITE AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE IS IN THE WORLD IN A CULTURE OF PAUL TAKING AND MAJORITY VOTING NUMBERS AND WHO BELIEVES WHAT, WHO SAYS WHAT CELEBRITY WORSHIP WERE CONFUSED. BUT THE BIBLE MADE IT CLEAR IF YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST YOU WILL KNOW THAT YOUR PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE, YOU WILL KNOW THAT HE IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE IS IN THE WORLD BECAUSE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE POWER TO SAY, EVEN IF THE WHOLE WORLD DEPARTS FROM THE TRUTH.

I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT LISTEN TO ME, AS I CONCLUDE THAT DIVINE POWER DOES NOT MAKE US ARROGANT. NO NO NO NO NO, IT DOES NOT MAKE US PROUD.

WE HAVE NOTHING TO BE ARROGANT ABOUT EVERYTHING WE HAVE IS GIVEN TO US.

IN FACT, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. IT DRIVES A SALON. THESE IN HUMILITY.

LOOK AT VERSES 7 TO 12. THE REST OF THE GEL.

WISH I HAD TIME.EXPOUND THE REST OF THOSE VERSES BECAUSE OF THE DURATION OF TIME. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A SUMMARY OF IT. JOHN IS SAYING THAT THE CLEAREST TESTIMONY THAT YOU CAN HAVE, TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, THAT YOU ARE SAFE THAT YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE GREATEST TESTIMONY TO THE FACT THAT YOU ARE PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE. THE CLEAREST TESTIMONY IS YOUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST AND TO ONE ANOTHER AS THE CLEAREST TESTIMONY LIMIT YOU BE THE BOTTOM LINE OF THOSE VERSES.

ANOTHER DISCUSSION OF MICHAEL'S INTERPRETATION, BUT LISTEN WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH A CANTANKEROUS PORTION AND IS TO LOVE THE PERSON WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN OBNOXIOUS PERSON AND YOU STILL LOVE THE PREDOMINANT GENUINELY LOVE THEM AND I JUST I LOVE YOU BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAVE THE WHEN YOU GENUINELY LOVE THE PERSON WHEN THAT PERSON IS BETRAYING YOU WHEN THAT PERSON IS LYING ABOUT YOU AND THAT PERSON IS BETRAYED YOUR TRUST AND YOU STILL LOVE THE PURSE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO ACCORDING TO JOHN MICHAEL'S INTERPRETATION AGAIN. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GOT THIS. YOU WANT TO GO HOME AND SAY I AM SO RELIEVED. I'M SAYING I AM SAD I'M A CHILD OF THE LIVING GOD. I'M GOING TO HEAVEN. SO HOW COME, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOVE THE UNLOVABLE, YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE, AS HER JOHN SAYING HERE ON THIS MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU.

YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO LOVE LIKE JESUS LOVES YOU NO THAT ONE. HE IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN HE IS ON THE WORK. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO THIS MESSAGE FROM DR. MICHAEL.

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