Church of Laodicea
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Are you aware that your sickness, sorrows, trials and deficits in life are God's chastisement for you, out of His love? He wants to set you free from your sinful ways if only you would repent.
Do not be deceived into thinking that these are demonic attacks. If God could not keep the devil in check, then He is unworthy to be your Father God.
Note: No one can touch nor harm you without the approval of our Father God.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
The Lord is calling out to you incessantly. Will you turn over a new leaf and welcome Him into your life?
Rev 3:21-22 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Christians who overcome the wickedness of the world, must also be merciful and full of the fruit of the Spirit since the throne of God is His mercy seat.
Deception of Eve
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
God allowed Adam to eat from all the trees in the garden of Eden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge. The devil twisted what God said and made Eve believed that all the fruit in the garden were not for their consumption.
Prior to her ill encounter with the devil, Eve had eaten fruits from the garden. Convinced that she had made a blunder, she threw all caution to the wind by succumbing to her craving for the jewel in the crown, the fruit from the forbidden tree! Eve fell for Satan's deception and sinned.
Birth of New Heresies
Satan did not stop at Eve! He is still actively feeding us lies through the internet, online and offline media, and from the pulpit. Not learning from Eve's folly, some Christians fell into the sweet lies of Satan. They are led to believe that they have discovered a new revelation from God, thus starting another heresy.
Early Heresy in NT Churches
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
The first heresy occurred in the book of Acts where converted strong headed Pharisees insisted on partially keeping the obsolete Mosaic Law. The unbiblical dogma is propagated by unlearned churches today and have earned quite a following.
Gal 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Lesson from Jesus's Temptations
Mat 4:3-4, 6, 9 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God... If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down... All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
The devil repeatedly challenged Jesus to feed His hunger, to crave power and to covet for wealth by insinuating that if Jesus could not do so, He would not be the Son of God.
Today, covetous pastors and Christian influencers preach that as Christians are the sons of God, we should be affluent, powerful, and live a victorious trouble free lives. The title as the sons of God does not befit us if we are anything less.
These ideologies give rise to heresies like prosperity gospel, positive confession, once saved always saved, secret rapture, and many others.
