They Fill You with Vain Hopes

Jeremiah 23:16-18, 22 ESV

 

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, “It shall be well with you”; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, “No disaster shall come upon you.”’

 

“For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord

    to see and to hear his word,

    or who has paid attention to his word and listened?”

 

“But if they had stood in my council,

    then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,

and they would have turned them from their evil way,

    and from the evil of their deeds.”

 

Visions of their Own Minds

 

A man-made gospel created in the minds of human beings, which is based off the true gospel, but which has been altered to appeal to human flesh, is permeating the American church, overall, though not in every individual congregation. It is a flesh-driven gospel that was dreamed up in the minds of people whose goal it was to hide the truth of the true gospel and to replace the true gospel with this fake version that “does not hold water.”

 

This dreamed up gospel is all about sensual love, not the love of God. It is based in human feelings and emotions and not in the word of God. It allows its adherents to fulfill the lusts of their flesh guilt free while claiming Jesus as their Savior and Lord and heaven as their eternal destiny. For it makes no requirements at all for repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ as Lord. And it is completely selfish in nature.

 

It is all about what we think God should do for us but nothing about what he requires of us or what we should do for him. It is all self-focused and not God-focused at all. In fact, many are even teaching against repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ as Lord, calling that works salvation which is to be avoided. And they are presenting God as though he is a doting grandfather in the sky who is just so enamored with us that he can’t get enough of us, even if we are still living in deliberate and habitual sin.

 

These people are liars, deceivers, manipulative and not trustworthy. They fake their Christianity. They are spiritually unclean. They are teaching lies to the people and they are filling their minds with false hopes. They are teaching them a gospel which is unsound in doctrine and which is a blend of many different religions and beliefs and humanistic philosophies and which is not the pure word of God. And much of this comes from the imaginations of human beings who are out to destroy and to replace the true gospel.

 

These people who are lying and deceiving and who are convincing the people to believe and to follow the lies while they hide the truth of the gospel from them are part of Babylon the Harlot who is making all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. She will one day come to an end for she is a dwelling place for demons. And so the Scriptures teach that we must come out of her lest we take part in her sins and punishment, for her sins are heaped high as heaven (Rev 18:1-6). We are to forsake man-made religion and man-made gospels and man-made “churches.”

 

Do Not Listen

 

Many of these liars and deceivers and manipulators are well respected people in the Christian community. And because of that many people are buying into whatever they tell them without question. Just because one of them said it they believe it no matter what it is as long as it sounds good to them and it makes their flesh feel good. These people don’t even have to use Scriptures at all to support what they are saying and people will quote them as though their words are equal with Scripture.

 

But the Scriptures make it quite clear that we are to be people who test everything, including everything we hear or read or think we see, for anything can be faked (photoshopped or altered) these days. And lies and liars abound everywhere. Just because the news tells you it happened doesn’t mean it happened or that it happened the way that they said. Or just because they show you a video it doesn’t mean it wasn’t acted out or edited. And just because someone says “God” it doesn’t mean he is of God.

 

And just because some people say that what they are saying is Scriptural or you assume it is because of who said it, or just because they quote or refer to a Scripture it does not mean that they are teaching the truth of what that Scripture is teaching in context. For many of these liars are telling the people who despise the word of the Lord that it shall be well with them and that nothing bad will happen to them and that God will not judge them for their deliberate and habitual sin against him.

 

And to those who are stubbornly following their own hearts and their own flesh and who are living in deliberate and habitual sin they are saying, “No disaster shall come upon you.” They are telling them that they can continue in their sin deliberately and habitually but if they prayed the prayer to receive Christ or if they confessed Jesus as Lord that they are now saved for eternity and that heaven is guaranteed them, that all their sins are forgiven and so God will not judge them for any of their sin. But that is a lie straight from hell, for the Scriptures say the opposite of that.

 

But, if they had stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear his word, and if they had paid attention to his word and if they had listened, then they would have proclaimed God’s words to the people and not this mumbo jumbo they are making up in their own minds. And if they were teaching the truth of God’s word to the people, they would be turning them from their evil ways (from sin) and from their evil deeds to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his ways and to his commands (New Covenant).

 

So, please stop believing people just because they are people of renown or because they are kin to someone of renown or because they pastor mega churches and they have good reputations. Remember that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and his servants masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness. Just because someone or something looks good on the outside it doesn’t mean they are (or it is) good. Test everyone and everything against the pure word of God IN CONTEXT and obey God.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-10; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-11; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Ac 26:18; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15; 1 Co 1:10-17; Jn 2:13-17; 2 Co 6:14-18; Rev 18:1-5; 1 Jn 4:1]

 

Give Me Jesus

 

Oh, What Gladness!

An Original Work / December 2, 2013

 

Give me Jesus. He’s my Savior.

I’ll walk with Him in His favor.

I’ll abide in His love always;

Follow His ways to the end.

 

Jesus is the Son of God.

He died upon a cruel cross.

He’s forgiven all my failures

By His mercy and His love.

 

Give me Jesus – His compassion,

And His mercy; loving kindness.

Let Him teach me how to love Him,

And to please Him. He’s my friend.

 

Jesus died for all our sin

So we could have eternal life.

He will free you from your bondage

If you trust Him with your life.

 

Give me Jesus. Let me trust Him.

May I listen to His teachings.

May I follow where He leads me

In His service. He’s my Lord.

 

Jesus Christ will come again

To take His bride to be with Him.

Oh, what gladness; free from sadness

When I meet Him in the air.

 

https://vimeo.com/113054381