Thanksgiving musings. Are we compromising truth? Is the gospel being proclaimed or are we as Christians growing tolerant from fear of man? Is it really loving to compromise truth? Fear of man will prove to be a snare.

Our need for biblical discernment as professing Christians is paramount (to say the least) in the day that we live in. If we don't have love we don't have anything but noise yet is it loving to agree with other professing Christians when it comes to straight up false teachers?  Nope. It truly alarms me that so many teachers that are watering down the gospel and distorting the gospel altogether are so widely accepted. All I'm saying is that Gods word to the believer needs to be the standard and litmus test in the life of the believer. So I'm going to attempt to say that while we all err in things and clearly and hopefully grow in our faith and our doctrine and theology hopefully line up with scripture...that we also need to be comparing what comes out of the mouths of pastors and teachers with the inspired word of God. debate is not a bad thing because it challenges ones thinking but in today's society we aren't dare to come out and stand on truth or we are seen as divisive or argumentative. It's sad that that's how Jewish rabbis spurred each other to think and now it's merely taken as "judging" and yet we are also told that we can judge a tree by its fruit so that whole cliche gets on my nerves. Yet there are some major deal breakers. Some major pillars of the faith that each Christian must believe in.  One of them is the Trinity. It's a BIG deal. T.D. Jakes for example holds to modalism.  Look it up. He does not hold to the 3 in 1 of the Trinity. Trinity is never mentioned in scripture but it's One God-triune-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Modalism however is completely unorthodox and holds that the roles of father, son, and Holy spirit are not One at the same time but different manifestations of those roles. Our minds are finite so that is straight up heresy. So why follow a heretics teaching (and to my knowledge he has not repented openly of that view)?  Joel osteen...he has denied Jesus as the only way and I heard it come out of his mouth. Is he a positive self help teacher? Yes! But dont call him a true shepherd of Gods people. Paula white and Joyce Meyer...they are women pastors (pastrix's) and anyone else. I have studied the language of the passage in 1 Timothy 2 ten different ways to Sunday and women were not educated like men (which I don't have time to even go into) we see Jesus gave dignity to women period. Mary set at His feet and that meant she was a learner a student of the rabbi. Men and women are equal...however eve was deceived first and while women can teach (I teach) they are not to shepherd a church so if I may be so bold...women can and have and will be greatly used by God but we are not to shepherd a church. It's just not even up for debate with me because one can take it up with God. Can they teach? Yes! Pastor...no! Not if the word of God is your basis. Also, it grieves me at how many only want positive happy and etc preaching. If you have cancer you need to doctor to do something radical and my friends we need the totality of Gods word and not just the good stuff because we have a sin problem and we need to be able to see it in the mirror of our own lives. So examine yourself. You can't examine yourself without the truth that penetrates and you can't change patterns of long standing sin without transformation that comes from fixing yourself on the word of God. You won't be free either just by focusing on the sin you must forsake. Know your weaknesses but fix your mind on Christ through His word. This isn't about meditating on fluffy clouds. The reason I write this is that a pastor that I have loved for 13 years now seems by all respects to have bought his own press. It has made me sick and I've prayed that certain allegations about him aren't true. I'm telling you it grieves me but at the same time my hope is in the God of the bible. Not a pastor and not other believers. If one falls...I'm not turning away or getting tripped up because while people are greatly used of God in our lives they are flesh and bone and capable of great error. So I challenge you to think for yourself. Don't just get everything spoon fed and don't sit under just one teacher either. That's cultic. It scares me to death over how many people are going to turn away on account of this pastor...because they will rest assured and it makes me ill. Yet where does our hope really rest? I'm asking anyone willing to read this far. You and I are without excuse. We can devote so much time to menial things and yet we trip up arguing over the king James version of the bible which was not the original translation FYI. Thank God on this thanksgiving that men and women died and were martyred so we could have His precious word. Let's let God be true and every man a liar. Please do not ask me who I'm talking about either because I will not for one second gloat over this man. Its just caused me so much needed examination. However, there is a difference in a true believer getting caught up or ensnared in sin and a straight up apostate that preaches a different gospel. The humble person will read what I'm saying and see how much I care and love truth or either stop up their ears because they don't care about the word being rightly divided. Also, guard yourself because we are sinners and are so capable of much destruction and so capable of causing others to stumble. Take heed you stand lest you fall. Be careful when you are told to guard your heart over who has the right to teach you truth. Compare everything to the scriptures. Let God be HUGE and man be small in our eyes. All idols will come tumbling down. God alone should be exalted. Never put man on a petastool because rest assured you will be disappointed.  Also, if a teachers teaching doesn't line up with scripture and they preach a different gospel the bible uses strong language that they be eternally accursed. So why the tolerance and the proverbial we are not to judge line? It's not biblical. It's not what the apostles and followers of Christ were martyred for.  And why the big deal for so many scoffers when it comes to Christianity?  Every other religion the M.O. Is tolerance except Christianity. In ignorance some will say its not true but study up on history in an unbiased way.  Christians have taken the heat more than any other religion and have been burned at the stake for truth! Why because our God threatens people's "religion" their pride, their power, their following, their political system. He is the very one who spoke and it came to be and just like Lucifer rebelled in heaven man still rebels and wants to innately be like the "Most High". People want to be God. And we live in the domain of the prince of this world and he seeks to destroy, defame, and devour. The reason I read the end of a story before I watch a movie or read a book is whether I want to waste my time. I have suffered much here but I know how it ends and it's going to be good. Lift up your heads!  His return is closer now than when we first believed. Rest assured every knee in heaven and under earth will bow. Hitler...he may have refused to bow on earth but oh he will. Saddam Hussein...he will bow and he will confess that Jesus is Lord. I pray we get it straight and bow down now and proclaim Him as Lord because eternity is a long time for the ending that is sure coming. His word is true and it will not pass away.