BE A BEREÄN BELIEVER – EXAMINE BEFORE YOU SAY AMEN: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO SPEAKS OR WRITE!
“Jesus answered and said to them, “You are MISTAKEN, not KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES nor the power of God” Matthew 22:29/NKJV.
It is high time not to be MISTAKEN any more in any matter of DOING LIFE and LIVING IN GODLINESS, in Christ Jesus’ stead; it is time to be SCRIPTURALLY certain in CONTEXT, before saying — AMEN!
Otherwise, you will walk erroneously and have only yourself to blame for such ignorance.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be SWIFT to HEAR, SLOW to SPEAK (ACT), SLOW to WRATH: 20 for the WRATH of man WORKETH not the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God” James 1:19-20/Emphasis Mine.
To say ‘AMEN’ is gracious and graceful if you understand the INTENT and CONTEXT.
For to ‘AMEN’ is to spiritually agree within you to a CAUSE with your spirit, in affirmation of God’s WORD by the Holy Spirit concerning a matter, spoken or written by you or by someone else.
An “AMEN” is more than a mere word; it carries spiritual implication and assertion. Hence it is not for a joke or for wishy-washy affirmation statements.
Therefore, saying “AMEN” to everything before you hear and read, or whilst you hear or read the handwriting on the wall, without knowing and understanding the SCRIPTURAL context, is erroneous.
For many have become CAPTIVES of their own erroneous making and have SUFFERED severely for their ignorance, in taking up an instruction that was not EXAMINED SCRIPTURALLY before ACTING upon it.
“MY PEOPLE are DESTROYED for LACK OF KNOWLEDGE: because thou hast REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I will also REJECT thee, that thou shalt be NO priest to me: seeing thou hast FORGOTTEN the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” Hosea 4:6.
“Therefore MY PEOPLE have gone into CAPTIVITY, Because they have NO KNOWLEDGE; Their HONORABLE men are FAMISHED, And their MULTITUDE dried up with THIRST. 14 Therefore SHEOL has enlarged itself And opened its mouth beyond measure; Their glory and their multitude and their pomp, And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it. 15 People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled” Isaiah 5:13-15/NKJV.
Sometimes when I read and examine the content and context of what people are saying “AMEN” and “BLESS ME” to, I wonder what kind of generation is being raised in the Body of Christ.
At times one wonders, with the availability of information and accessibility to God’s Word in various formats today, why is it that God’s people, who ought to make a difference by the WORD, with the illumination of the Holy Spirit that is given to us, will just be affirming anything because of allegiance to a man or a creed they ignorantly look up to?
For some, it is because of their own selfishness or self-centred hype and applause they can get, irrespective of the errors, because of the kind of ignorant people they are influencing.
These, and more that are not mentioned, are what truly give me cause and make me very concerned about the darkness that is hovering over God’s heritage through ignorance, stupidity and foolishness.
And if I may ask: What GENERATION do you class yourself in?
Is it a GENERATION of “BLESS ME”?
Or a GENERATION of “AMEN”?
Or a GENERATION of “BLESS ME and AMEN”?
Which one are you, my reader?
Or are you the GENERATION that EXAMINES to ENSURE that God’s WORD RULES REIGNS SUPREME, no matter who SPEAKS, WRITES or has WRITTEN?
I am just pondering how people simply say “AMEN” and “BLESS ME” to every form of post, whether written or spoken in various media formats, simply because someone regarded as important said it.
Did the people ever READ the CONTENT? DID THEY LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND THE STATEMENT?
And much more, did they affirm if it is SCRIPTURALLY written or recorded, and what it truly means in grace?
There is the need to be like the BEREAN Christian Believers in Christ Jesus’ stead, who SEARCH and EXAMINE in order to ENSURE and be assured that their FAITH in a CONTEXT is scripturally believable and affirmable.
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more NOBLE than those in Thessalonica, in that they RECEIVED the word with all READINESS of mind, and SEARCHED the SCRIPTURES daily, whether THOSE THINGS were so. 12 Therefore many of them BELIEVED; also of HONOURABLE women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few” Acts 17:10-12.
