Doctrine of Demons

Have you ever heard that there are multiple dimensions or that God has created multiple creations? That we are in, perhaps the 6th creation now? Curious where that came from? Chris Rosebrough of  Fighting for the Faith breaks down this gnostic mystic's wild message and shows that these ideas come from ancient mystery religions, Kabbalah, and specifically Jewish mystics. 

Beware the doctrine of demons.

The entire video is interesting, but if you just want to hear about the multi-dimensions and multi creations, skip to around the 20-minute mark and watch from there. 

The Devil's Wisdom

I recently read a book on philosophy that came highly recommended for its brevity and humorous style. After the first chapter, I realized it wasn't a funny book but a mean, bitter book that was at war with Christ. The joke was on anyone who disagreed with the author, namely Christians. James 3:13-18 tells us if you have knowledge and wisdom but also have bitter envying and strife in your heart, you lie against the truth you say you believe. It's counterfeit wisdom because there is God's wisdom and the Devil's wisdom.

Wisdom is the right use of good knowledge. It's navigating this world, making sound judgments, discerning the situation, avoiding the bad or choosing the good. There are other kinds of "wisdom" or a false way of living. How do we tell which is which? Every heretic says he has a Bible verse.

One way to distinguish between God's wisdom and the Devil's wisdom is to see the fruit. Since wisdom is the application and the use of knowledge, watch and consider where that wisdom is taking you. If envy and strife are in your heart, then you are lying against the truth. If you are lying against the truth, how can you rightly use and exercise truth? The answer is you won't. The fruit of your "wisdom" will be fighting, strife, envy, and confusion, leaving a trail of evil in your wake.

On the other hand, God's wisdom comes from above. This heavenly wisdom is from God and taught and given to Christians by the Holy Spirit through the Bible. This knowledge is from the Bible but worked in the heart and mind by the Spirit. When you have this wisdom, which works itself out, you'll see purity, peacefulness, and gentleness. God's wisdom leads a man to admit when he's wrong. This wisdom will not be hard-hearted when shown wrong and will be thankful for someone who tells them they are wrong (Proverbs 27:6; Proverbs 12:1). Someone with true wisdom wants to go the right way. The Devil's wisdom would rather continue on the wrong path than to be corrected. God's wisdom is full of mercy and abundant in good fruits. Heavenly wisdom takes sides with the truth, no matter who is on the other side. The Devil's wisdom is a party spirit and will be partial to friends, family, and colleagues. Heavenly wisdom is without hypocrisy. When there is a war to win, and the only goal is to win, then a casualty of the war is sincerity and truth. The Devil's wisdom will make you dig in your heels and fight and lie to yourself and others, presenting a false front to win the war. God's wisdom will lead to sincerity.

When you live by the wisdom of God, you are a peacemaker. You desire that men and women come to Christ and find rest for their souls in the forgiveness of since, by grace, through faith in Him. This is the good news of the King, and we want people to know the peace of God. The fruit of that righteousness is sown in peace. Are you making peace or war? Is the goal truth or winning by any means necessary? True love will fight for the truth and defend it. True love will give no ground to error or heresy. It's not peace at all costs. True wisdom will desire all people, even our enemies, to come to the knowledge of the truth. True wisdom wants to be right and in the right way, and will listen to feedback and be willing to listen and accept criticism and not dismiss it straight away. 

James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Praying for the who?

 

I've written piece on whether or not Christians ought to pray for the dead. You can read it here.

I'm in a book group that recently read a Russian novel about a 15th-century Orthodox mystic and it's...well, a little strange. Not my favorite, to say the least. One theme of the book was time, and in our discussions, the concept of time came up, and then, whether or not Christians can or should pray for the dead. 

While that was going on, in preparation for preaching a message in John 17, JC Ryle mentioned praying for the dead. And, I've heard it suggested that it's a proper and even spiritual way to read the Bible in a few sermons recently. 

This piece is the fruit of my thinking on the subject. 

Wuantia Adkins (1935 -2022)

Last Tuesday night, Wuantia Adkins went home to be with the Lord. The doctors told her about four years ago that she had a month to live. We had a church service at her home because we thought she wasn't long for this world. But she was back to church a couple of weeks later. She loved going to church. The family told me that when she started getting sicker, she would wake up and ask when the church service was. That was always on her mind and heart. Waunita loved the Lord's house. She loved hymns, often reading through them before church, and loved to sing one of her favorites, Saved to the Uttermost. Waunita was always good and kind to my family and me and always a blessing to the Buffalo Valley Baptist Church. She always had an encouraging word for me after sermons, and especially loved to hear about God's sovereignty in salvation. Wuanita was a devoted wife and loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. And right now, she is with Jesus. She is free from pain, and she is free from disease, happy, and blessed.

But I want you to know that Waunita is not in heaven because she was a sweet lady. She is not in heaven because she went to church. She is not in heaven because she was a devoted wife or a loving mother. As far as people I know, she was one of the best. But she wasn't a perfect person, and she'd be the first to tell you that. She was a sinner by nature and a sinner by choice. The Bible says all have sinned and that sin's wages are death. All who are under the law are under the curse of the law. And that's every one of us. That's you. It's appointed unto man once to die, and after that, judgment. We are born into this world sinners and by nature, children of wrath, walking according to the course of this world. You know it, and I know it. We've all sinned, and that's a problem.

But Waunita IS in Heaven -- and it's because Jesus loved her. God, who is rich in mercy, sent His only begotten Son into the world to save his people from their sins. By God's grace, He gives eternal life in Christ. Waunita is righteous because she had Christ's righteousness. Waunita is in heaven because Jesus paid for her sins and gave her eternal life. She is in heaven because she knew Jesus was a Saviour and believed it and rested in Christ as HER savior. Waunita trusted in Christ for pardon, and she lived in Christ for power. And now she rests in Christ for all eternity.

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:55-57.