Introduction (Testing The Spirits Podcast - Episode # 2)

Hello, and thank you for listening to the Testing the Spirits podcast. This is episode number two, which I've titled, Introduction. I probably should have uploaded this one first, but it is what it is.

But in this episode, I just wanted to explain what this podcast is about and what I'm trying to do with it. Why is it called Testing the Spirits? First of all, the title comes from the Bible. The book of 1 John 4, verse 1, begins with these words, Biblical commentator Matthew Henry, whose writings have really stood the test of time, he wrote this in the early 1700s, so that should tell you something.

It was true then, it's still true today, but he said this about 1 John 4, Humble dependents on divine teaching discern those who set forth doctrines according to the apostles and those who contradict them.

The sum of revealed religion is in the doctrine concerning Christ, his person and office. The false teachers spake of the world according to its maxims and tastes, so as not to offend carnal men. So to put that in my own words, I wanted to do this podcast for this reason.

I want to take what people say in the name of God and compare it to the word of God. Because here is the trend, here's what happens. People take the Bible, okay, pastors do this, laymen do this, everybody is doing this.

People take what the Bible says, and then they take what's popular in the culture, and they either, number one, try and find some middle ground, which is, of course, compromise, or they just twist the scripture in order to make it fit the culture.

Of course, there are many godly men and women who do not do this, but are we fighting against it? Do we have an answer? Do we have a reply? So to recognize what's happening, to explain it, and to fight against it, it requires discernment.

Matthew Henry used that word, discern or discernment. So I'm a pastor. I've been told, at least, that I have the spiritual gift of pastor and teacher, as well as the spiritual gift of discernment. Hey, if you disagree with that, I'm sure my critics would disagree, and that's okay, but I firmly believe the Lord has laid this burden on my heart to fight the good fight of faith and to test the spirits.

I believe this is part of my calling. It is part of what a pastor is supposed to do. And either way, the Bible clearly tells us to test the spirits. Again, 1 John chapter 4, verse 1. So taking what people say in the name of God and compare it to the word of God.

Is this really what the scripture teaches? Is this really what God wants? Is this really what the church should be doing? Is this really what churches should be accepting? That's what we're going to be looking at.

The apostle Paul said this to the young pastor Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, 2 through 5. He said, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching.

See, there's not a lot of rebuking and exhorting going on these days. Not a lot of teaching or doctrine. The mantra is doctrine divides and love unifies. So people no longer care about doctrine. And it's all about love and feelings and love, love, love, and doctrine is ignored.

And Paul knew this would happen. He says in 2 Timothy 4, verse 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, you know, they want to be told good things.

They want to be told what they want to hear. Because they have itching ears, Paul says, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.

But you, he says, be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. So in this podcast, we do want to proclaim the gospel of Christ crucified and risen.

The salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But we also want to test the spirits. 1 Thessalonians 5, 21 says, test all things and hold fast to that which is good. So that's what I plan on doing.

What are people saying? What are people saying in the name of God? What are people doing? What are churches doing? Test all things, hold fast to that which is good. So we not only need to read the Bible and understand the Bible, here's what's missing oftentimes.

We must make application. We must apply the teachings of the Bible. You see, people will view the church as irrelevant if we are not applying the word of God to the modern day. This is what the apostles of Jesus Christ did.

Just read the epistles. They saw what was going on. They looked at the current situation they were dealing with. And what did they do? They quoted the Old Testament. Of course, today we have both Old and New Testaments.

But they quoted the scripture and they applied it to real life situations, things they were dealing with right then and there. And that's what we plan to do. That's what this podcast is all about. You see, as long as the Bible remains in the past, it's 2 ,000 years removed.

It's 3 ,000 years removed. It's in the past and people are comfortable with it as long as it's back then. But once you take principles from the scripture and start applying them to the here and now, and they say, hey, this stuff is happening right now and we need to do something about it.

We need to address this and we need to address that and do this and do... See, that makes people uncomfortable. But if we're not applying the scripture, what good are we? We don't want to just be hearers of the word.

We want to be doers of the word. Amen? So I hope you'll stay tuned. Pray for me. Pray for this podcast that the Lord would use it for his glory.