With it being a week before Easter, I know it may seem like a odd time of year to talk about counterfeit money, but please give the following post a read and see if there is not something to learn from it that we can apply this time of year.
Recently I was thinking about how banks, and some retail establishments, train their employees about detecting counterfeit bills. I am not sure if this is how it is still done, since they have the special pens now and the hologram images, etc, but I know that as of five or six years ago this was how it was done. You ask how I know this, well I saw it on TV report, so we all know that makes it true. Just kidding. Seriously though, as of a few years ago when they trained bank tellers to detect counterfeits it was a detailed and specialized process. The key to it was that in the entire training they never touched a counterfeit bill. Never touched one, isn't that amazing. Training someone to detect something, but they never touched the thing they were learning to detect. The mind set was that if you ONLY touched the real thing that anything that did not feel right would be instantly obvious too you.
What a novel idea. Instead of training people with what is fake you only let them see, touch, and feel the real thing. That is a idea that I think we could really latch on in churches in training up youth, new believers, and even mature Christians. Instead of focusing on what is wrong or what is in error, only teach them right, only teach them the correct things, and then anything else will be obviously detectable as a fraud.
When I teach a series on cults the first thing I do is not teach about the specifics of one cult or what this cult is wrong about. The first two or three sessions is learning to detect what a cult is - there are about six or seven things that are consistently visible in ALL cults. Learn to detect them on sight, and the rest of the process of determining what is a cult or what is not is easy. Sure I may go on and teach specifics about some of the larger cults, but cults change and adjust so much the real key is teaching the student how to detect them when they run into one they have not heard of, or about. Do not hear me saying that we should not be specific and call sin - sin and wrong - wrong. What I think is that specific details should only come after the basics are mastered. I guess the point here is specifics are only good if you understand the general concepts first, teach 1) this is what is Biblical,2) this is what is right, and 3) anything other then what is Biblical and right is not sometimes right, but it is always wrong.
I think that the lack of teaching like this at many churches is part of the reason for the current state of "believers" that are easily swayed, turned and confused. They know about so many things that they can know longer tell what is right simply by sight. Obviously, the Bible teaches us that as a mature Christian we should be able to detect right from wrong and know what to do. So, to me the really question is not if the Bible is right, obviously it is, the real question is are we really mature Christians? Hard question I know, but one that we must ask ourselves if we are consistently being swayed or conflicted in our beliefs.
Along the same lines there are questions regarding your ministries, regardless of your role in them. The question to ask is about the fruit of your ministries. Are those that are being impacted by your labor for God changing or remaining the same. If they are remaining the same you may want to look at what and how your laboring, leading, and teaching for God.
Another hard question, if we are teaching or leading, is are we transferring the skills of a mature Christian to our students, regardless of age, or are we just baby sitting, again regardless of age, until we leave, they leave or someone else takes over. The Bible wants us to teach what is right, not what is en vogue.
I know that most of you know all of the above. I just wanted to challenge you today to keep up the good fight and resist being socially acceptable above the requirement to be Biblically accurate. Hold yourself, and all that are around you in leadership, to the high standard of showing counterfeit teaching for what they are.
We do not always need to use specific examples. By teaching the broad characteristics of Godly truth and wisdom the students and followers can detect it on their own. This does not mean that there is no place for specific detail, there obviously is, but the focus should be on teaching others where they can discern right from wrong on their own. I guess my point is we should position ourselves were we are not the ones having to tell others what is right or wrong, but we should teach them to do it on their own, without our help. That is both empowering for them and liberating for us.
This time of year there is a lot of discussion about the validity of the cross, and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This year specifically, due to the recent release of The Passion Of The Christ, there is even more discussion about the truth and validity of scripture and the life of Jesus. This is not a time to argue about small differences in faith and sow asunder the work of other believers. The Bible is right, it is never wrong. Jesus is the only son of God, and He came to live and die to pay the price on the cross for my sins. Anything or anyone that contradicts or discounts the above is a fraud.
Counterfeit teachings will always abound, flourish and change, but the truth of God, and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross will never change. We need to teach other believers to discern right from wrong for themselves and then they will not disappear or fall when the challenges and contradictions of false teachings arise.
This time of year is exciting, but not because of the candy, the spring, and the look in the eyes of a small child on Easter morning. All though those are all good things, but the real excitement in this time of year is the perfect sin sacrifice paid by Jesus on the cross. His suffering was real, not fake. His words were true, not lies. His death was required, not accidental. His sacrifice was total, not partial. His resurrection was real, not staged. The result of His resurrection was complete and total forgiveness of all the sins of the world, not some of them. No matter what human minds may say or what human actions may be, God is true just and reigning. He is.
________________________________________2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
________________________________________1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.
______________________________________Proverbs 16:20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
Proverbs 16:21 The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.
Proverbs 16:22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools.
Proverbs 16:23 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.
