(August 26, 2023) Richard Winter shares some warnings!

Warning signs are everywhere!

• Beware of Imitations!
• No Overtaking!
• Beware of Dogs!
• Warnings on cigarettes packs.
• Warnings regarding toxic chemicals.
• Warnings about poisons.
• Warnings on storms, volcano eruptions and tsunamis.

Such warnings are helpful to protect and preserve life and property. But… more importantly, warnings about spiritual dangers should be constantly issued to people!

Acts 20:31 tells that when Paul was with the church at Ephesus for three years he warned them to beware of the devil’s deceptions.                                                                         

Bible warnings are expressed by terms like ‘Take heed’ (106 matches NKJV) and ‘Beware’(28 matches NKJV). Let’s look at scripture’s most severe warnings that we should be extremely careful about.

Beware of –

1. Falling (2 Peter 3:17)
In this life it’s quite common to talk about falling. Apparently we can do a lot of falling and I think we all understand these types of falling… some good and some bad –

• I fell in love.
• I’ve fallen out of love.
• I fell after I slipped.
• She fell pregnant.
• He’s fallen off the wagon.

There’s also falling into sin! And scripture records that this can happen to even to the best – Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Demas (Philemon 24 cf 2 Timothy 4:10).

If you’re a Christian believer, falling into sin could maim your relationship with the Lord! How?

• Normally by listening to someone who isn’t preaching the truth from God’s word.
• The tricky devil! (Remember how he tricked Adam and Eve?).
• The spirit of deception is still around. Start with the devil and even look at who is talking to you.
• Check your lifestyle… if it leads you to falling into sin you may fall out of your eternal destiny.

2. Forgetting (Deuteronomy 8:11-14)
A common excuse is ‘I forgot.’ And as you get older your memory can fade – ‘forgetting’ things you don’t want to do or don’t like doing!

The first of the Ten Commandments is never forget God (Exodus 20:3). Don’t allow anything to get in the way of you worshipping Him first!

Yet many people are happy to bring things into their lives rather than God – possessions, activities, power positions, relationships. But if we gain the entire world and forget we are going to another life after this,  we have been focusing on the wrong things.

That is why memorials are common. Such are solid proofs of our short memories. Like the Eiffel Tower, The Egyptian Pyramids, Lincoln Memorial: When we see these and other memorials we remember.

Moses constantly warned Israel to never forget God! (Scripture above, Deuteronomy 6:4-12, 8:17-19, 32:46). Israel was called on to set up stone memorials where something significant happened in their life journey (Deuteronomy 27:2-3, also Joshua 4).

And when their children and ensuing generations saw them and asked what they meant, they’d be told about God. Understanding aids memory and this is why church, the meeting place of Christians, is important – the physical church is a city street memorial for all to see.

• Invite unchurched people along to the physical building.
• Get to know other church attenders.
• Use your gifts to build up and edify the body of Christ.

3. A Wicked Heart (Deuteronomy 15:9a; Proverbs 23:7a).
I believe many will have said that they had a conversation with God today. We call that conversation prayer – but many of those prayers are one-way communication! We tell God what we need or want and expect Him to do it.

Communication with God is best done when there is a listening component – we speak and then listen for God’s voice!

But many of us are listening to another voice – it normally sides with our predetermined thoughts about what we are doing. Rarely does it ever speak in opposition, it’s the voice that says go ahead and do it (or don’t).

• You need that cruise – do it!
• Need that new car – go ahead and buy it!
• Don’t need to serve God – others are better qualified!
• Don’t need to give God money – He’s not poor.

When we become the centre of the universe we have replaced God who has saved us and have forgotten His Word. So, who is talking and to whom are you listening to? The voice most of us hear is Satan’s whose plan is to destroy us!

Most of these plans are manufactured in the human heart after a conversation with Satan –  focusing on blessing yourself, many times about money, sex and power: Never about denying self, forgiving others, or taking up your cross and following Jesus (Matthew 10:38)!

Every one of us must be aware that our heart can easily lead us astray. Jesus warned: ‘For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come…’ (Mark 7:21). This is where temptation is conceived and born. Whatever you premeditate in your heart will eventually manifest itself in what you do!

The one with an evil heart will surely be destroyed; but everyone who guards their heart and fills it with God’s words shall be blessed.

4. False Prophets (Matthew 7:15)
These are everywhere! Even back in John’s day: No wonder he challenged ‘Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world’ (I John 4:1).

Notice that the Bible doesn’t say they come with name tag saying, ‘I’m a False Prophet.’ Counterfeits come in disguise; they can look like the real thing!

