One of the premiere preachers of the good news of our generation, Paul Washer, was speaking to a church when he basically said he feared that within a hundred years MANY if not MOST of the attendees he was speaking to would be burning in hell. This was a church which claimed to believe the Bible (they had their mission statement written in their by-laws stating the whole Bible is the inerrant Word of God). Most of them had prayed a prayer to "receive Christ", made a profession of faith, and even participated in evangelistic outreach. These are the people who THUNDERED applause when Mr. Washer said the goal was not to be like Brittany Spears, but to be like Jesus Christ. Yet he was convinced many of them would perish.
Yeshua (Jesus)said it like this:
Mat 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
Mat 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
MANY are on the road which leads to destruction! Why? How come we don't think it is US? Brother Washer was making the point that most Christians compare themselves to other so-called "Christians" (even though they my not be following Christ) and think they are ok. They think they are on the "narrow path" because they ask Jesus into their heart or believe in Him, yet do not repent and follow His ways. So when they compare themselves to people who seem more wicked than they are (Brittany Spears), they think they are safe from the judgement of God, never taking a look at His righteous requirements for living (those whose foundation is in the Old Testament Law, because 'Brother, the Law was done away with!') On the contrary! Jesus loved the law and expects us to compare our lives and behavior with IT, rather than the norms of society. Rather than the norms of even your church.
David said in Psalm 119 that he LOVES God's law and meditates on it day and night. And God said David was a man after His own heart! God would not come to earth clothed in earthly flesh (as Yeshua has done) only to abhor, alter, or in anywise do away with the law. For He himself said "Think not that I came to abolish the Law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). In Hebraic terms, Jesus was essentially saying, don't think I have come to do away with the Law, no, I have come to correctly interpret it.
Let's see, if the American institutionalized churches don't teach the basics of God's moral Law, but rather teaches men to BREAK God's Law, then how will they stand in the judgement? The churches teach people that Jesus did away with the whole Law of Moses in favor of a law called "Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself", nevermind that the whole Law of Moses teaches us HOW to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In their teaching and especially their example, they teach us how to break the first and foremost instruction on how to love God (abstaining from idolatry), by teaching and sanctioning idolatry through it's detestable practices of worshipping fertility gods and goddesses every year on Easter and Christmas. So then, how can they teach the finer points of the Law toward true spiritual maturity? If the churches in the West teach men to ignore the fourth commanment to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy (set apart), the Sabbath Day being the SEVENTH DAY, SATURDAY, NOT SUNDAY, (which to honor Sunday above Saturday is a nod of agreement to the detestable practice of sun god worship), how will those churches expect to enter the Savior's Sabbath reign on earth....the millenial kingdom?
Judgement is Near, Even at the Door
As it is, America stands on the brink of God's righteous judgement. He gave us a warning judgement on 9-11, but we did not listen. We did not repent. We went back to worshipping our gods, chasing after riches rather than truth, and did not seek the ways of God. We threw His mercy right back in His face. In addition to this, we have poked Him in the eye by touching Israel, his chosen people by siding with her enemies and we have conspired to dividing up His land, making it vulnerable to Israel's enemies, which is forbidden and punishable: Joel 3:2. Therefore, He will give US over to OUR enemies.
The Lord did something similar to His people, Israel, when they were first warned, but then refused to turn from their wicked ways, the sin of idolatry in particular. God unleashed some of the most brutal men on the face of the earth at the time, the Assyrians, to come and carry off His chosen ones into captivity. That group of people, the 10 Northern tribes, to this day have still not completely recovered from that judgement.
How, then, will America fair??
You can argue and fight politically all you want, but the fact of the matter is, a house divided against itself cannot stand and no political system, save one that is built upon (or in our case rededicated) deep repentance, an unwavering return to the principles of serving God and honoring Him only, can turn us back in the right direction. However well-meaning or truthfully sought, your politics will NOT save you.
