True Love is a Love That Can Be Seen

Love in Word and Deed

Book of 1 John Chapter 4 verse 7-21

Our lesson says the most effective way to deal with evil is to know the truth and then live as close to the truth as we possibly can.

The only way to deal with in world in a positive way, is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

To love in word is, not to just declare our love, but to let our actions prove our love!

To love in deed is that our love is a fact that cannot be denied!

This is God's philosophy of the "Born Again" child of God!

*****1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

We already know the number one commandment in all the Bible so, what is the number two commandment in all the Bible?

"Let us love one another for love is of God"!

The greatest of all test of the Christian is, "Do we love like God loves"? Do we really love our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we really love our neighbors? Do we love our fellow man, no matter who they are?

Loving one another is proof that we love the Lord Jesus Christ!

The nature of God "is love"!

What is atonement? Being "at one" in the Love we have for God and His creation!

All things were made because God made the things that He loved!

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

We might say that perfection cannot be created because perfection comes from being a part of God!

We can only be perfect when we do the things that God does and therefore conformed to His image.

This is the way Adam and Eve were created in the likeness of God.

Gen 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Gen 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

They remained in the likeness of God until sin entered into their lives and the Lord Jesus Christ had to come to remove the darkness of sin, so we can be restored to the likeness of God and then striving for perfection and the image of God!

This is what being born of God is all about! Reaching for true perfection and that perfection rest upon the perfect love of God!

When people look upon the Christian, they look to see if we have the nature of God. If they do not see what they believe to be the qualities of God, they see hypocrites, and everyone hates the hypocrite!

When they do see what they believe to be the qualities of God, then they think of Jesus Christ and again they hate us because they see what they are not, someone striving to be like Jesus, and it reminds them of their sin.

If they cannot see the love of God, and the joy of salvation, and the peace that comes from knowing our home is in Heaven, they will never know Holy Ghost conviction!

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

If we are not seen as someone working fervently to show the love of God, then how can we say we love God!

It is only because of the "Love of God" that we can know the "Mercy" of God from which comes the "Grace of God"!

*****1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The word "manifested" means, "to be made clear", "to be made apparent", "to be made obvious", "to be made evident".

God has proven His love toward us by sending His Son to His death just so we may live.

To live is to live forever in the presence of God.

To die is to live forever in the pits of the Burning Lake of fire along with the devil.

The life we live now, is only the time we are given to make that choice to decide which way we will go.

We might say, "well if God has all this great love then why can I not live as I please and still live forever in the presence of God in Heaven"?

The answer to this question lies in the promises of God.

God made certain promises to those who choose His only begotten Son, and the statement that we might live through Him.

If God is not a God of His Word then, "there is no God at all"!

Those who go to the Burning Lake of Fire go there not because God has forgotten His love but only because they did not choose the only path to Heaven, which is by Jesus Christ.

If you do not understand this, think take it up with God and see if you can talk Him into going against His Word which He will not do, because God is the same today as He was, back in the day of Adam!

Our world is full of evil and because of Jesus the world hates God, they curse God, they ignore God, reject God, they rebel against God, they deny God, and they oppose God, with none of these things making God love them less, but they must choose the right path and that path is by Jesus Christ!

The entire world has been full of sin! It was sin, that Satan used to seduced Eve into sin and Adam into disobedience.

Jesus the Messiah was sent to be the propitiation for that sin and Jesus paid the price so we do not have to pay that price and if we choose Jesus then this payment is accounted as our payment and we will receive a full pardon for our own life of sin.

It's really pretty simple! You may not get a pardon from your Governor, you may not receive a pardon from your President, but by Jesus Christ you can receive a pardon from your Creator and your God!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

These things are a sign of God's love!

This is the same sign that all others should be able to see in us and in our lives!

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

We will not be able to see God with our eyes until we get to Heaven, but we can see God in our heart if we show that same love, He has for us to all others!

*****1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

How do we begin to show the signs of perfection while on this earth? We show the love of God in our heart!

We read all these things about the love of God and we know they are true. Many of us have actually seen the love of God work in our lives.

We have seen how love can change our world, because we have seen what hatred does and hatred is in full view in our nation today and so many of those who talk about hatred are the same ones who instill hatred and cause hatred.

