Monthly Archives: September 2016

The Three Part False Prophet Test

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fingerHave you ever considered the “why” behind the rise of false prophets?

What may be a shock to us is the fact that according to scripture, false prophets arise for the testing of God’s people. These tests are not for God’s sake in order that He may learn things about us, as if God is somehow unaware of the choices we will make. He knows all things exhaustively, past, present or future. The Psalmist declared, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.” (Psalm 139:4). He already knows what we as humans will do.

God never learns anything because He knows all things and what is more, He has always known them. We refer to this exhaustive knowledge of God as His omniscience, stemming from the words “omni” meaning “all”, and “science”, referring to “knowledge’.

EVEN THE DEVIL IS GOD’S DEVIL
Martin Luther, in speaking of God’s Sovereignty over all things once famously said, “Even the devil is God’s devil.” What he meant by that is that even though the devil’s intention is to hurt, injure, deceive – to kill, steal and destroy – God also has a purpose when allowing him room to do so.

Behind every false prophet is a false spirit, and behind that, is the devil himself, who with evil intentions is seeking to lure his prey into deception. God’s people are warned about this in very clear terms and in His grace, He has given us three definite tests we are to use in order that we can determine the legitimacy (or otherwise) of any so called prophet:

TEST NUMBER 1: DOES THE ‘PROPHET’ TELL US TO FOLLOW A FALSE GOD?

Deut. 18: 15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’

TEST NUMBER 2: DOES WHAT THE ‘PROPHET’ SAID COME TO PASS?

Deut. 18: 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

TEST NUMBER 3: EVEN IF THE THING SAID DOES COME TO PASS, WHICH ‘GOD’ IS THE ‘PROPHET’ WISHING US TO FOLLOW?

Deut 13: 1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

This passage is especially revealing. We are told that even when seemingly real (legitimate) signs and wonders (things that hold up to scrutiny and empirical observations) – yes, even when signs and wonders occur under the “ministry” of a false prophet, if he is proclaiming a false God, the signs and wonders performed are God’s means of testing His people. Do not be fooled. If the prophet is proclaiming a false ‘god’ reject the messenger without hesitation, along with his message. Do not, I repeat, do not listen to him!

DO WE GET THIS?

We are far too often impressed by the supernatural. Though God can and does intervene in the course of nature, sometimes even dramatically, we must be cognizant of the fact that the supernatural is not always a sign of truth. Jesus did real miracles as did His Apostles. And yet, while a sign and a wonder can be a legitimate authenticating proof of a message being from God, Scripture also states that it can indeed be a testing ground for His people. We are told in this passage that when a false prophet performs a sign or a wonder, God is testing His people to see what is in their hearts. False prophets, though in the employ of the devil himself, are therefore Divinely sent tests to see if we truly love God with all our hearts.

DON’T FOLLOW EVERY SIGN

NEWYORK9If you start your journey in Florida (on the east coast of the United States) and wish to get to California (on the west coast), my advice is that you do not follow signs to New York (in the north east of the country). Should you do so, it could well be the case that every mile you travel will take you further and further away from your intended destination.

In the same way, if you see a sign, ask yourself this question: where is this sign pointing me to? And know this: A true (God appointed) sign will point you away from the person performing the sign, and to the one true God revealed in Scripture as the Trinity – one in essence and three in Person, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the Sovereign, holy, majestic One who rules heaven and earth, declaring the end from the beginning and accomplishing everything He sets out to do (Isaiah 46:8-11). Any other “god” is a complete fraud; a “god” who cannot save, for in reality, he does not actually exist.

Charles Spurgeon Speaking Tips

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sp057Article: 10 Public Speaking Tips from Charles Spurgeon by Christian George (original source Edison-Bell Record Company recorded a two-minute audio clip of his son, Thomas, reading an excerpt of his father’s sermon. But Thomas’s voice was was “not quite that of Charles Spurgeon, not quite so strong and not quite so musical” (Fullerton, 167). Besides, Thomas took after his mother in countenance; his brother, Charles Jr., favored their father.

