Leadership: Twisted Truth
Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds… No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.” For thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I, I Myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.”
Ezekiel 34:9-11 (ESV)
There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…
2 Peter 2:1 (NKJV)
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:6-7 (NIV)
Can our perfect Father’s Truth be twisted? Absolutely not! The Spirit of Truth won’t conform to men, nor to an evil mind’s imaginings.
Instead, the Spirit of Truth transforms saints into radiant Images of Christ… through destinies He envisions for us!
Jesus is ‘The Way, the Truth, and the Life’ (John 14:6): the Transformer Who untwists every lie.
'But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same Image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord' (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Nevertheless, the enemy can twist a crown of lies and make it look quite nice. Before we realize it, Satan’s barbs dig into our brains and warp our values.
One point we need to face? The Truth is hard. It’s beautifully and perfectly Hard. If you want proof, read every Blood Red Word of Christ in your handy, dandy Bible!
They’re hard to read and “simmer “in our brains. Perhaps better said, “shimmer” in our brains:) They overwhelm lies and soften our hearts: growing what’s good and severing what’s bad.
'For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart' (Hebrews 4:12).*
If sermons in church are edible treats, serving us God’s most wonderful verses, but ignoring our Captain’s harder Words, then…
We, the sheep, “eat” an edited gospel! At best, we remain sweet baby Christians…BUT KIDS ARE VULNERABLE to Satan!
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
I hope all pastors preach God honestly, rather than schmoozing for personal gain. But one thing’s for sure: No pastor is God.
Trusting sermons or daily devotions to learn what Jesus says isn’t enough! Therefore:
To grow up in Christ as seasoned soldiers,
To shine as His stars in media’s fields,
To lead your fans toward the One True Star...
READ EVERY BIBLE WORD STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP!
'Arise and go to the street called Straight' (Acts 9:11).
'Strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed' (Hebrews 12:12-14).
As actors, models, and talent for Christ, your mission is to set the record straight. (But you have to know the WHOLE record first.)
Leadership: Twisted Truth (Part 3)
* 'The Holy Scriptures are the Word of God. When God sets It home by His Spirit, It convinces powerfully, converts powerfully and comforts powerfully. It makes a soul that has long been proud, to be humble; and a perverse spirit, to be meek and obedient. Sinful habits, that are become, as it were, natural to the soul and rooted deeply in it, are separated and cut off by this Sword. It will discover to men their thoughts and purposes, the vileness of many, the bad principles they are moved by, the sinful ends they act to. The Word will show the sinner all that is in his heart' (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 4:12): http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/4-12.htm
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!