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Remember, Satan’s goal is not to create as much misery as he can on planet earth; he is willing to do some good things while keeping his eventual goals in sight. His primary objective is to spread false doctrine, to reinforce the idea that God can be approached directly without a mediator, an acceptable sacrifice and blood. He does not mind if people believe in God, in supernatural occurrences and miracles. Indeed, these serve his purpose very well.

If you are a Catholic, Satan will appear as Mary; if you are a Protestant, he will appear as Christ and if you are a Hindu, he will appear as Krishna. Now that Princess Diana has become a international icon and a religious symbol, reportedly there are sightings of her, too. Satan will take whatever form expected to keep people shielded from the Gospel of Christ. It is naive to say, as some do, that these stories must be the work of good angels because the miracles are good and beneficial. We must boldly say that “good” miracles can be done by “bad” angels.

Ping

Last in the series on Angels.

I still like Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Thank you. It’s been a very good series.

Interestingly, I run across the mentality quite frequently that anything supernatural that is good MUST be from God and to be believe unquestioningly.

That is so dangerous.

For all the emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit with speaking in tongues being the primary focus, I wonder that more people don’t ask for the gift of discernment. I’d think it would be eminently more useful.

Above all else, I want to know what is from God and what is not so I don’t end up deceived or falling into error.

An excellent article but this caught my attention:

Yes, angels are sometimes sent to the unconverted, but only to judge them.

Judgment belong the the Lord Jesus. Angels could execute the judgment of God such as the example of the Angel of Death with the Egyptians or the angel sent forth to bring the plague during David's time. Usually angels are messagers sent to both believers and unbelievers (such as being sent to the shepherds or to Balaam). Clearly they were not sent for judgment but for pronoucement.

Also, there is a least one case in scripture where an angel gave instructions to the unsaved Cornelius to send for Peter who would show him the way of salvation. While the angel did not bring the gospel to Cornelius (a right reserved for us), he did tell him who he was to contact to receive salvation.

" rather it is always a feeling of disconnectedness "

Isn't this the excuse we have been hearing from the MSM, the Obama Administration, and Obama for the reasons why he is failing, and why they lost the last election ? because they believe that their efforts of " Communication " was lacking, that they were not " Connecting " or by their " DISCONNECTEDNESS " is why they failed.... in other words ? they refuse to admit that they were wrong, that they have sinned....

1 John 4 (New International Version)

1 John 4

On Denying the Incarnation

1 "Dear friends, DO Not believe Every Spirit, but Test the Spirits To SEE Whether they are From GOD, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is HOW you can RECOGNIZE the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that Acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the Flesh(Human) IS from GOD, 3 but every spirit that does Not Acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood."

A False Angel can not declare Christ became Human(Divinity became Flesh).

Never!

I have read books about Protestant and Catholic exorcisms. One of the final confirmations for the possessed victim is to declare that Christ came in the Flesh. When this happens the exorcists know the fallen spirits(Angels) are truly gone.

I have encountered my friends wife who is a spiritualist spellcaster to make a long story short. She was trying to tell me she was a christian. I told her she is not. I also told her I would prove it to her. I challenge her to say the Apostles Creed which declares 1 John 4. She wanted to prove me wrong. She stuttered as an unseen force would not let her. Then I made it more specific. Did Jesus Christ come in the flesh. Simple. She could not profess it at all in any way with words that mean the same in the personal proun. " I declare Christ came in the Flesh" A true encounter.

Also " If you are a Catholic, Satan will appear as Mary"

Maybe a false apparition never the real apparitions.

Of the real ones Mary recites the Apostles Creed( Christ came in the Flesh)

If 1John 4 is not true you might as well throw out the Bible. Which I would not do or recommend!

Praise Jesus and as the angel spoke Hail Mary!

First, it assumes that people are basically good, rather than sinners who stand in desperate need of God’s saving grace.

IMHO, a very poor choice of words and easily confused meaning.

Sin is simply missing the mark of God's Plan. The argument first asserts an assumption of good, then corrects the quality of 'good' with the quality of 'sinner'.

These are 2 entirely different sets of criterion.

Good and evil are one set of qualities, which might be attributed to Satan's Cosmic or Worldly system of thinking and living,....while sin simply the the missing of the mark of God's Plan for every believer in our thinking and living.

The quote implies as association of sin with evil and good with Godliness, which might be a consequence in some situations, is not the root of the distinction between the two criterion.

