Be A Soldier For Jesus Christ

I wanted to see what (if anything) the great preacher Charles H. Spurgeon said about soldiers and warfare especially on this Memorial Day 2011.

In doing so, I came across this sobering Sermon of his. It's lengthy, but definitely worth your time today even amidst all the running around and family get-togethers that are likely to keep you very busy.

2 TIMOTHY 2:2-3 A GOOD SOLDIER OF JESUS CHRIST (NO. 938)
DELIVERED ON LORD’S-DAY MORNING, JUNE 26TH, 1870,
BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON

“A good soldier of Jesus Christ.” — 2 Timothy 2:2 , 3

Many men, many minds. In reference to what a Christian is there have been very many and diverse opinions. According to the notions of some, a Christian is an exquisite of remarkably delicate tastes; he cannot worship except it be in a place whose architecture is correctly Gothic, otherwise his dainty soul will be shocked; he is unable to offer prayer aright unless his devotions are uplifted upon the wings of the choicest music; and, even then, scarcely will he be successful unless he be aided by sundry gentlemen, whose pedigree, like that of racehorses, can be clearly traced, and whose garments the tailor has fashioned according to the directions of the ecclesiastical fashion book for the various seasons of the year. If this be to be a Christian in these days, it must be confessed that Paul has said little concerning this delicate and artistic sort of creature, unless, indeed, he had reference to it in Galatians 4:9 , 10 , 11 , which read at your leisure; neither would Paul’s Master acknowledge it.

With some a Christian is a spiritual gourmand. He attends upon the ministry of the word for no purpose but to be fed; He strongly denounces every sermon that is aimed at the conversion of sinners, for he looks even upon the Bible itself as a book solely intended to yield him personal consolation. The more any doctrinal teaching promises him a monopoly of good things, and the more it excludes others, the better he enjoys it, it being to him a particular part of the sweetness of the feast to believe that but a very slender company may dare to partake of it. For him to live is to enjoy and not to serve. To gratify his selfishness he would blot out the free invitations of the gospel. He is not a hearer only, but certainly he is not also a doer, be is a hearer and a feeder, in a certain coarse sense, upon the word of God, and nothing more. That is not Paul’s ideal of a Christian. He does not picture him with his napkin in his hand, sitting at a banquet, but rather with a sword girt upon his thigh, ready for the conflict.

To some the highest form of Christian is a great reader, a profound student of the best of books, for the purpose of composing spiritual riddles. He reads for no practical end. He is a picker out of words, a speller over of syllables, a magnifier of microscopic points, a proficient in biblical hair-splitting. The more a passage perplexes others the more sure he is of its meaning. He cares most for things which have the least practical bearing. He is a peeper through spiritual spyglasses, fancying that he can interpret what wiser men leave to God to expound. He is a hunter after spiritual coneys, which, if caught, would never pay the huntsman for his toil, while the weightier matters he holds in small esteem. This does not seem to have been Paul’s conception of a Christian; for the apostle was no lover of foolish and unlearned questions which gender strife.

And I am afraid I must add that with some the beau ideal of a Christian is that of a man who can sleep out his existence in blissful serenity; a man who, having believed, or professed to believe, in Christ, has settled his life-work for ever, and henceforth can say, “Soul, take thine ease, thou hast henceforth much goods laid up for many years in thine own security, eat, drink, be merry in the gospel; but as for feeding the hungry or clothing the naked, art thou thy brother’s keeper? What is that to thee? See thou to thyself, and if thou thyself be right, let fate, or providence, or sovereignty, take care of the rest.” Paul does not appear to have pictured true believers as sluggards sound asleep upon the downiest beds; his description of a Christian in the text is that of a soldier, and that means something very far different either from a religious fop, whose best delight is music and millinery, or a theological critic who makes a man an offender for a word, or a spiritual glutton who cares for nothing but a lifelong enjoyment of the fat things full of marrow, or an ecclesiastical slumberer who longs only for peace for himself. He represents him as a soldier and that, I say, is quite another thing. For what is a soldier? A soldier is a practical man, a man who has work to do, and hard, stern work. He may sometimes when he is at his ease wear the fineries of war, but when he comes to real warfare he cares little enough for them; the dust and the smoke, and the garments rolled in blood, these are for those who go a soldiering; and swords all hacked, and dented armor, and bruised shields, these are the things that mark the good, the practical soldier. Truly to serve God, really to exhibit Christian graces, fully to achieve a life-work for Christ, actually to win souls, this is to bear fruit worthy of a Christian. A soldier is a man of deeds, and not of words. He has to contend and fight. In war times his life knows little of luxurious ease. In the dead of night perhaps the trumpet sounds to boot and saddle, just at the time when he is most weary, and he must away to the attack just when he would best prefer to take his rest in sleep. The Christian is a soldier in an enemy’s country always needing to stand on his watchtower, constantly to be contending, though not with flesh and blood, with far worse foes, namely, with spiritual wickednesses in high places.

The Christian is a self-sacrificing man as the soldier must be. To protect his country the soldier must expose his own bosom; to serve his king be must be ready to lay down his life. Surely he is no Christian who never felt the spirit of self-sacrifice. If I live unto myself I am living unto the flesh, and of the flesh I shall reap corruption. Only he who lives to his God, to Christ, to the truth, to the church, and to the good old cause, only he is the man who can reckon himself at all to be a soldier of Jesus Christ.

A soldier is a serving man. He does not follow his own pleasure; he is under law and rule; each hour of the day has its prescribed duty; and he must be obedient to the word of another and not to his own will and whim. Such is the Christian. We serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Though no longer the slaves of man so as to dread his frown, we are servants of Christ who has loosed our bonds.

The soldier is full often a suffering man. There are wounds, there are toils, there are frequent lyings in the hospitals, there may be ghastly cuts which let the soul out with the blood. Such the Christian soldier must be ready to suffer, enduring hardness, not looking for pleasure of a worldly kind in this life, but counting it his pleasure to renounce his pleasure for Christ’s sake.

Once again, the true soldier is an ambitious being. He pants for honor, seeks for glory. On the field of strife he gathers his laurels, and amidst a thousand dangers he reaps renown. The Christian is fired by higher ambitions than earthly warrior ever knew. He sees a crown that can never fade; he loves a King who best of all is worthy to be served; he has a motive within him which moves him to the noblest deeds, a divine spirit impelling him to the most self-sacrificing actions. Thus you see the Christian is a soldier, and it is one of the main things in Christian life, to contend earnestly for the faith, and to fight valorously against sin.

Paul does not exhort Timothy to be a common, or ordinary soldier, but to be a “good soldier of Jesus Christ;” for all soldiers, and all true soldiers, may not be good soldiers. There are men who are but just soldiers and nothing more; they only need sufficient temptation and they readily become cowardly, idle, useless and worthless; but he is the good soldier who is bravest of the brave, courageous at all times, who is zealous, does his duty with heart and earnestness. He is the good soldier of Jesus Christ who, through grace, aims to make himself as able to serve his Lord as shall be possible, who tries to grow in grace and to be perfected in every good word and work, that he may be in his Master’s battles fit for the roughest and sternest service, and ready to bear the very brunt of the fray. David had many soldiers, and good soldiers too, but you remember it was said of many, “These attained not unto the first three.” Now Paul, if I read him rightly, would have Timothy try to be of the first three, to be a good soldier. And surely I would this morning say to my dear comrades in the little army of Christ meeting here, let each one of us try to attain unto the first three; let us ask to be numbered among the King’s mighties, to do noble work for him and honorable service, that we may bring to our Master’s cause fresh glory. Be it ours to covet earnestly the best gifts, and as we have had much forgiven, let us love much, and prove that love by signs following.

Before I proceed fully to open up this metaphor, let me say that though we shall use military terms this morning, and stirring speech, it should ever be recollected that we have no war against persons, and that the weapons which we use are not such as are forged for the deadly conflicts of mankind. The wars of a Christian are against principles, against sins, against the miseries of mankind, against that evil one who has led man astray from his Maker, against the iniquity which keeps man an enemy to himself; and the weapons that we use are holy arguments and consecrated lives, devotion and prayer to God, and teaching and example among the sons of men. Ours is battling for the peace, and fighting for rest. We disturb the world to make it quiet, and turn it upside down to set it right; we pull down strongholds that they may not pull down the Zion of God; we dash down the mighty that the humble and the meek may be established. We have no sympathy with any other war, but count it an evil of the direst sort, let it be disguised as it may. Now with that caution, whatever I shall seem to say will not sound as though I loved or excused ordinary warfare, for nothing can be more abhorrent to the Christian man than wholesale slaughter; nothing can be more desired by us than the promised era, when men shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Now let us come to the work of this morning.

First, we shall describe a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and when we have done so, we shall exhort you to be such.

—————

I. First, then, this morning, we shall endeavor to describe a Good Soldier Of Jesus Christ .

(1) We must begin with this fundamental — he must be loyal to his King.

