"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden." Genesis 3:7-8
When we think of God we think of a being of infinitely superior intelligence, ability, eternal continuance, Creator, infinite, all powerful and unseen. All of those are true, but being unseen to the human eye doesn't mean God hides from people. People assume God sits afar off and hides Himself from man like we're on an eternal hide and seek game with God. The truth is people don't even have the desire or ability to seek God as we like to think we do. Not the real God anyway. Instead it's always been God reaching out to and seeking man.
"there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." Romans 3:11
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10
In Genesis 3 we get the story of the fall of man. The first thing Adam and Eve did when they sinned was hide. First they tried to cover themselves with flimsy leaves then they hid themselves among the trees of Eden. It doesn't appear that even they were confident in the covering they tried to fashion from those leaves. But as man has always done, they try to make their own coverings for their guilt through their own works and it's never adequate. Then to further conceal their guilt they hid among the trees when they heard God coming.
Adam and Eve are not the only ones who have tried to hide from God out of fear of punishment. I can look at myself and see the many times I've done this. I've blown it, but instead of running to God to confess it, because He already knows anyway, I've tried to avoid it and hid myself out of fear, shame and guilt as if God couldn't see me. It never lasted long before I was also hearing (in a sense) God say "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9)
God has made Himself known clearly through His creation. Everything our finite minds need to know about God is all around us.
"since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:19-20
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1
"And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah." Psalm 50:6
God purposely made all of His invisible qualities and attributes known to man. We can look at the night sky and learn a great deal about God from the moon and stars alone. In just a glance they plainly tell us how great He is and how powerful, majestic, precise, wise, intricate and holy He is. We can look at a field of wildflowers and know He is meticulous, loves color and how much He pays attention to the tiniest details. Ever examine a snow flake? Not a single snowflake is ever alike. That's attention to detail. Our own bodies are made up of billions of cells and no two people are exactly alike.
From the sun, oceans, the infinite expanse of the universe, history, Scripture and Christ, we clearly can see that God is infinite, sovereign, righteous, just, patient, merciful, compassionate, loving and is close by. A God who micro manages His creation down to the tiniest detail is not a God who is hidden behind some cloak of darkness. All of His creation is screaming at us about God. It's continuously pointing Him out to us and telling us everything we need to know about Him. God is not hidden from man. Instead, it's man who hides from God...
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness," Romans 1:18
Man loves his sin. It's in our nature. Man loves his evil and man will fight savagely to cling to it and suppress the truth that would expose it for what it is. We all know or have known people who live in a perpetual state of denial. No matter how much evidence you show them they will deny it and turn on you to shut you up by any means necessary thereby suppressing the truth. They love their own ideas about God. They have built entire lives around a fabrication of God that they can reconcile with their own sin. Point it out and you put yourself at serious risk. This is why the Prophets were killed, the Apostles were killed and what drove the seething hatred for Christ ultimately leading to His crucifixion.
"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil." John 7:7
The truth is a powerful thing. The truth will destroy worlds and people when it's spotlight it shone on something. Truth exposes everything and leaves no dark corner to hide in. So man suppresses the truth with his own lie. To allow truth to take hold means man must give up his sin that he loves more than anything. Nothing turns people into rabid beasts faster than being faced with the truth. As Paul Washer said "No one can bare the preaching of the Gospel. They will either turn against it with the fierceness of an animal or they will be converted." The Gospel reveals what man really is. It turns a blinding spotlight on the very core of all people.
All other religions share one central theme among them...they all claim man can improve, people are essentially good and they all believe they can earn God's favor through their own works. Christianity is the only one that stands apart in that people cannot improve, but in fact become more depraved and darkened, people are essentially evil and people cannot earn God's favor with works or merit. All the others make God indebted to man. The Gospel makes man indebted to God. At the core of false religions is a self idolatrous pride. Man by nature hates the light and loves the darkness. Man refuses and resists submitting their hearts, minds and lives to God which goes against everything in his nature. Man resists the idea that they must ask for mercy. Afterall, man loves to boast in himself and accomplishments, yet Christianity teaches man can do absolutely nothing without Christ and unless man renounces sin and bows down in submission to Christ he is damned. There is nothing to boast about in himself except what is evil.
People have always been and continue to be in a constant state of trying to cover up and hide from lying to outright destruction of anything that exposes his sin.
"Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." John 3:19
Darkness shields from light that exposes and the Bible clearly teaches men instinctively love darkness because it hides them and their deeds from God. We are all in a constant state of denial, suppression of the truth and hiding. When we claim God is hidden from us, though all of creation declares otherwise, the truth is we're hiding from Him.
"'Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?' declares the LORD.'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 23:24
Stories like Dinah's in Genesis 34 or Tamar's in 2nd Samuel 13, are becoming more and more common among girls in this country alone. Whether rape is committed by a stranger, friend, relative or even husband, rape is on the rise. God never pulls any punches when addressing sin and issues of real life in the Bible. We wouldn't learn if He did. Teaching children about every day dangers wouldn't be successful if those dangers were sugar coated. It also gives people something to relate to and learn from when they've suffered or when they've sinned. As much as God loved Moses, Jacob, Abraham and all the others, he wanted us to see them as the imperfect humans they were with warts and all because that, in itself, gives us something to relate to and learn from.
(Genesis 34) Dinah was the daughter of Jacob and Leah. When Jacob found good pasture for his flocks, he settled his family in Shechem, the land of Canaan, within sight of the city itself after working out a deal to buy the plot of land from the King. Once Jacob settled his family there Dinah wandered away to take in the sights of the new place and get to know the foreign women she'd be living along side. It sure wasn't a usual practice to allow young women to wander, but considering the size of Jacob's family and all the activity with his flocks, servants and daily life, it would be easy for a young, curious girl to sneak away unnoticed.
