A person's faith is only as good as the object in which that faith is placed.
David Jeremiah gave this illustration/question to show the premise of misplaced faith:
"Would it be better if a man who is ice fishing out in the middle of a large, deep lake has a little bit of faith in ice that is 4 inches thick...or if that man has a lot of faith in ice that is only 2 inches thick?"
Wisdom realizes that faith must be directed with knowledge and truth...having the proper Biblical support.
Having a LOT of faith in the wrong situation...directed towards the wrong object...can be harmful. Our faith MUST be directed toward something sure and true, sturdy and strong, eternal and divine: our faith must be in CHRIST JESUS.
In this same way we MUST place our faith in the tried and true teachings and doctrines of God's Word. Many in the Church today are strong in faith...yet their faith has been placed in erroneous doctrines and teachings.
The amount of faith and energy being directed toward...
television ministries, financial prosperity, personal comfort, political correctness, appearance and stage presence, performance, religious conferences and "holy ghost" impartations, hype, self-help, being nonconfrontational (regarding "offending" anyone during a sermon, etc.), happiness, and earthly pleasures...
David Jeremiah gave this illustration/question to show the premise of misplaced faith:
"Would it be better if a man who is ice fishing out in the middle of a large, deep lake has a little bit of faith in ice that is 4 inches thick...or if that man has a lot of faith in ice that is only 2 inches thick?"
Wisdom realizes that faith must be directed with knowledge and truth...having the proper Biblical support.
Having a LOT of faith in the wrong situation...directed towards the wrong object...can be harmful. Our faith MUST be directed toward something sure and true, sturdy and strong, eternal and divine: our faith must be in CHRIST JESUS.
In this same way we MUST place our faith in the tried and true teachings and doctrines of God's Word. Many in the Church today are strong in faith...yet their faith has been placed in erroneous doctrines and teachings.
The amount of faith and energy being directed toward...
television ministries, financial prosperity, personal comfort, political correctness, appearance and stage presence, performance, religious conferences and "holy ghost" impartations, hype, self-help, being nonconfrontational (regarding "offending" anyone during a sermon, etc.), happiness, and earthly pleasures...
...is nothing more than MISPLACED FAITH.
God has a purpose and a plan for Christians and His Church. That purpose is to deny ourselves...and to take up our cross and follow Jesus! Yet, the faith we need to accomplish this task is being sidetracked under the guise of "spirituality" and "new seasons" and "anointed conferences". The Church has become SO BUSY within itself that it has lost the reality of its purpose and calling.
And, just as in the example above, misplaced faith can place the Church on THIN ICE! Standing on false doctrine and supporting false teachers is opening the doors wide, allowing the infiltration of Satan to seduce and to deceive the flock!
Keep in mind: We can move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed...but that faith must ONLY be in Jesus. And in every Biblical example, that faith must be in accordance with THE WILL OF GOD! Mountains serve a purpose...in the world and in our lives. Every mountain does not need to be MOVED!
In the same way...Jesus promises us an eternity with Him. That eternity is a "forever" filled with every good thing we could ever imagine! We will want nothing! We will lack nothing! Our fulfillment will be in the One Who gave us that wonderful gift...JESUS CHRIST! No one....NOBODY...not ONE PERSON who lives...actually NEEDS all the blessings of eternity given to them here on this earth! That is nothing more than HUMAN DESIRE speaking within us when we seek our eternal inheritance here on earth!
Remember: The Prodigal Son's spiral downward began with his desire and demand for his inheritance to be given to him NOW! (Luke 15:11-32)
The Church has become the modern-day "Prodigal"....and the "Prodigal Church" is seeking its inheritance NOW! And...only through repentance and by returning to the FATHER'S HOUSE can the Church hope to avoid eating with the swine in the pig pen of Satan!
God is calling His Church...calling His Church to "RETURN HOME". The Church left the Father's House, going out to seek its own way...seeking pleasure and prestige and riches. Deceived, many churches now sit in pig pens...while falsely believing they dwell in the palace of God's Presence. They feed on SPIRITUAL SLOP while under the illusion that they feast on SUPERNATURAL STEAK.
The deceptions are many...and Satan now sits in HIGH PLACES!
I end with this true account:
At one of the churches at which I served, we watched a documentary video (the name of which I cannot recall - I am in the process of trying to find the information so I can give a link to the video) which dealt with the issue of Satan’s infiltration of the Church (any and all churches which are labeled/denoted as “Christian”). In this video, there were interviews with present and former witches, warlocks and Satanists. The basis of this video was to expose the fact that Satan LONG AGO set out on an organized campaign to infiltrate the Church…and, that infiltration has been VERY successful. The revelations in this video were the following:
1. Covens and other Satanic organizations are VERY organized…and they exist in every area of the country, with territories denoted and outlined .
