Clouds Without Rain

Last week I started to go through the seven churches of Revelation pointing out continually how they were deceived, and what Jesus Christ said to those churches who had allowed themselves to depart from their original call. I also pointed out ten ways in which the church today has departed from the origins of of the faith. 

Let me remind you of three:

1. Repentance and sin

2. Israel God's Chosen People

3. Biblical prophecy

Some might think I am a broken record on these three, but I find them themes that any ministry has to exhort on continually, because the culture, and misguided Christians will try to focus on lesser issues that do not have the impact of these three. 

Let me explain the title for a moment, because then you will begin to see my point on these three. 

The little book of Jude tells us that there will be deceivers strategically placed in our churches to disrupt the flow of God's Spirit, and the Word of God.  They will never deny the Word, and they will use the Spirit of God to usher in new revelations and interpretations.  They use spiritual terms to their benefit, and twist the meaning to achive their ends. These new ideas, and concepts are not from God, but they sound good enough like they could be from Him.  Look at Jude 4:

4For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. This verse says people who crept in unnoticed, my version says they came in as stealth, same word concept, but I like stealth because it sounds more military, because we are in a spiritual war for the souls of human kind.  They came in to pervert the truth, with a half truth based upon a revelation they say is from God. The example Jude gives us is Balaam and Korah, both leaders or prophets from Israel's past that tried to profit from misguided advice to God's people. These people were also described as dangerous reefs just below the surface.  Unseen danger that lurks just out of sight but can destroy any ship that comes into their waters. Later Jude talks about them as being waterless clouds, that is, clouds that look like rain, but no rain comes from them. Jude also says that in the last days, scoffers will come living out their own evil desires. Now why is all of this important to you? Because your spiritual outlook is critical to countering these trends that have infiltrated the church.  Let's go back to the three themes I mentioned were missing in most churches. Are these three themes missing because the leadership of the church has be spiritually poisoned? Blinded? Duped?  If your church does not preach on repentance from sin, or does not preach on Biblical prophecy, I would run. I would be definately gone if they believe the Church has replaced Israel in the plan of God. If any of this is the case, you are not being feed the proper things to keep you safe from this dangerous age in which we live, spiritually. Don't just look at what your church is doing to succeed, look at what they believe, and what they stand for Biblically.  I have encountered Christians whose pastors are preaching "replacement theology" for example, and when I explain to them the dangers of this thinking, they shrugged it off as no big deal.  Many pulpits are clouds without rain, they sound like they are preaching the right things, only to discover when you read your Bible, and study what it says , you will discover the deception of  some Christian leaders. Listen friend, you must be careful, and don't accept ideas or theology, just because it comes from a national speaker or ministry leader.   Take the Word into your heart, and let the Holy Spirit help you discern the truth in what you are hearing, it will keep you on solid Biblical ground.  Keeping it honest and truthful....K