While out, she was spotted by the King's son, Shechem. Selfishly, without wasting any time, Shechem took Dinah and raped her (verse 2). We're told Shechem fell in love with her after his brutal attack and "spoke tenderly to her" (verse 3). That seems odd at first, but when one considers how selfish this prince was and sociopathic, it makes sense. He didn't see what he did as wrong. He saw it as his right and thought he was doing right by her by being nice to her afterwards. She should, in fact, feel fortunate to have gotten the attention of the next King of Shechem.
Afterwards he tells Hamor, his father, to get Dinah as his wife. Which means, work out a deal with her father. (verse 4) He obviously assumed Jacob would be alright with this arrangement. Afterall his daughter would be queen eventually. He also underestimated Dinah's older brothers.
When Jacob learned about his daughter being raped, he did nothing at first. His sons were in the fields with the livestock so Jacob waited for them to return. This could be for safety reasons. They were living in a foreign land and basically surrounded. In the meantime though, Hamor went to Jacob to work out a marriage between Dinah and his son. As Hamor was speaking to Jacob, his sons returned. They'd gotten word of the rape and went home as quickly as they could (verse 7).
Their reaction was completely understandable. Verse 7 says they were shocked and furious. They probably surrounded the King and his son, there was probably a lot of yelling, threats, answers being demanded. Hamor tried to reason with them by explaining Shechem wanted to marry Dinah (verse 8). As if to say "He shouldn't have raped her, but look...he wants to marry her. She's already defiled anyway so there won't be any hopefuls later. Just let them marry."
This is malicious behavior. Hamor and his son obviously weren't getting the viciousness or the trauma Shechem had caused. This only enraged Dinah's brother more. Hamor then explains Jacob's sons could intermarry with the women of Shechem, they could take all the land they liked, acquire property and trade in the land. Hamor was treating Dinah like a piece of property (verse 9).
It appears Hamor's offer wasn't winning any favor with Jacob and his sons. He then offers to pay for Dinah...any price as long as he gets Dinah for his spoiled, selfish, sociopathic son (verse 12). Nothing like a good enabler! At this point, I think Jacob's sons realized there was just no reasoning with Hamor. He just wasn't going to get what his son had done. So they change up tactics and deceive the King.
Verse 14 says they told Hamor they could only give Dinah to Shechem if all the men of the city were circumcised as they were (verse 16). If they do agree to that then Jacob's sons will allow Dinah to marry Shechem. The King and his son agreed and lost no time in being circumcised and ordering all the males in the land to be as well. Three days later after being circumcised, while all the men were in a lot of pain, Jacob's sons attacked the city and killed every male there including the King and his son Shechem. They then looted the city and took everything of value, including flocks, herd, women and children.
I certainly understand their rage over the rape of their sister. Who could blame them for that? But when it was all said and done, Jacob could only think about himself by being upset with his sons for making him look "obnoxious" (verse 30) and for bringing potential trouble on them.
The men did go overboard in their revenge. Shechem did deserve to be punished for what he'd done, but killing every male was punishing them for something they had nothing to do with. They may not have been Hebrew, they may not have lived under the same Abrahamic covenant as Jacob and his family, but they were still human beings, still innocent of the crime and God is righteous with all people, not just those who have a covenant with Him.
As Patriarch of the family, Jacob failed to deal with the situation at all let alone properly. Jacob didn't take any action for his daughter, which could have been what spurned his sons on their revenge. He also failed in not keeping his boys in line. These same sons also sold their brother Joseph into slavery and deceived Jacob into thinking Joseph was dead. When parents don't reign in their kids and teach them properly, it not only brings shame and grief to the parents later, it brings grief to society in general as we learn so vividly through King David. The revenge they took was overkill for the crime. When Jacob confronted them about it, they're excuse was... “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”(verse 31)
As I stated earlier, in America alone there are way too many women who can relate to Dinah's story. They've suffered with this crime too. They know what it's like to be shunned by others, treated with disregard by those close to them, even blamed for the crime themselves, as many early Bible scholars did with Dinah. Like Dinah, they're the victim, but often treated like the victimizer. It's tragic and there's no excuse for it. Despite man's imperfections and sins, God is still just and merciful. He understands and is compassionate while many...even family, are not.
Romans 12:19 "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord."
In a situation like this, revenge seems justified or our courts may not deal with it as we see fit. No one can fault anyone for wanting to take things into their own hands, but more often than not, when we do, others suffer too who had nothing to do with the crime. We can eventually forgive, but we never forget. Even if they do escape here the harsh punishment we want them to have, there is still one more Judge they have to face. Not only do they pay in the next life, but a man reaps what he sows in this life too. If you've been the victim of a rape and have never told anyone, like many women, God already knows. He knows how you feel, the trauma of it and the implications later of it. He also knows your rapist and they won't escape.
You may even blame God for the crime, but God doesn't approve of any crime or sin. He never wills them to happen. He never condones evil under any circumstances. The fault lies only with man. Unfortunately man is sinful and full of evil and as the host of sin (man) increased on the earth, so did evil and it makes everyone a victim in one way or another and perpetrator as well in one way or another.
Are you realizing yet that no matter how you try to do the right thing you fall flat on your face? Do you wonder if you're even a real Christian sometimes because of sin? It's in human nature that only through work do we obtain anything. Everything comes through our own acts. Want a promotion? Work to please your boss. Want money from your parents? Be good and do what you're supposed to do. Want your teachers to like you? Do what you're supposed to do in class and don't be a clown. I think overcoming this concept is one of the hardest things to deal with once one becomes a Christian.
Afterall, it's ingrained in us that we're chosen for everything on our own merit. We're rewarded based on our own works. With God, that's not the case. He doesn't choose anyone to do anything based on how they look, behave, upbringing or any other works or human achievement. I think it takes people a long time to fully realize this. But when we finally do...how liberating it is!
Religion brands our brains somehow that God, being holy and righteous, is just waiting for us to mess up. He's like a lion waiting to pounce and rip us to shreds if we do something wrong. Religion turns God into a mean Being. But nothing could be further from the truth. God realizes what He's dealing with in each of us long before He chooses us. He's fully aware that even our greatest efforts and greatest deeds we do for Him are going to a big stinky mess.