No friend, we stand on the precipice of a string of judgements unleashed on the American people that will make the debt overhaul of the last year and a half seem like the "Golden Age of America" in the early 1900's and 1920's before the Great Depression. Now you can say I am "fear mongering" or even "hate mongering" all you want. It will make 9-11 look like a tea party (pardon the pun there). It is the watchman's responsibility to cry out the warning when he sees the sword coming, lest he end up with blood on his hands. What you do with the warning is up to you. Once I have called out the warning, you alone stand accountable before the God of Heaven for the information you now know. And by the recent censoring of my online activities, this just might be the last warning I am able to give you. I am not joking. I have been kicked off of more websites (hello Faceblock and YouScrub) than I care to count in the past couple months, just for viewing, reading, or writing material which those in power deem threatening. Freedom of speech will not save you. Say goodbye to the golden age of information and the internet. Those who do not listen to truth will no longer have access to it. Thus it will be for America.
In the coming months and years, we will be like Job in the Bible: we will be in the midst of hearing a piece of devastating news while another piece of news of devastation will be arriving. Subsequently and concurrently.
But many of you are going about your daily business, unaware this is even happening, just as Yeshua said you would. About a month and a half ago, the very DAY AFTER I read they had discovered Noah's Ark in Turkey, (however many disputes to the contrary you may have heard), I awoke after a disturbing dream, to a phrase resonating so deep in my spirit with such urgency. The phrase was, "As in the days of Noah....."
So I followed out the verse in my mind, referring to Luke 17:26-27 which says: "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man."
V. 27: "People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all." And when I got to the phrase "up to the day Noah entered the ark", I knew inately that a very important door had closed. And that judgement was on its way. I knew then and there we were about to enter a new season- the very season which precedes the coming of the Messiah (because that was the context of the scripture).
The ark represents protection from judgement. It was as if the Lord was saying to me, "the season for mercy- the holding back of my hand of righteous judegments is passed. Now the flood of destruction is coming".
And I knew that even at my warning, many will write me off and ignore the warning or find something wrong with the messenger; some people might listen, but would take the attitude "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die". Some would be in shock, while (some) others would move quickly to repent. And I myself have grappled with fear, discouragement and the feeling of hopelessness for our country. I have even grappled with the attitude, get all you can, for tomorrow we die. However, knowing these might be part and parcel of a grieving process I must go through, I seek everyday to live in repentance. I seek to obey the Lord's command to be holy (set-apart) as He is holy (set-apart). This command requires some serious and oftentimes painful decision making. It might mean the cutting off of friendships or connections. I have since permanently deleted my Facebook account for various reasons. I need to be a better steward of my time. I need to devote more time to not only preparations, but also to the work of the ministry, which includes study and fellowship with like-minded believers. And last, but certainly not least, I have been seeking to remove the leaven from my life, those things from Babylon and the world which taint and defile my life. Seemingly inoccuous things, but things which displease my Lord nonetheless. For you see, I do not care what YOU think of these things. YOU did not die a horrific painful death for me. You did not take my place in judgement for my sins. He did. And He is coming back soon. And by the estimation of many respectable and knowledgeable men and women within the body of Messiah, it could be as soon as 7 years from this fall. More about that later, perhaps at another writing.
Practical Preparations
In addition to repentance, which is by far the most important thing you can do to prepare for what is coming, not only to America but to the whole world, there are some practical preparations you can make for you and your family for the tough times ahead. My family has already begun making preparations which are not huge, but will be needed nonetheless. Thing we will have wished we did later on.
Buy a good water filter. I have heard that Berkey is the best. They can even convert pond water into drinkable water. Store up food. I recommend storing at least 6 months' worth of storable food (watch those expiration dates!) and some drinking water. And remember to plan to share with others in need. We are expected to do that. If you have the means, plant a garden as soon as possible. Make sure you have the *G* word on hand, including ammunition. You may need to defend your family from robbers, looters, and the like. Trust me, the info I have dictates that life as you know it will NOT be the same in a matter of a few days or months. And people do desperate and foolish, even destructive things when disaster hits. The fallen flesh of man is not going to care about your precious loved ones when they need food in their own bellies. I am in the process of learning to shoot mine. And I will not hesitate to protect my family. If the Jews in Persia (book of Esther) were able to use the weapons of their conspiring enemies against them and be successful, we can too!
