LaVrai – The Truth

“The prayer of a pilgrim soul in the world can help another soul that continues purifying itself after death.”GOD have mercy on us. There are just so many lies the Devil has the world believing and this is perhaps one of the most damaging — that those who die in their sins still have a chance of making it into heaven…if those of us who are living pray for them hard enough. This is nonsense. Where in the Holy Bible do we find any such thing? When did Christ Jesus instruct HIS disciples to pray for the dead (and I’m not talking about praying GOD ALMIGHTY to restore life)?

Excerpt:

On Sunday, November 2, the Pope devoted his audience to the traditional observance of the feast of All Souls, saying that it is important for Christians to face the reality of death, and of our relationship with the dead, and to avoid “being confused with mythologies of various kinds.” [The irony is just too much] Citing St. Augustine, the Pontiff said that all mankind is searching for complete happiness, without knowing exactly what it is like. “It is a universal hope, shared by people of all times and places,” he said. “The expression ‘eternal life’ is an attempt to give a name to this unquenchable hope: not an endless succession, but an immersion in the ocean of infinite love, where time, before and after, exist no more.”

Our “unquenchable hope,” the Pope continued, is founded on Christ, and comes through union with Him. Christians seek that union during this life, and if they are only partially successful, they may complete the search in purgatory. Because our hope is the same, we share their quest and can help them toward their goal. Pope Benedict said: “The prayer of a pilgrim soul in the world can help another soul that continues purifying itself after death. This is why today the Church invites us to pray for our deceased loved ones and to spend time at their tombs in cemeteries.” (Source)

I am not a fear-monger. I firmly believe we are that generation whom Jesus Christ spoke about to HIS disciples that would see HIS glorious return to earth. I firmly believe that the United States of America (and all nations) are currently undergoing GOD ALMIGHTY’s judgment. But before the full cup of HIS judgment is poured out, before the nations are fully humbled, the arrogant Anti-Christ (whomever he is) and his oppressive, demonic government must come into play and seemingly rule for a while — thus says the Word of the LORD.

After seeing this bit of news today (coupled with the downward spiral the world markets have been taking), I am even now more convinced that what is happening economically is going to be used to totally re-write the world markets, if you will. Things will never be the same again. Imagine what kind of new legislation will come out this economic disaster? Pretty soon we will need a “mark” of approval to buy a house, buy a car, get a loan — to do any kind of business. In the Word of the LORD it is promised to us — today it looks like the foundations for that system is being plotted and carried out by people who think no one sees or hears what they are doing. They forget that the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY is the author of it all.

Excerpt from Reuters:

Italy’s Prime Minister said on Friday there is talk of suspending markets for a temporary period while the global financial crisis is sorted out, but there is nothing concrete in this idea yet.

Asked what European Union leaders might discuss if they meet in Paris this Sunday, Silvio Berlusconi told a news conference: “There is talk of suspending markets for the time needed to rewrite (international finance) rules.”

Revelation 13:16He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

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Starter Kit, anyone?

Images from Verichip Corp.

UPDATE (10/11/2008):

“In an interconnected world, no nation will gain by driving down the fortunes of another. We are in this together. We will come through it together,” Bush said. “There have been moments of crisis in the past when powerful nations turned their energies against each other or sought to wall themselves off from the world. This time is different.”

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Bush’s commitment to collaborative action was repeated and agreed to by every official and minister who took part in a private White House meeting before the statement. Participating in that session with the president were top officials from the Group of Seven powers – the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada – as well as from the European Union, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Bush did not mention any specific action that prompted his call. But Ireland recently moved to guarantee all bank deposits, triggering similar actions in Germany and other countries concerned that nervous depositors would move their bank accounts to Ireland.

The president barely referenced a significant new step from his administration – partial nationalization of some banks. After days of speculation this move was coming, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced late Friday night that the government would buy part ownership in an array of American banks. (Source)

Praise the LORD! HE is ever faithful and truly has never left the children as orphans — HE speaks to us daily! Today, after I came across another blog post on an issue similar to this, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY shared a passage of the Holy Scriptures with me and the Holy Spirit has shown me a very valuable lesson and warning that every child of the LIVING GOD needs to be mindful of — that we must never stray from the LORD’s word and remember that HE is superior to any man, woman, prophet, pastor, evangelist or angel. If anyone contradicts the LORD’s word (human or angel), he/she is a liar and/or has been mislead.

Our passage is found in 1 Kings 13 and it concerns the sinful King Jeroboam, who, after having been placed in power over 10 of the tribes of Israel by GOD, created a religion, ordained priests and imposed new festivals…as if GOD had not already established Israel’s “religion,” priesthood and festivals.