A soldier of Jesus Christ owns the divine Redeemer as his King, and confesses his sole and undivided sovereignty in the spiritual kingdom. He abhors Antichrist in all its forms, and every principle that opposes itself to the reign of the beloved Prince of Peace. Jesus is to him both Lord and God. The day when he enlisted, he did as it were put his finger into the print of the nails, and say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” This was his enlistment declaration, and he remains true to it. “Christ is all,” is his motto, and to win all men to obedience to Immanuel is his lifework. Till he sheathes his sword in the last victory, the Crucified is sole monarch of his soul; for him he lives, for him he would even dare to die. He has entered into solemn league and covenant, to maintain against all comers that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Moreover, the Christian soldier not only acknowledges Jesus to be his King, but his heart is full of loving devotion to him as such. Nothing can make his heart leap like the mention of that august, that more than royal name. He remembers who Jesus is, the Son of God, “the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God.” He remembers what Jesus did, how he loved him, and gave himself for him; he looks to the cross, and remembers the streams of blood whereby the elect were redeemed, even when they were enemies to God. He remembers Christ in heaven, enthroned at the right hand of the Father, he loves him there, and it ravishes his heart to think that God hath highly exalted the once-despised and rejected One, and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. He pants for the time when the Crucified shall come in his glory, and rule the nations as their liege Lord. He loves Jesus so that he feels he belongs to him altogether, bought with his blood, redeemed by his power, and comforted by his presence; he delights to know that he is not his own, for he is bought with a price. And since he loves his King, and loves him with an ardor unquenchable, for many waters cannot drown his love, neither can the floods quench it, he loves all the King’s brethren and servants for the King’s sake; he hails his brethren in arms with hearty affection; he loves the grand old banner of the gospel; he prays for the wind of the Holy Spirit to expand its furls, that all eyes may behold its beauties; he is steadfast in the faith once delivered to the saints, and rejoices so much at every doctrine of the gospel that he would gladly lay down his life to preserve it to the world. Above all, he loves the crown of his King, and the cause of his Master. Oh, could he set the Captain of his salvation higher among men, he would be content to die in the ditch of neglect and scorn; could he but see the King come to his own, and the heir of all things loyally acknowledged by his revolted provinces, he would be satisfied whatever might become of himself. His heart is more than loyal, it is full of personal affection for the chief among ten thousand. I ask you, brethren, whether it is so with you?

Believing, yea, knowing that it is so with many, I would to God it were thus with all. Brethren, I know you love Jesus well, no music sounds to your ears so sweetly as his charming name; no song of choicest minstrel is half so sweet. The very thought of him with rapture fills your breasts. Assuredly you have one of the first marks of good soldiers; go on, I pray you, to that which lies beyond.

(2) The next characteristic of a good soldier is that he is obedient to his captain’s commands.

He would be no soldier at all who would not take his marching orders from his leader, but must needs act after his own mind; he would soon be dismissed the service, if not shot, by order of a court martial, for crimes which military rule cannot tolerate. Now, without enlarging on that illustration, let me ask every Christian here, and myself first of all, are we doing all the Master’s will? Do we wish to know the Master’s will? I should not like that any part of the Scripture should be distasteful to me. I would tremble if there were portions of my Lord’s testimony which I feared to read, or found it convenient to forget. It is terrible when men are obliged to pass over certain texts, or else to cut and square them to make them agree with their beliefs. We should not practice an ordinance merely because our church teaches it, or our parents believed in it; we must read the scriptures, and search the question for ourselves, or we are not respectful to our Lord. The soldier who did not take the trouble to read the orders of his superior, might justly be suspected of mutinous intentions. Disobedience rankles in any heart where there is carelessness about knowing the Lord’s will. Be courageous enough always to look Scripture in the face, it is after all nothing more than your bare duty. Better for us that we changed our sentiments every day in order to be right, than that we held to them obstinately while we had some fear that perhaps we were wrong. To live a life of obedience is a greater matter than some suppose. Obedience is no second-rate virtue: “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” “If ye love me” — what saith Jesus, “Go to the stake for me,” or, “Preach before kings for me?” No, neither of these things is expressly selected, but “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” as though this were the surest and most accepted test of love. May you thus, then, being loyal to the King be in the second place obedient to his commands.

(3) The third matter for a good soldier to mind is this, if he be indeed a first-class soldier, worthy of the service - to conquer will be his ruling passion.

The fight is on, and the soldier’s blood is up, and now he feels “I must drive the enemy from his entrenchment, I must take yonder redoubt. I must plant our conquering standard on the castle of the foe, or I must die. Accursed be the sun if he go down this day and see me turn my back upon the enemy.” He is resolved that he will win or lie cold and stark upon the battle field. The Christian man, in order that he may win for Christ the souls of others, may make known Christ’s truth, may establish Christ’s church on fresh ground, is quite as ready to suffer or die as is the boldest member of the most renowned regiment. To do this he disentangles himself as much as he can from all other ambitions and aims, “for be that warreth entangleth not himself with the affairs of this life.” With a good soldier of Christ the master passion is to spread the gospel, to save souls from perishing, and he would sooner do this and be poor than be rich and neglect it; he would sooner be useful and live unknown than rank among the great ones of the earth and be useless to his Lord. A truly good soldier of Jesus Christ knows nothing about difficulties except as things to be surmounted. If his Master bids him perform exploits too hard for him, he draws upon the resources of omnipotence, and achieves impossibilities. Wellington sent word to his troops one night, “Ciudad Rodrigo must be taken to-night.” And what do you think was the commentary of the British soldiers appointed for the attack? “Then,” said they all, “we will do it.” So when our great Captain sends round, as he doth to us, the word of command, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” if we were all good soldiers of the cross, we should say at once, “We will do it.” However hard the task, since God himself is with us to be our Captain, and Jesus the Priest of the Most High is with us to sound the trumpet, we will do it in Jehovah’s name. May such dauntless resolution fire your breasts, my brethren and sisters, and may you thus prove yourselves “good soldiers of Jesus Christ.”

The passion for victory with the soldier often makes him forget everything else. Before the battle of Waterloo, Picton had had two of his ribs smashed in at Quartre Bras, but he concealed this serious injury, and, though suffering intensest agony, he rode at the head of his troop, and led one of the great charges which decided the fortunes of the day. He never left his post, but rode on till a ball crushed in his skull and penetrated to the brains. Then in the hot fight the hero fell. How few among us could thus endure hardness for Jesus. O that we felt we could suffer anything sooner than be turned aside from accomplishing our lifework for him we love. In that same battle one of our lieutenants, in the early part of the day, had his left fore-arm broken by a shot; he could not, therefore, hold the reins in his hand, but he seized them with his mouth, and fought on till another shot broke the upper part of the arm to splinters, and it had to be amputated; but within two days there he was, with his arm still bleeding, and the wound all raw, riding at the head of his division. Brave things have been done amongst the soldiers of our country — O that such brave things were common among the armed men of the church militant! Would to God, that in the teeth of suffering we could all persevere in living the holy life he bids us live, and in zealously spreading abroad that glorious gospel which has saved our souls and which will save the souls of others. Great Master, by thine own example inspire us with this valor. I desire to see in this our beloved church more of you who are resolved that Christ’s gospel shall conquer this South of London, that it shall conquer the world, that Christ shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. I long to witness more of that dogged perseverance amongst Christians which would make them work on and on, even without success, and persevere under every discouragement, until at last their Master shall give them their reward on earth, or else take them away to their reward in heaven. To be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, there must be a passion for victory, an insatiable greed for setting up the throne of Jesus in the souls of men.

(4) Fourthly, a good soldier is very brave at a charge.

When the time comes and the orders are given for the good soldier to advance to the attack, he does not wish himself away; though a perfect hail of hurtling shot whistles all around, and the ranks of the army are thinned, he is glad to be there, for he feels the stern joy that flushes the face in the light of battle, and he only wants to be within arm’s length of the foe and to come to close quarters with him. So is it with the genuine Christian when his heart is right with God. If he be bidden to advance, let the danger be what it may, he feels he is honored by having such a service allotted to him. But are we all such? I fear not. How many of us are silent about Jesus Christ in private conversation, how little do we show forth our light before men. If we were good soldiers, such as we ought to be, we should select every favorable opportunity in private as well as in public intercourse with our fellow men, and prudently but yet zealously press the claims of Jesus Christ and his gospel upon them. Oh, do you this, beloved, and good will come of it. We should each one be seeking to have his own special work for Jesus, and if no one else were attempting the task we should, like the brave men who rush in to the storming of a battery, carry the flag first and plant it, knowing that there are hundreds of others who will follow the first brave man, who might not be able perhaps to lead the way themselves. My beloved, may you and I be ready for anything, and bold to bear witness for Christ before a scoffing world. In the pulpits where we preach, in the workshops where we labor, in the markets where we trade, in every company amidst which we are called to move; wherever we may be, may we be brave enough to own our Lord and to uphold his cause. But this is not all that goes to make a good soldier.

(5) A good soldier is like a rock under attack.

So British soldiers have been; they have stood in solid squares against the enemies’ cavalry until their foes have dashed upon them madly, gnashed their teeth, fired in their faces, thrown their guns at them, and yet might just as well have ridden against granite rocks; for our soldiers did not know how to yield, and would not retreat; as fast as one fell another filled up the gap, and there stood the square of iron defying the rush of the foe. We want this kind of fixed, resolved, persevering Godliness in our churches, and we shall have it if we are good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Alas! too many are exhausted by the zeal at first exhibited; for a time they can reach the highest point, but to continue on, and on, and on, this is too difficult a task for them. How many young people will join the church, and for awhile seem very zealous and then grow cold! Alas! it is not always the young, there be some among yourselves who were once most diligent in your various forms of service; what doth hinder you that you are not diligent in your Master’s business now? Has Christ given you leave to retire into inglorious ease? Does he exempt you from service? Take heed lest you are also exempt from reward. No, we must through life still maintain our integrity, still resist temptation, still tread the separated path, and, withal, still seek the souls of men with undying ardor, with indefatigable earnestness, still wrestling with God for men and with men for God. Oh, for more of this stern determination to stand, and having done all to stand!

(6) The last mark of a really good soldier of Jesus Christ is that he derives his strength from on high.