They operate fly by night, because they have no real answers, but the one thing they have in common, is that they oppose the truth of God!

No man has ever seen God! God is not known by sight! No human will ever come face to face with God!

God is Spirit and the only way to know God is by having the Holy Spirit come to live within your heart and regenerate a new soul!

Even the Holy Spirit teaches us said the same thing while Jesus was upon this earth:

Listen to John the Baptist:

Joh 1:15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

if you see God as some man then you will never feel near to Him, but God is Spirit and He can come right into your heart and live!

God came to this earth and was born of the Virgin Mary, as a babe, 100% God and yet 100% human, these things by the Holy Spirit, just so we can know our God and by the Scriptures God teaches us everything that we need to know to go home one day to the glory world!

God can only be known by love. God cannot be known by hatred because, hatred comes by humans and love comes by God!

Jesus the Messiah is the image of perfect love, yet those who would reject Him will slander His name because of hatred!

BUT, when we honor God's first begotten Son by believing on Him, then the ever-loving God will come and dwell in us to begin our "sanctification process" that will end one day in perfection, at bodily death or when the Lord returns in the clouds.

Even at this time we will never in our human flesh be able to stand before Christ Jesus because the flesh can never be made perfect!

If you love Jesus Christ, God will cause His "Divine Nature" to be a part of our lives while we live upon this earth.

This must be our testimony that we are "Born of God"!

The love of God cannot be perfected in us until the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) abides within us!

*****1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Notice the Holy Spirit is a gift and He is a willing gift. This is something the Holy Spirit wants to do. God loves His little children!

You see when the Holy Spirit lives within our heart and our heart influences our mind to be like Christ, to draw closer to Christ, then our own spirit will resemble Christ Jesus.

Rom_8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Php_1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Heb_9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

We know God by His love. There is no other way to know God because God is perfect love!

Our own testimony will show that God sent His love into this world by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to remove all hatred!

As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will remove our own hatred if we listen to Him, and this will leave only the love of Christ within us!

We already know when Lucifer was tossed out of Heaven, and He now walks to and fro throughout this earth, all he does is instill hatred and from this hatred come death, and immorality, and corruption, and all evil things.

The Holy Spirit will instill in us the image of Christ Jesus, to put a wall of love up that hatred is drawn to and hatred will never overcome love!

If we cannot know the love of God within us, then we need to reevaluate our salvation!

Jesus Christ came to be our Savior from hatred and instill in us the love of God!

The world was desperate until the Lord came and now those of the world have a choice to choose love or remain in hatred in this world that still shows the signs of desperation.

Satan is desperate because he is in his own last days and he will do anything to cause harm to God's testimony of love that comes by Jesus Christ!

Mankind through hatred will destroy itself and our Savior is more important than He has ever been, but time is running out for this world.

The signs of this world dying is showing every day. Some call it climate change, some are desperate to try to find some other world that does not exist, to try to escape what they know is in the future, but the fact remains, God already has a home prepared for His own children and He welcomes all who want to come, if they come according to the Word of God which will not accommodate hatred in any form or fashion but only by the love of Jesus Christ.

Thoughts and words by great men, great philosophers, great scientist, the great promises of politicians, are meaningless because this world needed a Savior!

Evil is destructive, but God's love is the builder of perfect things!

Christianity is God's power of love upon this earth and hatred's worse enemy! This is why Christians are so hated!

What did Jesus say?

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

This world tries it's best to hinder the Holy Spirit, but the world cannot stand against God's Holy Spirit!

Just ask all those from the past who have already tried!

God's answer is always the same! God says, "come to Me by My Son, or don't come at all"!

*****1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Those in the world have no problem with talking about gods. Everyone has their own personal gods.

BUT there is only One true God! There is only One God who is also our Creator who loved this world enough to save those who He created.

God made a promise:

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

God fulfilled this promise just as He has and will fulfill every promise He has ever made!

We just need to wrap our hearts and our minds around the truth.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We live in a world where promises are made every day and promises do not mean much anymore as they are so easily broken.

BUT our heavenly Father will not ever break a promise and He will never go against His Words.

It was and is the Jesus of the Bible. The same Jesus that the Apostles witnessed His death, His burial, and His resurrection that is the God of the Bible.