Charles Spurgeon spoke more quickly, too – 140 words per minute. His voice was described as “a silver bell” (The Eclectic Review, January-June, 1867) and “sweet and musical; with a rich under-current that always reminds us of the roll of the organ” (Falkirk Herald, February 6, 1868).

James Sheridan Knowles, an Irish actor who would have been Spurgeon’s elocution teacher at Stepney College, told his students:

[Spurgeon] is only a boy, but he is the most wonderful preacher in the world. He is absolutely perfect in his oratory; and, beside that, a master in the art of acting. He has nothing to learn from me, or anyone else. He is simply perfect. He knows everything. He can do anything. . . . Why, boys, he can do anything he pleases with his audience! He can make them laugh, and cry, and laugh again, in five minutes (Autobiography 1:354).

The actor was not exaggerating. In 1855, 21-year-old Spurgeon wrote in a letter to his brother, “I believe I could secure a crowded audience at dead of night in a deep snow” (Autobiography 2:99). The very next year, a biography was published in New York comparing the young preacher to George Whitefield. He was also compared to Sims Reeves – one of the most popular opera singers of the century.

So what was Spurgeon’s secret? How did the “Prince of Preachers” master the art of public speaking? Here are ten tips from Spurgeon’s lecture “On the Voice” (Lectures to My Students 11:117-135).

1. Posture Up!

“Do not speak with your hands in your waistcoat pockets so as to contract your lungs, but throw the shoulders back, as public singers do.”

“Do not lean over a desk while speaking, and never hold the head down on the breast while preaching. Upward rather than downward let the body bend.”

“Off with all tight cravats and button-up waistcoats; leave room for the full play of the bellows and the pipes.”

2. Speak with Your Mouth, Not Your Throat or Nose.

“Open wide the doors from which such godly truth is to march forth.”

“One of the surest ways to kill yourself is to speak from the throat instead of the mouth.”

“Evangelists have written of our Lord, ‘He opened his mouth and taught them.’”

“Avoid the use of the nose as an organ of speech, for the best authorities are agreed that it is intended to smell with.”

3. “R” ticulate.

“Abhor the practice of some men, who will not bring out the letter “r” such a habit is ‘vewy wuinous and wediculous, vewy wetched and wepwehensible.’”

“Take great care of the consonants, enunciate every one of them clearly; they are the features and expression of the words. . . . The vowels have a voice of their own, and therefore they can speak for themselves.”

“Excessively rapid speaking, tearing and raving into utter rant, is quite as inexcusable; it is not, and never can be powerful, except with idiots, for it turns what should be an army of words into a mob, and most effectually drowns the sense in floods of sound.” Continue reading →

Protection from Deception

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Text: Matthew 24:1-15

Deceived people, deceive people: Jesus made it clear that a key feature of the end times would be pervasive deception on a scale that if possible, would deceive even the elect. Thankfully, God has shown us how we can protect ourselves from this deception while remaining constantly vigilant as we pursue His truth.

Eschatology Series

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As an amazing gift to the wider Body of Christ, Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary are very kindly and generously making their entire 17 course lectures on eschatology available free of charge online. This course, taught by Dr. Sam Waldron, is outstanding, giving a comprehensive overview of the subject from both an historical and theological perspective. I recommend the series wholeheartedly and pray that God will use it to further the cause of His truth in the midst of much deception in our own day. – Pastor John Samson, King’s Church, Peoria, AZ

The first three lectures cover something of an historical overview of the Church concerning eschatology. This is a very helpful foundation for our understanding. To know that we are engaging in a conversation that has been going on for centuries, gives us a knowledge of the structure of the debate, setting the boundaries for what is and what is not to be regarded as ‘heresy’, as well as a right and appropriate sense of humility as we approach the Scriptures ourselves.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTIONS—THE GREAT CONVERSATION!

Lecture 1: Eschatology in the Early and Medieval Church

ST27 01 | Doctrine of Last Things from CBTS on Vimeo.

Lecture 2:

ST27 02 | Doctrine of Last Things from CBTS on Vimeo.