This has been true even of some common soldiers, for religious men when they have sought strength from God have been all the braver in the day of conflict. I like the story of Frederick the Great; when he overheard his favourite general engaged in prayer, and was about to utter a sneering remark, the fine old man, who never feared a foe, and did not even fear his majesty’s jest, said, “Your Majesty, I have just been asking aid from your Majesty’s great ally.” He had been waiting upon God. This is how Christians get the victory; they seek it from the church’s great ally, and then go to the conflict sure that they shall win the day. He is the best Christian who is the best intercessor, he shall do the most who shall pray the best. In the battle of Salamanca, when Wellington bade one of his officers advance with his troops, and occupy a gap, which the Duke perceived in the lines of the French, the general rode up to him, and said, “My lord, I will do the work, but first give me a grasp of that conquering right hand of yours.” He received a hearty grip, and away he rode to the deadly encounter. Often has my soul said to her Captain, “My Lord, I will do that work if thou wilt give me a grip of thy conquering right hand.” Oh, what power it puts into a man when he gets a grip of Christ, and Christ gets a grip of him! Fellowship with Christ is the fountain of the church’s strength. Her power did never lie in her wealth, nor in the eloquence of her preachers, nor in aught that comes of man; the strength of the church is divine, and if she fails to draw strength from the everlasting hills, she becomes weak as water. Good soldiers of Jesus Christ, watch unto prayer, “praying in the Holy Ghost,” for so shall you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

—————

II. Thus I have in a very poor way described a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Give me a few minutes while I Exhort You To Be Such ; and, mark you I shall speak especially to the members of this Christian church.

(1) I exhort you, dear brethren, who are soldiers of Christ, to be good soldiers, because many of you have been so.

Paul was wont to commend the churches when he could, and I feel I may honestly and from my heart commend many of you, for you have served your Lord and Master well. I know you have nothing whereof to glory, for when you have done all, you are unprofitable servants; but still I do rejoice, and will rejoice when I see the work of the Holy Spirit in you; and I will venture to say that I have seen here instances of apostolic ardor and self-sacrifice such as I have read of in ancient records, but hardly ever expected to see. There are those in this house this day who will shine as stars for ever and ever, for they have turned many to righteousness. Dishonor not your past, I beseech you, fall not from your high standing. “Forward” be your motto; never think of declining but rather advance in love to God, and in the ardor of your zeal. Be good soldiers still, and depart not from your first love. I am sure there is greater need of good soldiering now than ever. Ten years ago or sixteen years ago, when first I addressed you, the power of popery in this land was nothing to what it is now. In those days the Church of England was more generally Protestant, now it is so frequently popish that I may broadly say that now we are afflicted with two popish churches, that of Rome and that of Oxford, the second not one whit better than the first, only more crafty and insidious, inasmuch as it attracts to itself a number of godly and gracious men, who protect the villains who bear a Protestant name and who are doing the Pope’s work. I grieve to know that the evangelical clergy of England, by their continued union with the Church of England are acting as a shield to the ritualistic or popish party, and giving them every opportunity to work out their schemes for leading the nation back to popery en masse. Around this very spot a battle will have to be fought between the sacramentarians and the lovers of the gospel. At your very doors the battle is come at last; it was not so till but lately, but here it is, and ye that are men must show your colors, and serve your Master against innumerable and constantly active foes. Ye have never failed me, ye have always been bold and steadfast, and laborious, and so let it be, for the time requires it. I can see on all hands that many of your young men are being attracted by the worldly amusements which surround us, for our dangers are not only those of popery, but those of the world, the flesh, and the devil. There must be greater earnestness and a deeper-toned piety among you, or the next generation will become unworthy of yourselves, your grief and not your joy. I pray you see to this.

(2) Be good soldiers, for much depends upon it.

Your country will be blest in proportion as you are earnest. Nonconformity in England will lose all its power if it loses its godliness. I do not care much for our political strength — I was about to say I am almost indifferent to our political rights — I care for them, but only so much as to occupy a very minor place in my consideration; but our spirituality is the main matter, it is this alone that can make us a blessing to our country. Sons of the Puritans, ye must walk with God, or your day is past, ye will be swept away as Esther would have been, who came to the kingdom for the salvation of her nation, if she had not fulfilled the office for which God had exalted her. You have grown in numbers, grown in strength, O that you may grow in grace, love the gospel better, and love Christ better, for your country needs it, your children need it, yourselves need it. The times are perilous, and yet they are hopeful; by their peril, and by their hopefulness, I beseech you be good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Good soldiers we ought to be, for it is a grand old cause that is at stake. It is the kingdom of God, it is the church of Christ, it is the word, the truth, the doctrine of the gospel, the crown of Jesus, that are all at stake. I grant you that none shall ever shake the throne of Jesus, for though “the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing,” yet shall his throne be established. But we now speak according to the manner of men. God has been pleased to leave this matter to his church, which is the pillar and ground of the truth. Oh then, stand up manfully, and fight earnestly when so much rests upon it! God grant that you may not be as the children of Ephraim, who being armed and carrying bows turned their backs in the day of battle.

(3) I implore you, my brethren, and mostly myself, to be good soldiers of Jesus, when you consider the fame that has preceded you.

A soldier when he receives his colors finds certain words embroidered on them, to remind him of the former victories of the regiment in which he serves. Look at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and see the long list of the triumphs of the faithful. Remember how prophets and apostles served God; recollect how martyrs joyfully laid down their lives; look at the long line of the reformers and the confessors; remember your martyred sires and covenanting fathers, and by the grace of God I beseech you walk not unworthy of your noble lineage.

(4) Be good soldiers because of the victory which awaits you.

Oh, it will be a grand thing to share in the ultimate triumph of Christ, for triumph he will; when all his soldiers shall come back from the war, and the King himself at their head with the spoils of the victory, when they shall come back to the metropolitan city, to the ivory palaces of the great Captain, when the song is heard, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors,” when the question shall be answered, “Who is the King of glory?” by the reply, “The Lord of Hosts, the Lord mighty in battle, he is the King of glory;” it will be a glorious thing to have shared the fight, for so surely you shall share the honors of that coronation day. A crown is prepared for that head though it be now made to ache with care for the cause, a palm branch for that hand which now toils in the fight, silver sandals for those feet which have now to march over weary miles for Christ’s sake, honor and immortality not to be imagined till they are enjoyed, await every faithful soldier of the cross.

(5) Besides, and lastly if I want another argument to make you good soldiers, remember your Captain, the Captain whose wounded hands and pierced feet are tokens of his love to you.

Redeemed from going down to the pit, what can you do sufficiently to show your gratitude? Assured of eternal glory by-and-by, bow can you sufficiently prove that you feel your indebtedness? Up, I pray you now. By him whose eyes are like a flame of fire, and yet were wet with tears, by him on whose head are many crowns, and who yet wore the crown of thorns, by him who is King of kings and Lord of lords, and yet bowed his head to death for you, resolve that to life’s latest breath you will spend and be spent for as praise. The Lord grant that there may be many such in this church-good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Two or three words and I will close.

At this present time I contemplate exhorting you to engage in fresh efforts for Christ. I do not know that you are relaxing, neither have I complaints to make of any, but I would wish that we would commence with renewed vigor this day, if God so wills it. As I myself commence a new year of Sabbaths as to my own age, I desire to see a new era of greater exertion in the cause of Jesus Christ; and, in order that it may be successful, let not a single man or woman on the church-roll be missing from his or her post in the spiritual conflict. It is a remarkable fact that on the eve of a great battle in the Peninsular war the officers read the muster-roll, and noted that “not a man was missing.” They had all good stomach for the fight, and were all there. You that are in the Sabbath school, you that distribute your tracts, you that preach in the street, every man to his post; and if you have no post as yet, find one — let there not be one idler, not one single loiterer, for a single sluggard may mar the work.

Then if we are to be successful let nothing divide us. The motto of one of our most famous regiments embroidered on their banner is, “Quis separavit.” Who shall separate us? We are but mortals, and, therefore, little jealousies may spring up, and among us there may be little causes of personal pique, but brave warriors in the olden times who had fallen out have been known to come together on the eve of battle and say, Come, let us be reconciled, we may die to-morrow; besides, we join in common hatred of the foe and love to the king.” Let your peace be unbroken, your union indissoluble, and God will bless you.

To help us to succeed now, let us lay down this one rule, let no low standard of work, or virtue, or spiritual attainment, content any one of us; let us resolve to be as good Christians as can be beneath the stars, as fond of Christ as human hearts can be, doing and giving as much for Christ as we can do or give, consistently with other duties. Let us spare nothing, and keep back no part of the price; let there be no Ananias and Sapphira among us, but all be as John, who loved his Lord; and Paul, who counted all things but loss for the excellency of Christ Jesus his Lord.

Next, let me say, let the present moment be seized. I should like to saturate this district with a mass of tracts simply teaching the gospel and protesting against the bastard popery around us. Heaven and earth are being raised around us just now; our poor are being bribed, the houses of our members are being systematically visited with the view of decoying them from our worship. We are told that a certain small building used by the Episcopal body is the parish church, and we ought to attend it. I might far more truthfully assert this to be the church of the parish by the choice of a far more numerous body, but I care not to make pretensions which prove nothing. The true question is — do we follow Christ, and uphold the teachings of Scripture, and if so, our standing is unassailable. Doubtless the word has gone forth that Dissent must be crushed, but if we live near to God, and maintain our zeal, Dissent will rise invincible from every attack. Foreseeing the gathering storm, it is our consolation that we know where he dwells who is Master of the tempest, and can walk the waters for our help, and calm the sea around the weather-beaten bark. It becomes us now at this present moment to be indefatigable, to put forth all our strength for the truth, even the Lord’s pure word in doctrine and in ordinance. Let no man’s heart fail him. There is no fear of defeat. Lo, these many years the Lord of Hosts has been with us as a church, and he will be still our helper. We have seen the rise and fall of many who blazed for awhile, but are now quenched in darkness, while we have increased from a handful to this mass; and God who has been our trust, and is still our stay, will not forsake us now. He has not drawn you together, and held you in one body by cords of love, that after all you may prove to be a powerless unwieldly mass of associated Christians; he intends to direct and strengthen you for nobler ends and purposes God, even our own God, will bless us. Immanuel, God with us, leads the van. The truth, like the virgin daughter of Zion, shakes her head at boastful error, and laughs it to scorn. Let falsehood put on her tawdry garments, and think herself a queen, and say that she shall sit alone, and see no sorrow; let error come forth in her panoply and wave her flaunting banner before the sun. She draws near her end. Her armor — what is it? It is but pasteboard, and the lance of truth shall pierce it through and through. Her banner, what is it but a foul rag of the Roman harlot? It shall be laid in the dust. Nay, let error bring forth all her hosts, and let them stand in their serried ranks, and through them the faithful soldiers of Jesus will ride and bow the columns like reeds in the wind. In these days, the doctrines and traditions of men compass us about, yea, like bees they compass us about, but in the name of the Lord will we destroy them. Only let us have confidence in God, and the victory is sure. As for the thought of turning back, that can never be endured. A message came to Sir Colin Campbell at the Alma, that Her Majesty’s Guards were falling thick and fast beneath the shot, had they not better retire for a little while into safe quarters? The answer was, “It were better, sir, that every one of Her Majesty’s Guards should lie dead on this battle field than turn their backs on the enemy.” And it is so. Let us die, yea, it were to be devoutly wished rather than that we lived a coward’s life! Let the preacher first of all be carried to his grave, let him never live to see the shame of this Israel. Let these eyes be sealed in death rather than behold “Ichabod” written on these walls. No, brethren, it shall not be; you will serve Jesus, you will love him, and “Onward to victory” shall be your watchword from to-day. Be more in prayer, for this is the great matter. Seek out each one your own sphere of action; give yourselves wholly to it; and if any grow cold or careless, let him remember Jesus saith, “I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and be with me.” This blessed supping with Jesus will restore you; though you be like Laodicea, “neither cold nor hot.” Fellowship with Jesus will renew the love of your espousals. Oh, then, my brethren, in Jesus’ name I bid you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

