Deception, Part 1: How to Spot It

I have been increasingly concerned about the level of deception that is attempting infiltration in the Church. Having battled and withstood similar attempts, our church dug deeper into the Word of God to reaffirm our love for the Truth and ensure that our steps were being ordered by God's Word. The more we studied and read, the more we noted this battle throughout the New Testament, and in the churches Paul addressed in his epistles.

Deception's attack has been subtle in some cases, as is its custom. I have seen the attacks against the church I pastor and have heard other pastors express their similar concerns. On a global scale, this is also a concern for the Church body. We are seeing deception increase in our world. Read Romans 1 for the phases of this downward spiral. A key moment in that passage is verse 25, when they "change the truth of God into a lie..."
Truth is vital and deception is deadly. How can the Church guard against deception? We must know how to recognize it, and the earlier the better.

Atmospheres that Promote Deception

1) In absence of accountability and oversight, deception sneaks in. False doctrines can work their way in through unguarded gates. Paul discovered this tragic reality when his travels took him away from the churches he planted and he had to marvel that the believers were "so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-9)  What are some of the unguarded gates in churches? Is there accountability between ministry leaders, teachers and the pastor? Is there a shared foundation that ensures teaching and preaching is consistent and in one accord? Are the various ministries on the same page? I'm not just talking about "We all teach from the same Bible." We know how many wrong directions people can go while citing the Bible as their common source. Among our ministry leaders and teachers, we can use shared curriculum,  and we should have a shared purpose and vision, and clear guidelines on what sources we will and will not use. After those lines are drawn, accountability helps ensure that all are following those shared paths and no one is veering off wildly from the body of Christ.

The A.W. Tozer Bible - Review

I purchased a copy of the A.W. Tozer Bible on sale recently. My version is the black flexisoft edition, King James version. I've got a couple of books by Tozer and a great little book of quotes that I got from a mentor/pastor a few years back. When I saw this Bible on sale I wanted to get a copy to see how Tozer's writings are incorporated with different topics and verses throughout the Bible.

Some great features of this Bible:

• Over 365 selections of Tozer's writings sharing the page with the Bible verse it references. 365 selections means you could do a one-a-day devotional reading with a Bible passage and commentary by Tozer. 

Inspiring Books in My Current Stack: Revival Resources!

I've been challenged the past month by a few powerful books that examine revival. If you can find these, I highly recommend them as resources to fuel your desire for revival. I checked for copies on Amazon, ChristianBook.com, and Pentecostal Publishing House, and when possible I provided a link to those editions. If you can find them elsewhere, such as used book stores, etc., they are worth the investment.


Charles G. Finney, He Prayed Down Revivals, by Basil Miller, 1941
A tremendous book for multiple reasons. One is Finney's testimony and account of his conversion after a Holy Ghost prayer service in the middle of the woods. It's a powerful testimony. The "new creature" impact it had on Finney became instantly visible to those who knew him and even to strangers who heard him preach. Miller's acknowledgment of the foundation of prayer in Finney's revivals is a powerful reminder, as is our need for a brotherhood to hold each other up in prayer and support, as illustrated by Finney's friendship with Father Nash.
Charles G. Finney, He Prayed Down Revivals
I can't remember where I got my copy of the older edition of this book, but it seems like it was in a box of books I purchased at a church's yard sale. Excellent book on revival!



The Works of the Holy Ghost, by Verbal Bean
Transcribed from sermons/lessons Bro. Verbal Bean preached and taught in the 1950s-1960s. There's a renewed interest in Bro. Bean's books and sermons thanks in part to his son, Evangelist Joel Bean, making the materials available online https://www.facebook.com/verbalbean/ and at the UPCI General Conference.
The first book I read of Bro. Bean's sermons was The Battlefield, about the revival in Laurel, MS. Also highly recommended!
These sermons and teachings will stir your heart and prompt you to get into the Word of God and prayer.




Crazy Busy, by Kevin DeYoung
Distractions are one of the enemy's tactics to detour us away from revival and the primary calling of God. But our "righteous busyness" is hard to spot because we justify it in multiple ways. After all, "we're busy for God." "We're doing the work(s) of the Lord." Without fail, crazy busyness pulls us away from time in prayer and deeper study of the Bible. Without those, there is no revival.

If you're too busy to read another book, get this book and start reading it immediately. I did and it had a great impact on slowing me down and helping me get back in the presence of God.




Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill
This is one of those books, and Ravenhill is one of those authors, that you start highlighting quotes and paragraphs from the very first page! With a powerful introduction by A.W. Tozer, this book wastes no time in getting to the hard-hitting message of what it takes for continued revival. What this book has in common with the other 3 titles on this list is the conviction it stirs and the repentance it prompts. Great books on revival call us back to God, and draw us back to the altars of prayer and repentance. Why Revival Tarries excels in this invitation. You probably won't make it through too many pages before you take a break from reading to pray about what you've read! Ravenhill does not mince words and to those who receive them, revival will be the result.

Plant, Water, and Increase

I keep inspirational and thought-provoking quotes hanging on the wall of my office at Joyful Life Ministries. One of the quotes I look at on a regular basis is a statement by Pastor Dan Mitchell, of Columbus, Indiana:
"You are called to plant, to water, maybe both, but never to give the increase. God always takes care of the increase."
I love the fact that this straightforward statement gives me clear objectives, while helping me keep things in perspective about where my limitations end, and where God picks up and takes over.

