Blind Bald Christians: Spiritual Health & Discernment

   What if we have been drinking from polluted wells and eating contaminated foods that were causing our eyesight to fail, our hair to fall out, along with a host of other health problems? 

   What if it was brought to our attention that eating and drinking from these impure sources was causing us harm and could possibly lead to our deaths...if we failed to stop our poisonous consumption?  
   What if we simply could not, or would not, despite warnings, give these things up? We would eventually go blind and bald wouldn't we? We might even die.

  This is happening among Christians, today, in alarming numbers. They are going blind (their discernment has become seriously distorted). They are going bald (their spiritual, and even physical, health is adversely affected). And some are even dying (departing from the faith), because they are consuming contaminated food and water. They are feeding themselves spiritual poison.

   We have received a number of correspondences from those who thank us for warning them about the unscriptural and dangerous nature of certain beliefs and practices they picked up through various channels: churches, books, social media, television/radio programs, and online discussion groups, etc..). 

   We delight with them, when they joyfully embrace the scriptural truth about some things and experience immediate improvements in their spiritual vision and health. They loudly praise God for their deliverance and often begin contending for the faith… for a time.

   We then watch helplessly as some slowly slip back into the same mire they recently, loudly, and publicly, praised God for pulling them out of.

   How does this happen?

  It happens, in part, because they return to polluted wells. They return to contaminated foods. They stay in churches they know promote error. They continue tuning in to television and radio programs, and online groups, that subvert their faith. They continue reading authors who promote error.

   Before they know it, they seem to be given over to a lie—or at the very least, remain in an almost constant state of confusion. They challenge us to prove, again and again, and again, the error of things they had publicly renounced just a short time before.

    Jesus is Truth. Satan is Error. What if Jesus told us something, and we then ran back to Satan to hear his side of things again? In addition to endangering ourselves, we would become seriously confused, wouldn’t we? 

   That's what happens when we receive the truth about a contaminated source, and then revisit that source and begin feeding from it again. The Bible says the double-minded are unstable in all their ways. Instability is nothing to be taken lightly. 

   If the evidence convinces us we are drinking from polluted wells and eating contaminated food. Abandon those wells! Give up that food! Do not take another sip...not so much as another nibble!

   Immerse ourselves in the TRUTH. Consider reliable evidence. Listen only to wholesome words. In the power of Jesus Christ (only do this if you know that you belong to Jesus) bind, rebuke, and renounce spirits of rebellion, greed, covetousness, and whoredom... anything that causes us to be dissatisfied with the simplicity of Christ, and to seek to own things he has not given. 

   Allow our hearts to become good ground where the Word of God can flourish, grow, and bear fruit—not rocky or thorny ground where the enemy can easily steal God's Word from us or bog us down with the cares of this world.
   The light of the body is the eye (spiritual/physical connection)--Let us keep our vision/discernment sharp. Test all things. Keep our eyes clear. Drink the sincere milk of the Word, and grow into healthy, mature, Christians who can handle the meat of the Word as well.

 

Author and speaker, Jocelyn Andersen, is an eclectic Christian writer. She is a Bible teacher who writes about many subjects including Bible prophecy and equality of the sexes. She is best known for her advocacy in domestic violence awareness. Her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence, has been a staple in the library of resources on that subject.  

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Instant in Season and Out: Answering Questions Sharing our Faith

   Why did Jesus curse a fig tree that was fig-less when it was not the season for figs? What did the tree do that was wrong? It was not the season for figs. The tree was exactly as it should have been. Yet Jesus cursed the tree and it withered and died in short order. Why?

   Our Lord obviously meant this as an object lesson of some sort.

  Compare Jesus’ interaction with the fig tree to Paul’s admonition for Christians to be instant in season and out of season. This is an important concept for God’s people to grasp and implement if we are to be effective in reaching people for Christ.

   Instant in season and out…Be ready—for what?
   Be ready to give an answer to all who ask of the hope that is in us. This suggests, not just prayer, but preparation and study. Study to show thyself approved…and don’t forget to pray!

