Love of the Truth - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Love of the Truth

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 (NKJV)

In a classic quote many of you have heard spoken on the big screen, from over 20 years ago in the movie, A Few Good Men (1992), Col. Nathan R. Jessep (Jack Nicholson) responded to the fierce questioning of military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee's (Tom Cruise) with this outburst, “You can’t handle the truth!”

Seems like it was a prophetic word recorded back then, as in today’s world truth is what many would consider is whatever you want it to be. Because the one foundational, solid, eternal Word of God has been rejected and replaced with man’s contemporary knowledge, whatever you say, whenever you say it, is now taken as the “gospel truth”, whether it is or not. Many times it is simply a lie.

As the Gospel has been watered down in many assemblies on each Sunday morning, lack of knowing the truth has left a void for anything solid on which to stand on. Therefore, as the tide rolls in and rolls out, as public opinion goes, so does the beach sand on which it flows over.

In Matthew 7:24-27 there are two foundations which Jesus describes, as He graphically reveals what will result, when each building choice is challenged. Did we build on the solid rock or sand?

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Jesus clearly states that rejection of truth, found only in His word, will result in a great fall, when the times of testing come for each person. Either from lack of knowledge or from an earlier specific choice that was made, what happens in each trial experienced will prove the existence of faith in the Son or not.

Our Lord says that each foundation will be tested. Our “house”, that which consists of our spirit, soul and body, will either stand or fall apart, based on decisions we made in the building process, to do our own thing, go the way of the world, or choose the solid truth of the Almighty God’s written Word, as found in the Bible.

Those who had chosen to love the truth will have the ability to withstand the wearing down that comes in trials. Their bedrock faith will be revealed, while even growing more, through those testing times.

Love of the truth will protect us from unrighteous deception, lying wonders, and acts of Satan. We will be able to see through the fog that others have allowed to cover them. We will be able to know what is counterfeit, and what is true. Our discernment will be sharp.

I encourage you to go deeper in your pursuit in getting to know Him Who is Faithful and Ture. Hearing Yeshua’s voice, reading His Word, receiving sound teaching, and walking in obedience will keep your heart, mind and spirit prepared to challenge the lies of the enemy that come daily.

We will especially need to know God’s biblical truth in order to resist falsehood and stand strong in these end times.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

  

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the year of our Lord 12.05.15 - #216, “Love of the Truth ” – Saturday at 6:30 am in Charlotte, NC.

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

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Discernment, Deception and One Prayer We Should All Say - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Do we all have discernment? (Flickr )

Discernment, Deception and One Prayer We Should All Say

11/5/2015 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Jennifer LeClaire is now sharing her reflections and revelations through Walking in the Spirit, a new podcast from Charisma. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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As I travel the nation teaching spiritual warfare principles, one truth becomes painfully clear: the body of Christ, at large, lacks discernment.

The reality is many have simply not been activated or trained to discern spirits. Yet discernment is a vital gift in this hour as false prophets, false teachers and even false christs are rising around the world with smooth sayings, rhymes and riddles.

Discerning of spirits is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. It is the Holy Spirit-inspired ability to distinguish between the operations of the Holy Spirit, a demon spirit or the human spirit. Discerning of spirits is especially helpful in prophecy, when we need to test the spirits to see if they are God (1 John 4:1). It's also vital in spiritual warfare so that we accurately determine what we're battling instead of just beating the air through guessing games (1 Cor. 9:26).

Do We All Have Discernment?

Although the Holy Spirit distributes His gifts as He wills—and some people clearly operate in the gift of discerning of spirits at a high level—I believe all Christians should desire to grow in discernment. With apostasy rising and the Great Falling Away underway, we need to lean into Holy Ghost discernment now more than ever.

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If the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of you—and if you are saved He does—you have access to the discernment as a partaker of Christ's divine nature. All believers can tap into all things pertaining to life and godliness, including Holy Ghost discernment. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would lead us and guide us into all truth (John 16:13).

Beyond the supernatural gift of discerning of spirits, even unbelievers can walk in some measure of discernment—how much more a child of God who is filled with the Holy Ghost and prays in tongues? At its most basic level, discerning simply means to show insight and understanding. Some have a discerning eye for art. Others have a discerning palate for food. We need to develop a discerning spirit that safeguards us from deception in this hour.