Also, I recommend always having on hand an emergency backpack with items necessary for survival for up to 48-72 hours. This is a good idea, even if a crisis never comes. Keep it in your car or an accessible place. Make sure to stock it with water, first aid, a light source, a change of clothes, a rain poncho, and a radio for receiving emergency communications. Meet with your family and develop a crisis plan to meet somewhere in the case you get separated from one another. Figure you will not have access to cell phones, land lines, main roads or even vehicles. It's great if you have a bicycle in your possession.
And now a word to all my "pre-tribulation rapture" brethren......First of all, let's not split hairs, but rather love one another an dpray for one another in this hour, seeking to please the Lord by building one another up. Please go about making the necessary preparations for disaster. It just makes sense. Jesus said in this life we WOULD have tribulation. And it is evil presumption to think we will have tomorrow, much less come through judgement unscathed (Esther 4:13). Don't be discouraged if the future doesn't necessarily pan out the way you have been taught. And above all, I pray you not fall away from the Lord. He is not to blame. The Bible says in Romans that the wages (payment) for sin is death. Sin brings its own reward. And God has been merciful for many years. He must judge rightly, or He isn't God. Cling to Him with all your might and trust in Him (His Word) no matter what. There is no condemnation to those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (the Holy Spirit, who leads us and guides us into all truth).
I leave you with the words of Yeshua Himself, who knows the end from the beginning and has declared it, words of comfort, knowing that He is sovereign over all and holds all things in the palm of His hand:
Jhn 16:1 "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray".
Jhn 16:4 "I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you".
Jhn 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Shalom.
**
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
A Strong Delusion
Rarely do I post articles written by other authors or bloggers on my blog site. However, today I am willing to make an exception with the following article. The truths contained herein are important and need to be examined in our own hearts. Time is so short. Eternity awaits.
Barbara Johnson Sandefur: A Strong Delusion
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 7:45pm
WHEN discussing how to determine the truth and error of spiritual matters, people often make statements like: “I just follow my heart; I feel in my heart that this is right; I go with what my heart tells me; I trust my heart.” Such statements sound fine to most people, but the Bible plainly states that “he who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” [1]
Why is it foolish to trust one’s own heart? Won’t our heart tell us what is right? On the contrary: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” [2]
Daniel Botkin
If the Bible only said that our heart is deceitful, that would be bad enough. But it says more: the heart is deceitful “above all things.” If “all things” includes all things, then our hearts are more deceitful than the devil himself, which is a frightening thought.
Likewise, if the Bible only said that our heart is wicked, that would be bad enough. But it says more: The heart is “desperately wicked.” Our wicked heart is so desperate to continue ruling our thoughts and our life that it will go to any and all lengths to keep from being exposed for what it is, “full of madness and folly.” [3] In its desperation to survive, our heart is willing to masquerade as anything, even as a blood-washed, born-again Believer heart in love with the Savior. Jeremiah ends with this verse, “Who can know it?”
This diagnosis of the heart should also put the fear of God into anyone who takes the Bible seriously. Another sobering passage is 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, where we read about what happens to those who refuse the truth: “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” If we are deluded by the devil, or even by our own heart, we might hope for pity from God. But if God Himself is the one who send the delusion, as a judgment for our refusal to love truth, what hope is there for deliverance from deception? Who can deliver us from a strong delusion that God has sent?
