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Hello my name is Jerral Campfield and this web site is dedicated to Moral Recognition Therapy using Biblical principles. Please come back often to join me in understanding Gods hands are outstretched still to forgive. |
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IN ENEMY OCCUPIED TERRITIRY |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 17 September 2021 |
InIn enemy occupied Territory
High School Pastor Shadrock Meouse
1 John 4:1-6
New King James Version
Love for God and One Another
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess [a]that Jesus [b]Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Key Words: Deceit, truth
Ephesians 2:1-10
New King James Version
By Grace Through Faith
2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
*It’s clear that we once walked according to the course of this world. Since we are now seated in the heavenly places with Christ, this world is no longer our home.
*We are living in enemy occupied territory!
“Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
So, Beware!
1 John 4:1-3 “ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether 2 they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus 3 Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”
• Problem–Believers as well as unbelievers are susceptible to deceit. Every spirit that does not confess Many false prophets and brethren exist is a *False Prophet – acting the part of a divinely inspired prophet
• Matthew 13:24-30 "24 The kingdom of heaven is like a man
who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his
enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went
26 his way, then the tares also appeared.
owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the But when the grain had sprouted and produced a 30 and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, 27 So the servants of the gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
• 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of 14 Christ himself into an angel of light.
if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”
And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms 15 Therefore it is no great thing
How can we tell them apart?
· John gives us a way to tell. - Every spirit that claims Jesus Christ came ‘in the flesh’ is of God.
- Every spirit that denies Jesus Christ came ‘in the flesh’ is NOT of God.
* They make Jesus less than God.
* The Gnostics believed that everything material was evil and that God could not have created the material universe.
* They didn’t believe God came in the flesh because they believed all material was evil.
* They also believed it didn’t really matter what you did in the flesh.
* What the false brethren were teaching.
* Acts 15:1 “...certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
• They were teaching salvation by works.
* What’s their goal?
* Finding a Solution
▪Acts 20:29-30 “29 For I know this, that after my departure savage
30 wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” - To gain a following of people
- To lead people away from Jesus
Also from Believe not every spirit
▪There have been, there are, and there will be those that appear to be genuine believers that are not.
· They SEEM to teach what is true, but there will always be some pull to follow them away from the church.
· They will always undermine the church leadership
· They will always have some scriptures that they spout about not having to go to church to be a Christian.
“Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Lincoln said, "Well, let's see how many legs has a cow?" "Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly. "That's right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?" "Why, five, of course," was the confident reply. "Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
Bits & Pieces, July, 1991.
· Test the Spirits
· Test – “To assay or test metals, to see if they be pure, to put to the test, make trial of, scrutinize.” 1 Liddell, H. G. (1996). A lexicon: Abridged from Liddell
and Scott’s Greek-English lexicon (p. 208). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
· The question is, “Who do you say Jesus is?”
• Matthew 16:13-16 “13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
* No matter how spiritual someone may seem, no matter how much scripture they can quote, NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! Follow them if they don’t believe that Jesus came in the flesh!
* 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 “21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.”
▪ Test by asking questions.
▪ Hold fast what is true!
“It is important that you stay with the truth of God's Word. The Word (or message) Christians have "heard from the beginning" is all you need to keep you true to the faith. The Christian life continues just as it began: through faith in the Bible's message. A religious leader who comes along with "something new," something that contradicts what Christians have "heard from the beginning," is not to be trusted. "Try the spirits, whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). Let the Word abide in you (1 John 2:24), and abide in Christ (1 John 2:28); otherwise you will be led astray by the spirit of Antichrist. No matter what false teachers may promise, you have the sure promise of eternal life (1 John 2:25). You need nothing more!” Warren Weirsbe
• The Spirit of Anti-Christ John says is already in the world.
▪ 1 John 2:18-19 “18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have 19 9 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
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REBUILDING THE DIVIDING WALLS |
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 10 September 2021 |
"Lord help us a different denomination come together to show our community we are Christians 1st".Jesus destroyed the division between Jew and Gentile. But today, many of us are rebuilding a dividing wall of hostility, brick by brick. In levying new regulations on one another, we sacrifice peace, unity, and wisdom from above. What’s a better way?
By Jamie Turco and Jeremy Schurke
Man in the Mirror Team
Casselberry, FL
In Ephesians 2, Paul reminds the Ephesians of what Christ did for the Gentiles, who were once bitterly divided from the Jews—
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (v. 13-18, emphasis added)
Today, we aren’t arguing about circumcision. We don’t question whether we all have access to the Father through Christ. We accept and give thanks that that wall has been destroyed!
But within the body of Christ, many of us—even without realizing—are rebuilding a wall of division and hostility, brick by brick. Instead of “he himself” being our peace among Christians, we’re levying new commands and regulations on one another, and the price is unity and peace.
Current Events Over Eternal Ones
There’s no shortage of opinions around us on everything from vaccines to masks to race relations, sexual ethics, technology use, immigration, politics, education—the list goes on. We find opinions online, at the dinner table, in the church lobby, and in the conference room. But there is a shortage of fruitful conversation and listening to understand. And people are walking away from the church because of it.
Consider the past 18 months in your own life. Have you or someone you love left a friendship, small group, or a church over a different view on a current event? Or have you distanced yourself to avoid the issue altogether?