Discerning God's Spirit

With that said, I've discerned two troubling ditches in the church world. In one ditch you have those who always see a devil behind every doorknob. They see devils where there are no devils and make false accusations bases on soulish imaginations and presumption. Presumption in the Bible usually leads to death—and presumption kills discernment.

In the other ditch are those who cannot discern any spirits in their midst, even the Spirit of God. Oh, I forgot those who believe evil spirits talking to them are God and think God speaking to them is an evil spirit. Those in this ditch don't rightly discern Jesus. We see this in Matthew 14. Jesus commanded His disciples to get into a boat and go ahead of Him to the other side.

"During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a spirit.' And they cried out in fear" (Matt. 14:25-26). Some translations say, "it is a ghost." Later, we see two disciples going to a village called Emmaus. Jesus showed up on the scene and started walking with them, but they didn't discern it was the risen Christ (Luke 24).

How Do We Develop Discernment?

Even if you don't operate in the gift of discerning of spirits, you can still develop discernment. The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12). So if you stay in the Word, your discernment will grow.

We can also practice discernment, asking those more experienced or mature to judge our discerning. The writer of Hebrews said, "Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. But solid food belongs to those who are mature, for those who through practice have powers of discernment that are trained to distinguish good from evil" (Heb. 5:13-14).

Walking in love will help you keep a discerning heart. In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul prayed that their love would abound more and more, with all knowledge and discernment, so that they could approve what is excellent (Phil. 1:9-10). When we walk in love, we are walking close to God and we will grow in discernment. This should be a prayer we all pray for ourselves and those we run with.

The Bible warns over and over and over again not to be deceived. In fact, the Bible commands us not to be deceived. Jesus prophesied false prophets and false christs would rise and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matt. 24:24). It's possible for any of us to be deceived but if we ask God for discernment, if we stay prayerful, if we walk in love, if we are students of the Word and if we practice discernment, we can be among the truth bearers in our generation who help set the captives free.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening;Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer onFacebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

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Prophets, It's Time to Arise! Jennifer LeClaire CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Prophets, It's Time to Arise!

10/15/2015 CHARISMA MEDIA STAFF  charisma magazine

Join us on our new podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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It's time for God's prophets to arise and defeat the deception of darkness in our culture! It's time for another move of God! Jennifer LeClaire teaches how to walk in prophetic revelation in this segment of her series on prophecy.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Discerning God's Voice: Does He Usually Speak to Me This Way? - KATHY DEGRAW CHARISMA MAGAZINE

(Lightstock)

Discerning God's Voice: Does He Usually Speak to Me This Way?

11/6/2015 KATHY DEGRAW  charisma magazine

Join us on our new podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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You just received discernment and believe it is from the Lord. Your concern is: "What do I do next?" My concern is what you didn't do next.

The next step is not taking action on the discernment you received, but testing it. Ask yourself questions such as: "Will this bear fruit and glorify the name of Jesus Christ, or will it distract and detour me from my godly assignment?"

When receiving discernment that you believe is from the Lord, you should stop and verify it is from the Lord, and not your flesh or the enemy trying to distract you. It is wisdom to verify the word (not analyze it) before you take action. Taking the word at face value without seeking confirmation and direction can detour you from the will of God.

We can prematurely act on a word because we feel it makes sense and we have comfort proceeding. We think, "I can do this." We are comfortable because it makes sense to us in the natural, but the question is: Do we have peace proceeding forth in the spiritual?

We are not natural people; we are spiritual beings. Moving forward with an idea because of our natural comfort is one of the main ways the enemy and our flesh can cause us to proceed in a wrong direction.

When you receive revelation, a prophetic word or an answer to prayer, take the next step. Discern it. Dissect it. Don't overthink and don't analyze. Test it. Bring it back to the Holy Spirit through prayer and test it against the Word of God.

We hear from three sources. We can hear from the Spirit of God, our own thoughts and the enemy. We hear God more clearly than we think. The challenge is sometimes we hear Him so clearly that we doubt what we heard and then we ask a person their opinion—leading to confusion. The enemy can send thoughts, which are lies, into our minds to confuse and distract, and our flesh can get involved by being analytical and letting our imagination take over.