We know how much the LORD hates idolatry and apostasy — but also of how HIS mercies endure. The LORD our GOD sends a prophet to warn Jeroboam about his sinful ways by proclaiming a word from the LORD:

1And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”

8 But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 9 For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.

Notice that “the word of the LORD” is mentioned four times in this excerpt alone (it is mentioned a total of 7 times in the whole chapter). It is made clear to us that truly this is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY’s word given to the prophet to speak — and the LORD even establishes a sign and carries it out before the eyes of many. Truly the LORD has spoken. So the prophet spurns the sinful king’s request to dine with him, knowing full well what the LORD has spoken to him — to not dine with anyone in that city and to not even leave the city in the same path he entered it.

But then, something curious happens, and the prophet does what many of us do all the time, to our own hurt — he totally tosses discernment to the curb and takes someone else’s words over the LORD’s words.

11 Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.

13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, 14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”

15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’”

18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.) 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

Now, we truly have to question — if the text didn’t specifically say “(He was lying to him),” would we have known that this false prophet was lying? (if you speak against the LORD, claiming you have received a word from one of HIS angels when you haven’t, you’re a false prophet; but the text calls him a prophet, so at one time, he must have truly walked with the LORD)  — YES! For he totally contradicts the LORD’s word by saying an angel had told him he could dine with him. Even if he had claimed to had heard it from Jesus Christ HIMSELF, alarm bells should have been blaring in this true prophet’s head — for we know that the LORD does not lie and is not capricious like man, as written in Numbers 23:19. And we really have to ask — since when is an angel’s word superior to the LORD’s word? Angels are in service to the LORD, they do not contradict HIM — unless they are demonic/fallen angels or lying/evil spirits (and these have no place in Christ Jesus’ Kingdom). People have made many a claim about receiving a word from an angel, but we can’t take any so-called angel’s word at face value — “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (2Cr 11:14).”

We also have Paul’s instruction (given by the Holy Spirit) which warns against trusting in angels or anyone perverting the LORD’s word:

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

As the LORD says through Paul, if a man of GOD or even a so-called angel from heaven contradicts the LORD’s word — he is not a faithful servant of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Now, back to the prophet who decided to throw discernment to the curb and dine with this false prophet. While they are in the false prophet’s house eating at his table, the LORD our GOD gives the false prophet a true word (which we know is true because it is fulfilled), proclaiming that the other prophet would face judgment for his disobedience — that his corpse would not come to the tomb of his fathers, which I take to mean that this prophet would die and his body won’t even be returned from wherever he came, amongst his people.

Sure enough, the prophet gets on his way after supper and meets his fate:

24 When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. … 26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him.” … 28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey.

Take note, the lion didn’t maul the man, just killed him. The lion didn’t maul the donkey, in fact, the lion stood with the donkey by the disobedient prophet’s corpse. There could be no denying this sign that truly this was an act of GOD. The false prophet mourns for the dead disobedient prophet, whom he calls a brother. He buries him in his own tomb and even instructs his sons to place him alongside this disobedient prophet’s body when he himself dies.

So what do we learn from this passage on the nameless man of GOD who disobeyed the LORD’s Word?

If GOD ALMIGHTY gives us a commandment or a word (that is, what we are instructed in HIS Holy Scriptures), we had better obey HIM. GOD is no respecter of persons — HE judged and punished King David (whom HE dearly loved) by killing the baby David had conceived with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:15-22) through adultery (and covetousness and murder). A prophet, pastor or woman/man of GOD is also in danger of judgment if we go against GOD’s word. Remember, not everyone who says “LORD, LORD” will enter into Christ Jesus’ Kingdom, but only he who does the will of the FATHER (Matthew 7:21-27).

But how do we know if our pastor, a prophet or man/woman of GOD is false or misrepresenting the Holy Scriptures and the Gospel? — By examining the fruit, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 and by testing the spirits, as Paul writes in 1 John 4. But what do we compare the fruit to and what are we to test the spirits against? — The Holy Scriptures of the LIVING GOD. Which means it is imperative that we read, read, read, read, read the Holy Bible (and not just the “pretty parts” and not carelessly or by the flesh).

I say to you again — if any “anointed” man, woman, prophet, pastor, evangelist or angel, no matter how close close they claim to be to the LORD contradicts the Word of the LORD — they are giving you a false word (even if they swear up and down that they have been to Heaven twice and seen Jesus).

But won’t Jesus Christ keep HIS church from delusion and all spiritual harm? — We’re exposed to delusion everyday — straight out lies reported by the media, told by our politicians and leaders and even preached from the pulpit. The LORD Jesus Christ didn’t ask the FATHER to take us out of this world, but to keep us from the evil one (John 17:15). And Christ Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us. HE says that HE will be with us till the very end. HE also said that all authority has been given to HIM by the FATHER, GOD ALMIGHTY. As GOD allowed Satan to test Job, so too, the LORD tests us.

