Thus Saith God's Word
by Rev. Ted Brooks
Poacher in the Church
Hut though we. or all angel Irom heaven, preach an\ other gospel unto sou
than that which we have preached unto you. let him be accursed
As we said before, so sav 1 now again If am man preach anv other gospel
unto vou than that ye have received, let him be accursed (Gaiatiuns 1 S-y)
Now the Spirit speakcth expresslv that in the latter times some shall depart
tonn the taith. giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils" (I
Timothy 4 1)
But there were lalse prophets also among the people, even as there shail be
false teachers among you. who privily shall bring damnable heresies even
denying the Lord that brought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction
And many shall follow pernicious ways, bv reason of w hom the vvav of truth
shall be evil spoken of (II Peter 2 1-2) Peter, the Apostle of the Lord Jesus
Chnst. said to his followers. "Knowing that shortly I must put ofF this my
tabernacle, even as the Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me " (Verse 14) Peter
knew that he was approaching death 1 le has a beautiful name for death- put oil
this my tabernacle." The folding up of my lent lie knew he was about to leave
them so he wanted to stir them up by putting thern in remembrance of what he
knew w as coming Peter foretold the appearance of false teachers He wanted
them to beware of emotions, of feelings instead of knowledge which was based
on facts Peter knew people hav e a tendency to rest on feelings instead of the
word of God
Peter tells his followers that false prophets and false teachers will bring in
damnable heresies and that the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, and that with
feigned words make merchandise of you When false prophets and teachers
enter a congregation many will walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,
false teachers that will despise government, persons will be presumptuous and
sell w illed They will speak evil of dignities, become as natural brute beasts and
speak evil of the things that they understand not They pleasure to not in the day.
false teachers and false prophets hav ing ey es full of adultery and that cannot
cease f(om sin and they have hearts filled with covetous practices These are
wells without water, ciouds that are earned with a tempest who speak great
swelling words of vanity who are allured through the lust of the ftesh. serv ant
of corruption False teachers will secretly bring in damnable heresies They will
do it subtly. Peter warned that false teachers would not believe in the deity of
Christ They would not confess to a v irgin bom Savior and that they would deny
the atonement in the blood of Jesus Christ There is a cry among religious
leaders singing. " Can't we get along''" Not without the redemption of the Blood
of Christ Not without the virgin bom Chnst Peter said "Many will follow their
own pernicious ways." Christ declared that people would say. Lord, Lord, but
he would say depart from me 1 never knew you
America was once the nation that held the banner for Christ. This land that
yvas once like a forest filled with fresh grass, birds singing, rivers filled with fish
jumping in its lake, but it has become like a forest seen burned The trees are
black. The nvers are muddy Does this not sound like churches? Peter warned
us that false teachers and poachers would enter the forest of the church that was
once beautiful, happy homes, marriage was honorable, the bed was undefiled,
the forest of the church had a conversation without covetousness and it was a
forest that the people of God were content with what they had It was a forest
that the people of God could boldly say "the Lord is my helper." It was a forest
without whoremongers and adulterers It was a forest with a promise, "I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee." It was a forest when the people would say,
"1 will not fear what man shall'do unto me "
It was a forest that the people feared the servants of God who had the rule
over them It was a forest that w as aware of the nature of God. The inhabitants
knew that their God was Perfect. They spoke of God as eternal and unchangeable
In this forest their God was omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent
They knew that He was all this, and that He needs must be because He is the
absolute, self-existent Being for whom time does not exist, who alone is
unchanging in a universe of change, whose power and knowledge know no
bounds, whom space cannot contain. We had said in this forest when it was
green and without sin, the people were aware of the Omnipotent, the Omniscient,
the Omnipresent. In the forest the people of God knew that He was a
God who could not be untrue to His own moral nature, false to Himself, for He
is a God that cannot do unrighteousness. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth
do right''" He is bound too by His own purposes. He will not alter them.