God is so holy and we are so sinful that anything we do for Him or give to Him will be stained (Isaiah 64:6). It's like putting a 4 year old in charge of carrying a priceless gift to someone. If there's a puddle that kid will find it and jump in in. If there's dirt, that kid will find a way to get it stuck to him/her. Not to mention you can also guarantee that gift will be kicked around like a soccer ball at some point or fallen on. It's just gonna be a mess and God knows that with us.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
We're incapable of doing anything totally right and completely pure. Somewhere our own nature is going to make a gross mess of it. Motives, pride, behavior, thoughts, etc. We're never pure. No matter how hard we try to do the right thing we're gonna mess it up somewhere. He knows this. He didn't choose any of us based on how well we perform or our potential. He chose for His own reasons. Paul wrote...
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do," Romans 7:15
Paul wrote this several years after his own conversion so he wasn't a new convert beginning to notice the sin nature in him that he never noticed before. Paul still struggled with his own sin. What he wanted to do (good) he didn't do. What he didn't want to do (sin) he did. Just like us Paul found himself repenting of sin several times a day, hating his own actions, but realizing though he was a new creature the sin nature wasn't quite dead yet and continued to raise it's ugly head.
"For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing" Romans 7:18-19
Paul couldn't escape it and neither can we. Like us, he became frustrated with himself, angry with himself, hated his own actions and thoughts, but no matter what, he was still continuing to battle it. I'm positive Paul even wondered if he was truly a Christian at times because of the sins he still committed. He was still just human.
One night around 4 am I was in the bathroom sitting on the edge of the tub crying quietly. My husband woke up and noticed I was gone and came looking for me. When he came in and saw me he started to panic thinking something terrible happened. He asked what was wrong and I cried "I don't think I'm saved." He stared at me totally confused, half asleep and trying to understand what my problem was, but then kinda laughed at me and did his best to comfort me at 4 am and half asleep.
I had just woke up from a dead sleep and suddenly realized just how many times that day I had blown it and for some reason I managed to convince myself in a matter of seconds I wasn't a Christian and was going to hell. It may sound ridiculous and pretty funny (I laugh about it too now) but when you consider the gravity of heaven or hell it can put you into a panic. If you base eternity on your own actions and merit it will throw you into a panic because you know, as all people do, there really isn't anything you can do to deserve something so awesome as Heaven. Even if you could obtain it through your own works, you're too lazy to do it all as we all are.
God doesn't expect perfection from us and thank God! He does expect humility. Humility makes us teachable, pliable, able to be built and shaped into whatever God wants. Pride makes us hard, unteachable therefore we don't repent because we think we have no sin. God can do nothing with pride except smash it. Like David whom God called a man after his own heart, David wasn't sinless. He was humble therefore teachable.
Like the Apostle John said ...
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8
If you're a genuine Christian than you know all to well the sin in you and you hate it. But God's love isn't based on any of that. He doesn't love us because of us. He loves us in spite of us. Like Paul, we can lament, but understand...
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:15-25
It's not what you or I do that deserves Heaven or God's love and approval. It's what Christ did. It's His righteousness we wear not our own. God has delivered us from the exhausting, frustrating, endless work of attempting to gain salvation through our own works. That is religion. That is Law. This is why He made the call to all people...
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Religion is a heavy and exhausting burden with no guarantees, but in Christ is freedom. That's the Gospel and glaring difference from religion. As Paul Washer said "If you don't have a new relationship with sin, you don't have a new relationship with God." To find yourself loving righteousness more and more and hating the sin in you more and more proves you are a Christian.
As an American female myself I'm the first to admit American girls can be shallow and will instantly default to materialism if a guy's looks are not on par with American standards...and American standards are pretty high. Ugly guy or even average? If you have money you're just as hot as Johnny Depp, but you'll be treated like a door mat.
I'm in no way attacking my fellow American females out there so don't take this wrong. I'm attacking the system fed to us since birth. The problem with American girls isn't looks. It's true American females are some of the most beautiful girls in the world. But no matter how beautiful we are...let's face it our attitude and ideas can really suck and that's what can cost us dearly.
If you've been reading here a while then you know I am not an advocate of feminism. I despise feminism. The word "feminism" is completely deceiving itself. Feminism's inception was valuable, but what it's morphed into hasn't only damaged American men, but damaged the American girl and her reputation. We're not viewed as we like to think we are. What we've become in most places are obnoxious, fake, simple minded, gold digging, easy feminists. But there's a lot of irony in this that makes us look a little moronic.
Feminism has raised us females. It's been fed to us our entire lives in every area and every aspect. American females posture in masculinity. We've been taught to. From the moment we even meet a guy we're already asserting ourselves as on par or more dominating than he is. Combined with looks, this can be a poisonous mix for any man who will probably eventually be found sneaking out the backdoor with his suitcases. Men are visual creature and we know this so we use that to our advantage to reel them in. And, like the visual creatures they are, they ignore the masculinity and domination in the beginning, but it always comes back to bite us. This posturing is so foreign to us that we just look mental eventually. It's like trying to wear daddy's boots to school and expecting everyone to envy us and want to be us. They don't fit no matter how cute we are.
In all this posturing, in all this manipulation and show of strength, we're most inclined to go for someone who makes a lot of money/is stable and is respected, feared and dominating to other males. We are going to gauge a male and go for an alpha status. Such as being attracted to the captain of the football team, business owner or head of corporation, bad boys etc. It's just in us to do no matter how much we front or fight it. The money makes him the provider. The domination and respect by other males makes him the protector and guardian. Genetically females instinctively go for the strongest male she has access to for survival purposes and reproduction. Tied to the physical strength is the male that offers the best stability/provisions. As often as we try to dominate the male, which is simply out of selfishness, when men stand up to us we wilt.
So I gotta ask...does this make any sense? Do we not look crazy? Why do us American girls waste so much time putting up this front when everything else we do by instinct shows us for what we really are? This behavior isn't even in our genetic makeup.
