HF157 - What About the Tree? (Part Two)
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Fri April 21, 2006
Subject: Bible Study HF157 - What About the Tree? (Part Two)
Hebraics,
I am pressed to add a second part to the study 'What About the Tree?' In the first study I gave a concluding word of Scripture. We will take up from there. The first study concluded with:
"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them." (Hos 14:9)
This is Bible Study HF157 - What About the Tree? (Part Two)
The Lord said that the righteous would walk in His ways and would be wise and understanding. Let me give a brief review of the things we are to be wise about with regard to the closing of the church age and the second coming of Jesus:
First - Jerusalem. Keep your eyes on Jerusalem. The Church was born in Jerusalem. Church redemption history began there. It will end there. Everything is moving towards Jerusalem. Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan are only staging areas. Satan's hatred of the Jews and thereby of the Christians, is with a white hot anger. It is intense beyond measure.
Secondly - Upheavals of nature. Nature itself has been entering into the pains of childbirth. The Scriptures speak of the roaring waves (tsunamis; hurricanes, tornados), of columns of smoke (volcanoes & possibly nuclear weaponry), earth quakes, famines, diseases, and much more. Keep your eyes on nature. (Certainly not by taking your eyes off of Jesus.)
Thirdly - The apostasy. The falling away has begun. It will enter into full stride in the time ahead. It is so beguiling that many aren't always prepared to recognize it. This apostasy is in preparation for antichrist. Antichrist will come into what is already taking place. He will build upon it, increase it, and deceive hundreds of millions with his own lying wonders.
Fourthly - False prophets and teachers. This has to do with the foregoing major deceiving to take place by which false prophets will speak swelling words to beguile people into a false sense of security. They claim to teach in the name of the Lord. They are undermining the message of the cross. All this is a prelude to antichrist.
Fifthly - The Jews turning to Jesus. While a psuedo-Christianity is rapidly coming into place, the Jews are taking a hard second-look at Jesus. Many are finding Him as the Messiah of Israel. The greater portion will turn to Him in the days ahead. The reason for this has to do with the opening of their eyes by God Himself.
While there is much more to be had, let's simply keep in mind what the Lord said to His people; "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them." This is a word to God's people regardless of the time. However, it does have a special relevance to the ending of the days for the church.
In this juncture of our study the primary goal is to deal with the false prophets of the end times. I realize that all of this seems so negative, but without the negative we can't always appreciate the positive. The positive side is that God's true people will be saved from the powers of darkness and from the judgments to come. (That is a study in itself.)
Now let's listen as God's Old Testament prophets speak of the final days.
"Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time ... none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will will understand." (Dan 12:9,10)
In the last days the sealed book will be opened. The Lord also explains to Daniel that it will be a time of increased knowledge. Now listen carefully to what a prophet says about deceiving prophets of the last times:
"The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; IN THE LAST DAYS you will clearly understand it. I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied..." (Jer 23:20,21)
See the time frame? What is God's word to His people of the last days? It accords exactly with what Hosea and Daniel had to say. The Lord said, "IN THE LAST DAYS you will clearly understand it. I did not send these prophets but they ran."
God's people will recognize the false prophets who are leading the masses astray. Those who have insight will even be ridiculed for speaking against these 'great voices' for God. Paul speaks to this with regard to the 'activity of error' that God will send, that is, in the sense of releasing a deluding influence on the earth for the purpose of bringing forth a judgment against all who had no love for the truth.
As for these false prophets and teachers, the Lord further said, "Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,' declares the Lord, 'and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and their RECKLESS BOASTING; yet I did not send or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit." (Cf. Jer23)
What are the primary differences between the messages of false prophets and the message of God's true spokesmen? Here we see it is 'reckless boasting.'
Another primary distinction has to do with monies. A true prophet of the Lord will never see riches or monies as a motive in his message. Let's hear Peter address this:
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and IN THEIR GREED THEY WILL EXPLOIT you with false words..." (2 Pet 2:1-3. Caps for emphasis and comparative thoughts for much of what is being pushed today by certain teachers.)
Notice two things. First, destructive heresies being introduced. And secondly, in their greed they will exploit the people. Use your own measuring stick for this. What messages are being pushed today that the peoples are relishing in? Prosperity, power, control, and discovering who you really are in Christ, or, discover your in-Christ god identity.
The 'discover who you are in Christ' may sound good, but stop and think about what is really being pushed. It is a twist on the doctrine of identity with Christ at the cross and with the true doctrine of substitution. It is not about the revealing of Jesus Christ. It is about our 'godhood.'