I have not preached to sinners, but you will do that if you catch the spirit of this sermon; there will be many thousands of words to sinners spoken as the result of this exhortation, if God, the Holy Spirit, make it answer my design. Only this word to those who are not soldiers of Jesus Christ; trust him now, come now and kiss his silver scepter of grace; he will forgive the rebel, and take him to be his servant. God bless you. Amen

Boy, did that bless me mightily!

Far from being an example of "Poligion", this is the proper -- the Biblical -- meaning of what it means to be "a soldier for Jesus Christ" in these last days.

I hope you took the time to read Spurgeon's Sermon in full -- prayerfully and slowly. What a powerful word for us who are living in Christ today.

Thank God for the countless blessings He's bestowed upon us like the ideal of "self sacrifice" for a nobler cause; an ideal born out of selflessness and in total rejection of selfishness.

Share|

Read more »

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Charles Spurgeon,Great Commission,Poligion,Political Signs,Prophecy Basics,Revelatory Revival,Sola Scriptura,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing

Being Discerning About Discernment

An interesting, and somewhat confusing (at first), encounter is recorded for us in the Book of Acts.

I thought it might be a good time to bring it up to get us to think about it since it underscores our intense focus on Prophets and their prophecies the past week or so.

In every fellowship there should be people who have experienced the gift of discernment. They should be able to discern the false prophet from true prophet. An example of this is found in Acts 16.

Acts 16:16-18 (KJV) And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

A slave girl kept calling Paul and Silas servants of the most high God. She was able to predict the future. She was also acknowledging God, so in a sense she fulfilled both the conditions given in Deuteronomy.

However, Paul became troubled, and discerned in his spirit that she had a spirit of divination. He cast the spirit out and she lost her fortune-telling powers.

In the coming days, God will raise up true prophets, but there will also be many false prophets around. The church must learn to discern the true from the false.

[SOURCE]

What do we make of this encounter and Paul's reaction to it?

At first glance, we may be troubled by it because we can't quite figure out what it was that Paul was reacting to here. But let's look at this a little more closely.

"A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us..."; in the Greek text it is, "the spirit of Python"; the Alexandrian copy and the Vulgate Latin version read, "the spirit Python"; the same with Apollo, who was called Pythius, as was his oracle, from the people coming to him, to inquire of him and consult with him, about difficult matters; or rather from the Hebrew word which signifies a serpent; and so Apollo is said to have his name Pythius, from his killing the serpent Typhon, or Python.

Let's add some historical context too before we attempt to dissect this portion of the text. Python, in Greek Mythology, was the serpent which guarded Delphi. Fitting that it's a serpent that comes up during our deep discussion about the subtleties of discernment, huh?

According to the legend, as related in the Homeric Hymn, Apollo descended from Olympus in order to select a site for his shrine and oracle. Having fixed upon a spot on the southern side of Mount Parnassus, he found it guarded by a vast and terrific serpent, which he slew with an arrow, and suffered its body to rot in the sun. Hence, the name of the serpent "Python" ("Rotting"); "Pytho", the name of the place, and the epithet "Pythian", applied to Apollo.

The name Python was subsequently used to denote a prophetic demon, and was also used of soothsayers who practiced ventriloquism, or speaking from the belly.

So, let's return to the main portion of these highlighted verses: "A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us." Literally, "the spirit of a Pythoness" is what we should render this verse as saying to us. This meant, among the Greeks, a prophetic spirit, Pythias being one of the names of Apollo, the god of prophecy.

The account shows us 3 things then...

(1) that the damsel was possessed

(2) that her strange power gave her value in that it was superhuman

(3) that she was a slave, owned by several masters, and brought them much gain by soothsaying (Luke does not say that she foretold the future, but the people thought she did. She was a demoniac.)

Clearly, we need to recall that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and covets to enter by undermining, but Paul openly stops him, and casts him out, which begs the question, "How did he know to do that especially after hearing what she was saying!?!"

Well, I think the answer can be found by further examining the rest of that verse about the "damsel" presented to us. The words "possessed with a spirit of divination" is a sure sign of the god Apollo, who would give answers to those that asked him, if we take this encounter within the proper cultural context, and put ourselves in the region and time that it actually took place.

Still, I'm sure that at this point, if you're anything like me, then you're probably asking yourself, "Ok, but why would a demon possessed person follow them and proclaim the truth like that? It seems like it would completely go against a demon's nature, doesn't it?" Yes! Yes, it does!

Others have summed things up as follows...

"The same followed Paul and us..." -- Why she did this, or under what presence, the sacred writer has not informed us. It may have been:

(1) That as she prophesied for gain, she supposed that Paul and Silas would reward her if she publicly proclaimed that they were the servants of God. Or,

(2) Because she was conscious that an evil spirit possessed her, and she feared that Paul and Silas would expel that spirit, and by proclaiming them to be the servants of God she hoped to conciliate their favor. Or,

(3) More probably it was because she saw evident tokens of their being sent from God, and that their doctrine would prevail; and by proclaiming this she hoped to acquire more authority, and a higher reputation for being herself inspired. Compare Mark 5:7.

"These men are the servants of the most high God, etc..." -- It is astonishing how such a testimony could be given in such a case; every syllable of it true, and at the same time full, clear, and distinct. But mark the deep design and artifice of this evil spirit:

1. He well knew that the Jewish law abhorred all magic, incantations, magical rites, and dealings with familiar spirits; he therefore bears what was in itself a true testimony to the apostles, that by it he may destroy their credit, and ruin their usefulness. The Jews, by this testimony, would be led at once to believe that the apostles were in compact with these demons, and that the miracles they wrought were done by the agency of these wicked spirits, and that the whole was the effect of magic; and this, of course, would harden their hearts against the preaching of the Gospel.

2. The Gentiles, finding that their own demon bore testimony to the apostles, would naturally consider that the whole was one system; that they had nothing to learn, nothing to correct; and thus the preaching of the apostles must be useless to them. In such a predicament is this, nothing could have saved the credit of the apostles but their dispossessing this woman of her familiar spirit, and that in the most incontestable manner; for what could have saved the credit of Moses and Aaron, when the magicians of Egypt turned their rods into serpents, had not Aaron's rod devoured theirs? And what could have saved the credit of these apostles but the casting out of this spirit of divination, with which, otherwise, both Jews and Gentiles would have believed them in compact?

"But Paul, being grieved..." -- Being molested, troubled, offended. Paul was grieved, probably:

(1) Because her presence was troublesome to him;

(2) Because it might be said that he was in alliance with her, and that his pretensions were just like hers;

(3) Because what she did was for the sake of gain, and was a base imposition;

(4) Because her state was one of bondage and delusion, and it was proper to free her from this demoniacal possession; and,

(5) Because the system under which she was acting was a part of a scheme of delusion and imposture, which had spread over a large portion of the pagan world, and which was then holding it in bondage.

Throughout the Roman empire the inspiration of the priestesses of Apollo was believed in, and temples were everywhere reared to perpetuate and celebrate the delusion. Against this extensive system of imposture and fraud Christianity must oppose itself; and this was a favorable instance to expose the delusion, and to show the power of the Christian religion over all the arts and powers of imposture. The mere fact that in a very few instances - of which this was one - they spoke the truth, did not make it improper for Paul to interpose. That fact would only tend to perpetuate the delusion, and to make his interposition more proper and necessary. The expulsion of the evil spirit would also afford a signal proof of the fact that the apostles were really from God a far better proof than her noisy and troublesome proclamation of it would furnish.

While that's a good summary overview, let's dig a little deeper still.

The woman (or the demon) was speaking the truth. These men were servants of the Most High God, and they were showing the way of salvation. Why then was Paul grieved? Again, because Satan is very subtle.

Rather than openly oppose the truth, he will often attempt to conceal it by maintaining that the occult and God are compatible. Of course, this is patently absurd.

I've heard people say that if you are open-air preaching, don't be surprised to have someone who is obviously demonically controlled loudly agree with you, so that it looks to the crowd that you are both preaching the same message. This can be very frustrating I'm sure. To a crowd, it would appear that both the woman and the men were on the same team so-to-speak when they definitely were not.

