MESSAGES
"Take heed that no one deceives you"
- Matthew 24:4 -
If any of you have ever tried to apply wallpaper to a wall, you know how frustrating it can be. When I make the attempt to wallpaper a wall, it seems as if the paper never lines up. If I line up the top portion of the paper, the lower portion will not line up. If I line up the lower portion of the paper, the upper portion will not match up. No matter how hard I try; no matter how hard I push or pull, the paper will not line up all the way. If I pull too hard, I’ll tear the paper, and if I push too hard I'll wrinkle the paper.
After awhile, I realize there is only 1 thing I can do. I have to make adjustments. I have to compromise! In order for me to keep the wallpaper smooth, I have to place it on the wall in such a way that from a distance it’ll look as if it matches. But in reality, the more closely you look at it, the more you see how out-of-line it really is.
Isn’t that how false religions are? From a distance their teachings appear ok, but as you study them more closely, you discover just how out of line they really are.
Just as I become frustrated with my wallpaper, I’m reminded of the frustration that many people must have while they are listening to the teachings of what I call, "Wallpaper Religion." That's the religion where all the sayings and teachings never line up. No matter how hard they try to share their belief, the more their religion tears and wrinkles, until eventually you don't know if they're talking about religion or a recipe for homemade soup. Wallpaper religion is pasted with lies and half-truths, and often times borderlines on insanity.
Peter warns us about the many false teachers that are hanging out just waiting to paste their wallpaper on someone. Peter tells us that these false teachers, "by covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words" (2 Peter 2:3; emphasis added). That word deceptive literally means plastic. What can we do with plastic? We can melt it down so that it can be stretched, flexed and twisted into anything we want.
Wallpaper religion loves to melt down Gods word, and then twist it into whatever they want in order to suit their own beliefs. Again, Peter tells us, "they use great swelling words of emptiness" (2 Peter 2:18; emphasis added). Words of emptiness are those that might flatter the ego, but they flatten the spirit. They are words that manipulate the truth instead of communicate the truth. These wallpaper religions might use the same vocabulary as us, but they definitely use a different dictionary.
Don’t allow yourself to get pasted by the different wallpaper religions. And you won’t as you, "continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard" (Colossians 1:23). Only then will you be able to, "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), and only then will you easily be able to spot and recognize the teachings of the wallpaper religion.
God bless you,
Pastor Steve |
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| SHIELD OF FAITH |
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For more information,
call (951) 687-6902
Attention Juanita
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