Video Bible Lesson - From Alienation to Reconciliation by Dr. Charles Stanley

From Alienation to Reconciliation
by Dr. Charles Stanley

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

2/8/2020

02/08/2020

From Alienation to Reconciliation
Dr. Charles Stanley
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Separation, rejection, and alienation are unpleasant experiences that we usually try to avoid at all costs. But we live in a fallen world, so we cannot totally escape them.
Isolation from other people is bad enough, but what's worse is that many individuals live apart from the heavenly Father. How tragic and futile life must be when it is spent completely detached from its Creator. God planted within each of us a desire to be in relationship with Him, so until we find our connection to Him, we will always feel that something is missing.
And yet as crucial as that relationship is to our well-being, something stands in its way: Whether by our thoughts or actions, we have all violated the Lord's commands (Rom. 3:23), and our pure, holy God cannot be in the presence of sin. Romans 6:23 states that the penalty for sin is death, which is an eternal separation from the Lord. Therefore, we will always have a void.
What a bleak outlook for mankind! But our loving Father solved the dilemma by sending His Son to pay our penalty. Fully God and fully man, Jesus lived the perfect life, took all our iniquity upon Himself, and died a gruesome death on the cross. No longer are we condemned for our wrongs, because Christ took our place. And three days later, He victoriously rose to life.
Salvation is available to anyone who believes and receives this remarkable gift. John 3:16 describes how reconciliation puts an end to our alienation: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

What Is a Cult? The 6 Telltale Signs to Look For

• Dr. Roger Barrier
• "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30).
  Paul is speaking to the early church—and to us—about cults. They will and have come. They existed then and now. If we’re not extremely careful, they can draw us away from the truth.
  One quick note before we begin. The term “cult,” as expressed in the English language, can be used in both secular and religious settings. For example, “the singer's cult of fans” or “the film has a cult following.”
  Today, we will work with religious cults, defined by Dictionary.com as “great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers; a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.”
  The following characteristics will help us define and recognize the nature of a cult. 

  First, the most dastardly, insidious mark of a cult is that it ignores or distorts the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

  To one degree or another, all cults deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Their teachings and principles will eventually leave a person unsaved, without a relationship with Jesus Christ, and spending eternity in hell.

The Bible teaches that faith in Christ, plus nothing else, equals salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

The three most obvious cults today are Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Watchtower Society, and Mormons. All three put good works in the place of “nothing else," suggesting the redeeming work of Jesus is not sufficient by itself. Faith plus anything else is heresy.

This characteristic of cults is so significant that Paul literally pronounces a curse as he shares his displeasure and outright anger at these false prophets who minimize, distort, or change the gospel:

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; ... But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

Please note that the word Paul used for “curse” is the strongest word for cursing in the Greek language. Technically, it dooms the one who is cursed to the darkest, deepest, most horrible fate imaginable.

Second, most cults are led by a dynamic, charismatic leader who eventually controls and manipulates his or her followers.

Jim Jones was a psychopathic, manipulative, controlling, and insidious leader. He founded the People’s Temple in Indiana during the 1950s. Jim began moving to different cities, gaining followers at each one. In the mid-1970s, he relocated all of his followers to Guyana on the northwest coast of South America.

Then in 1978, rumors began to circulate, alleging that human rights abuses were occurring in the People’s Temple. United States Congressman Leo Ryan went to investigate. Ryan and several defectors were murdered by gunfire while boarding a return flight home. Shortly thereafter Jones led all of his 918 followers—including 304 children—to commit suicide by drinking Kool-Aid spiked with cyanide.

Jones was a brash overlord who enslaved his followers… ultimately leading to their deaths.

In contrast, true Christian leaders are humble. Jesus described himself as "meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).

Paul mentored Timothy as a pastor and church leader in two of his letters. In 1 Timothy 3:1-4, Paul described a godly leader: 

“Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.”

Third, surprisingly, most cult leaders grew up in a Christian environment.

Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, grew up in a Presbyterian home. Jim Jones attended a Nazarene church; later he pastored a Disciples of Christ congregation before founding the People’s Temple. Moses David (David Berg), founder of the Children of God, is the son of evangelical parents and served as a minister in a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. Mary Baker Patterson Glover Eddy, founder of the Christian Scientists, and Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, were both raised in Christian homes and churches.

Obviously, there are many reasons why cult leaders turn from Christianity. I would guess that some imagined hearing a voice from God telling them that they were divinely inspired to begin something new. Some were deceived by demonic promptings. Others were arrogant con men and con women who knew just enough Bible to get everything confused. Many were arrogant, grandiose people whose pride led them to destruction.

Fourth, cult leaders tend to ignore, confuse, add to, and/or demean the Bible’s teachings.