We'll sleep around because we think that's all the value we have to men. Or we'll want to sleep around because feminism tells us "if it's ok for a man to do it then it's ok for a woman." But the problem is...it's not ok for men to do it. So why are we selling ourselves so short and cheapening ourselves? Another example is that our stimulation is not based on visuals like men, but women will gather at male strip clubs and act like crazed maniacs not because they're turned on by what they see, but because they think that's how men act in that situation.
Ever hear the "nice guy" complain that he can't get a girl? It's because he's not being the alpha male. It's not that he's nice. "Nice" is valuable. The problem is he's too sensitive which is characteristically a female trait. He's too subservient and frankly a pushover. By nature that's not what we females want.
So in all this what are we competing for? What exactly are we hoping to obtain? What message do we want to send? We may have certain ideas about it, but looking at the message we're sending and what's being received is the exact opposite. I know just with myself when I've used a dominating style the reception has been equivalent to looking a lion in the eyes. It's instinctively taken by the male as a direct challenge and affront to nature and his genetic makeup. But when I'm feminine and true to my female nature it's received quickly and happily. By nature men are attracted to and desire feminine females. There's no way around it.
Of course if you're a feminist you'll hate me for pointing this out, but there's absolutely nothing I wrote that isn't true. Do we want to stay splashing around at the shallow end believing we're the envy of the world when the truth is we're just beautiful disasters? Desired for a moment then brushed off like dandruff off a shoulder. Not attractive.
My husband and I are coming up on a five month anniversary since getting married. It's been fun, educational, tough, wild, tense and it's been kinda weird. You just never really know what you're getting into. You go into marriage with all these ideas from your own experiences growing up and from society but you're never really prepared. Everyone has their own way of doing things, routines, schedules, quirks and when those things of someone else is thrown into your mix there can be confusion sometimes...and arguing.
Marriage really does make 1 out of 2 and you learn things about the other you never could learn any other way but you also learn a lot about yourself. I've learned that difficulties in us or a situation are not necessarily bad but growing and learning opportunities that strengthens our bond and compliments the other. I'm also learning just how important it is to do right by the other even when they're wrong. We have a lot to learn still and we'll change every day but it's also makes things interesting.
We have a couple of rules...
1. Never go to bed angry
2. Never leave the other without a hug, kiss and saying "I love you".
There's been a few occasions following these rules was a little hard, but it always brings resolution. All relationships are work, but marriage is especially as I'm learning. He's been my rock, best friend, safety net and comforter even when I didn't think I needed these things. He always makes me feel like I'm the most beautiful creature in the world even in all my faults. I feel safe with him and for someone like me that's a huge deal.
Now a minute after getting married with a life we made on the way, I'm more in love with Sharb now then I was before. In 10, 20, 40 years I hope that he'll still want to snuggle next to me to talk about anything and laugh about everything. I hope he'll still call me his "little lamb". I hope he's still happy to see me every day when he comes home. I hope I can still make him laugh. I hope he'll still want to reach for me and that I'll still be the focus of his desire. I hope when I run and jump on him in 40 years he's still able to catch me and not fall over and break bones lol. I hope he'll still see me as his best friend. As imperfect, flawed human beings this may not be exactly realistic in this world but with God in this marriage...our trust, hope and strength for this life together is dependent on Him. With Him nothing fails.
In Matthew 13 Jesus was speaking to the large crowds in parables. When asked by His disciples why He was speaking in such a way, Jesus answered...
“'Though seeing, they do not see;though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.For this people’s heart has become calloused;they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes,hear with their ears,understand with their heartsand turn, and I would heal them.’" Matthew 13:13-15
Those who were willing to be taught and willing to hear the truth would understand His parables. But those unwilling to learn, unwilling to hear the truth and clinging to their own ideas in willful ignorance would find the obscure parables difficult and even confusing. Jesus was doing a little separating as He taught.
Later in the chapter Jesus then gave a parable about the weeds and tares (darnel)...
"Jesus told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.'" Matthew 13:24-26
Bearded Darnel
The weeds in this parable are actually translated as "darnel". While everyone was sleeping...or rather not vigilant, the enemy was able to come in and sow his own seed with the wheat. The enemy didn't sow just any seed, he sowed a cheap and deadly copy. Darnel looks very similar to wheat and they also mature about the same time. Only a trained eye can spot it among wheat anytime before harvest and only at harvest is it fully recognizable for what it is.
Anyone who has ever had a garden knows how annoying weeds are. They need no cultivating and no care as wheat does and will take over and smother the garden in no time. By the time you pull up the weeds you realize the weeds vastly outnumbered what you had originally planted. They use up all the nutrients in the soil, they sop up most of the water and shield the good crop from getting sun. If left they eventually kill off the starving crop. Weeds must be pulled up with root and all otherwise it's a losing battle. The roots are still devouring the food and new shoots spring up quickly from them.
Darnel is an interesting imitation. If not cleared from wheat grain at harvest, a fungus in the seed itself is poisonous to anyone who eats it causing serious illness or even death. The enemy who sowed this obviously had a very sinister intent for the farmer and his crop. He not only wanted to choke out the farmer's crop, but he also used a poisonous weed to do it thus poisoning anyone who ate of it ignorantly.
Wheat
When the servants asked the farmer if he wanted them to pull the weeds up, the farmer told them to let the two grow together until harvest otherwise the servants may pull up a young wheat sprout by accident (Matthew 13:29). In the meantime they were to care for the wheat as usual (with the darnel benefitting from the care as well) until harvest time when it would all be pulled up and separated thoroughly.
Christ used this parable giving us a lesson and picture of the Church throughout the ages right up to the end. Just as weeds grow in a garden and reproduce endlessly, so would the false believers in the church, spreading their poison until it would become almost completely overrun by them. It wasn't until after the church sprouted, began to spread and gain momentum did the false prophets and teachers sprout up. Just as the weeds springing up once the wheat sprouted and began to form heads. The Apostles warned repeatedly of wolves entering into the fold to destroy. They warned of false prophets to come that would try to turn people from Christ through all sorts of means. From twisting and distorting Scripture to flat out denying the deity of Christ, the Word of God and offering something "New" under a "new path" or "new revelations". That's Satanic, Gnostic and it will continue until the harvest.