God's Thought Downloads

God speaks to us through thoughts dropped in our spirit. When God speaks to us, we need not try to figure out the revelation, but rather receive the revelation He is giving.

You may have heard God's voice before saying, "Don't do that," "Take this road instead today" or "Give this much as an offering." You have heard God as you have prayed and felt you received your answer. However, don't just feel you have received the answer. Rather, know you have received the answer.

When you receive discernment, ask yourself, "Is this the way God usually speaks to me?" Verify it. He may speak to you in different ways, but He usually speaks to you the same way for a season. Ask God, "Why do you want me to head in this direction?"

Test the Scriptures to confirm if the revelation aligns with or contradicts God's Word. God will not tell you to do something that is against His Word. I once knew a woman God had been convicting regarding giving. She felt led to write an offering check for $5,000. She wrote the check in advance of a business transaction that was being completed. The deal fell through and she ended up in debt! That contradicts God's Word. If she would have tested the discernment, she would have stayed out of debt.

The Flesh Blocks Revelation

Our flesh gets involved in receiving revelation because we think about it instead of pray about it. When thinking about whether a thought is from God, we tend to overanalyze it and get impatient waiting on God for an answer.  

Analytical people can plan out the answer instead of praying and receiving the answer. During prayer time, analytical people have difficulty shutting down their minds to receive from God. When analytical thoughts come into your mind, transfer those thoughts to your heart, to the place of love, where the Father is.  

When you receive discernment and you are unsure about it, or even when you think you are sure of its source, ask yourself, "Is this the way I would think?" You may think you heard from God when really what you heard were your own thoughts.  

Deceptions and Distractions

The enemy speaks to us with thoughts such as: "They don't like you; they are over there talking about you," or "You'll never lose weight; you can't do it." We have all heard the lies of the enemy. If you pay attention, you will be able to discern when and how the enemy speaks to you. When he speaks to me, I will hear, "Listen to me," in the sentence. God knows I hear His voice and doesn't have to say, "Listen to me."

If confusion is present in times of discernment, it is from the enemy. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace" (1 Cor. 14:33).

The enemy will attempt to distract. When we don't pray about things in advance, it leaves the enemy an open door to sidetrack us.

Testing the Spirits

When testing the spirits, ask yourself if you are feeling convicted or condemned. Conviction from the Holy Spirit is quick and calls you to action. He presses you until you confess or act. Condemnation is from the enemy and makes you feel numb. Feeling heavy and bad about yourself produces complacency.

When you are confused, under pressure, scattered, stressed, oppressed and going through heavy trials and tests, your soul is highly activated and you could be experiencing demonic opposition.

As spiritual warfare occurs, you cannot automatically assume that you can hear God with the same clarity as in other times. All of us have heard wrongly at one time or another, and have regretted the decisions we made in the flesh.

In 1 John 4:1, the Word of God instructs us to test the spirits. If we are instructed to test the prophetic words given by prophets, then shouldn't we also test our own words and discernment?

There are times our flesh gets involved in the outcome. Increase discernment and cast down your flesh by being in the Word, praying and being around prophetic people who know how to test the spirits—people whose discernment produces results that are evident through the fruit of their ministry.

When you receive revelation from God, keep it in front of you and consistently pray it through.

Ask for His will to be further revealed and for Him to give you the spirit of revelation, knowledge, wisdom and understanding (Is. 11:2).

Be in tune and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading.

You can and do hear from God. You just don't know how simple and clear it really is.

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Kathy DeGraw is passionate about releasing and empowering people to share the love and power of God. She is the founder of DeGraw Ministries, a prophetic healing and deliverance ministry. DeGraw has written several books, including Flesh, Satan or God?: Who Are You Hearing From? Follow her on Facebook or online atdegrawministries.org.

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Kathy DeGraw teaches you how to declare and decree your prayers so you can unleash the power of God through faith at degraw.charismamag.com.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Why So Many Christians Are Deceived - Charisma News

Carnality destroys our relationship with Christ and genuine fellowship with other believers. It destroys our prayer life as well. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Why So Many Christians Are Deceived

10/19/2015 SHANE IDLEMAN  charisma news

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (influence), how shall its saltiness be restored?" (Matthew 5:13-16).

Throughout history, Christians have vacillated between two extremes: compromising with the culture or removing themselves from it (isolation). Neither extreme is healthy. But the focus of this article is on carnality—being so ingrained in the culture that we no longer preserve those things that are noble and good.