It is easy to trap Christians when cultists speak Christian language. This is why churches need to teach the Bible early and definitively. This is why new Christians need mentors.

Occasionally, the media draws our attention to a leader who counts up biblical numbers and is convinced that he or she knows the date of Christ’s Second Coming.

I recall one such group in southern Arizona that I identified as a “Second Coming Cult.” This particular cult leader went to the Bible, added up some dates, and declared that he had figured out the exact time and day of our Lord’s return (never mind Matthew 24:36).

Cults like his spring up occasionally. He convinced his followers to sell all their possessions because they would no longer need them after Christ’s return.

Jesus didn’t return on his time. The cult dissipated quickly. Most had nothing to show for it except some clothes in a closet.           

Like all cult leaders, this man demeaned the truth of the Scriptures. Jesus said that only God the Father knows the day and time of his return.

Fifth, cults use devious methods to trap, deceive, and control their followers.

In an article entitled "The Power Abusers," Ronald Enroth demonstrates some of the tools used by cults to control their members:

• Behavior Control: An individual’s associations, living arrangements, food, clothing, sleeping habits, finances, etc., are strictly controlled

• Information Control: Cult leaders deliberately withhold or distort information, lie, propagandize, and limit access to other sources of information

• Thought Control: Cult leaders use loaded words and language, discourage critical thinking, bar any speech critical of cult leaders or policies, and teach an “us vs. everyone else” doctrine

• Emotional Control: Leaders manipulate their followers via fear (including the fear of losing salvation, and the fear of being shunned, etc.)

Personally, I know of one freshman college student who fell into a cult led by a man named Brother David. She had been to church all of her life but became entrapped by both his teachings and personal guidance.

She writes: “Brother David (not his real name) pastored a wildly demonstrative congregation, and people prophesied over me twice a week. I didn't need to listen to God anymore; my fellow followers told me exactly what to do (and what not to do). I had this gnawing feeling growing deep inside that God was mad at me all of the time. I felt that I had disappointed Jesus if I were not fasting and reading the Bible constantly. I withdrew from friends and family, dismissing them as carnal and deceived.”

Fasting at his suggestion, she reached 89 pounds before her parents and boyfriend succeeded in wrenching her free. Unfortunately, she was kind enough to tell Brother David why she was leaving. He told her that she could go to hell.

Sixth, people join cults for a number of reasons.

Some look at the level of religious mediocrity that they see all around them and find cults more attractive, as they tend to be more demanding.

Others are looking for a new or deeper spiritual experience. They listen to an attractive personality and admire their reputation for superior godliness.

Still, others are attracted to authoritarian movements that offer black and white, clear-cut answers or systematic approaches to life's problems.

Some crave a message that seems to support their own beliefs and desires.

Many lived through a church split and were hurt and disillusioned. They swore never to return. Then, they were exposed to a cult that seemed fresh and new. They were ripe for conversion.

Paul calls out all of these motives in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.”

One other group is especially vulnerable: young Christians who get confused about the truth.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

How to Avoid being Seduced by Cult Leaders and Teachings 

1. Study Scripture in order to know true doctrine and biblical teaching.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

2. Don't forget or ignore what you've already learned.

“Peter, knowing that his days were numbered, reminded his readers of those truths which they had already learned.” (2 Peter 1:12-13)

3. Develop a consistent and committed walk with Christ. Grow up!

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” (Colossians 2:6)

4. Consciously pray and practice the filling of the Holy Spirit.

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

5. Before leaving the house in the morning, put on the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6:10-18.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes... the belt of truth... the breastplate of righteousness... the shoes out the gospel of peace... the shield of faith… the helmet of salvation... the sword of the Spirit... and pray in the spirit...”

6. Use James 4:7 as needed for spiritual warfare.

“Submit to God; resist the devil; and he will flee from you.”

How to Help Deprogram Someone Out of a Cult  

-We must recognize the power of prayer and our dependence on the Holy Spirit for healing.

-Since damage was done in a relational context, healing must also take place in a healthy, safe relationship.

-Use the Scriptures and take time to help the individual identify their cult’s particular biblical distortions in a safe setting.

-Avoid criticizing, confrontation and arguing.

-As often as possible, give them an infusion of truth about who God is and how He sees us.

-As they emerge to freedom, connect them with a healthy church.

