COGIC - Church of God In Christ

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Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on April 2, 2009 at 5:00pm

The Truth Will Make YOU Free!
What is a False Prophet?

Because of the way "prophet" is commonly used, there is a misconception that its basic definition is "someone who foretells the future," but this definition is too narrow. Prophet is better defined as "one who speaks for another." A true prophet, then, is a person who speaks for God, delivering a message that...more »
What is a False Prophet?

Because of the way "prophet" is commonly used, there is a misconception that its basic definition is "someone who foretells the future," but this definition is too narrow. Prophet is better defined as "one who speaks for another." A true prophet, then, is a person who speaks for God, delivering a message that God has ordained him to give. In The Book of Exodus God tells Moses that Aaron, his brother, would be his (Moses') prophet, even as Moses was God's prophet. Because of Moses' unbelief in God's ability to speak through him, God would speak to Moses, who would tell Aaron what to say to others—Pharaoh in particular (verse 2). It is the function of speaking for another, rather than the miracles they performed or their foretelling of what would befall Egypt, which defined Moses and Aaron as prophets.
Frequently, the words a prophet spoke on God's behalf were, in fact, foretelling what would happen later. However, the prophet's essential role was to speak for God, regardless of whether he did any predicting of the future. A prophet expresses the will of God in words, and sometimes he uses signs to back up what he says and to demonstrate God's power behind it.
In a similar way, a false prophet also may not be in the business of foretelling the future. A false prophet is simply someone who speaks for another but falsely. False prophets either speak for the wrong god, or they claim to have heard from the true God but do not accurately represent Him or His words. At the very least, they speak out of their own human hearts, but more likely, the "god" they are speaking for is really a demon.
It is true that, if a prophet foretells something that fails to come to pass, he is a false prophet, but foretelling the future correctly is not the determining factor when looking at false prophets. The real issue is whether one who claims to be representing God and speaking for Him, is doing so accurately or falsely. A prophet may accurately predict an event or demonstrate supernatural power, but if he is leading people away from the true worship of the true God, he is a false prophet.
If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, "Let us go after other gods"—which you have not known—"and let us serve them," you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
This passage begins with the assumption that the prophet does foretell the future accurately or perform some other, humanly impossible work. Nevertheless, if that prophet's central message is to follow after a different god or to take a spiritual path that the true God has not said to take, that person is a false prophet. God states unequivocally that misrepresenting Him incurs the death penalty, and Revelation 19:20 says that this is exactly what happens to the False Prophet: He is thrown into the Lake of Fire.
Dodging Moral Teaching
The message of the false prophet is contrasted in The Old Testament with loving the true God with all of our heart and soul (life), walking after Him, fearing Him, keeping His commandments, obeying His voice, serving Him, and holding fast to Him. These elements indicate what God wants His people to be focused on, helping to define whether a man claiming to speak for God is truly doing so or not.
Verse 4 mentions obeying God's voice and keeping His commandments. This is a regular theme with God's true prophets: They always have The Law under girding their messages. When the Old Testament prophets were sent to warn or inform Israel and Judah, they always pointed out the grievous ways in which the people had transgressed God's law.
False prophets, on the other hand, will not hold the moral line that God requires. Lamentations 2:12-14 says that the false prophets "have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions." False prophets will not connect the dots between the sinfulness of a nation and national calamity. They instead focus on something other than God's standard of righteousness.
This same principle appears in Isaiah 8:19,20. Both houses of Israel were guilty of seeking out mediums and wizards for spiritual guidance, and God's response is very telling:
And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
God gives us a standard by which to measure the words of a prophet: the law and testimony—His Word. If the prophet's message contradicts what is already established as God's Word, it is evidence that he lacks spiritual understanding. If his words do not line up with God's law and testimony, he is not speaking the truth.
In summary, the hallmark of a true prophet is his upholding of the law of God, while false prophets dodge moral teaching and instead preach a message that appeals to the masses. God's truth is abhorrent to the natural mind Romans 8:7, and thus it is quite common for God's prophets to be killed, while the false prophets enjoy widespread popularity and support. « less

Comment by Minister Jimmy L. Bagwell on April 2, 2009 at 1:37am

Trust God More Than Poeple and God Will Show You The People To Trust

Comment by Minister Lonnie D. Hampton on April 1, 2009 at 2:43pm

The Church of God In Christ mourns the loss of another great Bishop.
Take the time out to keep the families of Bishop Jack Stephens in your prayers.
Bishop Stephens was the Prelate of GEORGIA SOUTHERN SECOND JURISDICTION.
This is a great loss to our national church.