Although we definitely want to relate to others, our lifestyle should reflect God's heart rather than the world's influence. The world will know that we are Christians by our love for one another and by our obedience, not by how well we imitate the world around us. Oswald Chambers once noted that a sinner, who is now saved by grace, "proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of who he was." He no longer resembles the sinful world that use to govern his heart.

Carnal Christians give God "His due" (a few hours on Sunday), but they forget His call to "come out from among them (the world) and be separate." Is the world influencing you? What does your mental media diet consist of? Who do you hang out with? What, and who, do you listen to? Is your heart set toward the things of God or the world's influence? A quick peruse of your LIKEs and posts on Facebook will reveal a great deal.

Compromise also deceives. James 1:22 reminds us that if we listen to God's Word without doing it that we are fooling ourselves ... we are deceived. The power of God's Word lies in the application. In addition to non-Christians, it is Christians who are moving sexually explicit and violent movies to the Top 10 by not applying purity to their lives. It is Christians who are addicted to porn and supplying the revenue to fuel the industry.

I often remind our congregation that we can make our homes be either a holy sanctuary that honors Christ or a breeding ground for Satan. That's a hard statement but it's true: we cannot love both Christ and this world. Carnality has a cost. As stated a few weeks ago: In times past, the hero was the father, not Edward (from Twilight). The greatest influence was the mother, not Bella. Kids once quoted Scriptures; now they are casting spells.

Don't get me wrong: We are to examine our own lives and motives first, and then we are to be moved primarily by love for God and others before critiquing. Jesus said in Matthew 7:5 that we must first remove the plank from our own eye, and then we will see clearly to remove the speck from our brother's eye. Avoiding compromise is a struggle for all of us. We are constantly swimming upstream against the cultural tide. The fact that there is a struggle demonstrates the importance of victory.

Are you being infected by the world? Being infected is the ultimate cost of carnality! Like any infection, it can destroy the body, and, in this case, the soul. When we are infected, we infect others. Parents, what influences are you allowing in to your home ... into the minds of your children? Things that are pure, noble, and true, or dark, demonic, and false?

Carnality destroys our relationship with Christ and genuine fellowship with other believers. It destroys our prayer life as well. A carnal Christian does not pray, really pray and seek the heart of God. A deep prayer life exposes facades and crushes hypocrisy. Carnality also destroys spiritual power and hinders the infilling of the Spirit. In short, everything that God calls us to be is compromised.

When Jesus said that we are "the salt and light of the earth," He was saying that we should have a preserving and cleansing effect on the culture ... we should bring a purifying aspect to all areas of life. Light dispels darkness; it does not cater to it. The person who lives a compromised life is not drawn to holiness and purity ... these terms are repulsive to them. Does this article anger and upset? The old adage rings true, "When a rock is thrown into a pile of dogs, the one who yelps was struck." If this upsets, it applies. But the purpose isn't to upset; ultimately, it's to foster repentance and a deeper walk with God. There's nothing more important than a life set ablaze for God.

On a closing note, carnality not only affects the pew, but the pulpit as well. A carnal pastor still offers motivating sermons, but he will lose unction, boldness, and spiritual insight. The world, and carnal Christians, will love him, but Spirit-filled believers will leave the service starving for more of God. Pastors, if we would make it our goal to know Christ more personally we would preach Christ more powerfully. Are we calling people out of the cultural mindset or are we encouraging it by our silence?

At this point you may think, "Why try? This is hopeless! I've drifted too far." Let me reassure you: God doesn't let our relationship with Him hinge on "measuring up," or on "following rules." He wants us to come as we are, recognize our need for a Savior, and commit our life completely to Him. Simply repent of this destructive lifestyle, and begin making choices that promote holiness and purity. Change is God's job, but obedience is ours.

Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He recently released his seventh book, Desperate for More of God at shaneidleman.com. Shane's sermons, articles, books, and radio program can all be found at wcfav.org. Follow him on Facebook at:facebook.com/confusedchurch.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

Ben Carson Exposes Islamic ‘Taqiyya,’ But There’s Even More You Should Know

Ben Carson

Ben Carson Exposes Islamic ‘Taqiyya,’ But There’s Even More You Should Know

By Raymond Ibrahim September 29, 2015 Breaking Israel News

Of all the points presidential hopeful Ben Carson made in defense of his position that he “would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” the most poignant was his referencing of taqiyya, one of Islam’s doctrines of deception.

