Love From The Devil

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

One of the most shocking Scriptures in the Bible is also one of the saddest. It is about Solomon’s apostasy in his latter years:
king solomon's apostasy

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. (1 Ki 11:4)

The fall of King Solomon was stunning. Unlike others who turned away from God, his wasn’t over money or power. Solomon’s fall came through his pagan wives and their idolatrous influences on his heart. The Bible says Solomon held fast to them in love. (1 Ki 11:2). That was his weakness. He clung to them and sought their loving approval over God’s. He did good in their eyes, but evil in God’s eyes to the detriment of his SOUL.

Some observers might have thought Solomon had “marriages made in heaven,” because of their mutual love and affection, but in reality they were “marriages made in hell.” His love relationships cost him his relationship with God. What an important message for Christian singles to ponder. The truth is, the devil will tempt with money, power, etc, and even a wonderful love relationship, which is forbidden by God, and all to get your SOUL. The devil is thinking about your eternity, but wants us all to focus only on this life and its importance. Solomon changed spiritually because of love from pagans. The adverse effects that had on him are chilling:

He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD. (1 Ki 11:5,6)

Lonely people seem more susceptible to this same type of forbidden love that Solomon clung to. That means Christian singles, especially, better take warning. This life is a long test. It wasn’t until Solomon was in his last years before he died spiritually and lost his salvation. He served God faithfully for decades before he fell away. The Bible says we must endure to the end to be saved (Mt. 10:22; Heb. 3:14; etc.). What happened to Solomon also reflects the intensity of this spiritual warfare. Take warning and remain true to God no matter what. Keep yourself pure (1 Tim. 5:22).

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Can A Catholic Priest Forgive Sins

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

If you took a poll of people who believe or disbelieve Catholic priests can forgive sins, a sizeable number would, unfortunately, say they can. It is easy to show their error by the lack of observable evidence for such an authoritative claim. Believe it or not, observable evidence does exist for such a claim and was cited after Jesus forgave this paralytic:

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:5-7)

priest forgive sinsThe unbelieving teachers of the law wrongly thought Jesus blasphemed by forgiving the paralytic. To prove they falsely accused him, the Lord Jesus offered the following observable evidence:

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ….” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” (Mark 2:10-12)

Again, Jesus healed the paralytic to prove he had such authority to forgive sins and was not just speaking empty, misleading and blasphemous words. If a Catholic priest really could forgive sins, he could also heal in that manner, but he can’t. They don’t have any observable evidence for their ultra-authoritative claim. Catholic priests can NOT forgive sins and are deceiving people by their claim. It is only their false doctrines and traditions which declare such and because of that sincere Catholics are walking around lethally deceived about salvation. Just by this false claim alone, Catholic priests are shown to be guilty of blasphemy, according to Scripture! Reader, are your sins Biblically forgiven? Do you have Scripture to prove it? See Lk. 24:37; Acts 3:19; 10:43; 20:21 cf. 26:18; Mt. 6:14,15; etc.

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Do You Know Him

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

In our hour, it is common for Christians to profess that they are saved, using that term. That, however, was NOT the typical way the earliest Christians expressed themselves as stated in the Bible! John wrote about this and a false profession:

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3,4)

OBEDIENCE, among those who profess a saving faith in the Lord Jesus, is the single criterion to know that one really does or doesn’t know the Lord Jesus in the way of salvation. Non-Christians do not know God (John 8:55; 15:21; etc.). To truly have eternal life means one does know him, that is, has a relationship with God (John 17:3). It is not merely taking in knowledge about God that brings eternal life, as the perverted Jehovah’s Witness New World Translation reads. Many people have some accurate knowledge of God, but remain spiritually lost and dead in their sins. At the point of true forgiveness, one is changed into a new creation and God’s Holy Spirit indwells him. He is set free from his sin addictions and becomes a slave of righteousness:

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Rom 6:22)

Without Biblical salvation, one is a child of the devil. So the question remains: Do you know him NOW? NOTE: The question was not, “Have you ever known him?” That would imply the heresy of once saved always saved. It is where you are with God in the present time that counts, because one can lose his salvation, like the prodigal son, who became spiritually dead and lost (Luke 15:24). Remember: The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

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For The Love Of Money

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

It is very disheartening to come to grips with the way this world system and the professing church system often work, with very few exceptions. The truth is, much injustice and wickedness have been and are being spread because people love money and will do ungodly things for it, even at the expense of their own SOUL. Paul wrote:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tim 6:10)