The question arises as to whether Paul did the right thing by casting out the demon. To be blunt, my first instinct was to say that I'm not sure he did. If the woman wasn't repentant, then she may have received seven more demons (Matthew 12:43-45). Perhaps we should explore modern day, popular "Deliverance Ministries" in light of that passage. Plus, after his action, great persecution came against the disciples, but God in His goodness worked it out for their good, and for the good of the Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:24-34).

I'm probably completely wrong about that point though. I mean, Paul made no haste to do this miracle, for he did all things only as he was led by the Spirit we should assume.

Maybe it helps to always think of a few key verses from Leviticus that should immediately set the record straight whenever it comes to this issue I think...

Leviticus 19:31 (KJV) Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I [am] the LORD your God.

Leviticus 20:6 (KJV) And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 20:27 (KJV) A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood [shall be] upon them.

There are others, but those are pretty clear. Then there's this exclamation point...

Isaiah 8:19 (KJV) And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

My dear friends, hopefully, now you see why it is absolutely vital that we all learn how to discern the truth better than we already do (or better than we think we do).

It's far too easy in this day and age for Christians to be deceived if they let their guard down for just a moment and assume that someone and something and some word is consistent with the holy Scriptures. Don't assume anything without holding it up to the Word of God (Acts 17:11)!

Thus, as I've been fond of doing so often lately with these Bible studies, I would like to share what Matthew Henry had to say about this unusual passage of Scripture, and about being discerning about discernment...

Acts 16:16-24 Satan, though the father of lies, will declare the most important truths, when he can thereby serve his purposes. But much mischief is done to the real servants of Christ, by unholy and false preachers of the gospel, who are confounded with them by careless observers. Those who do good by drawing men from sin, may expect to be reviled as troublers of the city. While they teach men to fear God, to believe in Christ, to forsake sin, and to live godly lives, they will be accused of teaching bad customs.

I look at this brief exchange that's probably easy to miss and see something even greater than it being a mere commentary on being discerning about discernment.

See, whether the woman said what she said of her own accord, or was obliged to it by divine impulse, and whether it was through fear of Paul, and in flattery to him, or was with a good or bad design, is not easy to determine.

However, we're certain that what she said was truth, and sometimes the Devil himself, Satan, the Father of Lies, is obliged to speak it. A glimpse of of that day when "every knee shall bow" that we read about (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11).

Why? Because the Lord is sovereign. A good place to end today's study I think.

Share|

Read more »

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,False Christs,New Age,Occult,Prophecy Basics,Revelatory Revival,Sola Scriptura,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Why Study Prophecy?,Witnessing

Corsi's Challenge: Obama's SSN Under Scrutiny

We interrupt our scheduled look at the Bible's Prophets this week to bring you a LUF exclusive with some breaking news I received today at my place of employment (as far as I can tell it's an exclusive and a bit of breaking news as it pertains to today's subject).

I want to take some time to address the next controversy involving President Barack Obama that has serious prophetic implications. Let me briefly explain before getting to the exclusive content of today's column.

I'll start with a tongue-in-cheek question-and-answer game despite the fact that this is a deadly serious issue with serious prophetic implications.

Q: If you went into a coma the day after 9/11, or after we were told that Arab-Muslim terrorists were responsible for that attack, and you woke up today and heard that the President of the United States is named Barack Hussein Obama, what would be your first thought? "My gosh! We lost the war!", right?

From "Barry Soetoro" to "Barack Hussen Obama", it's always been a question of eligibility.

Since 2008 (when the mainstream media COMPLETELY IGNORED legitimate concerns from "Birthers" like me about Obama's eligibility to hold the office of President of the United States, and despite the un-Constitutional Senate Resolution 511 that was passed without any scrutiny whatsoever), I've been saying that the issue of Obama's citizenship WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A MAINSTREAM "NATIONAL CRISIS", but only when the mainstream media (Satan's willing accomplices) decide it's the right time to instigate a genuine national crisis.

Sure, he has a new book to sell, but when well respected people like best-selling author Jerome Corsi say that it will "make Watergate look like a political sideshow by comparison" you tend to take notice, and then you know we're close. That's the charge made in Corsi's new book titled "Where's The Birth Certificate? The Case That Barack Obama Is Not Eligible To Be President", which hit store shelves a little over a week ago.

Of course, this begs the question: Why would the mainstream media want to do such a thing? What is their motive (if any)?

Well, the answer is that their "motive" is the same as it's always been -- to help advance a particular anti-Christ agenda ("anti-Christ" meaning anything that completely contradicts a "Christian" agenda, which is the promotion of what is good, what is truthful, what is right) when they decide it's the right time to use it to the advantage of the "kings of the earth" (or The-Powers-That-Be) on the path to the establishment of a New World Order (a.k.a. One World System Of Everything).

Remember, the goal for them is "Order Out Of Chaos" and the easiest way to "create" and/or "rebuild" anything is to first tear down the existing structures that are in place. When it comes to national politics, the best way to create and/or rebuild America is to destroy it from within.

Bringing things full circle, after watching the way in which the mainstream media (yes, even so-called "conservative" and "right wing" Fox News Channel as we'll soon hear and see in a few moments) COMPLETELY IGNORED this clear violation of US Constitutional Law, I knew back then that this had to be all a part of their sophisticated plan-of-attack against this once great nation.

Furthermore, just think about how fitting it would be to save this "shocking revelation" -- the revelation that President Barack Obama has been proven to be unqualified to serve as US President -- in your back pocket where you could pull it out and play it at just the right time!

When might that "right time" be, you ask? Oh, I don't know, maybe when the country is fired up over ObamaCare and other high-tax plans put forth by a majority of politicians, when the nation is reeling at the highest levels of unemployment since the Great Depression, or when the people are angry at an administration that continues to over-extend its reach into our personal lives.

Perhaps the plan all along was to stir the pot as much as possible and then throw gasoline on the fire. Play with fire and you're bound to get burned, and God's enemies (enemies of the truth) will surely meet their fate for eternity in a fiery Hell. So, if that's the case, and my suspicions start to prove true, then I believe we are only A MATTER OF WEEKS AWAY from seeing things really heat up in this arena.

What started with Donald Trump's campaign to get Obama to release his Birth Certificate, continued with the release of Jerome Corsi's new book, and it could crescendo with two separate, but related events.

Those two separate, but related events?

-- The first is Corsi's claim that he is going to file a lawsuit against the President charging him with fraud following his discovery that Barack Obama has a Social Security Number that was issued from the state of Connecticut.

-- The second (which really just seems to support Corsi's claim and prove that he's on to something significant here in my humble opinion) is something I discovered on my own through my place of employment given the work I do when I'm masquerading as a Staffing Manager for a Health Care Staffing Agency. Simply put, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is planning to issue RANDOM SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS (SSNs) beginning June 25th, 2011, or just a few weeks from now.

Get this! This is just too timely ("coincidental" I'd say, and you know what I think about "coincidences" especially in politics).

Given the line of work I'm in, I'm required to order Criminal Background Checks for each potential new hire. Part of the Criminal Background Check is seeing if the SSN provided by the applicant actually checks out and can be verified.

Well, just a couple of days ago, I went to order a Criminal Background Check for a candidate just as I routinely do from our vendor LexisNexis, and immediately upon logging in to my corporate account I was met with the following important message...

Social Security Numbers Will Be Assigned Randomly As Of June 25, 2011

As of June 25, 2011, the SSA (Social Security Administration) is randomizing assignments of SSNs (Social Security Numbers). Currently SSNs are assigned following a distinct pattern for a given state and birth year allowing us to validate that information based on those consistently assigned values.

After June 25, the SSA will issue numbers randomly?not following the historic pattern currently in use. This is in part to help with identity theft and simply because some areas need more numbers than the current number assignment logic allows.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.ssa.gov/employer/randomizationfaqs.html#highgroup:

You can imagine my surprise. Almost instantly, the wheels began turning and I recalled the focal point of Corsi's new book and started to wonder if I should be trying to connect the dots here. Naturally, I went directly to the government's own website to learn more...

Social Security Number Randomization Frequently Asked Questions

What is Social Security Number (SSN) Randomization?
The project is a forward looking initiative of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to help protect the integrity of the SSN by establishing a new randomized assignment methodology. SSN Randomization will also extend the longevity of the nine-digit SSN nationwide.

When will SSN randomization take effect?
The SSA plans to implement the new assignment methodology on June 25, 2011.

Why is the SSA changing the way it assigns the SSN?
The SSA believes that randomly assigning the SSN will help protect the integrity of the SSN. Changing assignment methodology will also extend the available pool of nine digit SSNs in every state.

Will the SSA ever run out of SSNs?
The nine-digit SSN will eventually be exhausted. The current SSN assignment process limits the number of SSNs that are available for assignment to individuals in each state. Randomization affords the SSA the opportunity to extend the number of SSNs available for assignment for many years.

How will SSN randomization provide enhanced protection to my identity?
As the SSN is increasingly used by public and private entities in conjunction with other tools and processes for identity verification, instances of SSN fraud, misuse, and identity theft are also on the rise. SSN randomization will help protect an individual's SSN by making it more difficult to reconstruct an SSN using public information.

What changes will result from randomization?
The SSA will eliminate the geographical significance of the first three digits of the SSN, currently referred to as the area number, by no longer allocating the area numbers for assignment to individuals in specific states. The significance of the highest group number (the fourth and fifth digits of the SSN) for validation purposes will be eliminated. Randomization will also introduce previously unassigned area numbers for assignment excluding area numbers 000, 666 and 900-999.

Will SSN randomization assign group number (the fourth and fifth digits of the SSN) 00 or serial number (the last four digits of the SSN) 0000?
SSN randomization will not assign group number 00 or serial number 0000. SSNs containing group number 00 or serial number 0000 will continue to be invalid.

Will the SSN length change as a result of randomization?
The length of the SSN will not change. The SSN will still be comprised of nine numeric digits.