According to Carson, whoever becomes president should be “sworn in on a stack of Bibles, not a Koran”:

“I do not believe Sharia is consistent with the Constitution of this country,” Carson said, referencing the Islamic law derived from the Koran and traditions of Islam. “Muslims feel that their religion is very much a part of your public life and what you do as a public official, and that’s inconsistent with our principles and our Constitution.”

Carson said that the only exception he’d make would be if the Muslim running for office “publicly rejected all the tenants of Sharia and lived a life consistent with that.”

“Then I wouldn’t have any problem,” he said.

However, on several occasions Carson mentioned “Taqiyya,” a practice in the Shia Islam denomination in which a Muslim can mislead nonbelievers about the nature of their faith to avoid religious persecution.

“Taqiyya is a component of Shia that allows, and even encourages you to lie to achieve your goals,” Carson said.

Considering that the current U.S. president has expunged all reference to Islam in security documents and would have Americans believe that Islamic doctrine is more or less like Christianity, it is refreshing to see a presidential candidate referencing a little-known but critically important Muslim doctrine.

However, the widely cited notion that taqiyya is only a Shia doctrine needs to be corrected. This is false, and it lets the vast majority of the world’s Muslims, the Sunnis, off the hook.

According to Sami Mukaram, one of the world’s foremost authorities on taqiyya:

Taqiyya is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it … We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream … Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era.[i]

Taqiyya is often associated with the Shias because, as a minority group interspersed among their Sunni rivals, they have historically had more reason to dissemble. Today, however, Sunnis living in the West find themselves in the place of the Shia. Now they are the minority surrounded by their historic enemies — Western “infidels” — and so they too have plenty of occasion to employ taqiyya.

Making Muslims swear on Bibles would not be any defense against taqiyya. As long as their allegiance to Islam is secure in their hearts, taqiyya allows Muslims to behave like non-Muslims. Praying before Christian icons, wearing crosses, making the sign of the cross — anything short of actually killing a Muslim could be allowed. (In several instances, Muslims in the U.S. military exposed their true loyalties when they reached the point of having to fight fellow Muslims in foreign nations.[ii])

For those with a discerning eye, taqiyya is all around us. Muslim refugees have pretended to convert to Christianity (in the past and the present); an Islamic gunman gained entrance inside a church by feigning interest in Christian prayers. Examples abound on a daily basis.

Consider the following anecdote from Turkey. In order to get close enough to a Christian pastor to assassinate him, a group of Muslims — including three women — feigned interest in Christianity, attended his church for over a year, and even participated in baptism ceremonies. Said the pastor, Emre Karaali:

These people had infiltrated our church and collected information about me, my family and the church and were preparing an attack against us. … Two of them attended our church for over a year and they were like family.

If some Muslims are willing to go to such lengths to eliminate the already downtrodden Christian minorities in their midst, does anyone doubt that a taqiyya-practicing Muslim presidential candidate might have no reservations about swearing on a stack of Bibles?

Precedents for such treachery litter the whole of Islamic history, and begin with the Muslim prophet himself.

During the Battle of the Trench (627 AD), which pitted Muhammad and his followers against several non-Muslim tribes collectively known as “the Confederates,” a Confederate called Naim bin Masud went to the Muslim camp and converted to Islam. When Muhammad discovered the Confederates were unaware of Masud’s deflection to Islam, he counseled him to return and to try to get his tribesmen to abandon the siege. “For war is deceit,” Muhammad assured him.

image: http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/useful_banner_manager_banners/61-RaymondIbrahim-600WIDE.jpg

Masud returned to the Confederates without their knowledge that he had switched sides, and began giving his former kin and allies bad advice. He also intentionally instigated quarrels between the various tribes until, thoroughly distrusting each other, they disbanded and lifted the siege, allowing an embryonic Islam to grow. (Here, a Muslim site extols this incident for being illustrative of how Muslims can subvert non-Muslims.)

If a Muslim were running for president of the U.S. in the hopes of ultimately subverting America to Islam, he could, in Carson’s words, easily be “sworn in on a stack of Bibles, not a Koran” and “publicly reject all the tenants of Sharia.” Indeed, he could claim to be a Christian and attend church every week.