The problem with deception is that the deceived person has absolutely no idea that he is deceived. If he knows he is deceived, then he is not deceived! Deception, by its very nature, is impossible to detect in one’s self. Until the deceived person begins to see that he is deceived, he does not suspect that he is under a strong delusion.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Yeshua describes a multitude of people who will not see their deception until it is too late for them:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
Two things about this passage should motivate Bible-believers to examine their faith. The first thing is the fact that the people described here are not atheists or Moslems. These are church people, involved in church activities, doing what appear to be good works in the name of Jesus. They even call Him “Lord,” and fully expect to inherit eternal life through their relationship with Him. That is why they are stunned to find themselves excluded from the Kingdom. The second sobering thing in this message is the word “many.” This is not some small group of cult leaders and false prophets; it is a multitude that the Lord describes as “many.”
This should raise some frightening questions for a Believer: How do I know that I am not among this multitude of deceived people? Am I truly blood-bought and born from above, or is it only my own deceitful heart, in an act of desperation, pretending to be in love with the Lord? How do I know my salvation experience was not just an imaginary experience, a strong delusion sent by God as judgment for my refusal to love the truth?
We know from the Scriptures that our heart cannot be trusted to tell us whether or not we are deceived. If we are deceived, and look to our heart to tell us, our heart will simply continue to lie to us and give us false assurance of our salvation and our doctrines, complete with warm, emotional, religious feelings to soothe any doubts we may have. And the longer we remain rooted in our deception, the stronger these feelings will be.
If we cannot trust our own heart to tell us whether or not we are deceived, who then can we trust? A pastor or a prophet? A pastor or a prophet might give us the words of reassurance and comfort, but how do we know the pastor or prophet is not deceived? The Bible is full of warnings about false pastors and false prophets. God told Ezekiel that “if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet.” [4] So even a prophet may be among those to whom YHWH sends powerful delusion!
Fortunately, we need not despair. The same Bible that warns us of deception and false teachings also tells us how to discern the true from the false. In Isaiah’s day deception was rampant in Israel, and YHWH gave a simple formula for discerning truth from error: “To the Torah (“Law” or “Teaching”); if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” [5] All true beliefs and teachings will be in agreement with Torah (the Law God gave to Moses). Any belief or teaching that opposes or contradicts these commandments is not of the Light, but of the darkness.
If we look at the context of the passages discussed earlier in this paper, we will see that deception is, in these cases also, related to our attitude to God’s Law. When the Messiah tells the multitude of deceived church people to depart, He addresses them as “you who practice Lawlessness.” Likewise, Paul’s warning of the God-sent delusion in 2 Thessalonians is also presented in the context of our attitude to God’s Law. The passage speaks of “the secret power of Lawlessness (‘separating from Torah,’ Jewish New Testament),” which was “already at work” in Paul’s time. Two times in this passage, Paul (Rav Shaul) mentions “the lawless one (‘man who avoids Torah,’ Jewish NT).” Even Jeremiah’s statements about the heart are soon followed by a lengthy plea to honor God by keeping the Sabbath.
Of course, most Christians consider the Sabbath and many other commands to be, for the most part, irrelevant to those living under the New Covenant. Ironically, the Bible tells us that one important mark of true New Covenant believers is the keeping of God’s Torah! In Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant (31:31-34), the Lord describes His intended outcome in the lives of those who accept the terms of the New Covenant: “I will put My Torah (“Law” or Teaching) in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts.” (See also Hebrews 8:8-10.)
This new heart with God’s Torah written upon it was also prophesied in Ezekiel 11:19f. Here YHWH describes the results of receiving a new heart: “Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws.” Ezekiel later writes about the promise of the Holy Spirit: “I will put My Spirit within you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” [6] Torah observance is not learned and developed overnight, but if a believer is not being moved in a Torah-obedient direction, he should find out why not. According to Ezekiel, being moved to obey God’s Torah is evidence of having received the Ruakh HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Speaking in tongues is great, but tongues can be counterfeited. Obedience to Torah cannot. Either a person does it or he doesn’t.
There are also many NT verses that point to Torah observance as a mark of true New Covenant Believers:
“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.” [7]
“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” [8] “Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.” [9] In Revelation 12:17, God’s faithful remnant is described as those “who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.” In Revelation 14:12, “saints” are defined as “those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Yeshua.”