In this forest that was fresh and green, clean water, fresh air. the inhabitants
would sing out, "Of old thou hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the
heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea
all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them,
and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no
end " (Psalms 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:11-12) "O Lord, thou hast searched rtie
and known me. Thou knewst my downsitting and mine uprising. Thou
understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou scarchest out my path and my lying
down and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue,
. but lo, thou knowest it altogether. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is high, 1 cannot attain unto it Whither shall 1 go from thy spirit? Or whither
shall I free from thy Presence? If I ascend up into heave, thou art there. If I make
my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the moming and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and
thy right hand shall hold me If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, and
the light about me shall be night: even the darkness hideth not from thee, but
the night shineth as the day." (Psalms 139:1-15)
Brother Paul declared "Though we or an angel from heaven preach any
other gospel unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8)
But Peter said there shall be false prophets and teachers among you. My
friend, when false prophets enter the forest of God, that which was once
beautiful, clean, fresh, that which was anointed by God is no longer fresh, clean
and holv. People will follow their own pernicious ways, their bed which was
once undefiled now is defiled, marriage which was once honorable now is no
longer honorable, conversation is no longer without covetousness,
When false prophets enter the forest of God, those who were once great and
valuable and gifted now sit alone in shame They follow their own pernicious
way. Folks who once sang the praises of God now sleep in a bed that is defiled.
Once they could say "I will never leave thee," yet they arc now alone in sin
When the false prophets enter the forest of God, he is not afraid of the strong
nor the weak. A false prophet will show no sympathy for the sick. A false
prophet will hunt for those who have a gift, like the poacher in the forest, he will
hunt till they are on the endangered list There are always some who want a mink
coat, a car-abou. a whale, the elephant They want it to wear or to hang on their
wall. Satan and his false prophet w ants that gifted preacher, that choir leader,
that faithful teacher. A false prophet wants a defiled bed. A false prophet cannot
stand to see a marriage that is honorable, a conversation without covetousness
and he or she will dig holes, set traps, muddy the water, he or she will do
whatever, like the poacher, he will do whatever for the tusk of the elephant. He
will kill just for the ivory. Peter said, "In the last days scoffers will come, natural
brute beasts."
False prophets have been in this forest which is called the church. There are
not many Christian left. In fact, they are on the endangered species list You see,
they get careless in the forest of God, giving heed to seducing spirits, doctrines
of devils.
I heard a preacher say once that he saw nothing WTong with a person
marrying the second time or how ever many times
You see, a false prophet cares nothing about a defiled bed. You sec, marriage
the second is permitted, but it is how you go about it the second time. Let me
say again, before a false prophet enters the forest of God, he is like the poacher,
he first must plan He knows in every forest there are those who are swift and
quick In other words when a false preacher comes to your church, he knows
the marriage of those who are solid. It may take him some time, but he will dig
a hole and set his net and that marriage which was once solid has now fallen to
his trap Peter said to the people who were scattered, "Yea 1 think it meet as long
as 1 am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance of those
things which the Lord hath shown me " (II Peter 1:13-14) "Knowing that
shortly I must put off this my tabernacle putting you in remembrance, for we
have not followed cunningly devised fables First. 1 want you to know after my
departure as there were then false prophets among the people, ev en as they shail
be among you and bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that
brought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction "
Mv friend, vou can tell a false prophet 1 Ic is like the poacher in the forest
He will get careless and drop his matches and cigar butt. In other words, that
person whom he sits and visits daily is not the sick That place where he sits for
hours is not a conversation that is without covetousness.