We start instead with God first, not man. Then consider the effects of missing His Plan or sin, and then through faith in Him, are also led to conclude that evil or good may be parlayed into evil whenever it it outside His Plan, i.e. sin. The consequences of that sin, be it an act of human good, independent of God and His Will, or an act of evil independent of God's Will, and that act will ultimately lead to even more sinful circumstances, unless one uses what God provides for us to escape that slave market, namely faith in Christ.

The Bible teaches that an understanding of our sinfulness is central to our understanding of how we must approach God. If we don’t know how bad off we are in the presence of a holy God, we will try to access Him in ways that He despises. Thus, a wrong view of man always leads to a wrong view of God.

IMHO, another poor choice of words to capture the proper meaning.

Man doesn't have to be an expert about sin in order to have fellowship with God.

God provides everything necessary for our relationship and fellowship with Him. All we have to do is face Him, and confess our sins, known and unknown to Him. Repentance is a turning back to God or the dual or the argument, turning away from that which is away from God. It is better to keep our focus on Him in all things, so it is much simpler to instead think of repentance as turning back to Him, instead of focusing on something or anything other than Him as the object of our emotion and rejection.

Instead we focus upon Him, or face Him, then communicate to Him our confession of having missed the mark with Him and His Plan.

He doesn't require us to perform an audit of all or thoughts, but if we so choose, ONLY while facing Him, then he is also sure and just to forgive us those sins. Once we are back in fellowship after returning to Him and confessing those sins and He justly and surely forgives, then He might by His grace further sanctify us as we walk by His Word in our thinking.

1 Timothy 4 (King James Version)

1 Timothy 4
1. 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;

2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

From the:
God's Word Translation:

1 Timothy 4

A Prophecy About the Last Times

1. The Spirit says clearly that in later times some believers will desert the Christian faith. They will follow spirits that deceive, and they will believe the teachings of demons.
2. These people will speak lies disguised as truth. Their consciences have been scarred as if branded by a red-hot iron.
3. They will try to stop others from getting married and from eating certain foods. God created food to be received with prayers of thanks by those who believe and know the truth.
4. Everything God created is good. Nothing should be rejected if it is received with prayers of thanks.
5. The word of God and prayer set it apart as holy.

The writer makes a point that the HOLY SPIRIT expressly says that in the latter days that there will be those who will depart from the Christian faith, that their consciences will be seared with a hot iron.
There will be those who will teach lies, doctrines that there are many ways to GOD APART FROM having a Mediator, and APART FROM JESUS CHRIST's GRACE.
There will be those who teach that the law brings justification alone without Jesus Christ fulfilling the law.
They will teach that it's by your own merits, works, that man can bring themselves to GOD.

What is the message of the Gospel ?
What is the Christian faith ?
What is , the , TRUTH ?

Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ IS the TRUTH.

What was it ? what the writer of Hebrews meant in Hebrews chapter 10 verse ( 26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins ) .... a interesting portion of the bible indeed.
Sin willfully, not obeying the truth.
The truth is the Gospel message that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and not themselves.
That's the truth and the Gospel message.
Sinning as in, not obeying the truth, Sinning as ? rejecting the Gospel message of the KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.
Sinning ? as in ? Rejecting that there is only salvation of our LORD JESUS CHRIST ALONE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.
Have to read this book in context.
The writer was writing to the Hebrew Christians who have Judisers come in who claimed they were Christians ( that's who Paul talked about in Galatians about " those who sneaked in " .
They were teaching that those Christians still had to observe the law to be saved, APART FROM JESUS CHRIST.... Saint John called them ANTI-CHRIST.
Saint John said that even though they went out among us, they were not apart of us.
For GOD so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who so every believes in him, should not parish, but have every lasting life.
A HOLY GOD sent Jesus Christ as our supstitude sacrificial sacrificed to take our place in the seat of GOD's judgment so we won't have to.
God sent Jesus Christ, GOD in the flesh to atone for our sins so we can stand before GOD spotless and clean.
Jesus Christ saves us by grace through faith in HIM .
That is the Christian faith, that is our mediator's message and finished work.
Those who teach a works based salvation have departed from the faith, for if salvation was by works, then, it's not salvation by faith.
They have seared their consciences by the need to atone for their sins by works.
There minds are always consumed by sin, because they remind everyone and themselves of sin, and not grace.
The more they are consumed in their mind of sin, and the thoughts of sin, they act on their sin, and because their works of sacrifices of bulls and goats can not atone for their sins, no wonder they are a miserable lot.
They also trample the blood of Jesus Christ underfoot because they don't see that his blood as HOLY and Eternal, they consider it as common as the blood of bulls and goats.