A love for Torah is not proof that a person is not deceived in other areas, of course. But in these passages about deception, it is clear that deception is closely linked to our attitude to the Law. We must not turn a deaf ear to the Torah. Proverbs 28:9 says, “he that turns his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.”
Any believer who feels any hostility toward God’s Law should seriously consider the possibility that he may be under strong delusion, and ask God to forgive his lack of love for the truth. He should ask God to release him from the secret power of lawlessness. If God has sent strong delusion to someone for refusing to love the truth, God can “undeceive” the repentant heart that agrees to embrace the Torah that he formerly ignored or despised. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise (Psalm 51:17).”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Mishlei (Proverbs) 28:26.
[2] Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 17:9.
[3] Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 9:3
[4] Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 14:9.
[5] Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 8:20.
[6] Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 36:27.
[7] 1 John (Yochanan) 2:3f.
[8] 1 John 5:3.
[9] 1 Corinthians 7:19.
Barbara Johnson Sandefur: A Strong Delusion
Friday, November 20, 2009 at 7:45pm
WHEN discussing how to determine the truth and error of spiritual matters, people often make statements like: “I just follow my heart; I feel in my heart that this is right; I go with what my heart tells me; I trust my heart.” Such statements sound fine to most people, but the Bible plainly states that “he who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” [1]
Why is it foolish to trust one’s own heart? Won’t our heart tell us what is right? On the contrary: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” [2]
Daniel Botkin
If the Bible only said that our heart is deceitful, that would be bad enough. But it says more: the heart is deceitful “above all things.” If “all things” includes all things, then our hearts are more deceitful than the devil himself, which is a frightening thought.
Likewise, if the Bible only said that our heart is wicked, that would be bad enough. But it says more: The heart is “desperately wicked.” Our wicked heart is so desperate to continue ruling our thoughts and our life that it will go to any and all lengths to keep from being exposed for what it is, “full of madness and folly.” [3] In its desperation to survive, our heart is willing to masquerade as anything, even as a blood-washed, born-again Believer heart in love with the Savior. Jeremiah ends with this verse, “Who can know it?”
This diagnosis of the heart should also put the fear of God into anyone who takes the Bible seriously. Another sobering passage is 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, where we read about what happens to those who refuse the truth: “God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” If we are deluded by the devil, or even by our own heart, we might hope for pity from God. But if God Himself is the one who send the delusion, as a judgment for our refusal to love truth, what hope is there for deliverance from deception? Who can deliver us from a strong delusion that God has sent?
The problem with deception is that the deceived person has absolutely no idea that he is deceived. If he knows he is deceived, then he is not deceived! Deception, by its very nature, is impossible to detect in one’s self. Until the deceived person begins to see that he is deceived, he does not suspect that he is under a strong delusion.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Yeshua describes a multitude of people who will not see their deception until it is too late for them:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
Two things about this passage should motivate Bible-believers to examine their faith. The first thing is the fact that the people described here are not atheists or Moslems. These are church people, involved in church activities, doing what appear to be good works in the name of Jesus. They even call Him “Lord,” and fully expect to inherit eternal life through their relationship with Him. That is why they are stunned to find themselves excluded from the Kingdom. The second sobering thing in this message is the word “many.” This is not some small group of cult leaders and false prophets; it is a multitude that the Lord describes as “many.”
This should raise some frightening questions for a Believer: How do I know that I am not among this multitude of deceived people? Am I truly blood-bought and born from above, or is it only my own deceitful heart, in an act of desperation, pretending to be in love with the Lord? How do I know my salvation experience was not just an imaginary experience, a strong delusion sent by God as judgment for my refusal to love the truth?
We know from the Scriptures that our heart cannot be trusted to tell us whether or not we are deceived. If we are deceived, and look to our heart to tell us, our heart will simply continue to lie to us and give us false assurance of our salvation and our doctrines, complete with warm, emotional, religious feelings to soothe any doubts we may have. And the longer we remain rooted in our deception, the stronger these feelings will be.