God, I Need You—4 Practical Prayers to Ask God for Help

• Carrie Lowrance
• We live in a world that is full speed ahead all the time. It is so easy to get caught up in our daily lives doing what we do: going to work, shuttling kids, running errands, and all the other responsibilities that we have. We live in a society that promotes self-reliance and the idea that we should be “Wonder Woman” or “Superman” and not need anyone.
  The constant pressures of life and society make it so easy to forget that we need God in our lives. We get caught up trying to juggle everything ourselves and don't rely on Him. It’s no wonder we often feel exhausted and at our wits' end when life keeps piling it on. We need God. Everyone needs Jesus every day. If you have been carrying life’s burdens on your own and haven’t been mindful of how much you need God lately, don’t despair. It happens sometimes, and thankfully we serve an awesome, loving God who gives us a fresh slate every day.
  Here are some prayers to help you ask for God’s help:

  A Prayer for God’s Help

  Dear Lord,
  I pray over my circumstances right now. I pray you will give me peace about what I can’t change and the wisdom to change the things I can. I’m asking you to reach into my life and do your will. Guide me and give me the discernment to hear your voice. Help me to overcome these adversities and have victory in you on the other side. I thank you for the plans you have for me and give you the praise and glory, even in this current storm. In your name, I pray. Amen.

  A Prayer for Faith in God

  Dear Lord,

I thank you for the gift of faith. Although things have been difficult, I’m trying to stay positive and keep the faith. Lord, I ask that you help encourage me. Bring a passage of scripture to my attention, send the perfect song my way, or place someone in my life to lift me up. Thank you for all you’re doing that I can’t see yet. In your name, I pray. Amen.

A Prayer for Dependence on God

Dear Lord,

I have been struggling with depending on you. I have been trying to carry this thing called “life” on my own. Thank you so much for being my rock and never deserting me. Even though I have been distracted, I always know that I can lean on you in all circumstances. Help me to keep my eyes on you and not depend on myself all the time. In your name, I pray. Amen.

A Prayer to Know God More

Dear Lord,

Sometimes I get so lost in my life and don’t know what to do. During these times, I wish I knew you more. Help me to grow closer to you and understand you. I want to hear your voice and let you guide me on this road called life. Please draw closer to me and surround me with people that will help me to know you personally. Ignite a spark in my heart to have a personal relationship with you. In your name, I pray. Amen.

How God Loves You

God loves you in so many ways. No matter what you are going through, he’s right there with you. God knows your circumstances and your struggles. He knows all the different emotions that you are going through and all the thoughts that run through your head. Still, he loves you, regardless of any doubts or fears that you have.

Some ways that God loves us include:

• Providing for us in trying times.
• Bringing a particular passage, scripture verse, or song to our attention to remind us we are not alone.
• Working in the background of our lives (and others) even though we aren’t able to see it.
• Bringing the right opportunities into our lives when we feel all is lost.
• Filling us with his peace and love to comfort us.
• Sending people into our lives to comfort us, encourage us, and teach us.

How to Have Faith in God

Having faith in God is crucial and goes hand-in-hand with needing him. There are many ways to have faith in God that are important for long-time believers, new believers, and those who are restoring their faith as well.

Have a personal relationship with Jesus. This is most important above anything 

else.

• Ask for faith from God. John 14:13 says, “You can ask anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.”
• When problems arise, seek God first and listen carefully with an open heart.
• Open up to God about everything, for he already knows every thought that goes through your head.
• Read the Bible and pray every day.
• Surround yourself with other believers that you trust and can talk to.

Bible Verses about Our Need for God

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5)

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17)

God wants you to need him and depend on him. In return, he wants to know you and have an intimate, personal relationship with you.

“In those days you will pray, and I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13) When things are too overwhelming, stop and look up and say, “God, I need you.” He will show up beyond your wildest expectations.

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

And, lo, I am with you always (Matthew 28:20).

Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear. Instead, as they arise look at them with the full assurance that God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. Hasn't He kept you safe up to now? So hold His loving hand tightly, and He will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.

Do not look ahead to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it. Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries.
--Francis de Sales

The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23:1

Not was, not may be, nor will be. "The Lord is my shepherd." He is on Sunday, on Monday, and through every day of the week. He is in January, in December, and every month of the year. He is when I'm at home and in China. He is during peace and war, and in times of abundance or poverty.
--J. Hudson Taylor

He will silently plan for you,
His object of omniscient care;
God Himself undertakes to be
Your Pilot through each subtle snare.
He WILL silently plan for you,
So certainly, He cannot fail!
Rest on the faithfulness of God,
In Him you will surely prevail.
He will SILENTLY plan for you
Some wonderful surprise of love.
No eye has seen, nor ear has heard,
But it is kept for you above.
He will silently PLAN for you,
His purposes will all unfold;
Your tangled life will shine at last,
A masterpiece of skill untold.
He will silently plan FOR YOU,
Happy child of a Father's care,
As if no other claimed His love,
But you alone to Him were dear.
--E. Mary Grimes

Whatever our faith says God is, He will be.