It speaks well about Carson that he is aware of, and not hesitant to mention, taqiyya. But that doctrine’s full ramifications regarding how much deception it allows, and its practice by all Muslim denominations, not just the Shia, still needs greater awareness.

The chances of that happening are dim. Already “mainstream media” like the Washington Post have, incorrectly, taken Carson to task for “misunderstanding” taqiyya – that is, for daring to be critical of anything Islamic. These outlets could benefit from learning more about Islam and deception per the below links:

• My expert testimony being used in a court case to refute “taqiyya about taqiyya.”
• The even more elastic doctrine of tawriya, which allows Muslims to deceive fellow Muslims by lying “creatively.”
• My 2008 essay “Islam’s Doctrines of Deception,” commissioned and published by Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst.
• Recent examples of formerly good Muslim neighbors turning violent once they grow in strength and numbers.

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/49811/ben-carson-exposes-islamic-taqiyya-but-theres-even-more-you-should-know-opinion/#7OTrC5ojcRsMpZBS.99

No More Restraints? - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

No More Restraints?

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

“And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.” 2 Thess. 2:6-8 NASU

The walls are falling down. Many of the restraints we formerly could count on, which have been holding back the onslaught of the evil one as they had been in place over the centuries, are no longer there.

Almost anything is allowed now, as people and governments are using all excuses to serve their own purposes. Often it is heard, “We must be sensitive to others”, or “stop pushing your own agenda or beliefs on us.” It would seem that all situations are ok, as there is no longer any fear of paying a price for sin, no matter how large or small. After all, some would think, no longer is there a need for accountability to anyone or anything having rules, regulations or set guidelines. We are “free to let it all go and do our own thing.”

According to many, there are no longer any restraints that would or should guide us anymore. The concept of sin went out the door decades ago. With a common misconception that one can be called a Christian by just saying you are one, the thought of a God who would judge people is labeled as old school. Why therefore need we adhere to the Ten Commandments or any Scripture? We took those down off the court room walls decades ago, after all.

There used to be a time when at least you could hear, even in mainline churches, good, solid teaching on standards, as they held the ground on what was permissible and what wasn’t. Now, due to the fear of political correctness or attacks from the other side, speaking Bible truth has been so watered down that young kids have no idea what really is right or wrong. The standards have been so lowered that what we once upheld and stood strong on have now been tossed aside, replaced by ungodly standards and immoral judgments. Deception abounds.

Even certain nationally observed days, with foundations from evil origins themselves, have become some of the most celebrated in our countries. Indeed, the ever increasing temperature rise in the frog’s captive water has gone up so high, whereby the “frog” is now being boiled alive, not even realizing the impending result. But death will actually result.

Parents raising kids are confronted daily with sound waves of how all the others are doing it, how it will be alright to give in a little, and why not to be so tough on allowing your kids to explore and try new ways. Weariness takes its toll on those attempting to hold the line, while struggling to stop the onslaught from coming into the home daily from every which way.

So what do we do? Give up and give in? Tell ourselves that the world is going to hell anyway, so just let it happen?

In speaking to those of us who are of the current parental generation, we are called upon by our Lord to stand, even as others around us would give in. We are the ones who must be the lighthouse to those who have lost their way. We must be the “Bible” to those who have never been instructed in the Way, or shown the Truth, or heard of the Life in Jesus Christ.

 “Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith. You know that your brothers and sisters all over the world are having the same sufferings that you have. 1 Peter 5:9

 “So, brothers and sisters, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you when we were there and by letter.” 2 Thess. 2:15

I know I grow weary at times, with the frequent temptations, the short term victories of the ungodly, and the continuing battle to keep my mind on the Lord and His ways. But I know for the sake of my family, my grandkids, and others who are watching and listening, I, along with you, must hold the line. We must stand for truth, righteousness and accountability.

Be encouraged in the Lord’s strength. Spend the time daily to be uplifted by His Word, His answers to prayers, and His light that does shine in the darkness. Our promised reward awaits us in the end.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Love For His People. Inc.

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Now Think On This #163 - “No More Restraints?” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (10.29.14) Wednesday at 5:30 pm in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on our newest website: Now Think On This