Do You Hear Me?
by Rocky Fleming
We are in the midst of country wide protests. There are some legitimate gripes. But there are also opportunists who are piggy backing on the legitimate protests, and their message and objectives have nothing to do with the message of the legitimate concerns. These piggy backers use mayhem, destruction, thievery and tyranny to be their voice, and to take away peaceful efforts for reform in this country. Theirs has a divisive political agenda, a false message with a false attachment, and it is not a message asking to be heard for the good of this country and all of its people. As wise men and women, we must distinguish the difference and listen to the real issues and concerns that peaceful demonstrations are bringing to our attention, not the wrong voice. My fear is the preponderance of the wrong and bad behavior of the activist’s shenanigans dilutes the good and needed voices. Be wise and distinguish the difference. Let the Lord guide you, for we need to hear Him on the subject. We need to hear the right message. Do you hear Him?
In a similar manner there are some legitimate concerns in the American Church that we need to be alert to, for there are false teachers out there manufacturing a type “gospel” that is not rooted in scripture or pure truth. Their “gospel” is man-made, made up, and made legitimate by perceived success because a lot of people are following them. Their feel-good message is about self and wealth rather than a genuine relationship with Jesus. They see Jesus as a way to give them the desires of their hearts, which they think are the earthly things they desire from wealth to health, from sadness to gladness, and with little regard to the model Jesus and the disciples gave us with their own lifestyle concerning those things. Where do these pastors come from who live such opulent lifestyles and declare that Jesus wants this for them? Where do they get their theology to preach this same message to gullible believers who want the same? Instead of Lord and Savior, Jesus becomes a heavenly servant for them to do their bidding. They forget the true gospel that declares that Jesus gave His life to save their souls, not to build their fortunes on earth but in heaven. They have lost their way, and the chief messengers of this false gospel are false teachers. Do you hear God’s warnings to you to not be sucked into their false teachings? Do you hear Him?
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
I believe that Jesus does want to give us the desires of our heart. I say this all the time and following Him in an abiding relationship with Him will eventually lead us to this life that scripture speaks of. But to give us those desires He has to change our heart first. It requires a breaking of the old man within us through deep repentance and His forgiveness, to be given a new heart. It is a process of surrender and transformation and it takes time. This moves us to close proximity with Him, and we then seek and desire those things that He values, not what the world values. Look at the following verse. Do you see His work within this change?
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26 ESV)
Now look at the scripture that is incorrectly used to make legitimate a false message on prosperity about God wanting to give us the
desires of our (earthly and selfish)
heart.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:3-4 ESV)
Do you see the correct process that precedes the
desire of your heart? “
Trust the Lord.
Do good.
Dwell in the land.
Befriend faithfulness.
DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD.” Do you see a path? Do you hear Him telling you to follow Him and He will lead you to your deepest desires? Can you see that it is not about our self but rather about Him, and He will lead us to what we deep down long for?
The false message that is being proclaimed by false teachers moves the above scriptural process away from the direction God gives us. We do not hear Him; instead, we hear voices that teach myths that appeal to our earthly passions. When did Jesus teach that following Him would lead to pleasure and prosperity? Just the opposite. He said it would be a hard road where few go when we follow Him. If I want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, all I have to do is look at my life as it relates to what Jesus said about a disciple of His. Read this:
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25 ESV)
If Jesus said go and indulge yourself rather than deny yourself, then the false teachings we are hearing would be right. However, what is being taught in these myths is the antithesis of Christ’s teachings. My question to you is, “Who are you listening to? Who do you want to listen to? Do You hear Jesus on the subject?” If you hear Him, then you will see how truly false the myths that are being taught are. Look at His life. Look at the Apostles lives that they modeled. Look at the early disciples who were persecuted, beaten, and put to death by horrible means simply because they would not deny Christ. That still happens today. Do you really think those people would say that the myths within the prosperity gospel are true? The fact is, I believe they would tell us to avoid them, for they are a trap from the enemy to take us away from Jesus, not toward Him. What would Jesus say? Ask Him. I know what He has said to me. He has said,
“That is not from Me.”
