” For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

As I look around today, I see this passage of Scripture so clearly coming to pass. Perhaps there have always been many with itching ears, but I think that it is much worse in these last days. Are these people truly saved? How can they be so deceived? Did they attempt to come to God via the well traveled and very wide gate that God warns us to avoid? How can someone who has the Holy Spirit living within them want their ears to be tickled with heresies?

Where is the discernment?

It makes no sense.

When I was drawn by the Lord in 1983, it was a powerful and supernatural event. I had searched for the truth about God for most of my life. On that unforgettable night, He opened my eyes and my heart, and I remember saying to the person sharing salvation with me, “This is it. It’s so clear to me now!”

I am not saying that we all have to have a dramatic two feet off the floor experience. But I do believe that it should be a memorable time when a person finally realizes that he/she is a wretched sinner – unable to save themselves and that God is HOLY and HE does the saving.

Our Need for the Word of God

Another thing I remember is that I could not get enough of His Word. I would forget to eat food because I was immersed in His Word, and could hardly break away from it. I was told to start with the Gospel of John and I did. Then I went through all four gospels. His Holy Word became the most important thing in my life.

I knew that when I went to church, I should be hearing about sin and repentance. It was ALL about Jesus and Him crucified, and the love that sent Him to that cross. I yearned to hear a preacher open up the Word to me in a deeper way. The couple who had led me to the Lord were charismatic, so I went to my first church with them.

Where Was Preaching About Sin and Repentance?

I was brand new in Christ, but I still knew that the sermons I was hearing were leaving me empty. One Sunday night I saw Charles Stanley preaching on TV, and I considered him a gift from Jesus at that time of my walk with Him. When he preached, he backed everything up with Scripture. He spoke of sin and repenting and growing in Christ. I considered him to be my pastor in those early years.

Wolves in the Pulpit

The heretical pastors with mega churches need itching ears to stay in business. I call it a business because that is what it is. When I see Joel Osteen and his lovely wife (she is pretty) standing up in front of 30,000 fans, telling them that God just wants them to be happy happy, happy -it makes me sad and it makes me sick. WHERE does it say in God’s Word that He just wants us to be happy? But the tithes are paid and the ears tickled and everyone seems satisfied. But my Bible says that we will also have tribulation in this life  (John 16:33).

The Word of Faith preachers love the itching ears. They preach that if their members will give sacrificially, that God will surely pour out financial blessings upon them – two and three fold. So the little old lady who is on Medicare gives Kenneth Copeland her last twenty dollars, and goes without food for a week – but she is still waiting for that magical payment from heaven. It makes me want to SCREAM!

Are these people saved but extremely shallow and immature? Or is it possible that they never were saved in the first place? I can’t make that call, but it distresses me greatly to watch people who name the name of Jesus as their Savior, following after false teachers who preach a different gospel.

I do know that the false teachers will be judged harshly.

James 3:1 clearly states it:

“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

Steven Ben DeNoon

It is shocking to me when I meet Christians who follow this man, Steven Ben Denoon  AKA Steven Ben Nun AKA Steven Nun……there are many other aliases for this man.  He preaches what he calls a “Humane Gospel” and in it he declares to his followers that they are never to eat animals or even fish.  He speaks of the “Gospel of the Holy Twelve.”   He also teaches his followers Hebrew Roots.  This man is a menace to the Word of God and to the Body of Christ!

From gotquestions.org

“Again, God gave humanity permission to eat meat after the flood (Genesis 9:3). In the Old Testament law, the nation of Israel was commanded not to eat certain foods (Leviticus 11:1-47), but there was never a command against eating meat. Jesus declared all foods, including all kinds of meat, to be clean (Mark 7:19). As with anything, each Christian should pray for guidance as to what God would have him/her eat. Whatever we decide to eat is acceptable to God as long as we thank Him for providing it (1 Thessalonians 5:18). “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).”

When I was reading about Steven DeNoon’s  life, he spoke of many people who are against him. He provided his email address and asked that anyone who wants to publish statements questioning his teaching, to please email him first.  I did exactly that. I wrote to him and told him that I am a writer and that I wanted to speak with him about his teachings.  He never responded.

When I speak truth about false teachers to their followers, I am attacked and accused of judging. We will go in circles about this, but it always comes back to being told that I am a judgmental and mean-spirited person. I always show them the Scriptures which clearly condemn the heresies, but they will not look at God’s Word; or if they do look, they take it completely out of context. Sometimes I feel like ignoring these types, but then I remember that the Lord wants us to always speak truth.

If you have repented and trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, but you are following false teachers – PLEASE go the Word of God and compare that which you are being told against the inerrant and perfect Word of God.

Be a Berean:

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 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” (Acts 17:10-11).

I pray that many eyes will be opened to the truth of the Word of God, and that they will see that they are being taught heresies.