NOTICE: Just being eager for money can cause one to wander from the Christian faith and lose his salvation. Greed, a type of idolatry (Col. 3:5), also comes into focus here and will cause one to not inherit God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Spiritual leaders, especially, can’t be covetous or a lover of money (1 Tim. 3:3; 1 Pet. 5:2). If they are or become such, the vital truths of God won’t go forth as needed for one reason or another. Corrupt spiritual leaders produce false doctrine resulting in the spread of sin and often this is related to money. Notice what Jude wrote about the grace changers (Jude 4). Still describing them, he wrote:

Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. (Jude 1:11)

Loving money is one of the signs of these end times which makes it so perilous, especially spiritually (2 Tim. 3:2) and ALL Christians are to keep their lives free from the love of money (Heb. 13:5).

In conclusion, some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread (Prov 28:21) and Judas Iscariot betrayed God in the flesh for 30 pieces of silver! In contrast, the people who overcome and actually enter God’s kingdom are people who endured persecution for godly living, brought forth good fruit, etc., including not being greedy or a lover of money. QUESTION: Do you have money or does money have you? You cannot serve both God and money. (Mat 6:24)

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God Loves Justice

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

God loves justiceOne of the unique attributes of God, who is love (1 John 4:8,16), which we don’t often hear about, is God loves justice. That is why people, who are impure in heart (the wicked), will be thrown into eternal, unquenchable and raging fire:

On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face. (Psa 11:6,7)

Almighty God is a just God totally unlike corrupt human judges who show partiality or take bribes to corrupt justice:

A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice. (Prov 17:23)

Furthermore, God knows all the details! Not only does God know what fully occurred, he also knows the motives behind every action and word! Hence, there are no secret sins because God knows it all. In fact, God knows you better than you know yourself, even numbering the hair on your head and that number changes daily (Mt. 10:30)! He is awesome and is to be feared. ALL who don’t meet his righteous standards will be thrown into the lake of fire in the end (Rev. 20:15; 21:8). Why? Because God loves justice. The wise fear him. Are you righteously wise?

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Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

Of all the many things to pray for and about, many overlook the lead us not into temptation prayer. Temptation is the diabolical act by which the devil tries to make sin through or with a person, place or thing, look glamorous, advantageous, attractive and/or even vital. The sinful allurement may be for the moment or on a continuing basis, but is always outside God’s will. Temptation also precedes sin, but in itself is not a sin. We know that because Jesus was tempted in every way (Heb. 4:15), yet never sinned (2 Cor. 5:21; etc.). James explains how people do sin:

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. (James 1:14-16)

That is why the devil tempts and is consequently called the tempter (Mt. 4:3; 1 Thess.3:5). The enemy wants us to sin to our own harm and condemnation. The Lord Jesus taught two important things about temptation, which Christians need to remember:

And lead us not into temptation…. (Mat 6:13)

Pray so you don’t fall into temptation. (Mk. 14:38)

Jesus told his disciples to pray to not fall or be led into temptation. He did that because he knew the destructive power of sin, which comes after temptation. If you are a professing Christian, do you pray that way? If not, start for your own good, because sin is still the issue and can bring forth loss of salvation, even quickly at times! You are battling for eternity. Take his directives seriously. He has the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

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Child Of The Devil

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

child of the devilA child of the devil is recognized by his present tense wicked behavior. Though that fact flies square in the face of popular theology, it is a definite fact and one which needs to be remembered and taught. That concept is true grace and basic Christianity. All professing evangelicals (gospel preachers) should be in agreement, but are actually poles apart as ungodly allowances for sin are made by some, especially the once saved always saved Calvinistic types. With that being said, carefully ponder the following truth:

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:10)

By not doing the right things and not loving the Christian brothers, one is identified as a child of the devil! His sins of omission expose him. That is first century Christian teaching. Hand in glove with that is a corroborating passage from Acts. It tells about a man named Sergius Paulus, who wanted to hear the word of God from Paul and Barnabas, but a person was trying to hinder that. He was Elymas the sorcerer, who opposed Paul and Barnabas and tried to turn Sergius Paulus from the faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said to him:

You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? (Acts 13:10)

Paul knew he was a child of the devil by his present tense wicked behavior. If he was ever saved prior to that point meant nothing! He was a lost child of the devil at that point as his behavior revealed. He was both a sorcerer and an enemy of the Christian gospel. He was opposed to another even hearing the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ. He was on the broad road to the fiery lake of burning sulfur, with other children of the devil:

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Rev 21:8)

Only repentance and a heart change through faith in the Lord Jesus would change their fiery future. They needed to become new creations in Christ. If you are a child of the devil, you are like them.

