BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

2 4 : B V O V to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 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." Often people read that and think, God gave them up. He deserted them. But that's not what the Word says. The Greek means that God "released them." Our Father respects a person's choice. He isn't abandoning or washing His hands of them. He instead respectfully backs up and says, "Fine. If this is what you want, go for it." But the result isn't pretty. Verse 28 tells us that God "gave them over to a reprobate mind." What does that mean? We only have to continue reading: Being fi lled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural a• ection, implacable, unmerciful" (verses 29-31). That's quite a list. But we must remember that these individuals are not ignorant. There was a time when they respected God. There was a time when they knew what was wrong, but they have drifted far from the truth. It was their choice, and God honored it. Sign No. 4: Seducing Spirits When we come to 1 Timothy 4:1, we fi nd that at the end of the age, deception will fi nd its way even into the Church: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." The phrase giving heed is the Greek word prosecho. The beginning of that word is pros. It means "to draw near in order to embrace something else." It warns that the Church will release what they once embraced and move in a new direction to embrace something new. But the problem is, what they are embracing are seducing spirits. These seducing spirits intend to lead people, including people in the Church, o• track morally. Believers are told again and again that they need to be more tolerant, more inclusive, more open- minded and more loving. Some will believe that, in the name of Jesus' love, they should throw open the doors and embrace everything that comes along. This is the work of seducing spirits, or demons. These aren't demons with red skin, horns on their heads and pitchforks in their hands. Rather, they are doctrines of devils. What's the Solution? What is the solution to all of this? In verse 6, Paul says, "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained." In Greek, the word remembrance is the compound word hupotithemi. The word hupo means "to be under something," and tithemi is a foundational word that means "to place or lay a foundation." Together, these two words mean to "position a solid foundation underneath something." That is the job of every minister, pastor and believer today. We're laying a foundation underneath the Body of Christ. It's almost like Paul was saying, "Welcome to your destiny. For the rest of your life, you're going to crawl under the brethren and lay a good foundation underneath them." This is a continual process, though. As soon as people have a good foundation of the Word underneath them, a wind of doctrine will come along to try to blow them o• the foundation again. Our job is to crawl under them and re- lay a solid foundation by continually teaching them the Word—line by line, precept by precept. Mature believers have never been more needed than we are right now. People all over the world are deceived, o• track, exchanging foolishness for wisdom, developing reprobate minds, and listening to seducing spirits. It's our responsibility as the Body of Christ to lay a foundation of truth underneath them continually, so they are established on the solid rock of God's Word. Watch Rick Renner on C H A N N E L Rick Renner on C H A N N E L i Mon-Fri: 1:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. ET Rick Renner and his wife, Denise, moved to the former Soviet Union in 1991 with their three sons, establishing churches, a Bible seminary, a pastoral association and the rst Christian television network in the former USSR. For more information go to renner.org Watch

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