The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11
We should establish the truth by Bible.
When we hear a preacher or another person speak a spiritual concept, we should develop a habit of going home and looking at that scripture and considering other scripture as the Holy Spirit brings that also to our minds.
It is not that we are trying to prove the preacher to be right or wrong. We are just establishing the doctrine through the Bible by the leading of the Spirit of God.
Much deception comes in the days before Jesus returns, according to Bible. Matthew 24; II Timothy 3.
Paul says: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. I Thessalonians 5:21
I provide, in writing, these scriptures which I share with you so you can examine each scripture and pray and allow God to establish your thinking. I hope you will do that.
And I hope you will do this anytime you hear a preacher or anyone else speak Bible or doctrine.
*****
I Corinthians 2
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
We should pray asking God to give us wisdom as we consider doctrine. If our heart is free from strife, bitterness, envy, we should be able to view the scriptures as led by the Spirit of God and arrive at the truth and be established in God's truth.
Often there will be multiple scriptures that settle us in the matter at hand.
For example, concerning remarriage for a divorced woman: If you look at the body of scripture on this subject, you see the way God is setting for us:
Matthew 25:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
* If a man divorces a "faithful wife", he will be the cause of the faithful wife's adultery if she remarries.
* The faithful wife will commit adultery if she remarries after divorce.
* The man who marries her that is divorced commits adultery.
***
I Corinthians 7
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
***
Romans 7:1-3 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
***
Mark 10
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house His disciples asked Him again of the same matter.
11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house His disciples asked Him again of the same matter.
11 And HE saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
(We see each instruction takes us to the same conclusion on the issue.)
***
But what if the woman's husband has been unfaithful or beats her, wouldn't she have a right to divorce him and remarry.
You must strongly consider what Paul says is a "commandment of the Lord" in I Corinthians 7:10-11... Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband:
Also God wanted the issue, the child, that comes through the woman to be pure.
Malachi 2 God hates the "putting away", divorce:
15 And did not HE make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That HE might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
***
As we view this body of scripture concerning the divorced woman remarrying, we should have a strong evidence showing God's will for the woman.
If you want to receive the truth, I believe God will give you an heart to know the truth.
*****
The same thing is true with all scripture. If your heart is right and you really want to know God's view about the issue at hand, I believe you can pray and read the scripture on the subject and God will establish your thinking on that matter.
*****
II Timothy 3
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
We "reprove" our doctrine by scripture through prayer and guidance of the Holy Spirit of Jesus as HE leads us in our thinking.
*****
Sometimes we know enough Bible to realize it when pastor is speaking wrongly ... other times we don't know when pastor teaches wrong things.
But from the time I was born again, I read the New Testament Bible and truth was establish for me by God by HIS Spirit when the doctrine at church was wrong.
At the first church I attended after I was born again in 1975, pastor was teaching a series of nights on subject of: "Tongues are of the devil"
But I saw the following spoken to the church by the apostle Paul:
I Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
(I did not return to that church where the pastor was teaching tongues were of the devil.)
But I was still not established concerning tongues in the church and I was afraid of tongues.
I had been attending a small prayer group that met in the home of one of my neighbors. One day a woman mention someone needing prayer. She explained the situation to the prayer group. Before they began praying, I heard a very low murmuring type sound. Then someone began praying aloud.
I realized they were praying in tongues before they prayed in English. I was really terrified!
I realized they were praying in tongues before they prayed in English. I was really terrified!
I began studying all passages in New Testament Bible on the subject of tongues. (I thought tongues to be wrong when I began the study.) But when I read and compared each section of scripture on this subject I was convinced that tongues were a legitimate part of the activities of the body of Christ in the gathering of the church. It is not that I understood tongues, but I accepted it.
Paul said:
I Corinthians 14
27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
*****
On a Sunday morning, I visited a non-denominational church as I was looking for a church to attend.
Pastor was teaching about Sarah and Hagar, the Egyptian handmaiden to Sarah. Genesis 21
Pastor said, "Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters."
I had never before heard that.
I began looking for this in Bible and couldn't find any scripture telling me this. So I called the pastor and asked him where that is in the Bible. Pastor replied, "I can't recall exactly where it is in Bible."
I told pastor it was very important for me to know this and I asked him to please find this in Bible and have his secretary call me and tell me where it is.
For a few seconds pastor was very quiet.
Then the pastor began screaming at me, saying, "All right. It's not in the Bible."
Pastor showed deception saying he couldn't remember where it was when he knew it was not in the Bible. Then when he was trapped, he flared up in anger. There was never any repentance over the wrong he had done to the gathering of the body of Christ. This is antichrist in the church.
Of course I never returned to that church group.
***
On a Wednesday night, I attended a small non-denominational church as I was looking for a church to attend.
Pastor was teaching John 8, concerning the woman taken in adultery.
Pastor said, "And when the woman was brought before Jesus, she was naked from the waist up."
I was very shocked: I'd never read that before in Bible and I had often read New Testament!
Even as pastor continued speaking, I grabbed my Bible and began reading this section of scripture:
John 8
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though HE heard them not.
So when they continued asking Him, HE lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again HE stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
I looked about the room that night and I didn't see any person looking in the Bible concerning John 8 and what pastor had spoken. I noticed some of the men had lascivious looks on their faces after pastor said woman was naked from waist up.
The next morning I called this pastor and told him I had been in his church service the night before when he said the woman brought before Jesus was naked from waist up and I couldn't find that in the Bible. I asked pastor where that is in Bible.
At first pastor was very quiet. Then pastor said, "I can't remember where it is in Bible."
I told pastor it was very important for me to know this so would he please find this and tell his secretary and have her call me telling me where this is in Bible.
Pastor became very angry and began screaming at me on the phone, "OK ... it's not in the Bible ... where do you go to church?"
Pastor showed no shame at all. This is antichrist in the church.
***
In addition to pastors being responsible for scripture, so are you and I responsible.
II Corinthians 5
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in His body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
***
How can we be free from antichrist in the church groups if we don't know Bible? and if we don't care enough about Bible to look up the scriptures when they are taught to us.
For the key to recognizing antichrist in the churches is the "falling away" from scripture.
When we see that "falling away" we know antichrist is there in that church group.
II Thessalonians 2
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(Churches will fall away from scripture.)
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
***
The apostle Paul warns us:
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
The apostle Paul warns us:
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
So each of us better pay attention to deciding what is true and proving all things and holding fast to that which is good in the sight of God.
We are in a war that will not end. As long as we live on this earth we will have to contend with our own flesh and devils and fight to hold onto the way of God.
Matthew 24
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Make no mistake. Enduring is a daily battle. And the war will increase daily up to the end of the world.
So right now we do what we can do to increase our strength in the word of God.
One thing I do is use the "photo" area on my Kindle table to store scripture in the form of page prints and I view the most current scripture daily and often scan through the other page prints of scripture which I have previously used to strengthen me in battle.
This is my most current ammunition which I am using:
Proverbs 1
15 Walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
(I've been working on these concepts daily for more than a week and feel it will take many more days of building up this ammunition against the evil of today so I can fight these current daily battles that would consume me if I allowed it to do so.)
This war will not end until we are removed from this earth and this current earth is destroyed in the fire ordained by God for the end of the world.
So we must approach life this way to endure the evil.
(I've been working on these concepts daily for more than a week and feel it will take many more days of building up this ammunition against the evil of today so I can fight these current daily battles that would consume me if I allowed it to do so.)
This war will not end until we are removed from this earth and this current earth is destroyed in the fire ordained by God for the end of the world.
So we must approach life this way to endure the evil.
*****