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The Pleasures Of Sin For A Short Time

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

As strange as it may seem, the Bible actually teaches sin has pleasure in it (for a SHORT TIME)! Of course, there are also the pain and remorse, as well as the inescapable deadening effects afterwards (James 1:14-16). Isn’t it true that for the devil (the enemy of your SOUL) to legitimately tempt a person to sin, it would have to have some kind of draw and allurement for the person being tempted. That, however, doesn’t mean that one must yield to temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). Notice the following passage and the listed details about Moses:

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. (Heb 11:24-26)

Moses was a prince in Egypt, the world power at the time. Imagine the sin he could have indulged in if he wanted to, but he had a different value system, one that is taken by the righteously wise. That system de-emphasizes the temporal importance and pleasures of this life, and stresses the eternal and the long eternity beyond the grave with God’s will in focus. Moses was willing to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. Can you identify with that powerful example of faith? It will help you reap eternal life!

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Jesus Loves You Deception

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

Jesus loves youHow often we have all read or heard others tell another, Jesus loves you. While it is a definite truth that God loves even the unsaved (John 3:16; Mark 10:21; etc.), which is anti Calvinism, one can never find the Jesus loves you form of evangelism in the book of Acts. Consider the evangelism in the Bible. The book of Acts has no less than 2 dozen salvation sermons or references to the plan of salvation in one way or another. Hence, the way they did it should be the way we do it. Conversely, the way they didn’t do it, should be avoided by us today. With that in mind, you never read where any of the Lord disciples ever told anyone, Jesus loves you – not even once!

Jesus Loves You is Deceptive

I [Dan Corner] have spend thousands of hours witnessing to others in different circumstances over the decades. I have noticed on various occasions that different types of unsaved people brought up the fact that God loves them and therefore they would not go to hell based on that! They were clinging to their sins, but thinking they were safe from going to hell merely because Jesus loves them. That speaks volumes as to the deception that phrase can create in a person’s mind. After all, isn’t it true that in the natural if someone loves us, that same person would never send us to a place of torment in fire. What unsaved people need to know is, God’s love is totally unlike ours plus he also loves justice (Psalm 11:6,7). He will send a person he loves to hell because that person is not pure in heart (Mt. 5:8).

CAUTION With Jesus Loves You

If you have been randomly telling people Jesus loves you, carefully explain his unique love or don’t tell people that. Why not simply stick to the Scriptures and tell unsaved people the Biblical message for salvation—repentance towards God and faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:21)? Tell them to prove their repentance by their deeds (Acts 26:20) and don’t forget to give the salvation facts, as stated in 1Cor. 6:9-11:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (NASB)

Since the real gospel contains a conditional security for the believer (1 Cor. 15:2; etc.), don’t forget to tell the potential new converts that they must endure to the end to enter God’s kingdom (Mt. 10:22; Heb. 3:14; etc.), that is, to get final salvation and reap eternal life. So, just like friendship evangelism, the Jesus loves you approach is flawed and should be avoided.

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Religious Deception

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Eternal Life Blog

We live in a world of rampant religious deception. There are many false prophets, false Christs, false teachers, false brethren, etc. The result is sin and false doctrine of different degrees. On the basis of such religious deception, we must cautiously proceed and not just gullibly accept everything we hear or are taught. In other words, we need to test everyone (1 John 4:1) and everything (1 Thess 5:21) to guard against disaster. The only criterion of truth for such an important evaluation is the Bible (2 Tim 3:16,17), with special emphasis on the New Testament.

Hence, all Christians must spend time (the more the better) directly in the Bible for themselves or be open to lethal deception. There is no substitute for this. This is a very serious admonition and the stakes couldn’t be higher. We are all dealing with eternity and the priceless SOULS of men. This battle is for eternity, yet very few are really guarded and even fewer know the real message of salvation. Don’t follow the crowd. They will perish (Mat 7:13,14).

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