The same God who left the throne room of Heaven and came to this earth and put upon Himself the same sack of flesh that we wear and born as a babe grew up to be a man, who was the chosen Lamb of God to take away the sin of our world.

These are the most true words that some will ever hear, but if they refuse to confess that this Jesus is in fact the Son of God, then they will never know the true God and they will never meet the Savior that this world had to have!

It just takes a little faith and then allow God to show you things that will increase that faith just because of His great and marvelous love!

*****1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

We live in a world where men say they love other men in a lustful fashion:

Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Where women do the same:

Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Where they worship each other as gods:

Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Why?

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Now if God would see that these things were written down for us some 1800 years ago, and we witness them with our own eyes, and these who do such things have come out of the closet and broadcast their unrighteousness and immorality around the world, then how can we not believe what God has said.

Thinking they are wise they have become fools!

Why have these things become public?

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

This is not love, this is the workings of lust!

God is love! All men living in sin will draw back from the love of God, and that sin will not allow the love of God to come upon them!

We live in a world that makes up their own meaning of love, and God does not fit into their picture of love!

God makes it very simple. If we do not have God's picture of love, then we do not know love for love is God!

If God had a middle name that name would be "Love"!

Loving one another in God's love, is the only way we can tell we are Christians opposed to the world's description of love, which has become a foolish love, which is not love at all, but is built upon hatred to those who disagree with them.

If we have the love of God and love one another as God loves us, then we can say we are Christians.

1) God is love: God sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

2) All believers must love: We must live in the love for one another with the image of God's love.

3) Loving one another with the love of God is our means of knowing our salvation is pure and is real.

So how is this love mad perfect?

*****1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

It must be our goal to live as our Savior lived, and Jesus lived a perfect sin-free life. Even Jesus could not have done so if not for the love of God.

Love is a caring attitude for all people, especially those in our Christian family.

When we have this love, we do not have to fear the day of judgment!

When we have the love of God, because of the love of His Son, we have been delivered from God's judgment!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Judgment has been removed by faith, but we cannot see that in perfection until we understand the love of God and show that love ourselves.

I am sure that even at the "Judgment Seat of Christ" which is not about our salvation, we will not be so bold to stand before God as we will be judged for the things since our salvation for rewards or the loss of rewards, but the subject of our salvation will never come up.

We are justified! We are pardoned to never face that sin ever again!

Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

We have been restored to the family of God, because God is love and we have acknowledged that love!

When we have grown in Christ, it is because we have grown in the love of Christ.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

When our faith works according to the love of God which becomes our message of love, it is then that we can know, that we know, that we know, we are God's own children just as His own Son!

There is no fear in judgment for those who have the love of God and show this love to all those we meet!

*****1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

There is only one thing that we must fear, and He is also the one true Judge!

Pro_19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

This fear is a reverent fear of the Lord our God, but we must never forget His Awesome power.

There is no fear in the love of God, so there is no fear in love!

When we love someone with the love of God, we have no reason to fear them!

Even when those who come against us do so out of foolishness, we have no need to fear them because the peace and assurance that comes from the love of God erases all fear.

Perfect love cast our all fear. We cannot love one and hate the other, because this fear has torment, it will wear on your heart and the Holy Spirit will wear on your soul.

To fear is to have torment because this fear expects punishment and forever wonders when it will come!

To fear means we are not perfect in our love!

Even the fear of my death is gone, for those who would take my life can only send me home to the place where I belong!

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

All these come not because we knew love for no one understood love until we have known the love of God!

*****1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1Jn 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

The truth is we would have never known love, if not for our Creator!

Loving one another proves that love originated from the Lord and it was this same love that sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sin!

We may say we love God.

We may think we love God.

We may say it and think it and yet not show the love of God to all others.

Our love is shown in our actions. If our actions say otherwise, we are just hypocrites!

If God is truly our Father in Heaven, and He is, how can we say we love our Father and then show hatred toward any of His children?

If God had not shown His love for us, we would never have known love.

With love comes responsibilities!

If we are truly the Temple of God the Holy Spirit, and show no love to all others then we are not filled with God's Holy Spirit. It's just that simple!

If we cling to that personal sin that we refuse to give up, we are in open rebellion to God, and we cannot know the love of God!

The proof that God exist is that we keep His commandments and love as God does!

