If a person desires to be a minister, preacher, pastor, or priest, that is not necessarily a difficult decision for people to make; nor is it a goal that is necessarily difficult for people to attain.
We have established many institutions that can train and educate people in the way they want to go.
We can teach people how to study the Bible, how to memorize scriptural verses, and how to write sermons.
We can teach people how to wear fancy suits or priestly garments, how to brush their teeth, comb their hair, and polish their shoes.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: APPLY WITHIN
To many people, they see churches and religions as attractive arenas for employment, for careers: places that feature financial benefits and retirement pensions. Perhaps it is safe to say that they see churches and religions in the same way as Adam and Eve saw a certain tree in the Garden of Eden, and their eyes are dazzled by all that they see. Once they get in, educated and certified, they can use their personalities to dazzle others: and people, being deceived, will believe that they are messengers of God!
Judas Iscariot went to church with Jesus for more than three years, but the other disciples did not know that Judas was a deceiver and a traitor.
What are we to learn from the example of Judas Iscariot?
As believers, if we think we are not going to be deceived by people, we have deceived ourselves.
Yes, the devil will, at times, operate through strangers to agitate us, but, more than likely, the devil will operate through the people we know the best to deceive us: people we work with, people we go to school with, and even the people within our extended families.
For you see, not all of the people you know the best will be exactly thrilled to hear that you have decided to follow Jesus. They will not be thrilled to know that you have been born again by the power of God. Nor will they be thrilled to know that you are now a student of the Bible.
For you were once like them. Perhaps you and them go to different churches. But now you are different. And now, outside the church buildings, they have no interest in talking with you about the Bible. They have no interest in talking with you about the things that matter to God. They have no interest in talking with you about the resurrection of Christ. Before, going to church was going to church, and perhaps you thought that they believed as you believe now. Perhaps you thought that they would understand you now. But now their talking points focus on television, on sports, or even on all the wonderful things they are doing in their lives and in their families.
Would the devil's servant drive a golf cart?
You had better believe it!
The devil's servants will appear as a friend, a good neighbor who delights in doing good deeds, or as someone always willing to help in a time of need. They are always smiling as if nothing never goes wrong in their lives!
The devil wants us to look at people, to listen to their words and their voices, and be attracted to them. For the devil wants us to be like them. The devil wants us to believe that all of this life we have entered with Christ is just a passing fancy: and after that, in a matter of time, we will return to our old friends and the old ways.
These things have I written today are clues about deceivers among believers, which I have experienced and which I am continuing to experience even now.
For we are engaged in a great war, a war between the devil and God.
We are surrounded by the devil's people.
They are not going away.
Yes, we can be nice and kind to people, but we must also know that we are in the battle.
As soldiers for the Lord, we must be strong; for our adversary, the devil, would like nothing better than to see you and me fall on our faces and surrender: to go back to the old ways.
And this war will continue until the Lord returns and puts His foot down.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6: 12-13)
We have established many institutions that can train and educate people in the way they want to go.
We can teach people how to study the Bible, how to memorize scriptural verses, and how to write sermons.
We can teach people how to wear fancy suits or priestly garments, how to brush their teeth, comb their hair, and polish their shoes.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: APPLY WITHIN
To many people, they see churches and religions as attractive arenas for employment, for careers: places that feature financial benefits and retirement pensions. Perhaps it is safe to say that they see churches and religions in the same way as Adam and Eve saw a certain tree in the Garden of Eden, and their eyes are dazzled by all that they see. Once they get in, educated and certified, they can use their personalities to dazzle others: and people, being deceived, will believe that they are messengers of God!
Judas Iscariot went to church with Jesus for more than three years, but the other disciples did not know that Judas was a deceiver and a traitor.
What are we to learn from the example of Judas Iscariot?
As believers, if we think we are not going to be deceived by people, we have deceived ourselves.
Yes, the devil will, at times, operate through strangers to agitate us, but, more than likely, the devil will operate through the people we know the best to deceive us: people we work with, people we go to school with, and even the people within our extended families.
For you see, not all of the people you know the best will be exactly thrilled to hear that you have decided to follow Jesus. They will not be thrilled to know that you have been born again by the power of God. Nor will they be thrilled to know that you are now a student of the Bible.
For you were once like them. Perhaps you and them go to different churches. But now you are different. And now, outside the church buildings, they have no interest in talking with you about the Bible. They have no interest in talking with you about the things that matter to God. They have no interest in talking with you about the resurrection of Christ. Before, going to church was going to church, and perhaps you thought that they believed as you believe now. Perhaps you thought that they would understand you now. But now their talking points focus on television, on sports, or even on all the wonderful things they are doing in their lives and in their families.
Would the devil's servant drive a golf cart?
You had better believe it!
The devil's servants will appear as a friend, a good neighbor who delights in doing good deeds, or as someone always willing to help in a time of need. They are always smiling as if nothing never goes wrong in their lives!
The devil wants us to look at people, to listen to their words and their voices, and be attracted to them. For the devil wants us to be like them. The devil wants us to believe that all of this life we have entered with Christ is just a passing fancy: and after that, in a matter of time, we will return to our old friends and the old ways.
These things have I written today are clues about deceivers among believers, which I have experienced and which I am continuing to experience even now.
For we are engaged in a great war, a war between the devil and God.
We are surrounded by the devil's people.
They are not going away.
Yes, we can be nice and kind to people, but we must also know that we are in the battle.
As soldiers for the Lord, we must be strong; for our adversary, the devil, would like nothing better than to see you and me fall on our faces and surrender: to go back to the old ways.
And this war will continue until the Lord returns and puts His foot down.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6: 12-13)
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