WAKE UP!

MARANATHA!

Definition of discernment:

“The quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; an act of perceiving something; a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.” The definition also stresses accuracy, as in “the ability to see the truth.” Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. It is basic to having wisdom.

I’ve heard it said that discernment is the ability to tell the difference between right and almost right.

“That we henceforth be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning and craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).

I’ve been a believer since January of 1983. In 1984 I made a friend in our neighborhood who attended my church, and we would ride together to choir on Wednesday nights.

One of those nights she gave me a bunch of cassettes and told me “You will love this preacher.” I told her that I would give him a listen. The next day I put the first cassette in while I did dishes. The preacher was Kenneth Copeland. I listened to about ten minutes of this man and turned him off.

I was a babe in the Lord and no one told me that Copeland’s teaching was questionable. I just knew that God did not want me listening to that man. He talked about never being sick – NEVER. He said he never even got a cold. Then he made jokes about a man who was feeling blessed because God had allowed him to get a used Chevy that he had wanted. Copeland said, “I told that man that if that was truly from the Lord, he should have asked for a Cadillac – and a brand new one!” He laughed at his own lame joke.

That’s when I turned it off. That’s when I knew that Kenneth Copeland was not someone that my Lord Jesus would want me listening to. I should never get sick? I should be rich because I’m a Christian?

Was this true? Should Christians never be sick? Should we all be rich because we’re children of God? Something didn’t ring true. I had to go to the only place I knew would have the answer, my Bible. I knew that I had a bad feeling as I listened to Copeland, and I knew that God had urged me to turn him off. I wanted to know the truth.

I went to Acts in my Bible. I was sure I’d be able to see how the first Christians lived. I’d find out if they were prosperous and disease free. What I found was what I suspected to be true. The Apostles were jailed, tortured and ultimately killed, except for John. And he had been boiled in oil, yet lived because of the Lord.

Then I went to the Gospel of John to see what Jesus said about our lives as His followers.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Luke wrote:

“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Revelation 21:4 says:

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Suffering, tribulations, bearing our own cross, pain, crying, and death – well, this was a far cry from what I had heard Kenneth Copeland preaching. That was my first experience with discernment from the Lord. It was overwhelming to me to know that my heavenly Father protected me from the heresy I heard when I was a little more than a year old in Him!

I look around today and I am shocked at the lack of discernment in many Christians. How could someone who was drawn by the Holy Spirit and born-again in Him, listen to a motivational speaker like Joel Osteen, and then rave about him as an amazing preacher? Really? Which part of “Your Best Life Now” would not be a big red flag that this man is not preaching the gospel of Christ?

People who know me know that I’ll be honest with them, even if that means they might not like what I am saying. When I hear someone talk about Benny Hinn and how much they enjoyed his crusade and how many people were healed, I tell them the truth about him. I tell them that he is a fraud, that he talks to the dead, that he believes we are little gods, and that he says that God takes over his mind at times before he preaches, and doesn’t remember one word he has said. Our God is a God of order – not confusion. We know who is the author of confusion!

Should preachers live like kings in mansions? The only mansions I have read about in the Word are the ones Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. Christians have no problem seeing their favorite “preacher” living in a $10 million dollar estate. I am not saying that a pastor of a large church should live like a pauper. I am saying that a pastor who is living large is not the kind of shepherd I would ever want to be my pastor.

1 Timothy 6:10 says:

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Christian bookstores can be a nightmare for someone who lacks discernment. These stores are in business for the same reason anyone goes into business—to make money. One would hope that if one of these stores is owned by a blood bought, born-again Christian, that they would have a conviction about what is sold in their establishment. I have yet to find one like that.

I remember when The Shack came out. I was in a Christian bookstore and picked up the book and scanned through it. I had the urge to hurl it across the store! I resisted that thought and put it down hard. The clerk gave me a strange look. I walked over and asked if she had read The Shack. The girl said. “Oh yes, it’s great, isn’t it?” OY. God give me patience.

If you have not read The Shack, you are blessed. If you, because of my article, decide to look for it, I do hope that you will see it as garbage. I’m sorry, but I tell the truth about these things. I think more people need to be vocal. If you have discernment from God and you see a brother or sister lacking in discernment, help them!

I have discerned that the “prosperity” preachers are frauds. I have discerned that “name it and claim it” is not Scriptural. I have discerned that we will never be little gods. All of these teachings could be easily detected as heresy by simply looking in the Word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

People with itchy ears like to hear what makes them feel good. The Bible is not a smorgasbord; pick what you like and leave the rest. The Bible is God’s Word to us. Everything we need to know about Him and about life is found within its pages. How amazing is that? The Creator of the universe is our Father and wants us to know what is good for us and what is not.

Acts 17:11 is one of my favorite Scriptures. It says:

“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.”