Just as the darnel closely resembles wheat on the outside so would these false prophets and converts. They look just like the real thing, act like the real thing, sound like the real thing, but they are counterfeit and poisonous. To ingest them could be deadly. So many are untrained in spotting them, through their own lack of diligence and growth, that they run through the crops picking heads of grain and eating it simply because it looks just like the real thing so it must be the real thing. Looks are deceiving and what they're willfully ingesting is poison. Despite having some who are better trained at spotting the counterfeit, they're still just human and are prone to faulty judgment so the two continue to grow together for the sake of the wheat. But Christ assured that at the end He would send His angels to harvest the crop...
"'At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Matthew 13:30
We, as the wheat, are to have discernment in this late hour. Now, more than ever, the weeds are becoming apparent as they mature. Now, more than ever, do we see how they've taken over the field. If Christ assures He will uproot them and throw them in the fire then that tells us we are not to be accepting of them simply because they're pretty close to the real thing. Christ isn't accepting of them, He's just patient. The more we know the more we can spot them and keep ourselves as separate as possible in this crowded spacewe have to share temporarily.
I was told about a new reality show on TLC called "Extreme Couponing". I went to the TLC site and watched a few episodes. There's nothing wrong with saving money especially in our economy. It's the smart thing to do. If you can shop and save 95% with coupons more power to you. But what these people were doing was just disgusting.
They weren't shopping just to buy food for their families. It's an obvious addiction and a challenge to go through hours of planning and coupon clipping then going to the store, filling up several grocery carts of several items of which many times consists of 72 bottles of mustard, 35 bottles of Maalox, 100 candy bars, 50 spools of tooth floss etc., simply because they had coupons for them and made the item cheap.
It not only takes hours of strategic planning and preparation to achieve their savings, it can also take them up to 5 hours just to get through the checkout. For what purpose? To prepare for a world wide famine? Because their building a bomb shelter for a coming nuclear holocaust? No! Simply to replenish stockpiles in their homes that they display proudly. Some have their hoarded masses of food in their kids' rooms, closets, basements...all over the place. One woman commented that her stockpile was almost as beautiful as her family.
I'd like to know how much goes bad sitting on display for no other reason than to stroke someones ego. Most products have no longer than a year shelf life. How much do they have to give away? This is absolutely ridiculous and equals nothing but gluttony and greed. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. When these people proudly clear out shelves of vitamin C pills because they amassed 100 coupons for them doesn't make them smart shoppers. It makes them gluttonous hoarders.
When someone has this kind of stockpiling going on from floor to ceiling and brag that they have $75,000 worth of items in that room...that's a serious problem. Who could possibly eat that much food? Only in America do we find gluttony celebrated and people running after it so they too can show off what they amassed. Like it proves how special they are. How wise they are. As if they'll become the envy of all their neighbors and maybe get on a TV show.
When I consider this...
how can people not be disgusted? This is what goes on every single day in the world while we tune in and boost ratings so gluttony can be displayed like a weird sideshow. Way to go TLC! You proved how ignorant you've become along with those you celebrate!
"To the angelof the church in Sardis write:These are the words of Him who holds the seven spiritsof God and the seven stars. 'I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of My God.Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you." Revelation 3:1-3
Do you look good on the outside? Do you have a reputation of being active, holy, righteous, alive, but on the inside you feel dead? You're on the verge of spiritual extinction. You feel like you're just existing? People can only see the outside and a lot of times we look great to them, but God sees the inside. He knows the truth about us, what's going on inside of us and only what He sees matters.
I'm now 3 months pregnant and showing just a little. The sickness has pretty much gone and physically I feel really good despite other weird things going on with my body. Now that the weather is getting nice I started walking in the evenings. I've been trying to keep myself busy outside of school hence all the craft stuff I've gotten into. I get so involved with it I lose track of time. My husband text me from bed last night while I was in the basement with "Hello? Waiting to cuddle." lol Poor guy
I'm obsessing like crazy lately which is why I'm trying to keep myself busy so I don't think too much. I lost my mom when I was younger and didn't exactly have a normal family life. I worry about what kind of mom I'll be and if I'll be any good at it. I have a nurturing personality anyway and know instincts will kick in too but people change and as much as I love my mom she chose to be selfish in the end. My dad is phenomenally selfish and I worry I could become that way too
I'm sure I'll make loads of mistakes but I worry some of them will be life altering for this baby and any others that may come later. I worry I won't live long enough to raise a kid and will die while he/she is young like my mom did. I worry the baby will die. I worry having a baby will put serious stress on my marriage and me and Sharb will end up hating each other.
I look at my little pooch in the mirror sometimes and I'm shocked that there's a baby in there. Sometimes I sit and think "what am I doing? I'm so not ready for this." Then other times I'm excited and completely secure in it. Last week I woke up in a panic because I dreamed my husband died. This has crossed my mind several times before (even before being pregnant) and I've worked myself up pretty hard over it but that dream had me freaked out for a few days.
I have all kinds of weird and sometimes scary dreams. I dream of family members that are gone but in my dreams they're still alive. I dream about having the baby and my husband's over me yelling my name but I can't speak or move because I'm dying. I dream of being out with friends and telling them I have to get home to my baby and they tell me there is no baby and laugh like I'm crazy. Or I'm out at night and can't find the baby and I'm panicked. Then after having these kinds of dreams I stress over them and have a hard time turning it off.
Over active hormones? Possibly but I'm worried it's stress and trauma from my past beginning to show up.
I don't know how to be a mom. I still haven't figured out how to be a wife. Giving birth is already scaring me. I was praying last night that I'll have a c-section so I don't have to go through the process. But after all the worry, stressing and obsessing I do...when I'm in bed at night and my husband is rubbing my belly as he goes to sleep I think everything couldn't be more right and I couldn't be happier.
