Hello My Friend/Guest,

Today is Wednesday August 12, 2009 and we are continuing our studies in the book of Isaiah, please read chapters 58-63 in your Bible or Click Here to read them. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2058-63&version=9

Today's Message: Beware of False Churches
We need to be very careful of the place we choose to worship God, there are many false churches our there, which are not based on the Word of God that are deceiving many.

Today, there are an abundance of churches, it is no wonder so many people are confused and stay away from them, some for very good reason. There are some good churches, but there are many, many bad ones.
There are many churches out there who thrive at making themselves known to the world, claiming to be faithful Christian's, but this does not impress God. Through Isaiah, God said, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.” - Isaiah 58:1,2. God is telling all those that preach and teach His Word to get out there and preach it boldly with conviction. When you are going to show the people their transgression, give the Word with the same emotions that it was given by God through the prophets or apostles. God is also saying that they seem to delight in seeking Him, however what they are doing in their religious activities and playing church is self-serving. Their focus is centered around the satisfying the joys of the congregation and themselves.

Sadly, it's the church that defines ones acceptance of God and this is where the problem lies, when a church fails to do its duty to God and His Word, it becomes the actual place where the damage is done to the souls of those that put their trust in that church. If they can not trust the church they will not trust God. It is very important that a church make the Word of God the authority rather than the words and traditions made by man. When the Word of God is taught as it should, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, rightly dividing the Word of God then there would be no one to blame, but ourselves. Take a look at all the man made religions out there, not one of them focus on the Word of God, oh they claim to know God's Word and write it out in a special book that one is to read, but in reality they are just as lost as the rest of the world and have no clue what God's True Word is. Sadly, they deceive millions of people who do one of two things, they either lose their faith in God or they believe their lies and end up in hell because of them. Jesus Said, “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” - Matthew 24:23,24.

The Israelite leaders were distraught with God, they accused Him of not paying attention to what they were doing and they felt they had wasted their time. God reminded the Israelite's that acceptable fasting was not to impress the world of how religious they were, but it was to seek the will of God through intercession. “Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?” - Isaiah 58:4,5. When there is a fast, the things that are done, should be done unto God only and not for a show and to play religion. It should be done to God to bring forth atonement for sins, and transgressions against God and His Word.

The word fasting is defined as a time of abstaining from food or something that one enjoys for a period of time, for example, if one were abstaining from food from sunrise to sunset, he/she would use pray during the time when one would eat. It is a dangerous thing to go through the act of doing something like fasting, and then take no thought of why you are doing it. To follow someone through the act of fasting and prayer as a ritual because others are doing it, is not pleasing to God, it in fact upsets Him. He is saying that You are supposed to meditate and seek God in your worship and fasting, but you are going through your fasting like a hired worker doing a job. It is not real with you, but some form of fabrication that is done for the sake of getting it finished. What you do is for the wrong reasons. Jesus said, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” - Matthew 6:16-18. If what we do for someone, or for the Lord, is meant to impose or imply expecting special favors in return, prayers and fasting will be futile. Our prayers are effective only when our attitude and our relationship with others expresses the mercy and love of God unconditionally.

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Lord, we are confronted with deception on many fronts every day, so much so, that we can be deceived without even realizing it.  Would You help us to watch out and be on our guard so that we are not deceived by man’s words, no matter how convincing they are, how charming their personality, or how cunning their craft. Help us not to fall for Satan’s deceptive tactics that have brought down believers throughout the church age.  We seek You for strength and discipline as we search the Scriptures for discernment and Your Truths. In Jesus' Name.........Amen.

Have a wonderful and blessed day/night and enjoy the rest of your week.
God Bless,

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