Grounded in Truth ........ Dr. Charles Stanley

Grounded in Truth

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 25:4-10

If we'll let the truths of Scripture fill our minds, guard our emotions, and influence our conduct, God will richly reward us. I'm talking about spiritual blessings here (though He at times chooses to bless materially as well). By reading and meditating on His Word, you'll learn to understand His ways. This isn't something we can figure out on our own, because His ways are unlike ours—they are higher, bigger, and eternal.

Also, your relationship with the Lord will grow increasingly more intimate because He chooses to reveal Himself to those who seek Him and obey His instructions. When you see that God always keeps His promises, your confidence in His faithfulness will soar. No matter what the situation, you'll know you can trust Him. Then He'll transform your worries into joyful anticipation about what He's going to do next in your life. Even if hard times await, you'll be convinced that the Lord will work them out for good.

A life grounded in truth is powerful. Those who live by the Word develop spiritual discernment, which guides their choices and guards against deception. Because they demonstrate wisdom and godliness, the Lord enables them to impact others greatly. Since He knows they can be trusted, He also gives them greater responsibilities and opportunities for service in His kingdom.

With all this available to us, wouldn't it be wise to invest our time and energy in building the truth of God's Word into our lives? The other activities which clamor for our attention seem so important or pleasurable, but none of them can offer us the spiritual riches of a life grounded in truth.

Unhappiness: A Tempting Choice?

Unhappiness: A Tempting Choice?
by Sarah Phillips

"And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Acts 13:52

"Always be happy. I see you out there with your solemn faces and hands folded like this, and perhaps you think this is holiness. This sad, solemn-ness is not really holiness. Always be happy wherever you go; God is good."

These are words spoken by a priest from India at a recent retreat. No doubt, this priest is well-versed in the theology of redemptive suffering, so his words gave me pause. What does he mean by this? Is it even possible to be happy like this?

Later, in a discussion with my father, he mentioned that family counselors like my stepmother often encounter challenging clients who are married to their unhappiness. In other words, these individuals are so comfortable with their misery and dysfunction (born out of very real hurts, no doubt) they don't even want to be happy anymore.

Pondering all this has rearranged some of my thinking on faith and happiness.

Perhaps you've heard this common saying in Christian circles: "God doesn't promise us happiness here on earth." From what I've encountered in my studies of the Bible and theology, the statement is factual.

I used to interpret this fact as an indication that God just doesn't have happiness in his plans for some (and I was likely one of those people, right?). But as I am reflecting on Fr. Andrew's words and my stepmother's clients, it hits me. Perhaps God doesn't promise happiness because it's not his place to give it. In other words, perhaps happiness is part of God's plan, but it's something we also must choose on our end.

Think about it. Have you ever met that person who "has everything" but isn't happy? I knew a person like that. He possessed uncommon intelligence. He had a loving family, wealth, and opportunity. But he seemed gifted at finding the dark side to everything. And I mean everything. He suffered from incredible cynicism and depression. Let's put the possibility of a chemical imbalance aside for a second and ponder this truth: God has the power to bless us, but it's up to us to be happy about it.

I don't say these things to cause pain or make anyone feel guilty for not feeling happy. Trust me, I've had plenty of dark periods where happiness seemed like a joke. I firmly believe it's okay to feel unhappy sometimes. Jesus didn't always feel good either, and it's safe to say there was nothing wrong with him.

Still, it's important to remember that there is a danger in wallowing in darkness for too long. There is a great temptation to become attached to our sadness, our victim-hood. Our cross, instead of drawing us closer to life in Christ, ends up bringing us closer to spiritual death when we do this.

In his book The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis explores this idea that we can become too attached to our brokenness. He sets up a fictional scenario where souls in hell get a second chance at heaven. But they ultimately do not choose heaven - they can't even enjoy heaven - due to their excessive attachment to hell.

This seems downright crazy, but it's not any different than the clients my stepmom sees every week. And it's a very real trap we fall into every time we hold too tightly to our hurts and sorrows instead of releasing them to God.

Lewis warns, "If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell."

But then what do we do with all the bad things in life? Certainly, we will feel sorrow and loss - we should feel sorrow and loss when bad things happen. How then do we avoid getting trapped by tragedy? How do we let go of the comforts, the "intimate souvenirs," of life's little hells? Lewis has more to say about that, and I will end here to ponder his words:

"'Son,' he said, 'ye cannot in your present state understand eternity... That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say 'Let me have but this and I'll take the consequences': little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of the sin. Both processes begin even before death. The good man's past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven: the bad man's past already conforms to his badness and is filled only with dreariness. And that is why... the Blessed will say 'We have never lived anywhere except in Heaven,': and the Lost, 'We were always in Hell.' And both will speak truly."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you held on to unhappiness for too long? Is your sadness, guilt, anger, or bitterness tempting you to sin or obscuring your faith? Ask God to help you let go of destructive thoughts or behaviors.