Hi all,
One of my Bible school students came into the office very upset. She had her tithe set aside to give to her church, but was a single mom and needed that money for herself and her child's lunch money for the week. Her pastor had told her she had to pay God first, and trust God for their food.
I showed her a very similar situation seen in Mark 7:1-13 and Matthew 15:1-9.
The Pharisees had made over 800 of their own laws which they elevated above the Law of Moses, which is what Jesus continually argued with them about. One of those was that if your parents or family were in need, but you had an offering or tithe to give to God, you had to pay God and let your parents and family find their own food.
Jesus said they 'reject the commandments of God that they may keep their own tradition', and they were guilty of 'making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition.' (Mark 7:9, 13)
None of us want the Word in our life to be of no effect, but we fall into the teachings of men which do that to us. In our zeal for pleasing God, we trust pastors against common sense, rationalizing the manipulation we see as being 'for God'. This young woman, fortunately, received wisdom and fed herself and her son, and realized her pastor was a Pharisee. When the commandments of men become elevated above the laws of God it is to control a person or people while elevating themselves in their eyes.
People with good hearts who just want to please God, submit themselves to man's doctrine thinking they are obeying God. The Spirit of Truth within and common sense within them fight against man's teaching, creating great guilt and condemnation. Their faith becomes a toxic faith, poisoning their walk with God and others who love them and are concerned with them. They begin shutting all others out of their lives.
Examples of man's doctrines can include mentoring programs inducting someone into a status of 'spiritual son' or 'spiritual daughter.' Fear, guilt and shame are the main tools.
Fear they are not pleasing God, thereby opening the door to the enemy. (Coupled with threats they may be open to attack if they aren't under their 'covering', is very effective on the young and weak in the faith).
Guilt because they feel like they are trying to please God but don't feel good enough. Shame because they sinned in some way in the past, or in their eyes at least, causing them to justify giving their will over to their pastors/manipulators.
More common is the mixing of God's teaching with man's teaching.
'Pleading the blood', 'binding the devil' are a couple of man's teachings taken as gospel truth by many.
Note:'Pleading the blood' is lifted from The Revelation 12:11 about martyrs, who overcame Satan in their deaths. "They overcame (Satan) by the word of their testimony and the blood of the Lamb, and they loved not their lives to the death." In that day one had to swear allegiance to Ceasar while renouncing Christ, or die. These martyrs overcame Satan by refusing to deny Christ, refused to deny their salvation. It was never given as a tool against Satan.
Everywhere in the Bible when a blood sacrifice is made, that blood is for 1 purpose; the forgiveness of sin. Never a spiritual tool against someone or some thing. People who use such man-made spiritual props demonstrate they lack faith in the most powerful name in the universe, for His name is enough! We have been given the most powerful name in the universe for the task of casting out demons, so stop trying to add man's doctrine to what God has already done.
'Binding the devil' is lifted from Matthew 12:29, where Jesus, speaking of Himself said:"How can one enter a strong man's house and spoil his goods unless he first bind the strong man." Understand the parable:
"How else can one enter into a strong man's (Satan) house (the earth) and spoil his goods (what Jesus did on the cross to Satan, see Colossians 2:15, having spoiled principalities and powers...) except He first bind the strong man (Satan)." Jesus bound the strong man through the cross and resurrection. Satan has been 'arrested' but he is not yet cast out - that will come later. But for now, he is bound, and our faith overcomes him.
Jesus said to cast out demons - why in the world would someone bind - handcuff a demon leaving them in place? Jesus said cast them out of a person or situation, not arrest them in place. Command them gone!
Back to the subject...
Fear is often used by manipulative preachers to control people:"You need to join us next week to learn the key lesson shared or you could open yourself up to the devil", is an example. Fear of the devil is the root which gives the teachings of men life. A whole generation of Christians has been raised up by these errors looking for that 1 spiritual key that will bring total peace to their lives. They wander from conference to web site looking for that 1 key that will bring it all together. They miss the beautiful peace of just walking with the Father and Lord through life which reveals divine provision daily.
Paul's concern was people would take on a complicated faith
In II Corinthians 11:3 he said he was afraid they would be seduced away from the simplicity found in Christ for a more complicated faith that involved another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit.
Doctrines of man make faith more complicated. IF you are tempted to complicate your faith by doing something, some formula, or jump through a hoop to please a pastor or authority figure to be on good standing with them - STOP! Back up, return to your first love.
Consider Romans 8:32:
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" The Father used the Son to create the whole universe. Now you have that Son inside of you - Christ in you the hope of glory.
If you have Christ in you, you have the Creator of the whole universe inside your spirit. Everything exists by Him and for Him who is in your spirit. Can you tell me anything that can improve on that? Is there anything you could add to increase the power of what was done for you? Is there anything we can do to improve on what was done? Can we add or subtract anything to Christ in us by any action on our part? No!
There are teachings of demons, teachings of man, and teachings of God. Only 1 of them is simple, founded upon loving the Lord our God with all our heart, strength and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourself. Don't make it more complicated than that, for you have Christ in you, the Creator of the whole universe; How can we add anything to that level of grace?
