TODAY’S DEVOTION (MONDAY 1ST APRIL 2024)
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3
WELCOME TO THE 92ND DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
Glory be to God who has brought us into a new month.
For us at the Cry of the Spirit Ministries, the Resurrection and Life Conference brought us peacefully into the Month. It was a glorious sail, riding on the wings of Amazing truths on Immortality.
It is my prayer that God will perfect that which concerns us this month in Jesus’ precious name. Amen!!
God has a word for us today. However, that word is coming from a previous word published on this platform. The Bible says,
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 NKJV
This scripture was the devotional text the day the word we want to look at was published. That word was a 30-day word on sound doctrine. It is my prayer that we the blessing that we all received that day will be deposited in our lives today. Amen.
SOUND DOCTRINE AND OUR FAITH
The importance of doctrines to the eternal life of a person cannot be over emphasized. They shape the human life and determine people’s destinies. As we will be seeing on this journey, the word doctrine means either teaching or the underlining principle of a person’s life.
Our lives are products of the doctrines we have absorbed either knowingly or unknowingly, and they come from everyone because everyone has their own truth or doctrine that they run their lives with. Once they have an influence over us, we easily absorb it into our lives.
Most of the time, it is not a demon that is responsible for a problem but a doctrine. That is why if you begin to check the doctrines you have been absorbing and make proper decisions about them, your life will begin to radiate the glory of GOD.
Understand that, your life can never be better than the quality of the doctrine you have absorbed into your soul over time. Doctrines have a way of forming the foundation of our lives.
When the doctrines we have absorbed over time are responsible for our spiritual or natural problems, there is no amount of prayer or fasting that can change our situation.
Very few are really aware that doctrines are the greatest influence of destiny. That is why many do not check matters of doctrines before giving their lives to churches, preachers, suitors, friends, business partners, and etc. to influence.
Like I said, the Church is not the only source of doctrines, every human has their own truth or doctrine they live with, either good or bad. And they make others lead their lives with the same. On this journey, we will also find out that doctrines mean lifestyle. People have very good or bad lifestyles that they influence others with.
If you are thinking of marriage, you must understand that the life of that man you want to marry, is already established on a doctrine you need to check because doctrines, like we just stated, don’t only come from pulpits.
The Life of that woman you want to bring into your life is already established on a doctrine that is either good or bad. That business partner or friend is already founded on a doctrine. Whatever it is will influence you either good or bad.
EVIL COMPANY WILL CORRUPT GOOD MANNERS IF THAT COMPANY IS FOUNDED ON A WRONG DOCTRINE.
By definition, the word doctrine means a principle or position in a branch of knowledge or system of belief. In government, it is a statement of fundamental administrative policy especially in international relations. In legal systems, it is a principle of law established through past decisions, like what is called the doctrine of necessity.
In the military, it is a principle or set of strategies. For the layman, it is something that is taught. In religion, it is a belief or set of beliefs held or taught by a religious group or organization.
So, from governments to legal systems, to the military and to religious circles, the word doctrine has shaped decisions, determined and influenced wars, brought nations into perils or glory, made governments strong or weak, and have saved or killed many.
In religious circles, it has led to the destruction of many lives as well as the salvation of others. That was why the Berea Christians in the days of Paul were very wise. They were eager for the word of the LORD, but not gullible like many of us are today.
The Bible says they received the word with readiness, but did not absorb it until they had searched the scriptures daily to find out if what they were hearing was Biblically sound.
In other words, they only absorbed into their lives doctrines that were scripturally based and balance. That was why they led excellent Christian lives. Due to this noble character, they became a beacon or standard of the faith for many generations.
THEIR LIVES TAUGHT US HOW TO TREAT ANY DOCTRINE WE ARE EXPOSED TO; WE ARE TO CHECK THEM WITH THE BIBLE.
The Bible says;
“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Therefore, many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.” Acts 17:10-12 NKJV
If you look at this scripture, the teachings the LORD gave to Paul, were the very teachings they spent their time to check with the scriptures to prove if what he was saying was true. God did not punish them for that. He made them a recommendation instead.
That means God will not get angry if we check a preacher, no matter how accurate or inaccurate he might be.
The great apostle Paul was checked, yet Heaven did not fall. What excites me was how he allowed what he taught to be crossed examined with scriptures by fair-minded people; unlike many spiritual leaders today who will never allow that.
For instance, today a preacher will carry a rod in his hands and say, “Daddy has said this and that….now pray looking at the rod in my hands,” and none will say, “sir, please can you hold on so that we can check, if what your daddy said agrees with the doctrine of Christ, because it looks more like the doctrine of the gods of Egypt.”
THE ROD MOSES LIFTED UP WAS POINTING AT THE RED SEA NOT PEOPLE, AND NONE PRAYED LOOKING AT IT.
We are not to pray looking at rods but at Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
Sadly, most of us preachers are treated as infallibles by most of the people who listen to what we preach, teach, or demonstrate. Our aura influences them to treat us like ancient of days or unquestionable gods.
Those who have fair minds are treated like rebels.
