As we see the Day of the Return of Jesus Christ to earth draw closer, the days and actions of people are getting darker and more sinister. The hearts of many are cold, hard and wicked towards others. There is callousness and carelessness in the air that is beyond comprehension, from the leaders to those who are being led and from the Pulpits to the Pews. These are the days the Bible calls perilous or hard times. Times that are difficult to bear and difficult to be a truly Bible-believing Christian without softening one's stand towards the righteousness and holiness of the God many claim to serve.
No wonder the Bible warned as many as would listen: "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:11-12, ESV). Daily, the enemy puts into motion schemes that will cause the sons of God to forget who they are, the call and the goal of the life they are meant to live!
The doctrine or teaching of Balaam has overtaken many Pulpits in the Body of Christ, such that instead of producing disciples of Christ that will stand against the onslaught of the enemy and his systems, they are producing 'disciples' that are particular about their lust, greed and the love of this world! The doctrine is a serious, devious and deadly problem to the Body of Christ! It is a doctrine that sets pitfalls on the path of children of God to cause them to stumble and fall away from the path of Jesus Christ.
Just like what the Prophet Balaam did in Numbers 22 to 24, many teachers of the Gospel of Christ present the gospel as a means for personal advancement. Just like Balaam, many of these teachers chose to promote falsehood for financial reasons. These are willing to accommodate pagan beliefs out of greed: "They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15, NKJV).
These teachers have perverted the way of Jesus Christ; causing many to doubt Whom they believe and Why they believe: "For certain people have crept in unnoticed [just as if they were sneaking in by a side door]. They are ungodly persons whose condemnation was predicted long ago, for they distort the grace of our God into decadence and immoral freedom [viewing it as an opportunity to do whatever they want], and deny and disown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:4, AMP). These wicked teachers teach that one can fully cooperate with the world and still serve God, especially if there is personal gain involved; they see this way of life as a way to material gain (1 Timothy 6:3-8). Their attitude to sin is to treat it as "no big deal"! They teach that a 'little sin' does not hurt; thereby producing ready-made candidates for hell! This evil doctrine makes it very difficult to differentiate Believers from Unbelieving Believers!
Beloved, Jesus Christ is coming, this we know! But do you know that before He comes, darkness will be on the increase? How do you make yourself ready for His coming if your heart is filled with defiled food and your garment stained? When He returns, perhaps today, how will He find you? The truth is, all we need to discern to recognise the poisoned food of Balaam is before us, GOD'S WORD! How much of it have you read, meditated on and practised?
Beloved, we have entered the days of Isaiah 60:1-2, "Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you". How can you arise as light if the darkness being spoken about is in you as a result of not studying God's Word for yourself? The days of what 'Pastor says, Daddy says, Mama says, Daddy GO says, Bishop says, Evangelist says' are long gone. These are the days we must wake up from our sleep and "take heed to ourselves"!
God is not going to do it for you, you and I must stand up, and study, hide God's Word in our hearts because the days are getting increasingly darker and shorter, as the Day of the LORD draws nearer: "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11, NKJV). May the LORD Jesus Christ grant you the grace to hunger and thirst more for Him, in Jesus Christ name, Amen! God bless you!
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