Will current number holders receive a new SSN and card?
Current number holders will not receive a new SSN or a new card as a result of randomization. The new assignment process will only apply to those receiving an SSN for the first time.

Will I be able to request a new randomized SSN?
Generally, we assign only one SSN to an individual. We use that number to record the individual's earnings so that we can determine future benefits and, eventually, to track benefits paid. Only under the following circumstances can we assign a different number:

-- Sequential numbers assigned to members of the same family are causing problems; More than one person is using the same number;

-- An individual has religious or cultural objections to certain numbers or digits in the original number; (See "Can I request a new SSN because I object to digits used?")

-- A victim of identity theft continues to be disadvantaged by using the original number; (See Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number, Publication No. 05-10064.) or

-- Situations of harassment, abuse or life endangerment (including domestic violence). (See New Numbers For Domestic Violence Victims, Publication No. 05-10093.)

Will previously issued SSNs be re-assigned as a result of randomization?
The SSA will not reassign SSNs. Randomization will provide us with enough new numbers to avoid reassignment.

How will SSN randomization affect the geographical significance of the area number?
Randomization will eliminate the geographical significance of the area number (the first three digits of the SSN). Area numbers will no longer be allocated to states for assignment.

How will I verify a name and SSN?
The SSA will still provide opportunities for direct SSN verification. Internet based verification services include:

-- The SSA's Social Security Number Verification Service – available to employers.

-- The Department of Homeland Security’s eVerify Service – available to employers to determine employment eligibility.

-- The SSA's Consent-Based SSN Verification Service – available to enrolled private companies and government agencies for a fee.

Federal and State Agencies will continue to have several SSN verification systems available to them such as those outlined on http://www.ssa.gov/gix/eprojects.html.

These methods for SSN verification are much more accurate than using the High Group List. For more information on those services, please contact us at ssn.randomization@ssa.gov for referral to the appropriate SSA contact.

Will the High Group List still be available for validation?
Currently, there are no plans to update the High Group List once randomization is implemented. The High Group List will be frozen in time and can be used for validation of SSNs issued prior to the randomization implementation date.

Who can I contact if I have any questions/comments pertaining to SSN randomization? Please email any questions/comments to ssn.randomization@ssa.gov.

Interesting, right? That's extremely odd timing, isn't it?

You bet it is. I mean, since it's inception thanks to President FDR back in 1935, the SSA has done things THE SAME WAY for 75+ years. Now, all of a sudden, we're expected to believe that a different process is needed?

The federal government cites "identity theft" as the primary motivating force here, but is it as big a problem as we're led to believe? Fortunately, I did some quick research on my own to find out. Here's what I came up with...

IDENTITY THEFT FACTS?

-- Defined as the misuse of an existing account, misuse of personal information to open a new account, or misuse of personal information for other fraudulent purposes, identity theft was reported by an estimated 11.7 million victims according to a 2008 Government Survey and the resulting financial losses totaled more than $17 billion.

-- Identity theft and fraud remains a constant threat to individuals of all ages. Identity theft topped the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) list of Top Consumer Complaints in 2010 for the 11th year in a row with 250,854 of the 1,339,265 complaints received by the FTC – 19% – related to identity theft.

-- It may be hard for most parents to imagine that their children could have homes in foreclosure or huge bills in collection before they are even old enough to apply for student loans for college, but a new report released by Carnegie Mellon University’s CyLab – “Child Identity Theft: New Evidence Indicates Identity Thieves are Targeting Children for Unused Social Security Numbers” – reveals that 1 in10 children scanned for the report had someone else using their Social Security number (SSN) to commit identity theft and fraud. Based on scans of over 42,000 U.S child IDs by an identity theft protection company, the report found that 4,311 of the children in the report – or 10.2% – had someone else using their Social Security number to purchase homes and automobiles, open credit card accounts, secure employment, and obtain driver’s licenses.

-- The Internal Revenue Service found over 245,000 identity theft incidents last year, according to a new government report that assessed the IRS’s efforts to stem the growing problem, as victims testified before the Senate. Since 2008, the IRS has identified 470,000 incidents of identity theft affecting more than 390,000 taxpayers. The thieves typically steal, or attempt to steal, the victim's tax refund. In a new report, by the Government Accountability Office, the GAO acknowledged that the hundreds of thousands of taxpayers with tax problems caused by identity theft represent a relatively small percentage of the expected 140 million individual returns filed, but for those affected, the problems can be extremely serious. The report was presented during a hearing this past Wednesday of the Senate’s new Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth.

Even so, the cynic in me has learned to mistrust "official" anything (other than the Word of God) because I know it's all agenda driven. If the problem is as bad as they're saying it is, and if it's the primary reason for this monumental change, then wouldn't you think that we would all at least know one person who has been the victim of identity theft (if not a victim ourselves)? I'm just asking. I think it's a fait question.

Admittedly, I haven't had time to explore these statistics in-depth, but I have to say that I began to wonder if "identity theft" was akin to the threat of "terrorism" that we're always hearing about, or the very thing used by the federal government to infringe upon the US Constitution and to try and take away our personal freedoms, or our freedom in Christ.

Do they really think that we won't put two and two together here and wonder if there's ANY POSSIBLE CONNECTION between the brewing Obama SSN controversy and this recent decision to completely change the process of assigning Social Security Numbers? Yes! Yes, they do. They think we're that stupid.

So, that's the "exclusive" bit of news I stumbled upon in a nutshell. However, let's start from the beginning and briefly recap how we got to this point let alone why I believe that this latest announcement by the Social Security Administration is nothing but an attempt to preempt the growing controversy and maybe even make it easier for non-qualified individuals to become President of the United States in the future (assuming this nation has much of a future left!).

The book that proves Obama's ineligible? That's easy. The aforementioned Jerome Corsi book titled "Where's The Birth Certificate? The Case That Barack Obama Is Not Eligible To Be President" was released on May 17th, 2011, and Corsi has been turned loose to tell Americans what he has discovered about what he claims is a fraudulent birth certificate released in desperation to hush widespread public concern about Obama's constitutional qualifications for office.

7 Monumental Problems With The Latest Birth Certificate



For those who have visited LUF from the very beginning back in August 2008, this is nothing terribly new or shocking to you. We've known the truth all along. We've known these days were coming. The jury's still out though in regards to the end game here.

Meanwhile, WorldNetDaily continued their yeoman's work on the subject when they recently published the following piece...

'Criminal' Obama Secret Gets No Media Attention
'Hawaiian' President Has Mysterious Connecticut Social Security Number

If former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had a Social Security Number issued to her in Hawaii – a state she never lived in – would that raise suspicions among those in the national news media?

Well, the situation is similar with President Barack Obama, who holds a Connecticut-based Social Security Number, despite allegedly being born in Hawaii, starting his work career in the Aloha State, and never having lived in Connecticut.

Yet the national news media is virtually silent on this potentially criminal fact.

When Fox News finally attempted to explain it, it broadcast false information and then scrubbed it from its website.

When WND asked the White House about it, then–Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged the question.

Obama's mysterious and suspicious Connecticut Social Security Number is a focus of the brand-new No. 1 best-selling book, "Where's the Birth Certificate? The Case that Barack Obama Is Not Eligible to be President," by Jerome Corsi, who digs up information far beyond birth certificates.

For those who never wondered about how Social Security Numbers are generated, the first three digits represent the state of the recipient's mailing address. In other words, if you live or work in Connecticut, for example, the first three digits of your SSN will correspond to the Connecticut code.

The first three digits of Obama's SSN are 042. That code of 042 falls within the range of numbers for Connecticut, which according to the Social Security Administration has been 040 through 049.

"There is obviously a case of fraud going on here," says Ohio licensed private investigator Susan Daniels. "In 15 years of having a private investigator's license in Ohio, I've never seen the Social Security Administration make a mistake of issuing a Connecticut Social Security number to a person who lived in Hawaii. There is no family connection that would appear to explain the anomaly."

Does the Social Security Administration ever re-issue Social Security numbers?

"Never," Daniels told Corsi. "It's against the law for a person to have a re-issued or second Social Security Number issued."

Daniels said she is "staking my reputation on a conclusion that Obama's use of this Social Security Number is fraudulent."

"A person who wants to hide their true identity often picks up the Social Security Number of a deceased person, thinking that nobody would ever look into it," Daniels added. "I think it was sometime in the 1980s that Obama decided to hide who he really is."

There is no indication in the limited background documentation released by the Obama 2008 presidential campaign or by the White House to establish that Obama ever lived in Connecticut.

Nor is there any suggestion in Obama's autobiography, "Dreams from My Father," that he ever had a Connecticut address.

Also, nothing can be found in the public record that indicates Obama visited Connecticut during his high-school years.

Why are news media paying no attention to Obama's Connecticut Social Security Number? It was a rhetorical question, but one I pray you're constantly asking yourself and getting other remaining skeptics to ask themselves. That, in and of itself, is all the proof we need that we're on to something here.

Of course, the left-wing liberal media were up to their same old tricks in regards to this Obama fraudulent SSN issue...

April 15: Taitz Shut Down Over Obama's Social Security Number Fraud



As I always say, we need to use the brain that God gave us and learn how to think critically again because once we've examined all the evidence for ourselves we're left with only one logical conclusion. In other words, don't swallow everything the media feeds you! No, not even everything coming from Fox News, which more and more is earning the moniker "Faux News" lately.

That's because in April of this year -- some 11 months after WorldNetDaily began publicizing Obama's Connecticut-based SSN, and 2 full days before that CNN segment with Orly Taitz we just looked at -- Bill O'Reilly of the Fox News Channel briefly addressed the issue while reading his viewer mail on the air.

Unfortunately for O'Reilly, the so-called "News Anchor" falsely asserted that the President's father lived in Connecticut! In his viewer email segment April 13th, 2011, O'Reilly had this exchange...

Q: "What about Obama having a Connecticut Social Security Number? He never lived there"

O'REILLY: "His father lived in Connecticut for several years...babies sometimes get numbers based on addresses provided by their parents."