2. These organizations have methodically met, planned, and instituted the plans to infiltrate the Church.
3. Witches, warlocks and Satanists were “dispatched” to specific churches…with the directive to become a part of the Church in every form and fashion possible.
4. Witches, warlocks and Satanists had been and WERE PRESENTLY a part of every ministry within local churches, with many serving as teachers, elders, deacons, worship leaders and even pastors!
5. The purpose of the infiltration was…and IS…to plant the seeds of false doctrine and heresy within the body of the Church.
6. Satan IS present in Church!
Will the Church come to its senses and admit these realities? And, in doing so, will the Church fall on its face before God…seeking the Lord, admitting its wrong, repenting of its sin and selfish focus, returning to the ways of Truth, desiring WISDOM above WEALTH, discerning and following the truth instead of the ways of men?
We…the Church…exist to REACH THE LOST in accordance with the Word of God. We must carry the TRUTH to the world…yet, we have let Satan DISTORT and PERVERT truth within our midst. Without TRUTH…people cannot be set free!
Our FAITH must lead us to TRUTH again! If that does not happen…our position is on THIN ICE!
God bless!
Ron
God has a purpose and a plan for Christians and His Church. That purpose is to deny ourselves...and to take up our cross and follow Jesus! Yet, the faith we need to accomplish this task is being sidetracked under the guise of "spirituality" and "new seasons" and "anointed conferences". The Church has become SO BUSY within itself that it has lost the reality of its purpose and calling.
And, just as in the example above, misplaced faith can place the Church on THIN ICE! Standing on false doctrine and supporting false teachers is opening the doors wide, allowing the infiltration of Satan to seduce and to deceive the flock!
Keep in mind: We can move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed...but that faith must ONLY be in Jesus. And in every Biblical example, that faith must be in accordance with THE WILL OF GOD! Mountains serve a purpose...in the world and in our lives. Every mountain does not need to be MOVED!
In the same way...Jesus promises us an eternity with Him. That eternity is a "forever" filled with every good thing we could ever imagine! We will want nothing! We will lack nothing! Our fulfillment will be in the One Who gave us that wonderful gift...JESUS CHRIST! No one....NOBODY...not ONE PERSON who lives...actually NEEDS all the blessings of eternity given to them here on this earth! That is nothing more than HUMAN DESIRE speaking within us when we seek our eternal inheritance here on earth!
Remember: The Prodigal Son's spiral downward began with his desire and demand for his inheritance to be given to him NOW! (Luke 15:11-32)
The Church has become the modern-day "Prodigal"....and the "Prodigal Church" is seeking its inheritance NOW! And...only through repentance and by returning to the FATHER'S HOUSE can the Church hope to avoid eating with the swine in the pig pen of Satan!
God is calling His Church...calling His Church to "RETURN HOME". The Church left the Father's House, going out to seek its own way...seeking pleasure and prestige and riches. Deceived, many churches now sit in pig pens...while falsely believing they dwell in the palace of God's Presence. They feed on SPIRITUAL SLOP while under the illusion that they feast on SUPERNATURAL STEAK.
The deceptions are many...and Satan now sits in HIGH PLACES!
I end with this true account:
At one of the churches at which I served, we watched a documentary video (the name of which I cannot recall - I am in the process of trying to find the information so I can give a link to the video) which dealt with the issue of Satan’s infiltration of the Church (any and all churches which are labeled/denoted as “Christian”). In this video, there were interviews with present and former witches, warlocks and Satanists. The basis of this video was to expose the fact that Satan LONG AGO set out on an organized campaign to infiltrate the Church…and, that infiltration has been VERY successful. The revelations in this video were the following:
1. Covens and other Satanic organizations are VERY organized…and they exist in every area of the country, with territories denoted and outlined .
2. These organizations have methodically met, planned, and instituted the plans to infiltrate the Church.
3. Witches, warlocks and Satanists were “dispatched” to specific churches…with the directive to become a part of the Church in every form and fashion possible.
4. Witches, warlocks and Satanists had been and WERE PRESENTLY a part of every ministry within local churches, with many serving as teachers, elders, deacons, worship leaders and even pastors!
5. The purpose of the infiltration was…and IS…to plant the seeds of false doctrine and heresy within the body of the Church.
6. Satan IS present in Church!
Will the Church come to its senses and admit these realities? And, in doing so, will the Church fall on its face before God…seeking the Lord, admitting its wrong, repenting of its sin and selfish focus, returning to the ways of Truth, desiring WISDOM above WEALTH, discerning and following the truth instead of the ways of men?
We…the Church…exist to REACH THE LOST in accordance with the Word of God. We must carry the TRUTH to the world…yet, we have let Satan DISTORT and PERVERT truth within our midst. Without TRUTH…people cannot be set free!
Our FAITH must lead us to TRUTH again! If that does not happen…our position is on THIN ICE!
God bless!
Ron
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