We think of murderers as the lowlifes of this earth, but when we reject the love of God and the "Grace" of God's Son, we have become murderers!

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Our love must be real. Our love cannot just be in feelings!

Our feelings alone are never a faithful guide to our Spiritual life!

It is easy to feel that some things considered to be wrong, may in fact be right.

It is easy to feel that some things considered to be right, may in fact be wrong.

God takes the guess work out of our feelings, and just says "obey my commandments" and put your feelings back in your pocket and forget about your feelings!

The truth is not determined by how we feel, the truth comes by what God has said is true!

One of the greatest commandments says: "he that loveth God love his brother also".

Amen

Let's Pray!

Knowing That Man Behind the Pulpit

Identification of False Spirits

Book of 1 John Chapter 4 Verse 1-6

What is our spirit? Our spirit is that part of us that is not flesh and bones!

The words of Jesus: Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

What is the soul? It is our soul that controls the power of our spirit!

Pro 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Pro 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

This is why the Lord saves our soul and fills us with His Spirit!

Php_1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

In our bodies of flesh it is the spirit that can be said to be the breath of life!

Gen 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

This is why our own spirit must be replaced with the Holy Spirit who has the breath of eternal life!

Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Having said all these things to get us started.

What are the traits of the Holy Spirit?

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

What are the fruits of our old spirit?

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

We know that John has been teaching us about false teachers, apostasy, and false doctrine, and we must understand who and what we are and why!

It is in our own actions that we can determine if we truly love God!

It is in the actions of others that we can tell if they love God!

It is in our own truthful confession of the Lord, that we can know the "Spirit of Truth"!

1Jn_4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Joh_14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

When we study the Scriptures, we will understand how the different spirits can influence our life:

On the Good side:

1) Spirit of God

2) Spirit of wisdom

3) Spirit of the Lord

4) Spirit of knowledge

5) Spirit of understanding

6) Spirit of counsel of His might

7) Spirit of humility

8) Spirit of heaviness

9) Spirit of Grace

10)Spirit of truth.

11)Spirit 0f holiness

12 Spirit of life

13)Spirit of meekness

14)Spirit of faith

15)Spirit of your mind (that has been renewed)

16)Spirit of the fear of the Lord

17)Spirit of glory

18)Spirit of life

19)Spirit of prophecy

On the bad side:

1) Spirit of jealousy

2) Spirit of the ruler

3) Spirit of judgment

4) Spirit of burning

4) Spirit of whoredoms

5) Spirit of the unclean devil

6) Spirit of infirmity

7) Spirit of divination

8) Spirit of slumber

9) Spirit of the world

10)Spirit of fear

11)Spirit of the Antichrist

12)Spirit of error

It is very important that we understand the spirit, because all of our functions are under the control of our spirit!

Ecc_3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

*****1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

What is wrong with the modern-day church? The Church is not trying the spirits!

It is easy to say, "I'm a Christian" but the reality of that is, "whose rules do you follow"?

If those behind the pulpits do not speak according to the Word of God, then they are not of God. It’s just that simple!

If those who are teaching do not teach the actual Word of God, then they are not of God. It’s just that simple!

In the Word of God we are commanded not to sit in judgment of others so, instead of being judgmental then all we must do is look at the facts.

To try the spirit is to put to the test the principles they follow!

How can we tell if we really love God? We can tell by the Spirit of the preachers and Teachers we are following!

The "beloved", God's children, will not follow those who are not true believers themselves!

Jesus put it this way:

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

The false teacher will present a way that seems like the truth but by seeing if they live by the true Word themselves, you will see the difference!

We can hear those things that say, "God did this and God did that", but we better hear that God is Jesus Christ!

We had better hear about the Triune God! God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

A false teacher may seem to preach all the right things without living as if he knows the truth.

They will use Science to teach us the things of nature.

They will teach that the laws of Science are based on facts and are absolutely uniform.

They will teach that the human race is elevated above all animals but in accordance to the laws of nature.

They will twist all these things around until all of a sudden you realize they have rejected a Divine Creator, so they are liars!

They will teach that the kingdoms of the world are necessary to maintain order and suppress violence, and repel wars but none of these things can work without the Church and the Holy Spirit, so again they are liars!