Did you see that? Even after they heard preaching, they went to the Scriptures to make sure they had heard the truth. I’m sure you’ve heard, “Be a Berean” We should all be like the Berean church.

Perhaps you have placed yourself under false teaching, and have not repented and trusted Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sin. There are many preachers who love to tickle itchy ears. Does your preacher speak about sin, and how it separates us from God? Does he preach repentance – agreeing with God that you are a sinner, and to turn away from it?

If he does not, then you are playing church. You sign up to help for every event. You may even teach Sunday School. You are a helper at every Vacation Bible School and of course you are on the clean-up team. These are all good things! But if you think that doing these good deeds will get you into heaven, you have missed the gospel of Christ. How many good deeds is enough to gain entry into heaven when you die? Have you never seen this Scripture?

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The Bible says that God is sending “strong delusion” in these end times. The Bible makes it very clear why God is sending this delusion.

“They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

So if you think you lack discernment, could it be that you have neglected the reading of God’s Word? Perhaps after you study His Word, you will begin to apply what you’ve learned to your life. You may see that the preachers you have been relying on to impart wisdom from God’s Word have actually been preaching a different gospel. That’s a scary thought, but isn’t it more scary to continue listening to empty and deceitful words?

Get right with God! He sent Jesus to die for you so that you could be reconciled to Him.

Many hymns are like mini-sermons. Look at the words you sing , “Jesus Paid it All”:

“I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”

Trust Jesus for your salvation. Then pray for discernment as you read His Word.

HOW CAN I BE SAVED?

Marantha!

This will be the 5th time I have brought this article back out in six years. I continue to be alarmed at the lack of discernment within the body of Christ.

Why would any of us feel that the Holy Word of God is not enough? God left us His Word – inspired by the Holy Spirit, yet some of us chase after extra Biblical nonsense. I’m sorry if that offends but I feel that I must; if offending will bring some of the brethren back to the truth.

 ^“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables”  (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Originally written in 2015:

We have been searching for a Bible based church. For a long time, my husband and I have been worshiping from home; watching pastors and preachers whom we have come to trust and love via Youtube. We do miss fellowship and we are aware that God wants us to be in fellowship with other believers.

For the last two Sundays we visited a Baptist church. This church ordains women as pastors. The head pastor is a man. We do not believe that the Word of God supports women being pastors. Knowing that we will probably not find a church where we agree on every point, we know that some things are essential, while others are non-essential to salvation. I have often spoken of the slippery slope in many of my articles that leadership finds itself on when they stray from the Word. It is inevitable. A baby was being dedicated on the first Sunday we visited the new church. A book was presented to the parents of the baby. The name of the book was Jesus Calling. I had read about this book, and knew that it was very controversial, but I had no idea how wrong this book was for any Christian to be reading. I know that this article is going to upset many people who have come to love Jesus Calling. My job as a writer is to speak truth. I have no control over the readers’ reaction, but I must speak truth; and hopefully I will reach some Christians with the truth. I pray that this piece will help many to see that Jesus Calling is not a book that Jesus would have them read. Jesus Calling is a New Age mystical book which Christians should completely avoid.

SOLA SCRIPTURA From gotquestions.org

Question: “What is sola scriptura?” Answer: The phrase sola scriptura is from the Latin: sola having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word scriptura meaning “writings”—referring to the Scriptures. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). It says in Timothy 3:16, that all Scripture is God-breathed. Just as He breathed life into Adam, He breathed the Words of the Bible – penned by men, but under His inspiration. It is so vitally important for the believer to read God’s Word. It is food for the soul. God speaks to us through His Word. Have you ever read a verse of Scripture that you have read many times before, but suddenly the words just jumped off the page and into your heart? God was speaking to you through His Word, and helping you with whatever you were going through at that particular time. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12)