Like the poacher, he is there to set a trap, dig a hole, a brute beast w ith an
appetite of a horse Paul preached if he preach anything other. "Let him be
accursed." Peter and Paul preached, they preached salvation, to rebuke, to
reprove Peter knew that the church would need to be called back to repentance
He knew false preachers would be afraid, afraid of someone being hurt,
knowing that hell needed to be preached again and again but they would be
afraid. Nevertheless, said Peter, we need to meet face to face to settle some
things and as long as I am alive I will stir you up to tell you that Satan does not
care about you or your family 1 le w ill hunt on the property of God He will
destrov marriages ihat were once solid and now that bed is defiled What was
once honorable now is in mins Mv friend, joining the PTL Club. 700 Club,
telling you that a mink coat is yours for the asking, new house, new car. TV in
both ends of the house I know of homes and you do too which have all these
things, but their man iuge is not honorable and their bed which they seek rest
in is not undefiled It is stained with sin
You see, it was not a PTL Club they needed, but a new heart Membership
in an organization is not our salvation We need a faith more precious than of
gold thai perisheth (I Peter I 7) You and I will alwavs need for our proteetion
that salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied
of the grace that should come unto vou (Verse 10)
My friend, a called preacher of (iod will deal with sin tegardless of those
who love it or not It may seem hard, but to preach only love is not true loveWhen
we preach and never rebuke, it is hypocrisy, ear tickling, smooth saving
Today a false preacher will never disagree, love everybody, accept
everything, make you wonder what it was that Cain killed Abel over You
wonder why it was that Jeremiah was in mud up to his arm pits
History has it that lsatah was sawed in half I wonder how we lost our
conviction and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall (Matthew 15 14) Peter
said there shall be false teachers among you who shall bring m damnable
heresies (II Peter 2 1)
Let me close with this thought Soon you will witness all religions saying
can't we gel along Who is to say who is saved and who is not'' Peter said "I
call this meeting to warn vou of w hom the wav of truth shall be evil spoken of"
(II Peter 2 2)
Jesus Himself said, "And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive
many " (Matthew 24 11)
How much do you know about the nature of (iod'' It is said of (iod that he
hales sin and all those who hale him love death (Proverbs 8 36)
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves for ye saw no manner of similitude
on the day that the Lord spoke unto you in I loreb out of the midst of the fire "
(Deuteronomy 4 15)
This is the same (iod that Solomon declared "But God indeed dwells on the
earth Behold, the heavens and heavens of heavens cannot contain thee, how
much less this house that I have built" (I Kings 8 27)
God, my friend, is infinitely great, so great that Job despaired of finding him
out "The my stery of God is far bey ond human conception He who takes not
of the infinitely little He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in
heaven' and in the yarth " (Psalm 113 1 ->))
The Omnipotent interesting Himself in the affairs of the lower world .
Someone said. "Who shall remember me from on high I shall not be known
among so manv people For what is mv soul in a boundless creation " (Psalms
139:1)
Next week: the Conclusion of False Prophets in the Church
TWO MINUTES
WITH THE BIBLE
BEREAN BIBLE SOCIETY
PO BOX7W
GERMANTOWN. W1 S3022
THE RACE SET BEFORE US
BY RUSSELL 8 MILLER
As another New Year
dawns its always wise to
give the Scriptures our
careful attention so as to
please the One paid the
ultimate sacrifice on
account of our sins at
Calvary, our wonderful
Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.
It is not that we merely
wish to please Him, but our
gratitude should manifest
itself in the lives we live
for Him. It was indeed for
this reason that the Apostle
Paul has so much to say
about "the race set before
us".
"Wherefore seeing we
also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set
before us" (Heb.l2:l).
As I opened my Bible in
the study of this subject I
discovered that the word
"race" [agon], here, is only
found in the following
verses, having to do with
the athlete in the race,
rather than the course itself:
Philippians 1:30:
"Having the same conflict
which ye saw in me..."
Colossians 2:1: "...what
great conflict I have for
you...."I
Thessalonians 2:2:
"...we were bold in our God
to speak unto you the
Gospel of God with much
contention".
I Timothy 6:12: "Fight
the good fight of faith...."
II Timothy 4:7: "I have
fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have
kept the faith".
Hebrews 12:1: "...the
race that is set before us".