Comment by Minister Lonnie D. Hampton on April 1, 2009 at 1:58pm

To all of my fellow Church of God in Christ brothers and sisters.
SAVE THE DATE!
Calling all COGIC Pastor's, Elder's, Minister's, Missionaries, Sunday School Superintendents/Teacher's and lay members. Starting this Saturday evening, April 4th at 8:00 pm Central Standard Time, we will be starting a live Sunday School Preview Conference Call. (COGIC Sunday School Preview). The number to call is, 712-432-0075. The access code is 701273#
The lessons are taken from the "Power for Living" Sunday school book. This Saturday's lesson is a preview for Sunday April 5th. We will be reviewing lesson # 6, "Jesus Is Crucified."
Luke 23:32-47
If you are a Pastor, Sunday School Superintendent or teacher and would like to share the teaching rotation, please email me at cogic_preacher2006@yahoo.com

God Bless you,

Minister
Lonnie D. Hampton II

Comment by Nya's Financial Services on March 30, 2009 at 10:19am

Comment by Mark H. Stevens, Th.D on March 21, 2009 at 6:49am

Pastors MUST Be Content
A man or woman of God MUST be content in order to serve God with integrity. There may be times when the Lord will place you in situations that you will have to suffer loss or be thrust in harms way for the Gospels sake. I love the fact that Paul was ready to be offered up for God’s service. He was beaten, stoned, starved, shipwrecked, and lied on for the sake of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul could NOT be bought, or compromised in any way because of his devotion to God’s will. Materialistic preachers are the most likely to become false prophets. Why? Because they can be bought with the lure of MORE! A materialistic person ALWAYS wants MORE. If you remember Paul warned Timothy and Titus against Elders and Bishops that are materialistic.


Phil 4:12 (NAS) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Phil 4:12-13 (Jer) I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength.

Paul was a soldier of Jesus Christ, a good soldier that wasn’t corrupted by the world and the lure of wealth. If you are so consumed with making yourself comfortable and wealthy, how can you truly go to hard places for the work of the Lord? Imagine the Lord speaks to you and compels you to go to a Third World Country and preach the Gospel? Do you think you will be living in the lap of luxury in Haiti or Somalia? I have been to many of these places and I can tell you the Prosperity Message doesn’t work in a place where just having a roof over your head makes you blessed. God needs men and woman that can adjust to being with OR without. That is why Paul said “If you have food and clothing BE content!”.
Will We Follow if Jesus Asks Us to Enter Poverty For a Season?
Mark 10:21-27,31 (Jer) Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, "There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were astounded by these words, but Jesus insisted, "My children," he said to them, "how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." They were more astonished than ever. "In that case," they said to one another, "who can be saved?" Jesus gazed at them. "For men," he said, "it is impossible, but not for God: because everything is possible for God... Many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Is it likely, with all of his contacts and experience, that this man would not have remained poor for long? And yet he was unwilling to obey Christ with all these advantages, even temporarily. The rich young ruler could have been the 13th disciple literally! Jesus offered a chance to hang with Him! He turned it down because he loved his STUFF! So often people forsake Jesus because of STUFF! Stuff like money, fame, and influence. I am not trying to say rich people can’t serve Jesus, but what I am saying is so often the rich make money their God. Money is a powerful thing; money can buy fame and influence. Money can buy friends and love…not REAL friends and love but a great counterfeit of the two. Money is the God of this World’s source of power. That is why the Bible states, “Man cannot serve TWO masters, God or Mammon (money), you will love one or hate the other.” What is YOUR God?


Check out my Web Page!

http://askthechaplain.blogspot.com/

Comment by Pastor Bruce Whitley poke on March 20, 2009 at 12:30pm

Reverend Kim Gladney
Oak Grove Missionary
Baptist Church
Pastor Phil Harris
Mason Temple
Pastor Olivia C.Q. Aiken
Memorial Missionary
Baptist Church
Our theme: Healing Oppressed People with Evangelism.
See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to
pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jeremiah 1:10
Crusade starts nightly at 6:45 pm with an Evangelical teaching, and the service starts at
7:30 pm.
Hope Crusade Revival
Wednesday March 25, 2009 thru Friday, March 27, 009
Christian Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ
7405 Paseo Blvd
Kansas City, Missouri 64132
6:45 PM Nightly
Wednesday Night Speaker Friday Thursday Night Speaker Night Speaker
Evangelist Shirley Sampson
Elect Lady
Evangelism
Elder Bruce Poke
President
Evangelism

Comment by Minister Lonnie D. Hampton on March 20, 2009 at 12:01pm

God bless all the people of God,
I just wanted to invite some to and remind others about our Saturday morning prayer call. I'm excited about what God is doing and how He's opening up doors, saving the lost, healing the sick, providing jobs for people that are looking for work and all the other wonderful things that He's doing. I'm encouraging you start your day off in prayer with us tomorrow morning. The number to call is, 712-451-6100. The pin code is 819102#
The times are as followed: 7 AM PST, 9 AM CST and 10 AM EST.
If you would like your name and prayer request on the list, please email me before tomorrow morning at cogic_preacher2006@yahoo.com

God bless every one of you

Minister Lonnie D. Hampton II

Comment by Evangelist Patrica A. Allbritton on March 18, 2009 at 1:39pm

God bless you and those in this group and I am glad that this group is formed. I was just about to form the group if you didn't.

Evangelist Patrica Lewis
National Security Agent/Adjutant

Comment by Minister Lonnie D. Hampton on March 18, 2009 at 1:19pm

Oh clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with a vioce of triumph

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