" A TIME FOR TESTING "

" YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST." In a number of places Jesus intentionally challenged his listeners to test him. He welcomed those who wanted to question his claims and character as long as they were willing to follow through on what they discovered Jesus' challenge clarifies the two most frequent reasons that people miss when encountering him: 1- They never accept his challenge to test him, or 2- They test him but are not willing to believe what they discover. Have you made either of those mistakes? The Corinthians were called to examine and test themselves to see if they really were Christians. Just as we get physical check-ups, Paul urges us to give ourselves Spiritual Check-Ups. We should look for a growing awareness of Christ's presence and power in our lives. Only then will we know if we are true Christians or merely impostors. If we're not taking active steps to grow Grow Closer To God, we are drawing further away from him. " TEST " 1- A challenge or difficult situation imposed by God for the purpose of strengthening faith; not to be confused with temptation to evil (James 1:13). 2- The act of putting God to the test, demanding that we prove Himself and His power in some way, as Satan attempted to persuade Jesus to do. 3- The act of one person's challenging another to prove himself by answering difficult questions etc. LAST POINT: " Beloved,do not believe every spirit, but TEST the SPIRITS to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world " (1 John 4:1). I believe this verse is saying: " Do Not Believe Every Spirit, But TEST The SPIRITS. " That we shouldn't believe everything we hear just because someone says it is a message inspired by God. There are many ways to test teachers to see if their message is truly from the Lord. One is to check to see if their words match what God says in the Bible. Other tests include their commitment to the Body of Believers, their life-style, and the fruit of their ministry. But the most important test of all, says John, is what they believe about Christ. Do they teach that Jesus is fully man? Our world is filled with voices claiming to speak for God. Give them these tests to see if they are indeed speaking God's Truth. Until Next Time... Jim,