On the other hand, the
Greek word stadion, "they
which run in a race", is
translated "furlongs" (the
220 yard dash), five times
in our Bibles (Luke 24:13;
John 6:19; 11:18; Rev.
14:20; 21:16) and,
surprisingly only once in
Paul's epistles where it is
rendered "race" (ICOr.
9:24).
The Apostle does not
refer to the course, here,
which the contestants ran in
their Greeks games, but to
the Christian life.
"Know ye not that they
which run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize?
So run, that ye may obtain "
(lCor.9:24).
I 1
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R6-6L6CT
lorry T. Brooks
Pembroke
Town Council
For Continued
Progressive Government
On Novemb?r 6, 2001
Gar&S' yUtout/ 9/ou"
Reflections by Alt* Nye Oxandln*
RUSSIAN AND CHINA ("TERRORISM" continued)
AND. as we reach out our arms (in our coalition-building efforts) to leaders
from China and Russia, let's keep some important "info" in mind
Although our country has (in the past) tried to pit China and Russia against
each other. man> students of the methods used by the international Communist
"Party" to carry out its activities for over 80 sears, believe that Communist
leaders of both those countries have mans times used the mere PERCEPTION
of a split to further their JOINT cause.
Remember that Gorbachev was visiting Chinese leaders in the spring of
1989 sshen students there svere involved in that wonderful nesv "democratic"
movement, with their quiet, peaceful demonstrations for "liberty"!!President
Bush said he is looking forward to seeing his friend' Putin, at the
meeting in China.
I wonder: How MANY times SINCE 1989 have the leaders of Russia and
China met to encourage one another? And. perhaps, to plan JOINT activities
that could have a profound impact on the rest of the world?
According to "Clinton. China break ice." (a New York Times article by
David E. Sanger with a New Zealand dateline, reprinted in the September 12.
1999. Charlotte Observer) Bill Clinton and Ziang Zemin " declared an end to
months off frozen relations follow ing the bombing ofthe Chinese Embassy in
Belgrade. Yugoslavia" during a meeting "on the fringes of he annual Asian
economic summit conference." One thing they did was to order "their trade
ministers to meet? in hope of closing a broad* deal that w orld get China into
the World Trade Organization." wrote Sanger. He also reported that "Chinese
officials appeared ? pleases that Clinton had been openly critical of' Taiwan's
Lee Teng-hui?for his statements" describing "the island as a separate state."
Later, when Bill clinton was visiting China. Ziang reportedly corrected
Clinton for referring to him as a "former" communist, by reply ing: ."I AM a
Communist!"
Ziang and Putin have each made a NUMBER of recent visits to various
countries around the world.
Cuba is one of the matins recently visited by Ziang. I believe it was Putin
who recentlv visited Canada.
I understand that, immediately before-becoming Russian's Prime Minister
in August of 1999,-Vladimir Putin was serving as head of the FSB. the domestic
successor to the KGB in Russia. Earlier. Putin had (for years) served as
head of East Germany's Stasi Secret police organization, the equivalent of the
KGB.
Ever since becoming Russia's President. Putin has been reaching out to
form friendships (PERHAPS in some cases PARTNERSHIPS) with leaders
all around the world.
In fact during 2001., both Putin and Ziang have reportedly been reaching out
to leaders'of many OTHER nations around the world.
According to the May 2001 World Press Review reprint of a March 2.2001
Korea's President. Kim Dae Jung and visiting Vladimir Putin issued a "joint
communique" declaring "support for a detente between North and South Korea,
as well as agreeing to preserve the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as a
"'cornerstone of strategic stability.'" They also expressed hope "that a third
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty" would soon come about. "Some foreign
media dubbed the Kim-Putin agreement a diplomatic victory for Russia." according
to this report. "Putin? anxious to play a role in the Korean peace
process, is svary of Washington's status as the single post-Cold War superpower."
says the article.
AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST. 1 care about both Putin and Ziang.
as well as (of course) EVERY person who lives in each of those countries.