They are the great philosophers, and writers, and thinkers, who speak of great things, many in the mega churches of today, but if you read their works you will see that they speak many things against true Christianity. Very seldom do they teach their thoughts on Jesus Christ because they are all liars!

The religionist will teach great respect for Christianity, but they will be in opposition to Christian principles.

Well known, so called godly men, will say great prayers without mentioning Jesus Christ for fear they might offend someone.

If they are offended at the name of Christ, then they are antichrist. It’s just that simple!

America was once known as a Christian nation, but look what is going on in our streets, in our societies, in our politics and in our Churches, which tell an entirely different story!

Just how does God feel about that false preacher and that false teacher?

Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

Has God changed for this stance He took a few thousand years ago? No, He never changes!

Jesus said these people were coming and believe me they are here!

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

So how are we to know them?

*****1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

Jesus Christ is the Messiah! Plant that in your memory!

So many are looking for some messiah and some great movement of God and it has already started!

Not quite 2000 years ago there was a babe born of a virgin in Bethlehem just as the Old Testament Scriptures had declared!

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

His name was Jesus and this name was given to Him by the Holy Spirit, who is also God. The name Jesus means Savior!

Luk_1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Luk_2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

You see it is what you believe about Jesus Christ that makes you a Christian or not a Christian. There is no other measurement!

You cannot just believe in Him you must believe on Him!

The Bible says Jesus fed 5000 with two small fishes and five small loaves of bread, you had better believe it!

Mat 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Mat 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

Mat 14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Jesus said Jonah was swallowed by a whale and three days later, he was spit out to preach in Nineveh, you had better believe it or you are calling Jesus a liar.

Mat_12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Mat_12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The Bible says Jesus died for my sins. I truly believe that this is true! You had better believe that He died for your sins because this is also the truth!

Rev_1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Jesus said he would rise from the grave in three days to prove He is God. I believe this is true!

Mat 27:63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

Mat 27:64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

Jesus said He is God and you had better believe this is true, because it is!

Jesus said there are no other gods and I believe this is true because it is!

You do not belong to God unless you are a home for the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit will never live in a house of sin!

If you cannot believe that Jesus is the Messiah that has come and will come again one day, then you cannot be filled with God, the Holy Spirit!

The only way for you to believe a lie is that you must reject the truth and every "word" about the Lord Jesus Christ is true. In fact every "word" is so true the Apostle John said He could be known as "the Word"!

1Jn_5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Every spirit that confesses all these things are true are the children of God!

All those that reject the truth of Jesus do not belong to God!!!!!!!

*****1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

We live in a world full of counterfeits!

There is no Christianity without there also be hypocrites.

There is no gold without there also be tin.

There is not wheat without there also be tares.

There is no truth without there also be lies.

There is no Christ without there also be Antichrist!

We must understand that we cannot bow down to everything that resembles God!

This is the exact way the Antichrist will take over this world. He will appear to be the Messiah!

This will be in appearance only. If his spirit is tested, he will easily be seen as an impostor.

We already know the truth of the Messiah. He came in the flesh born of the virgin Mary.

We already know the circumstances of the return of the Messiah, our Savior. He will meet His Church in the clouds.

Any other counterfeit that does not measure up is exactly that, a counterfeit of the Antichrist.

Those that confess things other than these are also antichrist! Counterfeit Christians. Hypocrites!

There are many spirits in the world and most all of them are spirits who deny the truth of Jesus Christ!

The false teacher will not commit to Jesus Christ the Savior.

The false teacher will not commit to Jesus Christ the Messiah.

The false teacher will not commit to Jesus Christ, come down from Heaven, taking on the flesh of man, dyeing a sinners death, rising from that death as God and returning to His throne in Heaven, to give us time to believe or to not believe His wonderful plan of salvation for all mankind!

When the false teacher denies Jesus Christ, they have denied God and are bound for Hell!

The false teacher will destroy the truth of salvation when they are given the opportunity to do so!

The false teacher will destroy the hope of a lost and dyeing world if they are listened to.

All those who declare they are made of God but remain in sin are the disciples of false teachers.

The proof remains, are we trying to be like Jesus Christ and know that He is the God of Heaven come down in the flesh to save those who believe Him?

What did Jesus say?

Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Jesus came to separate the Christian from the Counterfeits!

We know for sure these false teachers are in the world and America is already feeling the damage from the works of their lyes.