Christians aren’t going to agree on everything, nor should we have to. We come from a variety of experiences, backgrounds, personalities, and circumstances.
The question is not: How can we all agree? The question is: What’s different about Jesus followers than the rest of the world? If the conversation goes—Oh, we disagree? You’re wrong. Bye.—then there isn’t any distinguishing feature about us. If a tone of hostility, sarcasm, and contempt marks our interactions online and in person, then we look just like the world. Jesus’ death on the cross to bring us together in Him is obscured.
The question is not: How can we all agree? The question is: What’s different about Jesus followers than the rest of the world?CLICK TO TWEET
Part of our challenge is to adjust our focus. When we focus more on current events than eternal ones, it becomes difficult—if not impossible—to overcome our differences under the umbrella of Jesus Christ.
If, however, we let Christ be not just a common denominator, but the defining, common denominator of our lives and identity, then there’s room for all of us under that umbrella, as the lesser things get washed away.
Adjusting Our Focus
How can we recognize that we’re letting lesser things become a dividing wall of hostility? There’s no one symptom that looks the same in all of us, but there are some common side effects. Are you experiencing an uptick in anxiety, anger, indignation, offense, or hopelessness? Are any of your relationships suffering?
If you’re feeling divided from others in the body of Christ over current events, it may be time to do an audit of how you’re spending your time. Multiple studies have shown correlations between mental health and screen time, specifically with social media platforms. As our amount of screen time goes up, so do our feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation—made worse by algorithms that drive us further and further apart.
Is there a late-night news show that you could replace with seeking wisdom and truth from the scriptures? A social media list of friends that you could pray for instead of scrolling past? A podcast that you could sub out for hanging out with a friend?
Of course, we should concern ourselves with the current realities that others are facing. But we weren’t created to carry the whole world’s burdens day in and day out, with new ones coming in by the minute. The load is too heavy.
What we can carry, from a place of love, is the burden of a sick neighbor, or a grieving coworker, or a buddy who’s struggling in his marriage. The more you can zoom out on current events and zoom in on the events in the lives of those around you, the better.
Show up for the real people God has placed in your path.
The more you can zoom out on current events and zoom in on the events in the lives of those around you, the better.CLICK TO TWEET
The Pursuit of Peace
You’ve decided on some needed adjustments and made them. Unity in Christ is your focus. You’re engaging with real people and caring for them. You’re feeding yourself with scripture and not just news.
Now how do you overcome some very real differences to pursue peace with others?
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Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Friday, 03 September 2021 |
Lord help us to always rejoice in You as Psalms 5:11 tells us to do so we can pray for one another!
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You [a]defend them;
Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.
We owe one another our prayers, for we need one another, no we need God’s grace, mercy, peace, Love and justice all the time.
Note James 5:15-16
5 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 [a]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [b]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Can we see God reigns regardless of what goes on around the world. It is only God who knows what is going to happen next to keep us protected by His almighty hand. Prayer purifies our lives giving us empowerment over any crises we face.
Confessing to one another keeps us from thinking all is well. We are sinners saved by Grace from God not one another, or our grace. God’s grace.
Galatians 6:2 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. -- This happens when we abide in the Lords will for then we think of other, not ourselves. Then we see in 6:9-10
9 A let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Can you see the need for being transparent, as it gives people the opportunity to pray for one another to be strong in their faith? Trusting in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends, people are going to surprise us many time as we do not see their secrets!
Psalm 55:1-3 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
I am[c] restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
Let’s not hide our problems, but share them, so we can be healed of all our concerns.
We need to be interpreted or understood by God, not man? We can’t even know ourselves as we are Known. Sinners saved by Grace! We need help in every area of our lives!
As we see in Psalm 72:12-14
New King James Version
12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
Are we needy today? Yes, and it could be, no, it is multiplied as we do not know the value of sharing what is going on in our lives.
There is no greater service to one another than sharing with one another. This happen all the time in the Church we grew up in as a young person and it was shocking many times and these request needed to be keep in private with in the body. But man can’t keep secrets to themselves and people talk about people’s problems and request now they are no longer taken! Now we do not know what others are tempted with! Sad, but so true, so look at all the problems we deal with today as a Church apart of the Family of Gods.
Psalm 81:11-13
New King James Version
11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
12 So I gave them over to [a]their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.
13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
Are you alone on an Island, or are you living with others in order to hold one another accountable for their actions and behavior. We are a community living with others that may not be like you except they too are Gods creation and have problem caused by Satan’s addictions! Lord help us to reveal our frustrations so we can be assured all is going to be will for someone else knows what I am going through.
Romans 12:4-5 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Just as our bodies have many members working together we have life, so the Body of Christ needs to know the value of one another in the family of Gods. We are all wanting to do our best at achieving our Potential and that is trusting God as we all are of one mind or bend!
Psalms 111:1-2 I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
2 The works of the Lord are great,
Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
It is strange how we Look at one another and judge one another without knowing one another. Lets get to the place where we really understand we are all contending with the devil the enemy of our souls and the life of the Church. It is our hunger for Gods righteousness that we need to appreciate, plus one another’s righteousness. The greater our transparency the greater our love for one another! We are built to communicate our concerns and needs and when we are silent and coverup our trials and temptations we are destroying ourselves. |
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