JESUS CALLING

The author of this book, Sarah Young, modeled her book after God Calling, a book written in the early 1930s. This book was written by two “listeners” who said that they would come into the presence of God and begin to write what they thought He was saying. It is a New Age practice called automatic writing. The New Age followers believe that they are channeling spirits who impart knowledge to them. We know that these so-called spirits are demons. Isn’t it just like Satan to deceive the children of God? In Jesus Calling, Sarah Young also claims that she came into God’s presence and listened and then wrote what she felt He was saying to her. She writes as if Jesus Himself is speaking. Doesn’t it make you wonder who was saying the things for Miss Young to write? I have skimmed through many of the writings in this book, and on the surface they seem innocuous. But I have wondered why so many millions of Christians would resort to reading this book, when we have the Word of God. Why do they need more? Who is whispering to them that they need more? I see that Sarah Young now has a book out for children, and even a Jesus Calling bible! This alarms me, and makes me wonder why so many Christians lack discernment. It is obvious to me that Satan is confusing and deceiving God’s children. But if these same people would read the Word of God, they would see that everything they need to know is right there in His Word! Harper Collins publishes “Jesus Calling” books. Harper Collins also publishes the Satanic Bible. Coincidence? I think not. Back to the church that my husband and I visited; we had the pastor come to our home to speak with us about some of our concerns. I had already told him about being alarmed that the church would present Jesus Calling to the parents of a baby being dedicated. When we began to speak with him about this, he shut us down by saying that his wife loves Jesus Calling and that all of these books bring her peace. So, the book is okay because his wife loves it? I was speechless. I began to connect the dots. I thought to myself that this pastor believes that it is okay to ordain women as pastors, and he was influenced by his wife about the spiritual legitimacy of Jesus Calling. My mind traveled back to the Scriptures about the Garden of Eden. It was Eve who was deceived by Satan. Adam sinned willfully. I believe that he did this because of his love for Eve. He put her above God. If this pastor believed the Word of God, and studied it as any pastor should, he would have seen the error of his ways. God would have spoken to him through His Word. But instead he did what he thought was right. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

WARREN SMITH ON JESUS CALLING

Warren Smith wrote a book entitled “Another Jesus Calling.”  In this insightful book, Mr. Smith asks the question “Is this really our Savior speaking?” I would encourage any readers of this article, who are defensive about Sarah Young’s book, to purchase “Another Jesus Calling.” Warren Smith believes (as I do) that this is just part of the Emerging Church movement, where contemplative prayer and eastern mediation is encouraged. Please pass this article on to anyone you know who is reading Jesus Calling. I pray that the Lord will bring many away from this counterfeit book and back into His book – the Bible.

How Can I Be Saved?

Shalom B’Yeshua

MARANATHA!

“He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:37-43)

Have you heard that there is a new version of our Bible? But this version is unlike any prior version of God’s Word. This version blatantly changes God’s Word. Any mention of Israel – gone. Any mention of Jesus being a Jew – gone.

The movement which has brought the world a NEW bible is called Palestinian Liberation Theology. At its heart is hatred for the Jewish people and for Israel. Of course, keeping in line with this hatred, the leaders of this satanic movement have changed Jesus (Yeshua) from being Jewish to being a Palestinian Arab!

The Jewishness of Jesus is clearly documented in the Word of God – His Jewish lineage is recorded in the books of Matthew and Luke. But remember, the leaders and teachers of the PLT are reading from a new source – their own bible, hence they have made for themselves a new Jesus.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD” (Zechariah 2:10).

“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

Who is Naim Ateek?

An Arab Palestinian Anglican priest is at the forefront of this very evil and satanic movement. I wonder, does he really believe this nonsense, or is it his desperation to bring the Palestinian people into the spotlight, while cursing Israel as the little Satan? Maybe a little of both, but he is definitely a casualty to the Strong Delusion spoken of in God’s Word.

“However, something new does crop up when someone like the Reverend Dr. Naim Stifan Ateek attempts to revise history. Dr. Ateek is an Arab Palestinian Anglican priest and the founder of Sabeel International Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. He has rewritten the whole story book in the same manner that Catholic, Anglican and Reformed theologies have claimed that the Christian Church is “The New Israel” also called “The Israel of God.” Rewriting history and inventing theology is a popular vocation. Revisionist historians take liberties with facts until they cease to have meaning. Prime examples are the Holocaust denial polemics or current trends to rewrite American history texts.

Ateek has an axe to grind; he needs to advance his Palestinian agenda by displacing Israel. In an effort to push his version of Christian dogma, he rewrites the Bible and fabricates a formidable sounding contemporary social justice ideology. His personal fish story is born fully formed from the caverns of his own vivid imagination. If it weren’t so dangerous, it would be ludicrous.” [1]-source

Another name for this movement is Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology.

“Sabeel (Arabic ‘the way’ and also ‘a channel’ or ‘spring’) Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center is a Christian liberation theology organization based in Jerusalem. It was founded by Palestinian Anglican priest, Rev. Naim Ateek, the former Canon of St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem.

An official partner of the Presbyterian Church USA, Sabeel has Friends of Sabeel chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia.” [2]-source

Should it really surprise us that the Presbyterian Church USA is a partner in this? I’m not surprised at all. The other mainline churches that have jumped on this heretical bandwagon are: Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran and even some Evangelical churches in the U.S. have followed suit.

Brethren, these things are so incredibly evil. But as followers of Yeshua, we should be rejoicing! YES, REJOICE!

God’s Prophetic Word is being fulfilled at breakneck speed! That means that we are close to His Glorious appearing, to take us away from this horrid place! Hallelujah!!

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

MARANATHA!

Shalom b’Yeshua

You will see much hatred here. It is better that we know!

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology : http://www.sabeel.org/