____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ September 26, 1997 ____________________________________________________ "They Speak a Vision of Their Own Imagination" by Tom Edwards The above title comes from Jeremiah 23:16. Today I was reading in this book, and I ran across that passage wherein the Lord speaks of those who claim to prophesy in His name or to have had dreams or other revelations supposedly from Him; but in reality, these ``revelations'' did not emanate from the Lord at all. Though God had His prophets of old who did truthfully speak His message, these whom the Lord is referring to through Jeremiah were nothing more than impostors who claimed that their words were the words of God--when in actuality, what they spoke was merely their own message, and not that of the Lord. (See Jeremiah 23:15-17, 25-27, 31-32, 35-36.) They were false prophets. How often do we see this same thing happening today? Many people, as we have heard on TV, on the radio, and across our nation, are claiming to speak messages that God has ``supernaturally imparted'' to them. They claim to be miraculously led by the Holy Spirit, but in reality they are not much different from the false prophets of long ago; their message comes from them--and not from God! The false prophets in Jeremiah's day were promising the people peace and no calamity (v. 17), when what was really imminent was the downfall of Judah, the death of many of its inhabitants, and the exile of many of its survivors who would be led to Babylon for a seventy-year captivity (Jer. 21:1-10; 25:11,12; 29:10-14). What a shock it must have been for those Israelites who had hearkened to the voice of the false prophets. They envisioned peace and tranquility, but were quickly snapped out of such reverie by the piercing reality of destruction and death. How many people will be in for a similar jolt in the Judgment Day? People who will be expecting eternal glory because they had listened to the false teachers of their time--but will be cast out into that place of everlasting punishment instead? Jesus speaks of those who will say ``Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'' (Mat. 7:22). But the Lord will have to respond to them by saying, ``I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'' (v. 23). Many easy, sweet, and comforting messages have glibly rolled off the lips of numerous false teachers in just our time alone: messages that promise salvation to the one who merely has ``faith only''; messages that promise eternal life that can never be lost--regardless of how one lives after having become a Christian; messages that teach the obtaining of salvation by simply praying a ``sinner's prayer.'' On and on we could go, listing many of the false teachings of our day that multitudes have embraced as the anchor of their soul--but actually it is an anchor that will not keep one from drifting into the reefs of destruction and foundering to the abyss of eternal separation from the love, mercy, and blessings of the Lord. We live in an era beyond the age of miraculous impartation of God's revelation (1 Cor. 13:8-10). Today, we need to examine the divinely inspired Scriptures for ourselves that we may know the mind of God and what He is saying to us (2 Tim. 3:16,17); for our own feelings--regardless of how strong--are not to be our source of authority for what we believe (cf. Acts 26:9-11 with Acts 23:1). God's word is to be that source of authority; and our feelings, conscience, or opinions need to take a backseat. If we hold up God's word in this way and examine everything carefully, as the New Testament shows we must (1 Thes. 5:21); and if we ``test the spirits'' to see whether they are from God or not (1 Jn. 4:1); and if we cling to His word and forsake all man-made creeds in religious matters; and if we be more like those noble Bereans who studied the Scriptures daily to see if what they were hearing was really God's truth (Acts 17:11), then we will be better equipped to not be deceived by the false teachers of our day, but we will remain instead on that true narrow path that leads to everlasting life if we hearken to and obey the word of the Lord (Mat. 7:13,14). This should be our desire and what we strive to fulfill. Don't be led astray by the many who claim the Lord has miraculously spoken to them--when it is nothing more than their own imagination. God will speak to us today through His written word; and that we can trust whole-heartily, with joy exceedingly, with comfort overwhelmingly, and with reverence deeply. Men today can be wrong, but God is always right! We encourage you to investigate the New Testament for yourself, to believe it, to obey it, to remain faithful to it that you may reap the blessings of it--for it is a book from the omniscient mind of God Himself and not from the mere imagination of man. ___________________________________________ A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE by Bob Dickey I sat in an audience of Christians during a recent gospel meeting and was distressed over the number of people about me who were obviously preoccupied with other things. The message the preacher was bringing from the Word of God was potentially profitable, but was practically ineffective, because of the distractions of people preoccupied with other concerns. My thoughts turned to the poor fellow who was trying with all of his might to hold the attention of his listeners. It was easy for me to sympathize with him; most discerning preachers are all too familiar with apathetic hearers. Sometimes it is hard to concentrate on the message one is preaching, in the face of sleepers, gigglers, baby-worshipers, whisperers, and daydreamers. What can be done about this problem? Well, I'm sure that I don't have all the answers, but permit me to share with you this suggestion. When I start to have a problem with my mind wandering, I try a mental exercise based on 2 Corinthians 10:5, ``bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.'' I begin to pray to God that I might free myself from the monopoly of anxious concerns, unimportant thoughts, as well as selfish pursuits. I seek for His help in submitting my thought processes to the instruction of His Word. Believe me, He can help you do just that! Once, after sharing this disciplinary procedure with a man who confessed that he had trouble concentrating, he returned to thank me later with words to this effect: ``It's amazing how much I have been affected by this mental and spiritual discipline. In the past there were services, one after another, in which I never brought my mind to bear on what was happening. As an insurance salesman, I have planned my next day's business agenda during the sermon so many times I couldn't count them. I imagine you sometimes wondered why I never commented about your messages. Well, I didn't want to lie, and I honestly did not realize what you had said in any appreciable degree. I really experience a difference now, though. I find myself fighting back intruding thoughts. Best of all, the Lord has taught me how to control my thoughts in other areas of my life as well. For the first time in my life I am a disciplined man!'' Every thought of the mind which is hostile to the truth must be captured and brought under obedience to Jesus Christ. Then we truly will be able to worship in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:24). Then we will truly be His captive audience. ___________________________________________ A Song From Sylvan The little cares that fretted me, I lost them yesterday Among the fields above the sea, Among the winds at play; Among the lowing herds, The rustling of the trees, Among the singing birds, The humming of the bees. The fears of what may come to pass, I cast them all away, Among the clover-scented grass, Among the new-mown hay; Among the husking of the corn, Where the drowsy poppies nod, Where ill thoughts die and good are born, Out in the fields with God. -- Louise Imogen Guiney ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________