Lecture 3: Eschatology in the Reformation and Modern Church

ST27 03 | Doctrine of Last Things from CBTS on Vimeo.

STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS—ESCHATOLOGY MADE SIMPLE

Lecture 4: The Two Ages

ST27 04 | Doctrine of Last Things from CBTS on Vimeo.

Lecture 5: The Two Ages (Continued)

ST27 05 | Doctrine of Last Things from CBTS on Vimeo.

Continue reading →

Socialism

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Article: Socialism in Jesus’ Name? by R.C. Sproul, Jr (original source here)

“Jesus wants us to care for the poor. Socialism cares for the poor. Therefore Jesus wants socialism.” It’s a pretty simple syllogism. It is, nevertheless, a terribly flawed one. The first premise, Jesus wants us to care for the poor, is true enough. If we are given to rejecting the conclusion, that doesn’t call us to deny the truth of the first premise. The mistreatment of the poor was regular fodder for the Old Testament prophets, and the right care of the poor a key theme in the establishment of the law for God’s people, Israel. Jesus spoke to the issue as well, as did many of the New Testament epistle writers.

The second premise is not true enough. It’s not true at all. I will soon address its lack of truth, but for now, I’m willing to grant that it is true, in order to demonstrate that the syllogism is still flawed. All we need to do is substitute two different true premises and find that the conclusion is false. Consider this syllogism—It is good for my lawn to be watered. A flood of Noahic proportions waters my lawn. Therefore a flood of Noahic proportions is good for my lawn. Or this—Jesus wants criminals to be punished. Vigilantism punishes criminals. Therefore, Jesus wants vigilantism.

The essence of all three arguments reduces down to this—any means that achieves a desired end must be good, something we should seek. In short, the ends justify the means. The trouble is, they don’t. One of the baleful influences of pragmatism on the broader culture and on the church is that we choose our ends, rightly or wrongly, and then ignore the law of God in deciding how to pursue those ends. God’s law, however, shows us not only what we ought to be pursuing, but the right and biblical path for pursuing it. Doing God’s things our ways in the end is doing our things, not God’s things.

Socialism operates under the premise that the state not only has the authority to take what rightfully belongs to one man to give it to another, but has a duty to do so. Whether it is socialized education, or socialized health care, or socialized medication, or socialized retirement, or simply the taking of cash from one man to give to another, it is of a piece. That we might be in favor of education or medicine or retirement, that we might want to see others receive these blessings, however, should not lead us to support programs that take the wealth God has entrusted to the care of one man to give to another. When one man takes from another by force we rightly call this stealing, something forbidden by God in the Ten Commandments. When ten men or ten million men elect civil leaders to take the wealth of others by force, this too is something forbidden by God in the Ten Commandments. It no more makes a difference if this stealing benefits us or those we would like to see benefited. Continue reading →

Sub-Ordinate Role But No Less Divine

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and/or misunderstanding, that unbelievers frequently expresss about the Trinity. As a believer you should be aware of this. James White on occasion says:

Difference in function does not indicate inferiority of nature.

For many who deny the Trinity or the deity of Jesus, it is thought that since Jesus fulfilled a lesser (subordinate) role in his incarnation compared to that of the Father, Jesus must therefore possess a lesser nature.

Those who oppose the deity of Christ often point to Jesus’ submissive remarks about doing the will of his Father. For example, Jesus says, “the Father is greater than I am.” They infer from this that Jesus does not share the same nature with the Father. But this is confusing categories. It ignores the broader context that is talking about their relational roles, not their nature.

Jesus also calls the Father, “My God.” Yet those who oppose the deity of Christ ignore that this is a humble acknowledgment of the incarnate Jesus modeling for us humility and submissiveness (John 20:17). This exalting-affirmation is what we would expect from the Son of God.

Similarly, it is argued, since Jesus is the agent of the Father in many respects such as creation, Jesus cannot be fully God. Regarding the Spirit, they will make the similar false assumption. Since the Spirit is sent by the Father, the Spirit cannot have the same divine nature as the Father. They will look at these statements and make the fallacious leap that difference in function indicates inferiority of nature.