These antichrists are raising up with a loud voice because it is almost time for the Antichrist to come out from his darkness into the light of man.

Remember our study of 2 Peter.

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

There has never been a time in all history that these things have been more truer than they are now!

All the conditions are in place for the man of sin to step out onto the scene but there is another truth also.

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

The Lord our Savior is far more powerful than any Antichrist.

All those He has given victory will remain in that victory!

How is this possible?

*****1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

All these things teach us the answers to our own questions! When we ask, do we belong to God? Then the answer lies in Jesus Christ.

Does Jesus have a home in our heart? Do we believe all the things of Jesus Christ? Do we trust our Savior?

Have we been born again into the family of God?

When we can answer these questions with Jesus, then we know we are in the family of God because we know the truth!

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

These are the very words of our Savior.

When we know these things then we can overcome all the teachings of false teachers and false preachers!

You see the Holy Spirit cannot fail, when you cling to Jesus Christ!

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

You see the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is much more powerful than the Devil!

The Holy Spirit will assist us in every purpose that is opposed by the Devil!

The Holy Spirit has more freedom to touch the hearts and the minds of man than the Devil can ever have!

There is nothing and no one, who has the power of the Holy Spirit, but He as God will never force His ways upon us!

We can only have access to His power by Jesus Christ!

We have only one thing we are to do, and this is, we must play by God's rules!

Jesus said:

Joh_14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Joh_15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

The reason we are on the winning side is because we have a Mighty Savior!

The Antichrist is no stronger than just a thought in the Mind of Christ Jesus, and he can be tossed into the Burning Lake of Fire by the smallest Angel in Heaven at any time God so chooses!

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Our enemy has never been those who are lost. Our enemy has always been the Devil and his spiritual followers! His demons.

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Those who follow the Devil are those who have fallen into the lyes of the Devil's world!

*****1Jn 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

You want to see the greatest test of false teachers? Look at those who follow them and see how they live!

And then see how the world responds to them.

Remember the world hates Jesus Christ and those who love Him.

If there is anything Satan is wise about, he is wise with the wisdom of those who are in Hell.

It is the wisdom of evil that is passed to those principalities, to those powers, to those rulers of darkness (Satan's demons, fallen angels), to those with spiritual wickedness in high places.

These are the voices we hear when we listen to the false news. These are the voices we hear from the United Nations. These are the voices we hear from all those who oppose Christianity. These are the voices we hear that oppose Israel. These are the voices we hear of all those who oppose the Church!

Luk 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

These are the voices the world is listening to and these voices are drowning out the voice of the Church!

Jesus will return to do what the Church has not been able to do!

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

The Bible says Satan will keep them happy with things that affect their senses!

Mic 2:11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

This is the sort of stuff that the world loves to hear!

Luk_17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

These are not to be the ways of the children of God!

*****1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

After becoming a child of God, the greatest advantage we have over those who reject God is the fact that we can speak directly to God Himself.

God ears are always open to hear His children!

God listens, God convicts, God leads us to do right. God will lead us away from those who choose wrong!

You see whenever we are in doubt, we can converse with God through prayer. We can converse with the Holy Spirit in the Word of God and it can be said we can converse with Jesus Christ through the red lettered words but understanding the Holy Spirit gave us all the Word of God.

You can see that we can know the truth and it is the truth that makes us free from the falseness of Satan.

Those that trust Satan are losers because Satan is a loser!

Those that trust the world are losers because the world follows Satan.

Those that trust nature are losers because God is Spiritual, and the natural world will perish.

Those who follow the spirit of error cannot speak or cannot be heard by the only One who can save them!

Those who trust anything, but God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will never even get a smell of Heaven, but they will see plenty of ever-burning fire!

We should be able to look around at the people around us and see if they follow the spirit of truth or if they follow the spirit of error.

This is the thing that breaks my heart every day when I see some of my grandchildren following the spirit of error!

Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Joh 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

While Jesus walked upon this earth, even as God in the flesh, He said "even I follow all the Word of God"!

It is not hard to know the truth it may be hard to do the truth but by Jesus Christ even this is possible!

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The truth comes by Jesus Christ who then seals us with the Holy Spirit!

There is only one Holy Spirit!

Amen

Let's Pray!