But. I believe that ANYONE who has learned about the various METHODS
of INDOCTRINATION both these current Communist leaders would have
received (likely since EARLY childhood) DEMANDING that they each use
both PEOPLE and SITUATIONS to further the great Communist "party"
agenda, would advise our leaders to be as "wise as serpents" instead of
MERELY concentrating on being as "harmless as doves" (Matthew 16:6b) in
order to win them over to our side of the coalition against terrorism.
Before becoming TOO cozy, let's first RULE OUT the possibility that
Communist leaders, members of their secret police, and perhaps other faithful
communists as well, could have played SOME part in preparing for the recent
9-11 attacks.
If nothing else, both the soviet Union and Communist China have done their
share of training terrorists in the past. (For example, I've read that Middle
Eastern Ba'athist socialist fighters like Sadam Husseing were trained by the
soviet Union. The Maoist "Shining Path" in south America (and I BELIEVE
the Cuban guerrilla fighters who took control in 1959) apparently had some
kind of support ffom China. Also the (Maiost) Kosovo Liberation Army now
fighting in Macedonia.
For all I know, without REALIZING who their trainers really were, Muslim
terrorists could have been RECRUITED decades ago for training by either
the former Soviet Union or by communist China. If so, the trainers would
likely have "played the part" of caring "liberators."
According to one of the Arab and/or Muslim guests on Charlie Rose's show
for Friday, October 5, terrorist tactics began with the secular Arab National
Movement. PERHAPS this group had been secretly organized, recruited and/
or trained by the KGB or GRU. which MIGHT have also taught them how to
infiltrate and recruit others, devout Muslins who had already dedicated their
lives to the service of Allah, or (on the other hand) Muslims who may not have
been very familiar with their Holy book, the Koran, and might, therefore,
EASILY believe that Allah expected them to fight in a Holy War. and that they
would receive a rich reward for OFFERING their LIVES UP to ALLAH in
such a war.
International Communism expects to benefit whenever a nation is destroyed,
or even disabled, in the ongoing effort of Communism to replace existing
systems with the Marxism-Leninism form of social ism. There seems to have
been an ongoing assault on the United States (for over 80 years),in an effort to
gain control, using propaganda and/or infiltration. In fact, nation after nation
around the world, has been taken over by Marxist-Leninsts using a variety of
methods such as these!
During the Great Depression the Communist "Party" really HOPED to be
able to DESTABILIZE and take control ofthe United States. 2001 has been
another period of vulnerability for our nation. BOTH times, our country has
EXHIBITED a RESILIENCE that ITS ENEMIES did NOT COUNT ON!!!
Let's remember to pray EVERY day for our country's LEADERS, including
President George Bush. Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State
Colin Powell, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and Secretary of Defense,
Donald Rumsfeld, the National Security Advisor, Condoleeza Rice, and the
extremely busy FBI and CIA personnel.
SURELY THIS IS A TIME WHEN OUR LEADERS. AND THE REST
OF US. NEED TO PUT INTO PRACTICE PROVERBS 3:5,6:
"TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN
NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.
ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATHS."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. SOPHIA!
It is my sincere hope and prayer that Sophia Dial and the other passengers
who were injured in the accident that took place around midnight on Oct. 1920,
20000. will have a much BETTER year this time. Last year. Sophia spent
her 18th birthday in the Chapel Hill hospital where she and Don Locklear had
both been airlifted soon after being taken to Southeastern Medical Center in
Lumberton. Two other passengers were sent to Cape Fear Medical Center in
Fayetteville.
ALSO. LET'S REMEMBER THE FAMILY WHOSE DAUGHTER DIED
in that collision. HER MOTHER was later INJURED in ANOTHER ACCIDENT!
AND. OF COURSE. ALL OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO
ARE ENDURING THE LOSS OF A LOVER ONE BY DEATH. OR SOME
OTHER KIND OF CRISIS OR TRAGEDY.
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