Is this type of stuff normal? I have no idea and of course I think I'm the only weird one this happens to and will probably get worse the further along I get...
I fully agree the second coming is at hand and as we're instructed...
"stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28
"A bootleg version from former Revolutionary Guards officer Reza Kahlili...a new film made by Ahmadinejad’s office that lays out the Iranian president’s scenario for how the end times will begin."
We are the generation seeing all the signs Jesus gave as well as the Prophets. We are the only generation to see them all. As Jesus said the generation who witnesses them is the generation who will see the end. This shouldn't frighten us if you're in Christ. It's an exciting time! A time for us to be our busiest. All generations have thought they were the end time generation, but there were always some paramount signs missing, such as the extreme lawlessness and violence, 200 million man army China now boasts about having, Israel becoming a nation again, the extremity and frequency of natural disasters, the technology the anti-christ will use, the increase of wars and upheavals in nations and kingdoms, ecumenicalism etc.. If you're not familiar with Bible prophecy get familiar with it. And in these times how ought we to live knowing what we know? Be holy.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap." Luke 21:34-35
I came across a video done by an amateur, but he/she did a great job of capturing snippets in relation to Biblical prophecy and our modern world.
I've often wondered the reason and purpose for which God called us out. I thought it must be to serve Him. Isn't that ultimately why God created us? Then I realized God doesn't need me to do anything for Him. He was happy and good even before creation and no human served Him. He chooses to let us serve Him. And like a kid helping their mother to clean and just ends up making more of a mess, she still allows him/her to help so they feel accomplishment in something and it's a teaching experience. What about the thief on the cross who never did anything good for God? He never served God a single minute of His life. He was granted mercy because he repented as he hung there. Besides, even my best efforts for Him are like filthy rags.
I thought it was to show the world God is real and on my side by how much He blessed me and how healthy I was. The more successful I could become, the more I had would show others God really was on my side. Then I realized Jesus didn't have much, Paul gave up wealth and esteem and was often sick and those who are greatest in the Bible many didn't have much of anything at all and suffered terribly. What about those in countries where Christianity is illegal and they're persecuted? They're neither wealthy or healthy. In fact they suffer terribly for the faith, but suffering is what we're called to endure and will be richly rewarded. If Christ learned obedience through suffering (Hebrew 5:8) even though He was perfect and the Son how much more are we, imperfect, sinful creatures to learn obedience through suffering.
I thought God just wanted me happy because He loved me. If I could love me and be happy with me that's what He's most concerned with. Then I realized I was sinful and could never be happy with myself and more often than not I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I realized as a father disciplines his kids so God disciplines us. Sometimes He has to beat the daylights out of me to get me back on track! I realized if He doesn't discipline me then he doesn't love me therefore I'm not one of His.
Then I realized what God is most concerned with as I stumble through this life falling flat on my face so often...it's to conform me to the image of Christ. I'll never reach perfection here and neither will you, but that is God's only purpose for us once He calls us. I don't have to be successful by worldly standards, rich, powerful, beautiful, intelligent or anything else. He loved me anyway not because of anything I had done or ever will do. He loved me for what He has done. I was looking for all the wrong things, an abundant life now when I realized He was working death in me...death to myself and to the world to gain life in His Son. Everything we suffer or have ever suffered, every failure, every pain, every disappointment is working death and conforming us to the image of Christ. That's not something that brings discouragement. That's a beautiful thing and gives us hope.
I can't do anything. Everything I do, everything I say, everything I plan...even just waking up in the morning or taking another breath depends on Him. God wants us to face failure so we eventually look up, become dependent on Him and realize we have nothing else but Him. Everything we are, do, all of our joy, hopes, dreams, peace, actions, comfort comes from Him alone. But here's the beauty of it...in our failures He still loves us.
That may not line up with your idea of reaching God. You may not like that...but to someone like me it means everything.I don't know of anything I do well. Sometimes I can't even walk into a place without smacking into a doorway. Sometimes I can't say anything right or do anything right but He still loves me. What he did for me wasn't something I earned so I can boast about myself. It was a gift...a gift I could never come close to earning no matter how many lifetimes I lived or what I ever do.
When we have been emptied of ourselves and our own efforts is when God works greatest through us. When we are at our weakest then He shows Himself strong.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be Just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith." Romans 3:23-27
God lets us face so much failure in every area so that we eventually realize that there is absolutely nothing we can do, say or think for Him anywhere or in anything where we don't need Him. We need Him just to pray, to read the Bible, to serve Him, to praise Him, to think about Him. Everything good inside of us is Him. There is nothing in our flesh deserving of confidence, security or trust. All we have is Him.
Do you feel like a total failure? Do you feel like a total loser? Have you realized that everything you try to do for God or just in life you fail in? Do you feel like you are just one sin away from Him deserting you because you've failed so many times? Let me tell you something...God loves you. He not only loves you, He likes you. His love isn't dependent on how well we perform or what we can do like human love is often. That's Law not grace. He loved you and me long before we were even saved or even knew of Him. He proves it in that while we were yet sinners, while we were depraved and hostile toward Him, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). And He still loves you despite all your failures. God knew what He was getting Himself into with you long before you were called. He will never leave you or forsake you. Believing Him when he says He loves you, even if you don't know or understand how He still could, is faith. Even that faith comes from Him and therein lies your confidence.
God wants us to fail. He wants us to realize just how unholy, unrighteous, weak, lacking and unstable we are. In that do we understand our deep need of Him and begin to depend on Him for all things as Christ lived every moment fully dependent on Him. No matter how many mistakes you've made and how many failures you're facing, He still loves you, and me and every other huge failure walking around in Christ. Our walk, our lives, our service, our obedience is completely and wholly dependent on Him. He has upheld you your entire life even before you knew Him and He will continue to. That's what His love is. That's the Gospel and it's beautiful...
