What makes him tick?

 

Her tone was desperate as she warned me of the “evil teaching” of a well-known pastor who, in reality, is a solid and orthodox leader in the Church. “He’s just not a Christian, I know it!” the words tumbled out of her equally angry and fearful. I recognized the lines were not coming from her own conclusions. She was repeating what she heard from her TV and she was deceived.  I was so sad for her. This dear elderly lady spends too much time watching fringe preachers late at night who build their audiences by stirring up controversy. Using statements taken out of context and following wildly speculative theories that alarm, they dupe sincere saints into sending them money to ‘save Christianity in these End Times.’  

Are you discerning?  

Are your heart AND mind both engaged in your practice of faith?  

It is commendable to ask hard questions of those who claim to speak for God! 

In the pulpit, with Bible in hand, I am given a high privilege by those gathered and it is the most sobering part of my pastoral calling.  My prayer is that the Spirit will do His work through me as I study and prepare with a disciplined mind. Unlike media ministers who exist in a one-dimension world on a screen, those who hear me teach have opportunity to know me, to see if my teaching is grounded in a life centered on Christ as Lord.  Peter warns Christians that not all who claim to speak for God really do! "But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered." (2 Peter 2:1-2, NLT)

Do I want to stir up controversy and make elderly Christians angry and fearful like the old saint I mentioned a moment ago?  Not at all.  I appeal to us all is for real discernment, for a willingness to step over our preferences and prejudice and to ask the Spirit to help us to see clearly.  In the book of Acts we find a good model. Paul and Silas went to a small city called Berea. They went to the local synagogue to preach the Gospel of Christ. How did the Bereans respond? "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11, NIV)

There is a saying – “Follow the money!”  If a minister spends a great deal of his time raising funds or if a ‘Christian’ leader lives a lavish, self-indulgent life, I would urge you to think twice, to look long and hard, before you send funds or accept teaching from him. If there is no transparency in the teacher’s words, if he or she is not submitted to others in relationships that allow for difficult questions to be asked about motives,  at best they are flawed.  More likely, they are false!  There is nothing wrong with asking God to show you what makes him tick!  

Need we be fearful or angry?  Not at all!  Peter says "God knows how … to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day. God is especially incensed against these “teachers” who live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence. They despise interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in self-rule. Insolent egotists, they don’t hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures. … they’ve left the main road and are directionless, having taken the way of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophet who turned profiteer, a connoisseur of evil." (2 Peter 2:9-10, 15, The Message)  Don’t look for or listen to those who offer formulas that ‘guarantee’ a life without suffering.  The sad, but true, fact is that there are false preachers, those whose ‘gospel’ is not gospel at all. "These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him." (2 Peter 2:17-19, NIV)

Desire Christ. Love the Scripture. Practice humble service. Build and maintain close ties with a group of people who are ‘working out the implications of our salvation’ with one another.  This is the word from the Word- a Advent reminder for all Christians. "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." (Revelation 3:3, NKJV)  "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." (Revelation 3:11, NKJV)

___________

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel;

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice, rejoice,
Emmanuel, shall come to thee,
O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

And order all things far and nigh,

To us the path of knowledge show,

And cause us in her ways to go.

John Mason Neale | Thomas Helmore

© Words: Public Domain