In reality, there is no evidence Barack Obama Sr. ever lived in Connecticut. He left Hawaii in 1962 to study at Harvard in Massachusetts and then returned to his home country of Kenya. See what I mean though?

Later, when WorldNetDaily publicized O'Reilly's major error, the information vanished from the Fox News Channel's website, as well as BillOReilly.com, which tells you all you need to know about this story I think. O'Reilly's full explanation of the "truth" of Obama "myths" is here...

April 13: O'Reilly Lying About Obama's Social Security Number Fraud

What a joke. It's one thing for the left-leaning liberal media to issue a report like that, but another thing completely when the bastion of "right-wing conservative" media issues a similar report (in the "No Spin Zone" no less!).

See, this is what I mean whenever I say that Democrats-Republicans, Liberals-Conservatives, Left-Right -- they're just two sinister sides to the same corrupt coin these days.

Did you see that smug smirk on O'Reilly's face the entire segment too? Sickening. How people in journalism can have a blatant disregard for the truth I'll never know. Wait, I take that back. Sin is what makes it possible.

Thankfully, Corsi has been a yeoman himself making the rounds and giving interviews to anyone and everyone who will listen. Listen now to what Obama and his crew are trying to hide (or keep under wraps until the opportune time)...

Corsi Will File Criminal Charges Against White House



That 17-minute sound byte you just heard does an EXCELLENT job of summarizing this whole sordid affair if you're looking for a brief snapshot of all things related to the "Birther Movement" from 2008 to the present day.

The plot thickens! As remarkable as everything presented to this point is, it pales in comparison to this witness testimony from a Debt Collector and what he discovered while performing the usual "Skip Tracing" procedure one night (and I thought my little discovery at work was big! haha).

According to this next sound byte, President Obama's SSN is tied to a man by the name of Harrison J. Bounel in the state of Illinois, which means he's connected to two fraudulent Social Security Numbers (one in CT and one in IL) -- if not more -- as this man's testimony alludes to.

Obama's Social Security Number Tied To An Alias Harrison J. Bounel



All in all, I'd say that things are going EXACTLY according to plan. The "kings of the earth" think they're so smart and that they have us right where they want us. Funny, but pride has a way of doing that to people by blinding them to the truth of the matter. Just ask Lucifer. The Lord will have the last laugh.

No, the Lord is sovereign -- not man -- and He is in complete and total control of the situation. I just think that Satan would be foolish not to let an opportunity like this pass assuming the Lord allows him to carry out this plot upon an unsuspecting American populace (for the most part).

I point that out so that you can remind yourself not to fall for this whole "Us-Vs-Them" paradigm that they want to create. The entire "Brotherhood Of Man" mantra is a veiled deception!

Pray for wisdom and discernment. Pray that God prepares your heart and mind for the cultural, political, religious, and social instability that's coming to this country in the very near future. I have a feeling it will be unlike anything we've ever experienced before.

One final note. You all know I hate playing Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Antichrist even though this is a blog about end times Bible prophecy. You also know that I'm skeptical as to whether or not President Obama is the actual "man of sin" or "son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3) we read about.

However, as mentioned, this is a blog about end times Bible prophecy and so I would like to close with a few thoughts to that end.

All this chaos and corruption is telling, isn't it? Not only that, but I could only shake my head in disbelief when I read this strange story in light of the above preceding content...

President Obama Signs Wrong Date In Westminister Abbey Book

President Obama and the First Lady may have missed the Royal Wedding last month, but they made up for it Tuesday with a morning of pomp and circumstance with the Queen and the Royal Newlyweds in London.

The Obamas were welcomed to Buckingham Palace with an elaborate arrival ceremony, including a 41-gun salute, and a tour of the Queen's private gallery.

Michelle Obama did not repeat her 2009 hug of the Queen - a breach of the protocol that no one is to touch the monarch - but a palace spokesman stressed that the Windsors and the Obamas get on famously.

"Very warm words have been spoken between the royal family and the Obamas," said the spokesman, who by custom is never named. "There is a genuine, genuine - and I really mean this - a genuine warmth between the two families."

The Obamas were to spend Tuesday night in the six-room palace suite last occupied by Prince William and Catherine Middleton - now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - on the first night of their honeymoon.

During a solemn visit to Westminster Abbey later in the day, the President had a senior moment when signing the guest book: he wrote the date as "24 May 2008."

Why did I shake my head in disbelief and just marvel at all of this?

Because both stories involving President Obama reminded me of this infamous prophetic verse from the Book of Daniel (emphasis mine)...

Daniel 7:25 (KJV) And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

I will caution you not to assume that I'm somehow saying that these two stories here today are the actual fulfillment of that verse and that Obama will become the prophesied Antichrist.

To do so would make me guilty of the very thing I'm always trying to speak out against (isolating a single verse out of context and/or using the world to interpret the Word rather than using the Word to interpret the world). Still, you gotta admit that that's pretty uncanny given the context of our study here today.

I wish I had a witty way of ending this piece for you, but I think I'll just let all of this information simmer out there and allow you to soak it all up for prayerful consideration.

Back to our Prophets series later this weekend. Until then, pray for wisdom and discernment.

Keep looking up!

Share|

Read more »

Posted in: America In Prophecy,How Close Are We?,Media,Moral Decline,New World Order,One World Government,Poligion,Political Signs,Spiritual Deception,Truth From The Fringe

Testing Prophets And Their Prophecies

[NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that in one of Harold Camping's books he asserts that the Archangel Michael is Jesus Christ! So, he's taught a false Rapture and a false Jesus, or another Gospel different from the one that's been revealed to us in the holy Scriptures, which I shouldn't have to point out makes him a genuine false prophet. I just wanted to state this up from as it came to light after I wrote this piece. Please keep this in mind as you continue reading. Thank you.]


This is lengthy, but necessary.

I want to be bold in speaking the truth here today, but I also want to tread somewhat lightly because I know that I have been guilty (in the past) of doing what the subject of today's entry has done.

I'm certainly not above rebuke and reproach. Lord, please elevate the truth of Your words over my own. Together, may we reach a consensus about what the Scriptures say.

One of the good things to come from the Harold Camping non-event (besides the fact that it prompted millions of non-believers to hear the Gospel and consider their fate) is that it prompted Christians like me to review what the Bible has to say about prophets and their prophecies.

Jesus warned that false prophets and deceivers would come upon the earth, and that even some of the elect would be deceived by them (Mark 13:22-23).

False prophets have been present in the world in every age, but they are particularly common in times of tumult like our present day and age. We have seen a great outburst of prophetic activity, with all kinds of individuals and cults claiming to have the truth.

In this situation, the church not only needs genuine prophets who speak God’s truth, but must also learn to discern the true from the false. Whenever God releases a particular gift in the world, Satan tries to release a counterfeit of that gift. We can be sure that as God restores the prophetic ministry, Satan will try and raise up false prophets.

Yesterday, I cited a quote by R.C. Sproul that is so appropriate following the weekend we just had...

"The truth of Scripture demolishes speculation."

In another post from this past weekend, I wrote...

It's a shame really how so many people who call themselves "Christians" know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about what the holy Scriptures say about the last days yet they can rattle off Nostradamus-this and Mayan Calendar-that.

The sad reality is that Camping's followers were not mere victims entirely "deceived" and "exploited" because they actually bear some blame. Yes, as cold as it sounds coming from a fellow Christian like me, they bear some of the blame here. Why? Because they did not fulfill their responsibility as Christians to read the holy Scriptures regularly so that they could determine if Camping's claims were true (Acts 17:11).

Contrary to popular opinion, the Bible actually has a lot to say about how we're supposed to go about testing self-proclaimed "prophets" and their "prophecies" to determine if they are truly sent from God.

Surprise, surprise! The holy Scriptures containing a clear methodology for protecting ourselves from deception and error from those wolves in sheep's clothing who would seek to lead us astray for any number of sinful reasons? That's odd.

Look, I hate to sound so unloving here, and I'm not saying that Camping was right to preach this teaching about prophecy because he should've known better (should've been more careful after 1994 came and went). But guess what? Blaming him and only him for the Biblical illiteracy of a MAJORITY of so-called "Christians" (those who non-believers and some misguided Christians feel sorry for because they say they were "exploited") is also wrong, my friend.

Truth is, this non-event exposes the cancer that has been eating away at modern Christianity for decades now: Christians-In-Name-Only. The Bible is CRYSTAL CLEAR with verse after verse about "testing" the words of so-called "prophets", "preachers", and "teachers" to be sure what they say matches what God's Word says. If it doesn't, then we are also told what our proper response should be. People's spiritual laziness and foolishness in putting more faith in a man than in God and His Word is what is the real problem here.

For crying out loud, Acts 17:11 is all Christians need in times like this: "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" (emphasis mine).

Maybe Camping's followers should've put as much energy and effort into actually reading what God's Word has to say rather than blindly trusting this man to the point of doing all they did for him. Again, the Word is absolutely clear.

Deuteronomy 18:22 even says that if what a self-proclaimed "prophet" says doesn't materialize (like Camping's first failed prediction in 1994), then Christians are to reject anything he ever has to say from that point on, and they can know that he is not sent from, or speaking for God.

At the very least, after a failed prophecy they should've been much more careful and discerning before stepping out in blind faith with him. I'm sorry, but it's time Christians started acting like Christians. The best vitamin for a Christian these days? B1.

Earlier, I cited Deuteronomy 18:22 and how it directly relates to Camping and these failed predictions of his. Even so, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 says "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." We also know from Matthew 24:11 "and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" and Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible." That was Jesus Christ Himself talking about the last days. The point is that Harold Camping and his followers, ironically, are a sign of the times themselves!

If Camping is a "false prophet", then rest assured that he will be judged by God accordingly for being a false prophet. Of that, you can be certain.