Sheri Rose Shepherd is a best selling author and speaker and much of what she writes is centered around being a princess for God. She spends lot of time on "revelations" and very little on Scripture. She also writes "love letters" that God supposedly gave to her and has a couple of books devoted to them. One of her several books is titled "How To Build A better You." How Joel Osteenish. How deceitful. God has no interest in building us into "a better you". It's building us into Christ. (Romans 8:29, Philippians 3:21) There is no where in Scripture God even implies he wants us to be better people or to have self esteem, self confidence, to love ourselves, feel good about ourselves. In fact, it's the exact opposite. But this is the kind of weak, worldly, false doctrine we're being fed.
Sheri Rose talks about her past as being a girl over weight and plain looking at best and going on to be Miss USA. After winning, photos of her popped up as an over weight ugly duckling and this traumatized her. Apparently, this spurned her on for a later ministry to help women feel good about themselves.
Sin affects us all. Not a single human being is not deeply scarred by sin whether it's our own or was thrust on us. Not a single one of us hasn't faced humiliation, mortification, trauma, struggles, depression, etc.What part of Sheri Rose Shepherd makes her a warrior princess? Is it her taking a stand against sin in her life and cutting it off to become holy? (Colossians 3:5, Galatians 5:17, 1 Cor 9:25, Romans 8:13) Or is it that she battled blows to her self confidence and self esteem and thinks this makes her a warrior princess?
While we flock to teachers that tell us what our itching ears want to hear, there are literally millions of Christians being persecuted all over the world daily, being put to death, tortured, imprisoned, maimed, raped, starved and families murdered for the Gospel. They suffer in ways we couldn't begin to imagine, but Sheri was traumatized over an old photo popping up? In that alone do we see Sheri's main focus. It's on herself and she wants us doing the same.
My husband's from Iran and he and his family suffered severe persecution when they converted from Islam. They didn't, nor do they, worry about their self esteem. Their focus was on God alone and esteeming Him, holding Christ up even in persecution. They didn't worry about their weight or how they felt about themselves. They worried over whether or not they were exalting and glorifying God in the worst trials. They rejoiced in their suffering. It was the hallmark and seal of God's hand on them. Only in America, folks do we find this weak, worldly, disturbing teachings for profit. We need the refining fire of persecution to reach our doorsteps here in the West. Compared to Christians in other nations, we, in the west, are spoiled, self centered, shallow, ignorant, cows of Bashan (Amos 4:1-2) and Sheri Rose Shepherd helps cultivate it.
Does this look like the face of someone whose now going to be traumatized because her self esteem hasn't been helped by Beth Moore and Sheri Shepherd, Priscilla Shirer, Kay Arthur and others? Do you think these Christians even know who theses women are? This girl is far more beautiful than Sheri Rose could ever be. These Christians know what it means to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. (Mark 8:34) These teachers wouldn't dare show their faces in countries like these. It wouldn't take long before their self centered message would be shown for what it is.
In light of reality, these teachers and their message just seem silly and disgusting. What Sheri teaches is not the Christianity of the Bible. One only needs to read their Bible to know that. What she teaches is vanity, sin and of the world. Can you look at these pictures and say you've suffered far more? I know I can't. What if this happened to Sheri? How fast would she desert Christ? Fat pics rocked her world pretty hard. If being overweight and an ugly duckling is the worst that's ever happened to Sheri Rose Shepherd or any of us, we all need a serious reality check.
Indonesian Christian woman beheaded for the Gospel
This Christian woman is a warrior princess because she loved not her life even unto death. While Sheri teaches women how to cling to it, love it and make it prettier and skinnier. Sheri Rose Shepherd is NOT a warrior princess. Most of these Christians don't even own Bibles. They smuggle them over the borders risking their lives or copy them in long hand so they can pass them on. Some even spend weeks memorizing word for word entire books so they can return home where Bibles are illegal and write them down for other believers. We don't even read our Bibles. Instead we buy stupid workbooks from false teachers like Sheri Rose Shepherd, fill in the missing word like 4th graders and think we've got a nice handle on this whole Christian thing. How repulsive. This woman in the pic knew enough to understand what it means to lose her life to find it. She counted the cost and followed anyway. We in the west don't count anything unless is directly benefits us and makes us "feel good". We lose a job, house or car and we're angry at God. Did it ever occur to Sheri that she could lose her life?
Here's a Christian woman killed by Muslims in Nigeria for being a Christian. This is no anomaly. This happens every single day while Sheri Rose Shepherd and other teachers get on a stage in their pretty designer dresses, shoes and nifty little workbooks they wrote and sell to teach us how to love ourselves, diet, feel pretty, have self confidence and cling to some sort of idea of self worth that's not even Biblical. This Nigerian woman is beautiful to Christ. As when Stephen was being stoned (Acts 6 and 7) and saw the God and King of the universe literally rise from His throne to greet little old Stephen as a means of honoring and welcoming him, I'm sure this woman got the same welcome into Heaven. While I write this all I can think of is "How dare we? How dare these teachers?"
Sheri's entire ministry is based on a feel good message with a heavily watered down Gospel much like Beth Moore with very little mention of sin or repentance and a lot focused on "Self". She has no clue about expository teaching, exegesis or even a basic grasp of hermeneutics. She's just a talented motivational speaker, another proponent of pop-psychology, worldly philosophies and man-centered theology so prevalent in our society and churches. What part of these teachings and us flocking to them constitutes "Seek first the kingdom of God"? (Matt 6:33) What part teaches denying ourselves, taking up our crosses and following? (Mark 8:34) Or throwing off all that hinders and running that race with our eyes fixed on Jesus? (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Nigerian Christian woman and baby murdered by Muslims
The theme centers around sins us girls are loaded down with that Paul warned about (2 Timothy 3:6) and instead of teaching us about cutting sin off and walking that narrow road, so we become more like Christ, they worm their way into our homes and lives and prey on us for a few bucks. It's all about "self", becoming more like Sheri Rose Shepherd and more like the world. Everything our American society cultivates anyway.