Most of us would prefer having dummies and bewitched minds as members, instead of men and women with minds that are fair enough to check our claims, prophecies, and practices with scriptures.
That is why even when we are falling into sin, preaching lies, practicing divination or witchcraft, no one will be aware. They are usually too ignorant and stupid to be.
We know that bewitched minds will not cross examine our claims with scriptures, they will just believe hook line and sinker, whatever doctrine of light or darkness we peddle.
We forget that there is no preacher in our day that is greater than Paul, who humbled himself before the fair-minded Berea Christians. None is even near the sandal of his greatness both in Heaven and on earth, yet many of us do not want our messages to be cross checked with the scriptures.
We are the ones preaching doctrines of devils like the doctrine of redemption of first born, raising or breaking of altars, and all nonsense, yet we do not want to be cross examined with scriptures.
We do not want to be checked by fair-minded people (not stupid critics but fair-minded people) who are ready to receive us and the doctrines on our lips, but want to first check the word if what we are teaching is sound.
ANOTHER WORD FOR DOCTRINE IS TEACHING OR INSTRUCTIONS.
Today, we have a church system that hates cross checking the teachings and the so-called spirit led instructions of its leaders with the Word. The system is so bewitched that if you try it, you will be cursed and thrown out as an agent of the devil.
Friend, due to lack of checks and balances in the area of doctrines by fair-minded people, so many lives have absorbed things from the kingdom of darkness and made their lives dark.
As we share this, it is important to note that there are entire local churches that are swimming in the belly or ocean of witchcraft, because those who worship there are not fair-minded enough to check the claims of their papas with the Word.
For instance, they will give them olive oil to drink claiming they are sending the Holy Spirit into their bodies to heal them, but they will not check if it is a doctrine of Christ or not.
In the doctrine of Christ, the Holy Spirit is not transmitted into our bodies by drinking olive oil. God says in His word,
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28 NKJV
He did not say I will give you olive oil to drink so that the Holy Spirit will enter into your flesh and heal your body. But if you question these things in places where they are practiced, you will be called all manner of names by those who have been bewitched by the doctrine and labeled an antichrist.
Sadly, that is the devil trying to prevent his works from being exposed. The reason the Bible says we should test all things is to expose the devil using the scriptures, and stop his works among us.
But many do not know this. They see it as an attack on other so-called men of God, or an attack on other preachers or on their papas.
OUR DEVOTIONAL TEST SAYS;
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 NKJV
If you look at this scripture, you will see that we are in dangerous times because our times are the later times Paul wrote about. Though it started few years after his death, ours are the later times of the later times of his prophecy.
He said, in our days many will depart from the faith. He did not say “they will deny the faith,” no! He said they will depart from it!
This is a major work of the devil that will be carried out in our days to make sure that many of us who started with the LORD do not end with the LORD. The prophecy said they will be speaking lies in hypocrisy after giving heed to deceiving spirits.
That explains why most Christians, with preachers leading the pack, have become professional liars.
The Bible says what will pull them away from the faith are the doctrines of devils peddled by deceiving spirits that they will absorb over time; the doctrines of breaking and raising of altars, doctrines of redemption of first born, doctrines of sacrificial giving instead of offering your body as a living sacrifice unto GOD.
The Bible made it clear that these and other doctrines of devils will pull the people away from the ways, will, the holiness, purity, and righteousness of God. The will begin to have a form of godliness without power.
THEY WILL BECOME LOVERS OF PLEASURE MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD.
Sadly, these deceiving spirits will be mostly hosted by famed spiritual fathers, because of the great influence they have over people. Do not forget, Satan will not put a deceiving spirit in someone who is not influencing anyone.
And because the people will be made to believe that their papas or Daddies can never be wrong, they will keep following the deceiving spirits wherever it leads them.
I want to submit to you that the worst position to take under a preacher is to believe that He cannot go wrong. You will not know when you will be swallowed by the hell that is enlarging itself daily walking with such a dangerous belief.
I don’t’ know if my wife can remember this, one day, during a conversation, she looked at me and said, “you cannot be wrong.” I snapped in immediately, saying, “please don’t’ say that!”
Then I said to her, “You do not understand what I go through every weekend before coming up to preach! I can be very wrong, that is why I spend hours with the Word and shiver for days before coming to preach.” She stood there in disbelieve.
As we bring this to a close, I want to submit to you to change your life, change what you listen to or believe. Give heed to sound doctrines not deceiving spirits.
May the LORD give you the accuracy of spirit and fitness you need to be checking the doctrines you hear before absorbing them. May you no longer err in spirit when dealing with matters of doctrines. Amen and Amen!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
“Therefore, thus says the Lord, Who redeemed Abraham [out of Ur and idolatry], concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not then be ashamed; not then shall his face become pale [with fear and disappointment because of his children’s degeneracy].
For when he sees his children [walking in the way of piety and virtue], the work of My hands in his midst, they will revere My name; they will revere the Holy One of Jacob and reverently fear the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur [discontentedly] will accept instruction.” Isaiah 29: 22-24 AMPC