James 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

However, while so many of us are quick to slap the "false prophet" label on Harold Camping, it should be noted that the one thing that is apparent is that he and his followers do profess faith in Jesus Christ and they constantly urge people to repent over and over and over again as the only way unto salvation and eternal life. That is 100% Biblical.

Around the time that I reflected on that aspect of Camping's ministry, I also received the following comments...

Not sure I agree with labeling Camping a false prophet. There is a verse stating that even if a prophet is wrong it does not condemn the rest of his work. Sorry I could not find it to give it to you here. Weak, I know. Anyway, I think a false prophet is somebody who deliberately leads people away from Christ.
-- Rob

The Bible says, "By grace ye are saved through faith", not by accurately predicting the date of the Rapture and/or Judgment Day.
-- Marshall

Both statements are Biblically accurate. Man is fallible. God and His holy Word is infallible. That being said, I wanted to do a deeper study into this issue of testing prophets and their prophecies.

TESTING PROPHETS AND THEIR PROPHECIES


I believe this is an excellent time for us students of Bible prophecy to study this subject particularly when we have guys like Rob Bell and "Lord Ra-El" sowing deception these days.

Is Harold Camping a false prophet? Let's set him aside for a moment and simply look at false prophets in general and what God says we can do to identify them as such.

First and foremost, I think it's key for us to realize that the Bible never says to test a prophet by prayer, but by his message. This is actually a critical point to this entire study.

The Bible gives a number of tests for discerning true prophets from those who are false. All Christians should become familiar with them.

Deuteronomy 13 warns that a prophet must teach correctly about God. Chapter 18 tells us the prophet's prophecies must come to pass. Yet, that's way too simplistic for our purposes here especially when the goal is to teach what His Word has to say about this important topic.

For instance, did you know that a prophet can be wrong and still be considered a prophet sent by God? The solution is not to reject all prophecy, but to test all prophecy because there are no perfect prophets. Remember Jonah? God might allow His prophets to make mistakes to keep them humble and to prevent the church from becoming too dependent on them.

In any event, here's what we know about "How To Test A Prophet"...

1. Calling
Every true prophet is called by God. The initiative in the making of a prophet always rests with him. It is not a ministry that anyone can take up. A true prophetic ministry always begins with a call from God (Jeremiah 1:4-10; Isaiah 6:1-8). Jeremiah condemned the false prophets because they had not stood in the presence of the Lord to hear his voice. They could not speak his word because they had not heard him speak (Jeremiah 23:18-22). The true prophetic ministry always begins with the call of God.

2. Fulfilled Words
An important statement about testing prophets is made in Deuteronomy 18:22. It is presumptuous to speak in the Lord’s name if he has not spoken. If the word of a prophet is not fulfilled, then he is a false prophet. This test must be used with care. Sometimes a word is not fulfilled, because the people repent or God shows mercy and postpones judgement. The test applies more to positive prophecies. Here I'm thinking of Jonah. Matthew Henry noted, "Prophets often foretold destruction and sometimes the destruction did not come, yet this did not disprove their divine mission, as in the case of Jonah. For God is gracious, and ready to turn away his wrath from those who turn away from their sins. But the prophet who prophesied peace and prosperity absolutely and unconditionally without adding the necessary proviso, that they do not by wilful sin put a bar in their own door and stop the coming of God’s favours, will be proved a true prophet only by the accomplishment of his prediction." The proof that a prophet has been called is the fact that his words are effective and fulfilled. A good example of this was Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19-20). The fact that his words were fulfilled showed that God was with him and was proof of his call. A prophet's calling will be recognised by the church. Samuel did not have to make claims for himself. All Israel recognised his calling, and accepted his ministry. A true prophet will be recognised by other Christians.

3. False Gods
A prophet who encourages people to worship false gods is not a true prophet. Even if he performs signs and wonders he is not to be followed. Such a person is a false prophet. A true prophet will always be faithful to Jesus and zealous for his glory (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). Jesus is the one who inspires and fulfils all prophecy (Revelation 19:10). All prophecy should be centred on Him and only Him.

4. Character
Character is one of the best tests of a prophet. We would be wise to heed Jesus' own words in Matthew 7:15-16, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?". He went on to say that a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. If a person is not living a holy life, then he should not be acknowledged as a prophet at all. A true prophet will be demonstrating the fruit of the spirit.

5. Theology
When John was writing about discerning truth from error, he said that a true spirit will acknowledge that Jesus has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). This is a theological test. A true prophet will have a correct understanding of the truth about Jesus. People who teach strange things about the nature of Jesus are false prophets. As Chip Brogden from The Ministry Of The Watchman beautifully stated, "Prophets do not bring new truth. Revelation is simply a revealing of what is already true and bringing it to bear upon our heart and soul. Revelation is based upon insight into the written Word of God, not into visions and dreams and prophecies. These other things are simply tools for expressing the Word, they are not the Word; no more than the water hose is water, it simply delivers the water." Amen!

6. Discernment
In every fellowship there should be people who have experienced the gift of discernment. They should be able to discern the false prophet from true prophet. In the coming days, God will raise up true prophets, but there will also be many false prophets around. The church must learn to discern the true from the false.

See, this is why even though my heart breaks for any brothers and sisters in Christ who are living in hopelessness today due to the non-event this past Saturday, I can't ignore the fact that our Heavenly Father gives His children instructions on how to protect themselves from such hopelessness born out of deceit and/or error, blatant or not.

Ok, so we've addressed how we can "Test A Prophet", but how do we "Test A Prophet's Prophecies" too? Look no further than Paul, John, and Peter for starters...

-- Paul tells us in Galatians 1:8-9 that even angels can appear with a wrong message. We are to compare the message with the teachings of the apostles. In Acts 17:10-12, when Paul went to Berea to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah to the Jews, we read "these 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. Therefore many of them believed..." Note, Paul did not tell them to go home and pray about it. They were praised for searching the Scriptures, or, in other words, testing the message to see if it agreed with the prophecies of the Messiah.

-- Note that John made an appeal to fact, not feeling, when he declared "that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;...that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us..." (1 John 1:1-3) He continued in the next chapter, verse 21, "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth...let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning...." Chapter 4, verse 1, "beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

-- Peter wrote specifically to warn about false teachers: 2 Peter 1:15-16 "Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty...." In Chapter 2, verse 1, he continues "but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,...and many shall follow their pernicious ways..." Then in Chapter 3 he continues "this second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers..." Notice, he refers them to past teachings and facts, not to feelings or prayer.

If we were to boil things down to the basic guidelines for determining whether or not a prophecy creates legitimate cause for concern rather than rely on the examples cited above, then we would most certainly end up with the following...

The Scriptures Give A Number Of Principles For Testing Prophecies:

1 Corinthians 14:4 - It must build up the body.

2 Timothy 3:16 - It must agree with Scripture.

John 16:13-14 - It must exalt Jesus.

Deuteronomy 18:22 - It must come true.

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 - It must lead to God and obedience to him.

Romans 8:15 - It must produce freedom in hope, and not a spirit of fear.

2 Corinthians 3:6 - It must produce life.

1 John 2:27 - It must be attested to the Holy Spirit in each believer.

All prophecies should glorify and honor Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it is hard to test a prophecy. A word may seem to be okay, but it may take time before it is fulfilled. Some words of encouragement are consistent with scripture and hard to prove wrong. In these situations, testing of prophets may be more helpful.

A majority of the above Bible study on "How To Test A Prophet/How To Test A Prophecy" came from the Kingdom Watcher website, which refreshingly based their entire study on the Word of God. Imagine that.

Christians are instructed to test Pastors, Preachers, Teachers, Prophets and their prophecies by the holy Word of God. The Scriptures were here first, therefore mere men and women must be tested by it, and not the other way around.

To be clear, you can't call yourself a "Christian" if you don't believe what God's Word clearly says. You can't believe what God's Word clearly says unless you know what it says. You can't know what God's Word clearly says unless you read it for yourself. You can't know if what a Prophet is proclaiming is from the Word of God unless you know the Word of God.

And, by the way, there is no "private interpretation" of Scripture as many like to charge us with because 2 Peter clearly tells us the truth...

2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.

Again, the point is that we are to test what others are teaching us by seeing if it matches what we find in the Bible. If it doesn't, then you know what to do. As I've tried to demonstrate, although Camping should've been a little more cautious after 1994, there was no excuse for these people.

They chose to ignore God's Word -- and clear instructions I might add; instructions on how a Christian can protect themselves from being deceived like this.

Had they read God's Word (regularly as Christians are supposed to), then they would've known that nothing was going to happen on Saturday, and they wouldn't be in the position that they're in today.

Yes, Camping bears some responsibility here. Guess what? So do those Christians whose lives didn't resemble that of the genuine Christian life, which is based on reading the Bible regularly (daily) not just as a means of faith-building and worship, but as a means of protecting themselves and their families from spiritual error (or the snares of Satan).

Read your Bible. Test anything and everything you are taught and told is Biblical (like my work here). Pray for wisdom and discernment. Remember, the Bible never says to test a prophet by prayer, but by his message by comparing it to God's Word.

At the end of the day, I must say that I'm changing my stance somewhat. While it is important to test prophecies, we must also have the right attitude. Refusing to accept God’s Word, mocking a prophet, or scoffing at a prophecy can be dangerous.

Yes, a self-proclaimed prophet should expect to be tested by his followers and remain humble particularly when he's wrong. At the same time, we need to remain humble ourselves and respond to such individuals -- even the true false prophets -- Biblically and in a manner that is consistent with the way in which our Lord would have us interact with any other person (whether they are a believer or non-believer).

I pray for the Lord to raise up prophets during these last days that will feed souls, and not destroy them. Rest assured, however, that I will be on guard and ready to respond appropriately to those who do the latter to my dear brethren.

Share|

Read more »

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Great Commission,How Close Are We?,Left Behind,Prophecy Basics,Rapture,Revelatory Revival,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Witnessing