When you say ‘AMEN’ as God’s child to what only makes common sense, and there is no INSPIRATION, REVELATION and EMPOWERMENT of the Holy Spirit of grace by the WORD in such a CONTEXT, it becomes a joke.
And a joke does not bring about God’s grace to anyone, nor does it enable you to become what that statement is in grace, wherein you can stand to access God’s enabling in all things that pertain to DOING LIFE and LIVING GODLY.
- For example: someone says, “God wants to make you a millionaire. Come forth and give a millionaire offering.” You jump up and say, “Amen.” That is falsehood. God never promised that in the Scriptures. Besides, if you become a millionaire overnight by being hastened, and your problems become multiplied, what difference does it make in you? Would it not have been better to live by God’s gracious act of prosperity as in the Scriptures — 3 John 2 / Deuteronomy 8:18 — than by the sudden millionaire spell and syndrome that is unscriptural?
The great Apostle and Emeritus Paul, who wrote by the INSPIRATION, REVELATION and EMPOWERMENT of the Holy Spirit of grace more than a third of the epistles of the New Testament Bible which we all read to DO LIFE daily, was EXAMINED daily concerning the SPOKEN or WRITTEN epistles — Acts 17:10-13; 2 Peter 3:14-18.
All the more, there is the need to SEARCH and EXAMINE in these last days of accreditation, with people accustomed to mere titles, adulteration, falsehood, photoshop, self-imaging and mere words coated with the philosophy of common sense rather than WORD affirmation.
There is the need for more examination to cleanse the Church and society of such menaces, perverts, wickedness and evils we see today — Galatians 1:6-9; Jude 1:3-4; Philippians 1:15-18.
There is the NEED to EXAMINE what you read or hear for your own good in God’s grace and BLESSEDNESS, before you become a joke with the joker.
Therefore, THINK and LEARN from the BEREAN BELIEVERS concerning Apostle Paul, as it is written.
Don’t be MISTAKEN anymore in any matter of life and godliness — Be SCRIPTURALLY certain in CONTEXT, before saying — “AMEN”.
I pray you tread scripturally in the grace in Christ Jesus stead. Amen.
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they RECEIVED the word with all readiness of mind, and SEARCHED the SCRIPTURES daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them BELIEVED; also of HONOURABLE women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few” Acts 17:10-12.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, YE DO ERR, not KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES, nor the power of God” Matthew 22:29.
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou OUGHTEST TO BEHAVE THYSELF in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” 1 Timothy 3:15.
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be DILIGENT that ye may be found of him in peace, WITHOUT SPOT, and BLAMELESS. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD, which they that are UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the ERROR of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But GROW IN GRACE, AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” 2 Peter 3:14-18.
“And now, brethren, I COMMEND you to God, and to THE WORD OF HIS GRACE, which is able to BUILD you up, and to GIVE you an INHERITANCE among all them which are SANCTIFIED” Acts 20:32.
“STUDY to shew thyself APPROVED unto God, a workman that NEEDETH not to be ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING (APPLYING) the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15 Emphasis Mine.
“We have also a MORE SURE WORD of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a LIGHT that shineth in a DARK place, until the DAY DAWN, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of the SCRIPTURE is of any PRIVATE INTERPRETATION. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the WILL of man: but HOLY men of God SPAKE as they were MOVED (LED) by the Holy Ghost” 2 Peter 1:19-21/Emphasis Mine.
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who CALLED you in the grace of Christ, to a DIFFERENT gospel, 7 which is NOT ANOTHER; but there are some who TROUBLE you and want to PERVERT the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, PREACH any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be ACCURSED. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone PREACHES any other GOSPEL to you than what you have received, let him be ACCURSED” Galatians 1:6-9/NKJV.
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to CONTEND EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For CERTAIN MEN have crept in UNNOTICED, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, UNGODLY men, who turn the grace of our God into LEWDNESS and DENY the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” Jude 1:3-4/NKJV.
“Some indeed PREACH Christ even from ENVY and STRIFE, and some also from GOODWILL: 16 The former PREACH Christ from SELFISH AMBITION, NOT SINCERELY, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter OUT OF LOVE, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in PRETENSE or in TRUTH, Christ is PREACHED; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice” Philippians 1:15-18/NKJV.