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
One of my Bible school students came into the office very upset. She had her tithe set aside to give to her church, but was a single mom and needed that money for herself and her child's lunch money for the week. Her pastor had told her she had to pay God first, and trust God for their food.
I showed her a very similar situation seen in Mark 7:1-13 and Matthew 15:1-9.
The Pharisees had made over 800 of their own laws which they elevated above the Law of Moses, which is what Jesus continually argued with them about. One of those was that if your parents or family were in need, but you had an offering or tithe to give to God, you had to pay God and let your parents and family find their own food.
Jesus said they 'reject the commandments of God that they may keep their own tradition', and they were guilty of 'making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition.' (Mark 7:9, 13)
None of us want the Word in our life to be of no effect, but we fall into the teachings of men which do that to us. In our zeal for pleasing God, we trust pastors against common sense, rationalizing the manipulation we see as being 'for God'. This young woman, fortunately, received wisdom and fed herself and her son, and realized her pastor was a Pharisee. When the commandments of men become elevated above the laws of God it is to control a person or people while elevating themselves in their eyes.
People with good hearts who just want to please God, submit themselves to man's doctrine thinking they are obeying God. The Spirit of Truth within and common sense within them fight against man's teaching, creating great guilt and condemnation. Their faith becomes a toxic faith, poisoning their walk with God and others who love them and are concerned with them. They begin shutting all others out of their lives.
Examples of man's doctrines can include mentoring programs inducting someone into a status of 'spiritual son' or 'spiritual daughter.' Fear, guilt and shame are the main tools.
Fear they are not pleasing God, thereby opening the door to the enemy. (Coupled with threats they may be open to attack if they aren't under their 'covering', is very effective on the young and weak in the faith).
Guilt because they feel like they are trying to please God but don't feel good enough. Shame because they sinned in some way in the past, or in their eyes at least, causing them to justify giving their will over to their pastors/manipulators.
More common is the mixing of God's teaching with man's teaching.
'Pleading the blood', 'binding the devil' are a couple of man's teachings taken as gospel truth by many.
Note:'Pleading the blood' is lifted from The Revelation 12:11 about martyrs, who overcame Satan in their deaths. "They overcame (Satan) by the word of their testimony and the blood of the Lamb, and they loved not their lives to the death." In that day one had to swear allegiance to Ceasar while renouncing Christ, or die. These martyrs overcame Satan by refusing to deny Christ, refused to deny their salvation. It was never given as a tool against Satan.
Everywhere in the Bible when a blood sacrifice is made, that blood is for 1 purpose; the forgiveness of sin. Never a spiritual tool against someone or some thing. People who use such man-made spiritual props demonstrate they lack faith in the most powerful name in the universe, for His name is enough! We have been given the most powerful name in the universe for the task of casting out demons, so stop trying to add man's doctrine to what God has already done.
'Binding the devil' is lifted from Matthew 12:29, where Jesus, speaking of Himself said:"How can one enter a strong man's house and spoil his goods unless he first bind the strong man." Understand the parable:
"How else can one enter into a strong man's (Satan) house (the earth) and spoil his goods (what Jesus did on the cross to Satan, see Colossians 2:15, having spoiled principalities and powers...) except He first bind the strong man (Satan)." Jesus bound the strong man through the cross and resurrection. Satan has been 'arrested' but he is not yet cast out - that will come later. But for now, he is bound, and our faith overcomes him.
Jesus said to cast out demons - why in the world would someone bind - handcuff a demon leaving them in place? Jesus said cast them out of a person or situation, not arrest them in place. Command them gone!
Back to the subject...
Fear is often used by manipulative preachers to control people:"You need to join us next week to learn the key lesson shared or you could open yourself up to the devil", is an example. Fear of the devil is the root which gives the teachings of men life. A whole generation of Christians has been raised up by these errors looking for that 1 spiritual key that will bring total peace to their lives. They wander from conference to web site looking for that 1 key that will bring it all together. They miss the beautiful peace of just walking with the Father and Lord through life which reveals divine provision daily.
Paul's concern was people would take on a complicated faith
In II Corinthians 11:3 he said he was afraid they would be seduced away from the simplicity found in Christ for a more complicated faith that involved another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit.
Doctrines of man make faith more complicated. IF you are tempted to complicate your faith by doing something, some formula, or jump through a hoop to please a pastor or authority figure to be on good standing with them - STOP! Back up, return to your first love.
Consider Romans 8:32:
"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" The Father used the Son to create the whole universe. Now you have that Son inside of you - Christ in you the hope of glory.
If you have Christ in you, you have the Creator of the whole universe inside your spirit. Everything exists by Him and for Him who is in your spirit. Can you tell me anything that can improve on that? Is there anything you could add to increase the power of what was done for you? Is there anything we can do to improve on what was done? Can we add or subtract anything to Christ in us by any action on our part? No!
There are teachings of demons, teachings of man, and teachings of God. Only 1 of them is simple, founded upon loving the Lord our God with all our heart, strength and mind, and loving our neighbor as ourself. Don't make it more complicated than that, for you have Christ in you, the Creator of the whole universe; How can we add anything to that level of grace?
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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