“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth the Jesus Christ is come (has) in the flesh is of God:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is in the world.

Ye are of God, little children (believers), and have overcome them; Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth  (hears) them.

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might (could) live through him.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.” 1 John 4: 1-11

We will stop there and pick this chapter back up next post.

The general thought on my heart today is greater.

How often do we really think about that?

God is greater. 

He is greater than all we suffer, all that we can ever face.

He is greater than our fears, our failures, and even greater than our own thoughts which can be more detrimental to our spiritual walk than even the wiles of the devil.

And as we are told he is greater than he who is in this world.

The spirit of the antichrist, all the “religions” that deny Jesus, all the arguments that attempt to deny not only his deity but his very existence.

We try the spirits by testing what is being told us.

Comparing those thoughts, words, and doctrines to the actual living word of God and if those thoughts and teachings fail to align with his word, we know to not follow those teachings and as the Bible commands us.

Galatians 1:6-11:” I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that would trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? 

For if I yet pleased men, I should not be a servant of God.

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.”

This is quite the warning, and we can see how easily this would apply not only to all of us as of course it does, but especially to those who are new to the faith.

There are so many teachings available now, thanks to the world wide web, but many of those teachings are not true representations of the word of God, but rather thoughts and opinions of those who as scripture states, wish to pervert the gospel to please those who listen.

Truly converting the “web” into a web of deception, destruction, and eternal damnation if  their teachings are followed instead of the true gospel.

So we must be careful, and really listen to what we are being told, if a minister is making off color jokes concerning God and the kingdom, that we know this is not of God.

If we are being taught things contrary to his word with special “interpretation” being given to twist the meaning of scripture to align with a thought of an individual or group, than we know this also is not of God.

If we hear other denominations being ridiculed or bashed, again we know that this is not of God.

God has “other sheep” and as long as those denominations fit the criteria of the fundamentals of the gospel, they are of God, it is possible to have differences in administrations of churches but serve the same God.

The fundamentals of  the gospel  are that Jesus is the Son of God, he was born of a virgin, he lived a completely sinless life, he was crucified and  died taking all the sins of the world upon him, he rose on the third day and we have eternal life through the redeeming power of his blood and he will return to earth in the final days.

We must also follow his word, and the commands laid out in that word to the best of our abilities.

There are few things more disturbing than listening to minsters of one denominations bash another denominations, especially when hearing references to spiritual things that they clearly do not understand and are endangering their own souls in doing so.

When we hear such things we need to walk away and never look back at those teachers.

Know the word of God for yourself, study it and do not allow the enemy to lure you away with charismatic teachers or philosophers than arrogantly profess to some secret knowledge, the word of God was given to us all.

We are given preachers to help us understand the word but that word was and is freely given for all who will accept it in obedience to Christ and in truth.

Ask God for understanding, he will give it.

James 1:5: ” If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, that giveth to all men (people) liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Which means that God will give us the answers to our questions concerning his word, he will give us understanding, he does not upbraid us, meaning that he does not berate or belittle us for asking, but he delights in his children and gives abundantly what we ask.

As his children, we have the greatest power of the universe living inside of us.

Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Hold onto that, hold on to him and he will hold on to you!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2026/ Rev. N Brown Johnson