“Truly, these TIMES OF IGNORANCE God OVERLOOKED, but now COMMANDS all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” Acts 17:30-31/NKJV.
SUMMARY:
The message is a charge to BE A BEREAN BELIEVER — EXAMINE BEFORE YOU SAY “AMEN”.
It warns that saying “AMEN” without SCRIPTURAL knowledge, CONTEXT and the INSPIRATION of the Holy Spirit is dangerous. It leads to error, captivity and spiritual destruction. True godliness in Christ Jesus’ stead demands that we test every word spoken or written, no matter who said it, and only affirm what is founded on GOD’S WORD.
KEY POINTS
- “AMEN” is a Spiritual Agreement, Not a Casual Word
To say ‘AMEN’ is to spiritually agree in your spirit to a CAUSE, in affirmation of GOD’S WORD by the Holy Spirit. It carries implication and assertion. It is not for jokes or wishy-washy affirmations — 1 Corinthians 14:16.
- Ignorance of Scripture Leads to Error and Captivity
Jesus said, “You are MISTAKEN, not KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES” — Matthew 22:29.
God’s people are DESTROYED for LACK OF KNOWLEDGE — Hosea 4:6.
They go into CAPTIVITY because they have NO KNOWLEDGE — Isaiah 5:13-15.
Saying AMEN to what is not examined scripturally makes you a captive of your own error.
- The Berean Standard: Search and Examine Daily
The Bereans were more NOBLE because they RECEIVED the word with READINESS and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY to see if those things were so — Acts 17:10-12.
Even Paul’s epistles were EXAMINED — 2 Peter 3:14-18.
We must not affirm by allegiance to a man, title, creed, or hype, but by the WORD.
- The Danger of This Generation: “BLESS ME” and “AMEN” Culture
Many affirm anything because of self-centred hype, applause, or loyalty to personalities.
They say “AMEN” and “BLESS ME” to posts without READING, LISTENING, or UNDERSTANDING if it is SCRIPTURALLY true in grace.
This opens the door to falsehood, adulteration, philosophy and “millionaire syndrome” that is not in Scripture — Galatians 1:6-9; Jude 1:3-4; Philippians 1:15-18.
- The Test: Inspiration, Revelation and Empowerment by the Word
If there is no INSPIRATION, REVELATION and EMPOWERMENT of the Holy Spirit by the WORD in the context, then saying AMEN to it is a joke.
And a joke does not bring God’s grace or enable you to live godly — 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 1:19-21. - God Commands Us to Grow in Knowledge
We are to BEHAVE OURSELVES in the house of God — 1 Timothy 3:15.
We must STUDY to show ourselves APPROVED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth — 2 Timothy 2:15.
We are to GROW IN GRACE AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ — 2 Peter 3:18.
The WORD OF HIS GRACE is able to BUILD you up and GIVE you an INHERITANCE — Acts 20:32.
CALL TO ACTION
- EXAMINE BEFORE YOU AFFIRM
Be SWIFT to HEAR, SLOW to SPEAK/ACT — James 1:19-20.
Search the Scriptures daily concerning every teaching, post, or prophecy before you say “AMEN”. - CHOOSE YOUR GENERATION
Ask yourself: Are you a GENERATION of “BLESS ME”? A GENERATION of “AMEN”? Or a GENERATION of “BLESS ME and AMEN”?
Or are you the GENERATION that ENSURES GOD’S WORD RULES and REIGNS SUPREME, no matter who SPEAKS or WRITES? - REJECT ERROR AND CONTEND FOR THE FAITH
Do not be MISTAKEN anymore in DOING LIFE and LIVING GODLY.
Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered — Jude 1:3-4.
Cleans the Church of menaces, perversion and falsehood by testing all things. - LIVE BY SCRIPTURAL CERTAINTY
Be SCRIPTURALLY certain in CONTEXT before saying “AMEN”.
Tread in the grace in Christ Jesus’ stead. Grow, be built up, and walk blameless.
Final Charge:
Don’t be a joke with the joker.
BE A BEREAN. EXAMINE. THEN SAY AMEN.
AMEN.
REV. CHUKIE MORSI
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