If we cannot trust our own heart to tell us whether or not we are deceived, who then can we trust? A pastor or a prophet? A pastor or a prophet might give us the words of reassurance and comfort, but how do we know the pastor or prophet is not deceived? The Bible is full of warnings about false pastors and false prophets. God told Ezekiel that “if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet.” [4] So even a prophet may be among those to whom YHWH sends powerful delusion!
Fortunately, we need not despair. The same Bible that warns us of deception and false teachings also tells us how to discern the true from the false. In Isaiah’s day deception was rampant in Israel, and YHWH gave a simple formula for discerning truth from error: “To the Torah (“Law” or “Teaching”); if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” [5] All true beliefs and teachings will be in agreement with Torah (the Law God gave to Moses). Any belief or teaching that opposes or contradicts these commandments is not of the Light, but of the darkness.
If we look at the context of the passages discussed earlier in this paper, we will see that deception is, in these cases also, related to our attitude to God’s Law. When the Messiah tells the multitude of deceived church people to depart, He addresses them as “you who practice Lawlessness.” Likewise, Paul’s warning of the God-sent delusion in 2 Thessalonians is also presented in the context of our attitude to God’s Law. The passage speaks of “the secret power of Lawlessness (‘separating from Torah,’ Jewish New Testament),” which was “already at work” in Paul’s time. Two times in this passage, Paul (Rav Shaul) mentions “the lawless one (‘man who avoids Torah,’ Jewish NT).” Even Jeremiah’s statements about the heart are soon followed by a lengthy plea to honor God by keeping the Sabbath.
Of course, most Christians consider the Sabbath and many other commands to be, for the most part, irrelevant to those living under the New Covenant. Ironically, the Bible tells us that one important mark of true New Covenant believers is the keeping of God’s Torah! In Jeremiah’s prophecy of the New Covenant (31:31-34), the Lord describes His intended outcome in the lives of those who accept the terms of the New Covenant: “I will put My Torah (“Law” or Teaching) in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts.” (See also Hebrews 8:8-10.)
This new heart with God’s Torah written upon it was also prophesied in Ezekiel 11:19f. Here YHWH describes the results of receiving a new heart: “Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws.” Ezekiel later writes about the promise of the Holy Spirit: “I will put My Spirit within you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” [6] Torah observance is not learned and developed overnight, but if a believer is not being moved in a Torah-obedient direction, he should find out why not. According to Ezekiel, being moved to obey God’s Torah is evidence of having received the Ruakh HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Speaking in tongues is great, but tongues can be counterfeited. Obedience to Torah cannot. Either a person does it or he doesn’t.
There are also many NT verses that point to Torah observance as a mark of true New Covenant Believers:
“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.” [7]
“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.” [8] “Keeping God’s commandments is what counts.” [9] In Revelation 12:17, God’s faithful remnant is described as those “who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.” In Revelation 14:12, “saints” are defined as “those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Yeshua.”
A love for Torah is not proof that a person is not deceived in other areas, of course. But in these passages about deception, it is clear that deception is closely linked to our attitude to the Law. We must not turn a deaf ear to the Torah. Proverbs 28:9 says, “he that turns his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.”
Any believer who feels any hostility toward God’s Law should seriously consider the possibility that he may be under strong delusion, and ask God to forgive his lack of love for the truth. He should ask God to release him from the secret power of lawlessness. If God has sent strong delusion to someone for refusing to love the truth, God can “undeceive” the repentant heart that agrees to embrace the Torah that he formerly ignored or despised. “A broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise (Psalm 51:17).”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Mishlei (Proverbs) 28:26.
[2] Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 17:9.
[3] Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 9:3
[4] Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 14:9.
[5] Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 8:20.
[6] Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 36:27.
[7] 1 John (Yochanan) 2:3f.
[8] 1 John 5:3.
[9] 1 Corinthians 7:19.
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