Most Christians cannot say they are walking in the truth but yet if you ask most Christians they will say they are. So why is there this discrepancy? Yesterday we talked about discernment. When you add a lack of discernment to a lack of fearing God you then have a people who instead of following the word of God wholeheartedly end up following whatever their theological upbringing was and most do not change from it. Where many have changed is their narcissistic desires kicked in and they wanted church more about them, so as long as the music was good, some drama, preaching not to long and not long on accountability, all was good. Yet the theological foundations of their upbringing had not changed.
                As you know we have been focusing on the Holy Spirit of which there has been very little teaching on. Most of the teaching as I said the other day is a reaction to the Pentecostal movement of which I will talk about another day. Sadly solid teaching on this subject is few and far between (scarce; infrequent) and because of this lack of teaching, most Christians cannot say they are continuing in the truth. Yes most can say they are continuing in how they were taught but they are not seeking truth and cannot say they are following wholeheartedly the word of God especially when much of the teaching from scripture on the Holy Spirit is denied. I personally think that many leaders are afraid to actually teach what scripture states when it comes to the supernatural. This fear is not healthy as it changes the landscape of what the true church should look like. The church has become very comfortable with their own personalized form of godliness but yet continue to deny the power of the Holy Spirit that is available for us today, all who believe. If you watched those two videos I showed you the other day you can just sense the falseness surrounding them. There you had the two extremes. Now there also people who think they are continuing in the truth and they think the power of the Holy Spirit is among them but yet among them looks different than in scripture and there is not the same fruit.
                I think most would be amazed to find out how far off course they are from the truth. It would be like you were on a boat in the ocean thinking the whole time you were heading in the right direction only to find out you are off course once you saw land. This is what happens when people stop listening to the truth. Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” Jeremiah 8:11 “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace.” What has happened is that we have generations of people thinking they are at peace but nothing is further from the truth.
                Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is imperative that we follow the Way. Many say they love Jesus but do not obey Him or carry their cross. Many say they love Jesus but deny the power of His Holy Spirit that he sent to us. The reason there is so much confusion pertaining to the Holy Spirit is because there is such a strong disobedience towards the words of Jesus. To continue in the truth we must believe what Jesus said to his disciples also.  John 14:10 “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Notice that the power of the Holy Spirit is closely connected with obedience. Those who obeyed and waited received the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember that you don’t just have the presence of the Holy Spirit; you also have the power with the results.
                I want to use these verses again as they describe continuing in the truth. Jesus said, “If you love me obey my commandments.” He is not referring to the commandments and teachings and doctrines of man. Colossians 2:6 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Most Christians do not realize they have been taken captive because they think all is well because I go to church on Sunday. If Christians would once again read and believe the word of God they would see their captivity but like Jeremiah said there are many “saying peace, peace when there is no peace and my people love it this way.” You see those who do not have the Spirit cannot accept and continue in the teaching of Jesus as Paul continued in and as the Thessalonians continued in. 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” If you watched the video of John MacAurthor you would see foolishness. We are not to continue in the way of fools because the dead are there. We must repent and turn from our wicked ways so that God will heal the land. If we want anything said about us, I think what was said about Josiah would do it. 2 Kings 22:5 “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.” Notice also that they got in this desolate position because they had the word of God. When they found it and read it once again, Josiah said, “Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” Is it any wonder the church does not look at all like the gospels and the book of Acts? The same thing happened, as our fathers have not acted in accordance with all that is written.
                We want it said of us as John said, 3 John 1:3 “It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” And also as Paul said, 1 Thessalonians 1:6 “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Timothy 3:14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.” Most cannot say this today as they follow wholeheartedly after the rules of man. Colossians 2:20 “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”
                Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.” (Read Isaiah 55)  2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”