Paul was the Last Apostle – debunking latter day rain and end time restoration teachings
Sep 01Today, on some occasions, we loosely speak of people as apostles. Usually it is limited to pioneer missionaries, for example, William Carey has been called the apostle to India. The only reason this term is used is that someone was sent to pioneer a new area with the Gospel.
The False Teachings of Spiritual Warfare
Aug 15
Not only is the spiritual warfare movement derived from extra-Biblical sources, but it contradicts much of what the New Testament does tell us about demons. Many false teachers, such as Neil Anderson, claims that when we deal with demons it is a "truth encounter," not a "power encounter." But in the Scriptures whenever Jesus or the Apostles cast out demons it was always a power encounter. Never once did Jesus attempt to reason with a demonized individual. Never once did He call on them to believe the truth. He always forcibly cast demons out of such people.
Know and Walk in the Truth
Apr 21
"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." (1 Timothy 1:5) Much of modern, self-oriented Christian preaching and writing has tended to downgrade biblical "doctrine" in favor of an emphasis on "love" and "fulfillment," the "pursuit of happiness," "sharing and caring," and other such sentiments. Some popular religious leaders major on "confident living," "self-improvement," "personal success," and the like. Doctrine is thus downgraded in favor of practice, and "works" are considered more important than the Word. But this type of emphasis places the cart before the horse and can never succeed for very long. "Doctrine" is simply "teaching," and true teaching must come from God’s infallible Word, whether that teaching relates to great divine truths (creation, atonement, sanctification, etc.) or to the daily Christian walk. As the apostle Paul reminds us, "evil communications corrupt good manners" (1 Corinthians 15:33). "Profane and vain babblings . . . increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Timothy 2:16). We cannot escape being taught doctrine somewhere. If we will not receive true doctrine from God’s Word, we will inevitably become indoctrinated with the world’s humanistic deceptions, for these impinge upon our thinking continually, from classroom and journal, from television and (unfortunately) sometimes even from the pulpit. If we are really concerned about love and happiness and such things, we must acquire them from the right source, the doctrinal truths of the Word of God. It is knowing and obeying the commandment, as our text says, that generates pure love, a faithful heart, and a daily life that supports a clear conscience. When we "know the truth" (John 8:32), then and then only can we "walk in truth" (3 John 4). HMM
biblical or man made traditions?
Mar 10
“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him (Jesus Christ), Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He (Jesus Christ) answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Mark 7:5-9
Following after Paul’s example
Feb 07
The apostle Paul many times urged his readers to follow his example in living the Christian life. To the Philippians, Paul said: "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample" (Philippians 3:17). The initial reaction to such exhortations is to think of Paul as arrogant. To the believers in the Corinthian church, he said: "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me" (1 Corinthians 4:16). To those at Thessalonica, he said: "For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you. . . . Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us" (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9).
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