FALSEHOOD

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Why is it that we cannot seem to leave good things alone?

It seems in our nature to want to be in control so bad that we will take the good things of God and we will twist them and turn them into something that they were never intended to be.

This propensity for manipulation is at the root of every false religion, twisted cult, and goofball claim of the supernatural. Our thirst for fame and power, and our desire to replace God’s truth with our version of his Word leads us down any number of dangerous and destructive paths.

Warnings

All the way back at the formation of the people of Israel, the people were warned repeatedly to stay away from those who would twist the truth that the Lord provided through his true prophets and through the giving of the law.

One such warning can be heard in:

“If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.”

Deuteronomy 18:22 NIV-11

In another section of Deuteronomy (Dt 13:1-3), the Lord tells the people that even if such a false prophet should perform miracles, signs, and wonders, that this person is not serving the Lord if they seek to lead anyone away from devotion to the one true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We know the history of those who received these warnings. They did not listen. And so the tale of twisted scripture continues.

Context

It is into this context of willful twisting and godly warnings that the Lord Jesus continues in his message to his disciples. In the following passage we hear more about our need to follow the right kinds of teachers:

“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:19-20 NIV-11

Lesser

What kinds of actions does the lesser teacher engage in and teach others to emulate?

  1. Breaking of the commands.
  2. Teaching others to break commands.
  3. Misleading of their students.
  4. Twisting of God’s truth for their own gain.

Greater

What kinds of actions does the greater teacher do and teach?

  1. Knows the true Words of God.
  2. Follows the truth of God’s commands and teachings.
  3. Gives proper instructions based on the actual message of scripture.
  4. Leads others by example.

Reflection

As you go through your day today, ask yourself:

· Am I in the message of God’s word for myself?

· How would I be able to recognize a twisted scripture or teacher?

· Are there any areas in my life and leadership that are leading others to a twisted view of God’s truth?

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

lead me to be a student

who follows the only master and Lord,

Jesus Christ.

In Christ,

Ryan Laden

Unity:

How can a busy and growing church remain united as one body, one family of faith? By choosing to focus on the same truths and same points of prayer.

If you know someone from Table Rock that should be included in these unifying devotionals, send them the following link (or with their permission, sign them up yourself).

Daily Devotional Sign-up:
https://mailchi.mp/0d8a6fe1f20c/mw2d5iojli

Message:

Again today we reflect on the message of Jesus Christ as heard in the following:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.””

Matthew 5:10-12 NIV-11

Resilience:

Resilience is a term used to describe how we can move through times of setback, hardship, and trial in such a way that we actually grow and mature in these times of challenge. We may lose someone or something near and dear to us in these hard times, but if we have prepared ourselves for the trial before it arrives, we often find that we can not only survive but learn to live in a new way that fills us with purpose and joy.

Resilience Requires Preparation:

We do not start the process of preparation for times of hardship when those hard times arrive. Instead, we need to be preparing for them in the good times. We need to get ready for the lean years by making the most of the times of plenty, otherwise we might find ourselves depleted and too weak to make it through.

Jesus’ Word:

The word that Jesus Christ gives his people in this message speaks to this need to prepare for the hard times to come. Jesus is preparing his people to face insult, accusation, and persecution as followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is helping those of us who are willing to see that these days of challenge will come and that is we want to mature and grow our way through them, then we must make the most of today.

· How are you investing in your own spiritual strength and wellbeing today?

· What more can you do to prepare yourself for the times of trial that will come?

· Are you investing in others in this same way?

· Are you helping to prepare the next generations for their own times of trial?

Reflection:

As you go through your day, spend time asking the Lord to help you see where you are preparing and strengthening yourself for the challenges to come.

Pray that you will set aside the temptation of laziness and idleness in your faith. Ask the Lord to help you make the most of the good times.

In Christ,

Ryan Laden

OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH

“TO ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP EACH OTHER IN LOVE TO KNOW JESUS AND MAKE HIM KNOWN”

 CONTACT INFO

Unknown's avatar

Published by Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

DINING WITH JESUS PRODUCTIONS. - is a 501 C3 Non-Profit Organization. DINING WITH JESUS MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to give honor glory and praise to our Creator. With our Christian episodes create spiritual awareness among all nations about the importance of having a relationship with Jesus. With God’s love we cast out His word to all the nations of the world to gather His church. DINING WITH JESUS VISION STATEMENT Our vision is to strengthen families through God’s word and increasing the number of people locally and from all nations to come to Jesus. God’s word will spiritually heal and transform individuals and communities creating a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives along with responsibility and accountability. Churches, business owners, non-profits and other organizations will participate in DWJ episodes providing all our viewers information about basic community resources to better the lives of their families. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? James 2:16 New International Version (NIV). DINING WITH JESUS OUTCOME We are here to strengthen families and with God’s blessing we will see an increasing number of episodes helping us to bring people locally and from all nations to Jesus. All these people will make a difference in their families and in their community. We will build up an ongoing network of support with Evangelical Christian churches, the Christian community, nonprofit organizations, business owners and families to continue to strengthen families. 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. Revelation 3:20 NKJ. To watch our Christian blogs and videos for free go to: diningwithjesus.net Pease follow us and share with others. Please keep this Ministry in your daily prayers. God bless you. Dining with Jesus TV Copyright 2016-2021