They also deny the freedom of the Divine persons to choose their roles. Or to put it another way: they assume that to be truly God, the Son and the Spirit must have the exact same roles as the Father in order to share in the same nature.

A simple, but effective, illustration will show that difference in function does not indicate inferiority of nature: A husband and wife—as well as children!—will possess different roles in a marriage. Wives are to take on the submissive role, yet this does not indicate that difference in function requires inferiority of nature. Does the wife have a lesser nature than that of the husband? Not according to Christian anthropology. They are both fully human.

Let’s praise God for the incarnation, which itself presupposes a submissive role that brought about our salvation. We do not worship a unipersonal-unitarian God, but worship instead a complementary-trinitarian God.

The Counsel of His Own Will

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martynlloydjonesdrawing_thumbDr. Martyn Lloyd Jones:

Listen to the original sermon who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ – Ephesians 1:11–14

We continue our discussion of the Apostle’s great statement. He has announced that the great secret which God has revealed concerning His purpose is that in this present age, and in Christ, He has reunited the discordant parts, the separate parts, into which sin has divided the world and the whole cosmos. God is restoring the original harmony, in heaven and on earth, and He is doing so in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. In the dispensation of the fulness of times it is His purpose that He might ‘gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him.’ In these verses we are considering the ways in which God is doing this, and have already given attention to the first, and indeed in many senses the chief way, namely, the formation and the growth of the Christian Church. The Church is the new Israel, the spiritual Israel, the true seed of Abraham, and she consists of Jews and Gentiles. But the unity is established, as we have seen, by making these different people Christians, and the Apostle incidentally tells us a number of things about the Christian. We have already considered two of them.

Now we come to consider, in the third place, the way in which all this has happened to us, how this has ever become true of us, knowing ourselves as we do. How does anyone become a Christian? How does anyone enter into this position in which he is ‘in Christ’ and a ‘joint-heir’ with Christ? Fortunately the Apostle deals with that subject also. He is not content with saying that this is true of us, he tells us how it has become true. And he does so, of course, because this was something at which he never ceased to wonder. As we proceed we find Paul using a number of terms which we have already encountered. We met them in verses 4 and 5. They include certain great terms and phrases which are to be found throughout the New Testament, terms which are absolutely essential to a true and ultimate understanding of the Gospel: ‘In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.’ In verses 4 and 5 we find: ‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself.’ Such are the terms. We are here face to face with high doctrine, with some of the great profundities of the Christian faith and the Christian messages. Someone may ask: Why does the Apostle repeat these terms here, having already used them in verses 4 and 5? The explanation is not only simple but very important. In verses 4 and 5 the Apostle was taking a general view of God’s purpose, he was looking at it, as it were, from that eternal standpoint. Now he is not merely looking at it in general, but also in its particular application to us. There, it was the great scheme itself; here, it is the scheme as applied to us. But he still uses the same terms as he used there. They apply not only to the thought but also to the application.

Many Christian people never study these terms, never dwell on them, never turn them over in their minds. Let me prove that contention by asking a question. How often have you heard anyone going slowly, and term by term, through this great chapter? Or, how often have you read them yourself in this way? Are we not in danger of avoiding these great terms because of certain associations which they have? This is something of which we, as Christian people, need to be very wary at this present hour, for certain aspects of New Testament truth are just not being considered at all because of an element of controversy attached to them. Large numbers of Christian people are totally ignorant of prophetic truth, for instance, because their attitude to it is determined by the fact that it leads to argument and wrangling about various theories. They imagine that that is a wise and sound position to take up. But what they are actually doing is deliberately to ignore God’s Word; they are deliberately by-passing certain aspects and elements of God’s revealed Truth. God means us to study and to face everything in His word whether it is difficult or simple, whether involved in controversy of otherwise. To say ‘peace at any price’ at the expense of God’s revealed truth is surely an insult to God. These matters have to be faced, whether it is the truth concerning prophecy of whether it be the truth concerning these high matters of doctrine which the Apostle puts before us in these verses, as he has already done in verses 4 and 5. Continue reading →