Many  folk who travel love to go to street markets in foreign countries because they can buy knocked-off luxury items. Now they are not name branded, but they ‘carry’ the name of the brand! Bags, shoes, clothing, watches, pens. Anything that is high end in our country can be bought cheaply overseas and many of us have been tempted to buy.

Yes, it is all counterfeit, an imitation, they look great but they are not real. And there are men and women who appear to be real servants of God. They talk, pray, sing, attend church, read scripture, and even preach God’s word like a true Christian; but they are not real Christians (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

Jesus said that by their fruits they shall be detected (Matthew 7:20). Being a genuine Christian yourself means you test the spirit of these people and measure it against God’s word! You have to be a fruit inspector – ‘Is what I’m seeing and hearing true?’

5. Hypocrisy (Matthew 16:6,12)
(i) Christians always face a test…

• Are we the same in the dark as we are in the light?
• Are we what people expect to see – believers with an unchanging commitment!
• How is the Holy Spirit communicating with us?
• Is it ‘Well done good and faithful servant’? (Matthew 25:23).
• Or do we need to straighten up and fly right?

(ii) Christians also face a fruit test…

• Think of the last time you bought fruit in the supermarket. You pick it up and check for colour, size and imperfections. No one buys bad fruit or fruit that is not ripe and ready for consumption!
• Fruit that passes the eye test will normally pass the taste test. When someone ‘tastes’ our Christianity and observes our lives what are they seeing?
• We can appear to be all that Christ wants us to be but if they taste our convictions against the Bible and the Holy Spirit will they find imperfections and counterfeit Christianity.

When we portray ourselves as disciples of Christ, we should ask ourselves a legal question: ‘If I lived in a country that sought to jail Christians for their beliefs would there be enough evidence to convict me?’

Living as an imitation Christian is a position of perverted doctrine and hypocrisy! Hypocrites and hypocritical actions are some of the reasons people stay away from church. You’ve heard it said, ‘Churches are filled with hypocrites! Why would I want to be with that crowd?’ Being a Christian in name only is not how Christ tells us to live.

Paul tells us that Jesus has given us the five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors in the church to build it up, to strengthen it, to teach and edify the church for the work of the ministry and mission of the church (Ephesians 4:11-16). We need to choose a church carefully! One that honours Jesus and God’s word, where we will learn how to live according to divine instruction.

Remember that church attendance and tithing are more than spiritual activities. We attend church to hear what Christ has to say. And do what He says because we are aware of His mission to seek and save the lost. If you are saved, then your Christianity should not be hypocritical!

The church of Christ is not a club – it’s a mission agency that runs a hospital for sick and unsaved people, and trains disciples how to serve in their church and in the world.

6. Covetousness (Luke 12:15)
As Christians we live between two horizons… Self and the sacred.

Jesus warned (the scripture above):  ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ Message Bible reads: ‘Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.’

We are called to check our heart motives all the time. There are many times when self is put before the sacred call of God. While it’s not wrong to be wealthy or work where you are well rewarded, in such cases we are to be wise managers of what God has given us, remembering that the Lord can give and the Lord can take away (Job 1:21).

• When were you last helped by someone in the church?
• For that matter, when did you help someone in the church?
• As well as the Bible, the Holy Spirit, church saints are there to help us.
• But – it’s hard to helped by a real person when all we do is watch YouTube without real fellowship.

Note: On the other side of blessing stands one of the devil’s greatest tools…

• He magnifies what you don’t have and causes you to compare your life with that of others.
• Perhaps they’re rich and you are poor – and Satan says you deserve to have what they have.

Sadly oftentimes, the extreme poverty and selfish desires of many provoke Christians to become lovers of money and ‘things’ instead of God! Covetousness, being a materialistic view of life, is dangerous and damning! Paul even equates it to idolatry (Colossians 3:5).

7. Satan’s Lies (John 8:44)  
We are exposed daily to many dangers and snares in this world. The most serious danger concerns your soul and its eternal destiny.

Jesus warned not to listen to the devil’s subtle voice because when Satan speaks his native language which is to lie (see the scripture above) – if you listen to enough lies you might believe them!

Listen to the truth and you will be led to the light and life eternal.

He gave us all an invitation to come to Him and receive eternal life. But He also said to not fall for the nonsenses that can take people to hell.

Beware and make them aware!

8. This Summary
Don’t fall for –

• A fallen position – Don’t fall into sin.
• ‘I forgot’ – Excuses!
• A wicked heart – It will deceive you.
• False prophets –  They don’t teach God’s truth!
• Hypocrisy – Christianity is not a show!
• Covertness – God will supply all your needs.
• Satan’s philosophies – There is only one truth.

Again… the big reminder –

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Dr Richard Winter pastors The Connection Church, Huntington Beach, California. Link: OnlinerConnect@gmail.com
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