God's main concern for us is not whether or not we feel good about ourselves. It's not our self esteem or confidence. It's molding us into the image of Christ and all our suffering, whether we were 10 or 50, is used for that purpose. Christ learned obedience through suffering and He was the Son (Hebrews 5:8) so how much more will we?
For someone like me, and millions of others, who've come out of bad families, destructive lifestyles, false religions, depression, etc., this all seems good in the beginning. What human being doesn't want to focus all their attention on themselves and make themselves idols? It's already ingrained in us in the sin nature. This is why Shepherd and all those like her are so successful. They appeal to the sin nature. What makes Sheri's messages different from Dr. Phil and Oprah besides the Christian lingo she uses?
Here's an example taken from her website
His Princess Love Letter
Beautiful
My Beautiful Girl
I know you don’t see yourself the way I do because you compare yourself to beauty idols that will soon be forgotten. If you could see how beautiful you are in My eyes, then you would see that your eternal beauty is a breath of heaven! When I look at you, I see a treasure ready to be discovered, a princess ready to shine. I have given you the kind of beauty that is everlasting. I lined your lips to speak words of life; I have given you beautiful hands to reach out to your hurting friends. The beauty I created you to be is a reflection of Me. The beauty you possess will leave eternal beauty marks on the hearts of all who were loved by you.
The "Beauty" is the image of Christ and that doesn't come without suffering and obedience. Only Christ has life and she doesn't use much Scripture to feed her followers. What she does use is twisted, distorted and taken way out of context to force it to line up with her silly ideas. All the while she's betting that the women who follow her never read their Bibles, won't even look those Scriptures up and compare what she teaches to Scripture. Her bet is valid though. They don't look them up and read surrounding text let alone study their Bibles.
What of these "love letters"? Where are these in Scripture? I can write a love letter to myself and others too and sign it "God". That doesn't mean it's from Him especially when they go against Scripture. That would just make me weird, possibly a little psychotic, but definitely Gnostic. Are we to just trust Sheri and not God? Are we to just throw out Scripture altogether and follow her love letters? Obviously she has more authority on Scripture than God.
His Princess Prayer over you
A Prayer for Identity
The Lord’s greatest Treasure! I pray that you will know how highly your Father thinks of you. May you feel His love and acceptance in everything. I pray that you will treat yourself as an irreplaceable jewel, because that is how He sees you. May you not settle for anything less than you’re worth, and may you see yourself the way that God sees you: perfect in His eyes. I pray that you will never allow anyone to tell you who you are except for your heavenly Father, who knows the real you. May you shine for Him! In Jesus’ name, Amen. (emphasis in bold is mine)
Frankly, feeling good about me and sorrow over my sin severely clashes. I know my sin and it's ever before me. My sins reminds me how much I need Christ. I have no confidence in my flesh and know there is nothing good in me or any other Christian, but Christ. Our worth is dependent on Him alone. We can do nothing apart from Him. We can't even control waking up in the morning or how many hairs we'll lose when we brush. If we're to treat ourselves as we're worth and in light of Scripture wouldn't that make me like Satan, elevating myself in Christ since the only worth I have is Christ in me? That's exactly what she's telling women to do.
Furthermore, why does He see us "perfect in His eyes"? Could it have something to do with sin that made us filthy and vile before God, being condemned and going to hell except for Christ's perfectness and righteousness? Or is it because God thinks we're great just the way we are and He wants us to feel good about ourselves because we're His little princesses? Which is it Sheri?
Honestly, all this does is make me want to sing Christina Aguilera's "I Am Beautiful" while waving a lighter in the air. What is a prayer for identity? Identity in what? In who? For what? Where in Scripture is it ever mentioned or implied Christ intercedes for us to gain an "identity"? There's not a lot of focus on Christ and His finished work. There's no focus on sin, shining a spotlight on people to what they really are and their need for a Savior. Just being princesses like a bunch of Paris Hiltons with our little dogs running around and convincing ourselves this is what God wants. Just a lot more man-centered garbage so "in" these days.
This self centered doctrine absolutely repulses me because it does so much damage to our relationship with God and to knowing the real God....the God of the Bible. Not a god Sheri Rose Shepherd and those like her have conjured up to serve "Self". That's an idol. But we like that kind of god who caters to us because he's not threatening and allows us to continue in the sin we love instead of cutting it off as Christ demanded (Matt 5:30). So much apostasy and blasphemy filling the churches. But we "feel" like we're saved and Sheri is teaching good doctrine. Feelings have nothing to do with it especially when Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitfully wicked. Do you want to put your trust in a heart that's deceitfully wicked?
It's good for Sheri Rose Shepherd though! She's making a lot of money off shallowness and encouraging shallowness. She's getting her ego stroked by ignorant, flocking professing Christians and mending her own hurt pride and inferiority complex through this false teaching. I got news for you Sheri, you're no warrior princess. You're not even Biblical. You're just another fake, worldly, false teacher. For the rest of us truly believing females...shake them off, turn away and follow Christ.
As for Sheri and others like her, they should heed Scripture and quake in their designer heels the next time they get on a stage to teach..."Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely than others." James 3:1
What the Bible really teaches on "self esteem" and "feeling good about ourselves"...
"and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." Matthew 24:11
The word for "many" which occurs at the end of the verse in 24:11 is πολύς (Polys) in the Greek and it means "multitude, great, numerous. Are you one of the great number deceived?
"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible." Matthew 24:24
Are you following someone because they perform miracles and show "signs" without having held their teaching up to Scripture? Jesus Himself warned that these false prophets would be so deceitful that even the very elect would be deceived if not for God.
"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destructionhas not been sleeping." 2 Peter 2:1-3
Disclaimer: I do not condone the teaching of men by women nor am I trying to exercise authority over men by using this blog as a method of teaching men. All posts are for the edification of women. For more on what I believe concerning this issue please see:Women - No Dominion Over Men
"We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves". - David Platt
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