Published by admin on 07 Mar 2014 at 02:07 pm
DISCERNING A COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL
Before every genuine move of God there is always a counterfeit, and maybe several of them, which the devil uses to deceive people from the true Gospel of Christ Jesus. Early on Jude warned in verses 3-5;
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jud 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
Mind you, those aren’t MY words, but those of one of the original disciples, preserved for us today. It shows me that Satan didn’t waste any time perverting the true Gospel, into something that smells good, looks good, and sounds good, but it had NO POWER! So, we go to church and hear the “Gospel”, ok, as a Burger King commercial once put it, WHERE’S THE BEEF? Where’s the fruit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that was once delivered to the saints? Where are the thousands of people who hear the Gospel and instantly turn to God with their whole heart, as it happened in the early church with “thousands added to the church” as it was in the Book of Acts? Where are the miracles of healing? Well, the answer seems to be, “That was in the days of the disciples, God isn’t doing that anymore.” OH, IS THAT RIGHT? So you’re telling me the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been discontinued?
Apparently it has; the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is. You see, we have plenty of counterfeit “Gospels” out there today, and you can pick and choose which ever one tickles your ears. Different strokes for different folks, they say. You can have a “prosperity gospel”, you can have a “power and authority” gospel, you can have a “bless me, bless me gospel”. Why, you can even have a “gospel of dominion” if that’s what rings your bell. Yet the words of the Lord Jesus sound clearly to me today as they did the day He spoke them;
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Preachers today preach a “feel good” gospel, that I call the “BURGER KING GOSPEL”. They tell you God loves you and knows your heart and He understands it’s hard to be a Christian these days, so it’s ok if you don’t turn from your sins, or tell others about Jesus. They tell you God wants you rich, blessed, prospered, and that if something is going wrong in your life that you need to send your offering to their ministry and God will get you out of it. And at the end of the service they will relieve you of your excess money and send you on your way assuming all is well and all your problems are hereby solved, that is, if you GAVE enough. You did know God is for sale, right? You can buy whatever size God you need for the appropriate offering to their ministry. Do yourself a favor; buy the “Extra-large family size” the first time, otherwise you’ll have to keep coming back and buying the latest version of God, as in God 3.1. Of course, that “updated and improved version of God” can always be had for today’s special price of $$___ (which is subject to change according to how much the preacher struts and sweats.) “Call that number on the bottom of your TV screen NOW and give your best offering!!”
Brother Jerry, do you have to be so hard? Yep. I want YOU to find the STRAIT GATE and enter therein. I can’t do it for you. Did you notice that even the followers of the “Counterfeit Gospel” can cast out devils, and prophesy, and do many wonderful works? So works aren’t the litmus test of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. How then do you discern the real deal? READ THE BIBLE! DO WHAT IT SAYS!
Jesus said the servant is not above his master. Here, read it for yourself:
Mat 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Mat 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
Mat 10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
What then can I do to be saved?
That has been the question of the ages, and Peter summed it up like this in the Book of Acts, 2:36-41
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Notice that last verse, about three thousand souls were added unto them. When was the last time that happened in YOUR church, hmmmm? The true Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached gets results. What we hear today doesn’t. Does that tell you anything? Do you hunger for the TRUE GOSPEL that was once delivered to the saints, that Jude spoke of?
Brothers and sisters, I don’t have all the answers, but I have the answer YOU need today: READ THE BIBLE, BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ, AND LET IT CHANGE YOUR LIFE ACCORDINGLY. Repent of your sins and STOP DOING THEM. Get over yourself, it isn’t about YOU, and you having every creature comfort under the sun, it’s about JESUS and what He did for you, how He told His disciples to love and serve one another. Healing is part of the Gospel, but not the WHOLE gospel, for what good is a perfectly healed body if you’re going to hell with it? You can be healed; I was and still am twenty years later, but it’s not because I stayed in my sins, I repented and hated them forsook them and determined to obey God in all He reveals to me.
The LORD asked me several years back, “Jerry, do you want to be popular, or do you want to help people make it to My Kingdom?” Well, THAT’S a no-brainer, LORD, I want to help people to make it to Your Kingdom. “Well then, you’re going to have to tell them things they don’t want to hear sometimes.”
Listen good: this is one of those times………
I suppose I’ll get many “unsubscribes” for saying all this, but do you know what? I’m not doing this to be popular, I’m doing it because the LORD told me to. As Jesus said, Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Those embracing the “Counterfeit Gospel” will walk away, chasing after their own lusts. Many will, in fact. But a few will turn from their sins and truly become disciples of Christ Jesus. I pray YOU will be one of them. In closing, I leave you with the promise of 2 Peter 3:9;
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Sadly, not all will come to repentance, because they’ve been listening to a “counterfeit Gospel”. But it isn’t the LORD’S will any be lost. He leaves that choice up to each person. And the devil is betting that you will listen to a counterfeit gospel and he’s working on his next sermon to sucker you in. As I said earlier, READ THE BIBLE and you will be able to recognize the true Gospel of Jesus Christ from the counterfeit. And when you’re listening to a “counterfeit gospel” that sounds real good and feels real good that tickles your ears and glorifies YOU instead of GOD and you’re seeking a sign from God, look right above the door, and it says EXIT. Do yourself and God a big favor: take the nearest exit and go home and have a REAL experience with God in His Word. You’ll never be satisfied with the fake stuff again.
Terry g warman on 07 Mar 2014 at 4:17 pm #
Truth in Action…..!!!!!!
“Action”….. Speaks doesn’t it my Brother!!!!
I passed this on to Larry.
Lord Bless ALL YOU DO!
Love you Brother!
Keep the Faith.
JESUS wasn’t running a POPULARITY Contest either!!!
nor should we.
!
Terry
Rebecca Peters on 07 Mar 2014 at 6:54 pm #
Amen Brother Jerry. Thank you for speaking the truth. God bless you and your ministry in mighty and miraculous ways. Glory to His name.
Lorie Leahy on 07 Mar 2014 at 7:46 pm #
Thanks Jerry!
joewbaker on 08 Mar 2014 at 7:33 am #
Good message
Arthur Hartwell on 08 Mar 2014 at 1:20 pm #
Amen. God has Paul tell the Philippians: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
I wish I had learned this much earlier in my walk with Jesus. I had to purge myself of a lot of lies that prevented my from maturing in Christ.
Being a servant isn’t an attractive message for a lot of people, but it’s the one I preach.