1 John 4:1-4
Dear friends, do not believe every
spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because
many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can
recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in
the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome
them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the
viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God,
and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does
not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the
spirit of falsehood.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We’ve
all “been there – done that.” I’m talking about computer viruses and
malware…you know, those messages that tell you to “click here” for more
information – or that your computer is compromised. You’ve seen the
messages that look just like they came from your bank…until you realize,
“Oh, wait! I don’t have an account with Bank of America!” Or you’ve
gotten a link from a “friend” that says, “You’ve just gotta see
this!”…and you are sorely tempted to click and see what Friend XYZ has
sent your way!
We cannot believe everything we see and hear -
even when some of it looks pretty good or legitimate. Some of us are
fairly gullible at times (myself included)…in part because we want to
think the best of people – we want to believe that they
are innately “good” and honest. Others are terribly cynical and always
“looking for the bogeyman” at every turn. There is a delicate balance
between the two…and God can help us find it.
Several years ago, I
found myself drawn to the weekly sermons of a televangelist named
Creflo Dollar. I could not stop watching these broadcasts! Pastor Dollar
unpacked the scriptures in a way that I had never understood before.
Like the computer virus “gimmicks”, his delivery was all slick and
shiny…with just enough “truth” to draw me in.
But God had His
hand on me from the get-go. I began to study these sermons…with my
Bible and a notebook in hand. And I started seeking God’s word through
many sources…other evangelists, my own local church and small groups,
“Christian” authors, and discussions with other believers. Contemporary
Christian music became my “listening genre” of choice…and my Spiritual
faith and confidence levels soared.
As I studied the Bible and
prayed, I began to question some of the “teachings” of Pastor Dollar and
others…and to dig more deeply into God’s word to see how it lined up
with what they were saying. And I found several discrepancies. Recently
when Creflo Dollar asked his congregation to raise $65 million for him
to purchase a new jet for his “ministry,” I just shook my head. I don’t
discount what God did for me through his sermons…and in general via
“Christian” media and its authors/teachers. God was able to use these
vehicles to deliver His message - in spite of their agendas and
motives…and to engage me in a relationship with Him in a whole new
manner. But God also showed me how to “sift the wheat from the chaff”,
so to speak…and to find His truth in the process.
Perhaps
someone has had a tremendous influence on your thinking in some way.
You may frequently quote Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, or Bill O’Reilly!
You may get your “news” from some of the cable media outlets…and
“Entertainment Tonight”…or even Facebook or Twitter. Or you may even put
a lot of stock in the thoughts and opinions of a trusted Christian
friend. And in the process, you may not be getting the whole story…or
the information may have been manipulated in some way to suit the
person or media outlet’s agenda.
I do not mean to pick on Creflo
Dollar…or to suggest that he is not a Christian. But a whole lot of us
have lost our way along the way. Our pastor said recently that our
Bishop had reminded him to…”Keep the main thing the MAIN THING!”…and
this is good advice for all of us. When we get distracted by a message
that we “need to verify our account”…or that God has great things in
store for us if we will only “click here” and donate to this cause or
attend this Bible study group or serve in this mission/ministry…we often
start down a “rabbit trail” that leads to nowhere - or worse!
I cannot emphasize enough that we must stay awake and alert!
We must stay so close to God… study His word and talk to Him about
it…ask, “LORD, what are You saying to me? Where are YOU leading
me?”…that we know the answer is coming from Him. We need to stop jumping
to conclusions and hopping on the latest, greatest bandwagon…and listen
to Almighty God. If these situations are His doing - and legitimate -
He will show us this. And if they are not, God will reveal this to us,
also.
The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world. Listen to God! Let Him guide your every thought, word and
deed…and never worry about falling for a spiritual “virus” or “malware”
again!
©2015 Debbie Robus
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