This brings us back to the tree in the garden. Satan was telling Eve in essence, 'You need to discover who you really are.' You are in the god class. Partake of the tree and the secret wisdom of heaven will be yours. You will be exactly like God. You won't need a God. You will be one yourself.'
That is the very message being promoted by false teachers and the golden pulpits today. You are seeing new-age shamans in action. (A shaman is someone who acts as a medium between the visible and spirit worlds, one who practices sorcery for healing or divination. Today we can also call these mediums 'new age' gurus.)
Here are some recorded statements being made by major noted teachers. When I say 'major' I am speaking of teachers that are known world-side. I'll not provide names since you need to do your own research without simply quoting Buddy Martin. This is how you learn. Its easy to do. Just use your computer. : )
Now see if you can detect any heresy and/or pure sorcery in any of these statements:
"You don't have a God in you. You are one!"
"[Adam] was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God ... Adam, in the garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh."
"I was shocked when I found out who the biggest failure in the Bible actually is ... The biggest one in the whole bible is God ..."
In detecting some resistance from the audience, this major prophecy teacher said, "Some of you are too busy praying. Don't pray. You can pray on the way home."
"This spirit-man within me is a God-man. Say after me, 'He's born of heaven, He's a super-being'...Say 'I'm born of heaven - God-man. I'm a God-man. I'm a sample of Jesus. I'm a super being.' Say it! Say it! Who's a super being? I walk in the realm of the supernatural. Get the spirit-man renewed...when he's strong, he'll hold off sickness...you want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness...Say after me, 'I hold my destiny.'"
"Jesus had a nice house, a Big house."
"Jesus was handling Big money."
"John 19 tells us that Jesus wore designer clothes."
"You don't think earth was first, do you? Huh? Well, you don't think that God made man in His image, and then made earth in some other image? There is not anything under this whole sun that's new. Are you hearing what I'm saying? This is all a copy. It's a copy of home. It's a copy of the Mother Planet. Where God lives, He made a little one just like His and put us on it."
"He [Jesus] is suffering all that there is to suffer. There is no suffering left apart from Him. His emaciated, poured out, little, wormy spirit is down in the bottom of that thing [hell]. And the Devil thinks he's got Him destroyed." (Note: This same teacher implies that Jesus was sodomized by Roman homosexual soldiers.)
"And I say this with all respect, so that it don't upset you too bad. But I say it anyway: When I read in the Bible where He says, "I AM," I just smile and say, "Yes, I AM, too."
"Don't tell me you have Jesus. You are everything He was and everything He is and ever shall be.....Don't say, 'I have.' Say , 'I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM.'
These are only samplings of what is happening today. There is the much more that could be shared. The point is that peoples are being mesmerized with a powerful spirit of sorcery. Could this belong to God's call to come out of Babylon? Babylon represents the confusing world of spiritism. I believe it is. A great many people are removing themselves from this realm of the 'false prophet' and turning back to the God of the Bible.
Should we be surprised? Not really. God's people have been forewarned of these days. Paul said, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves TEACHERS in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."(2 Tim 4:3,4)
The apostle also wrote, "But the Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." (1 Tim 4:1)
Listen closely --- The falling away from the faith is not about Islam, or Buddhism, or any other religion of the world. It is not about the Catholic faith. It is about a falling away from the message of the cross. The falling away is under the influence of deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. This is exactly what happened to Eve. Satan offered himself as a mediator between God and Eve.
Its happening everywhere. The teacher will come for a special seminar, and the people clamor. Their deepest hope is that he will call them out and give them a personal word from the Lord. Did you know that this idea of a special man proposing to speak from God, is an affront to the basic element of the new covenant. It belongs to the idea of fortunetelling.
The heart of the new covenant is found in Jeremiah, where God says, "And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all will know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them." (As quoted in Heb 8:11)
God also speaks through the prophet Isaiah in completing this thought. The Lord said, "Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that I am the one who is speaking, 'Here I am.'" (Isa 52:6)
This does not mean that the Lord cannot speak to us through others. He does that often. What it does mean is that His sheep will recognize when Christ is speaking to them.
Did not Jesus say, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish...." (John 10:27,28)
Well, I've said enough for now. In the meantime think on what I have shared. So now -- What do you think about the tree? Do any of you have testimonies to share concerning the area of the false prophet, or of being caught up for a time in these kinds of things. (I've been there.)
Feel free to speak to the study.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web:
http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)