That quote was also on my mind as I joined a group of ministers earlier this week for the newly-launched Apollos Project. The name of the project comes from the Scripture in 1 Corinthians 3:6, where Paul says - "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." The Apollos Project is dedicated to "strengthening ministers where they are planted to ensure maximum increase." The project will accomplish this, in part, through the networking and support of other ministers. This approach to ministry is also what Paul was talking about in his letter to the Church of Corinth. He had a clear understanding that the growth of the Church was not a one-man mission. He and Apollos were partners with God in the process. Paul also avoided the temptation to go after the credit in the ministries in which he was involved. Yes, he planted churches, but he was mindful and respectful of the additional ministries and ministers that had come along after him and continued to add to the process.

I am a church planter, and I am thankful for every minister that has come to Joyful Life Ministries and watered the seed we have planted here in Richmond. I am thankful for a team of kingdom-minded people working together with us to see the increase God has in store!

"A Series of Walks"

What does it mean to walk with God? What evidence is seen in a person's life when they walk with God? This month, JLM launched a new series entitled, "A Series of Walks" to look at the dedicated and powerful walks recorded in the Bible. From the time of Creation, God's desire was to walk among and with His people. That desire hasn't changed. Join us as we explore what it really means to walk with God, and as we commit to walking with Him more often and into more places He wants to lead us.

Part 1, "A Walk in the Garden" God's original desire was to walk with His creation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see that God's desire hadn't changed - He still wanted close communion with His people.

Part 2, "What Does It Mean to Walk with God?" We enjoyed the Group Bible Study as everyone shared Scriptures to help answer that question. Together, we discovered that walking with someone increases our 1) Recognition of Them 2) Our Sensitivity to Them 3)Our Awareness of Them. When you walk with someone, you go the direction they go, and if you walk closely enough, arm-in-arm, you are ready to go the direction they go at a moment's notice. That's the kind of walking we've prayed for this week. God, increase our sensitivity to You and help us to walk so close, that when You go any direction, we're right in step with You.

Current Series: "Faith That..."

As JLM worked through the book of Acts blueprint at the beginning of this year, I noticed a recurring ingredient in the early Church that we needed to examine more closely. "Without faith it is impossible to please God." That sounds like a vital ingredient for the Church. For the past three weeks we've examined faith and taken a closer look at our personal faith levels. Some interesting questions have come out of this series, and we're asking these questions no matter how painful the answer.

Part 1: How to Measure Your Faith - What's your faith level? What past hurts or disappointments have lowered that level? Are you believing in and trusting God more or less than when you first believed in Him?

Part 2: How to Build Your Faith - Now that you realize your faith level is not as high as it should be, it's time to rebuild your faith. It's time to get your hopes up again. Asking God to do something only He can do will help rebuild your trust in Him. Serve God with no plan B. Ask of Him, and don't make a back-up plan.

Part 3: Faith That Impresses God - A man with no prior relationship with Jesus Christ had faith in Jesus that caused Him to marvel. After all your experience with Jesus, how marvelous is your faith? Do you believe Jesus has the authority to solve your problem, heal your sickness, just by speaking a word? Wouldn't you love for God to look at your faith level and see "So great a faith..."

Part 4: Faith That Crosses Over - In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 8, Jesus tells His disciples to get in a ship and "go over to the other side." There was a promise in that command: You will make it to the other side. It's sometimes hard to remember those promises when the storm begins and the waves pummel the ship, when it seems like God isn't paying attention to you. But Jesus didn't say, "Let's get in the ship and sink." He promised the disciples they would cross over. Is your faith causing you to cross over to where God is calling you? Or are you holding back and staying on shore because of fear of sinking? One look at the faithful leaps of trapeze artists reminds us: "What you're holding on to is not as trustworthy as He Who wants to catch you."

Part 5: Faith That Wins - Are you tired of losing faith? How about loser faith? You want to ask God, and receive from God. You want to see your faith win. The prophet Elijah wanted this, too. So he entered Jehovah in a "God Contest" against Baal. He was not afraid to trust in God instead of the altars of dependency that others built. What non-God are you waiting on for a reply? Who or what are your altars of faith built to? If you're hoping in anything more than Jesus, tear down those altars and put your faith in the One Who will win the God Contest. You've got to have faith to ask God to be THE God of your life. And He will respond.

Current Series: "The Heart of..."

Examining the spiritual conditions of our hearts can be a painful procedure. It's also a vital necessity. Even King David, a man after God's own heart,prayed: "Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

That prayer of openness and vulnerability before God has been the blueprint for JLM as we have continued looking at the issues of our hearts over the past few weeks. A vital necessity? Absolutely. At the heart of many of our battles are unresolved issues of the heart. And enemies of the heart work their way in through issues of the heart that were never worked out.

This prayer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart..." is one of those prayers that God is ready to answer instantly. I encourage you to pray it, but be ready for the things that will be illuminated in the dark corners of your heart as God shines His light on them. Pray this prayer when you mean it, and God will respond much quicker than you might expect.

During this series, I have been behind the pulpit preaching the messages, but I have not been immune to the conviction and challenges of the Word of God. I have felt God stirring my heart and revealing things that He wants to minister to; areas that I have put band-aids on instead of allowing a complete healing.

How about you? Are you ready to open up to God's close scrutiny? Are there childhood wounds that have dictated the course of your life? Are there old hurts that still cause pain and dominate you? Do you have unresolved issues in your heart that you keep running from or trying to camouflage? One thing I have become more aware of over the past few weeks: God never intended for us to be held captive by these wounds within us. Freedom from them is possible. It begins with vulnerability and humility in the presence of the Beloved Physician.