So, yes, one day the LORD may send a false prophet our way (after all, the Anti-Christ and his false prophet will be so convincing that, if possible, even the very elect will be fooled, as Jesus explains in Matthew 24:24). But as Paul noted, the LORD our GOD doesn’t give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). And if HE says HE will never leave us nor forsake us, then HE surely is ready, willing and able to show us how to overcome these trials and temptations. Let us consider the trails and temptations we face today as training to build our patience, faith and endurance for the trials and temptations we will face tomorrow.

And, remember, GOD does not accept excuses — we have been forewarned. We will all be held accountable. Read the Holy Bible, pray, remain faithful and put NO ONE above the LORD’s word as given in the Holy Scriptures.

***

I also feel compelled to point you to this post, similar in warning — it calls for us to discern, discern, discern:

The story of Elisha and the pot

Before I had ever heard of the Lakeland Revival I was reading one day in 2 Kings 4:38-41. It’s the story of Elisha who had a meeting with the prophets. There is famine in the land and they are hungry. Elisha asks his servant to set on the big pot and cook pottage. One of the prophets went to the fields to gather wild herbs and gourds from a wild vine. He cuts them up and throws them in the pot, so nobody knew what he had thrown in the pot. Then they start to eat and suddenly the prophets cry out: “There is death in the pot!” Elisha said: “Bring meal”, and he cast it into the pot. And then the men could eat without harm.

Read the rest…

The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The Rev. Dr. Charles Stanley delivers a very relevant, timely sermon about dealing with false teachers as discussed by the apostle Paul in his epistles. The video is about 30 minutes long (and opens in new window). It is required watching for those in the Body of Christ. [Also read Mr. Stanley's 'Developing Spiritual Discernment']

It shouldn’t be news to many Christians that Oprah Winfrey has embraced another gospel (the one about worship of self)…but it’s news to me that her spokespeople still insist that she’s a Christian. And what’s more, these folks are using that recent PEW study (see the image at the very bottom on left of home page) to justify her still using the term ‘Christian’ to define her faith. 

Here’s the part of the article that just got me: 

A spokesman for Winfrey’s Harpo Productions said the celebrity is a Christian.

“Oprah was raised Baptist and has stated many, many times that she is a Christian and that she believes in only one God,” said the spokesman, who asked not to be named. “She has also said, ‘I’m a free-thinking Christian who believes in my way, but I don’t believe it’s the only way, with 6 billion people on the planet.’”

The spokesman noted Winfrey is hardly alone; 70% of Americans said “many religions can lead to eternal life” in a recent survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. [...So that means those 70% of Americans aren't sorely mistaken and do not know our LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ? --LaVrai]

Part of the evangelicals’ concern stems from Winfrey’s recent embrace of Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth as the first spiritual book she included in her hugely popular book club. In the July issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, she said the book’s advice on “putting the ego in check” had a “profound impact” on her.

“Spirit to me is the essence of who we are,” she said. “That essence doesn’t require any particular belief. It just is.” [But from where does 'spirit' come... doesn't that require some delving into? --LaVrai]

Charisma editor J. Lee Grady said Winfrey’s recent discussions of hypnotism on her show may have prompted more people to question her views.

He has long thought Winfrey did not embrace “an orthodox belief in Jesus Christ,” but he thinks other Christians may just be starting to draw that conclusion, sparked in part by what they learn about her on the Internet.

“There’s definitely an alarm because so many people watch her, that she could lead people into New Age belief or deception,” he said.

Religion writer Marcia Nelson, author of The Gospel According to Oprah, said criticism of Winfrey by conservative Christians dates to 1998 when she included a spiritual emphasis on her TV show.

“Back then she got pretty much lambasted the way she is being lambasted now, for telling us what to believe and telling us the wrong thing to believe in, according to conservative Christians,” said Nelson.

But Nelson, who studied a year of Winfrey’s shows, differs with those who call Winfrey’s spiritual ideas “New Age.” She says Winfrey would be more related to the “New Thought” movement, which is more mainstream, focusing on positive thinking as a spiritual tool rather than crystals, for example. [So same body, slightly altered clothes? -- LaVrai]

“I absolutely regard her as a Christian but … she’s one of those capacious Christians,” Nelson said. (Source)

Further Reading:

‘Why Oprah Left Wright’s Church’

‘Oprah And The New Age’

Must Read: ‘Reinventing Jesus Christ’

Video: Is Oprah Winfrey Leading People To Hell?