  

Jocelyn Andersen, is Founder and Pastor of Hungry Hearts Ministries, since 1992. She teaches biblical truth without the limitations of culture or tradition, through preaching, teaching, her books, blogs, and through her 24/7 Bible Talk Radio station, HungryHeartsRadio.com. She is the author of several Christian books, including the short but powerful booklet entitled, Jesus, God of the Burning Bush: Eternal Father & Beloved Son. 
 

Get Out of Your Judgmental Rut!

The church today cries, "Don't judge! Don't judge!" more than at any other time in history. Why?
Is it because there is more open sin among professing Christians today more than at any other time in history, and no one wants their sin exposed? 

This trend is reinforced, no doubt, by those who make merchandise of the church (sadly, the church loves to have it so...after their own lust, they heap to themselves....

And as the watchmen warn, these clouds without water cry, "Don't Judge!" Wolves in sheep's clothing carefully train the sheep they are fleecing to believe that using Biblical discernment is being critical and judgmental. The fleeced sheep, who have rejected the covering of the Holy Spirit in exchange for the emperor's new clothes parrot their predators in crying, "Don't judge!"

We once had the unmitigated gall to tell a Christian "sister" that planning "Christian" sacred circle meetings around the cycles of the moon and honoring the four directions was occult activity--not Christian--and that circles most certainly are not sacred (she claimed that God lived in her because she, within her physical self, was a sacred circle). When she was informed that God lived only within those who belong to Jesus, this love-everybody-don't- judge-anybody, woman immediately turned ugly and said we needed to get out of our judgmental ruts.

This response is quite typical among the peace-peace-love-love-dont judge crowd. The arguments of ecumenical professing Christians are thin, worn, out of context and repetitious. Don't judge, Judge not that ye be not judged, he who is without sin, cast the first stone.... That's about it.

But, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are commanded by the scriptures to judge all things by the Word of God. We are commanded to deal with sin within our ranks both privately and publicly. This is not optional to the true Christian, and the protocol on how to go about this is clearly laid out in the scriptures. The warnings are there as well, on the importance of keeping our hearts right in the process.

Do ye not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?(1 Corinthians 6:2).

Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from their company... (Luke 6:22-23)

We Have No King but Caesar

But they cried, “Away with Him, crucify Him! ...and the Chief Priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!

That is the moment the Jews, as a whole, and just a few days after rightfully hailing Jesus as their Messiah and King, made the tragic decision to trade God’s best for Caesar’s best. And even though the crucifixion of our LORD was in the plan of God from before the foundation of the earth, those who participated in the deed were held personally responsible for their choices in the matter.

How often, on some level or another, do we do the same? How often do we reject the marvelous provision God has for us in every area of our lives by forgetting His precious promises and running to Caesar, first, before running to our Savior, who says He is our provider, our healer, our comforter, and our avenger?

Before visiting the food stamp office, are we on our knees, first, acknowledging our LORD as the real source of all our material provision, asking our LORD, who promises to bless our food and water (If we love and serve Him) to provide that need in His abundance?

Before turning to health care providers, are we first taking our requests for healing to our God who says that His words are life to us and health to all our flesh (if we attend to His words)?

These are conditional promises. Are we reading our Bibles daily to learn of these things and to feed our minds and spirits with the Word and will of God which alone tends to life?

Before seeking to psychologists or anti-anxiety meds for mental health and emotional comfort, are we first running to the one who gives the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind... are we willing to forsake anger, bitterness, self-pity, and a host of other sins which all take their toll on our general outlook on life and mental health? Are we willing to believe the promise that all things work together for good to who love the LORD? Are we, first, running to the comforter Jesus promised will be with us forever?

Before engaging attorneys to convince judges to avenge us legally, are we first bombarding Heaven and the Righteous Judge, our father, with our requests for judgment, or, as the apostle admonished, are we willing be defrauded rather than to take fellow Christians to court over material things?

A well respected, 19th century, preacher once asked if the Bible text means everything it says, he concluded that it never means less than what it says but always means more than what we understand it to mean.

While reading our Bibles every day… always picking up today where we left off yesterday, let us meditate on these things and develop the habit of running to our King, first, before considering what Caesar has to offer.

Caesar has his limitations, our King has none.