“The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

For truth’s sake, which dwelleth (lives) in us, and shall be with us for ever.

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received commandment of from the Father.

And I beseech thee (urgently ask you), lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Look to yourselves (examine your own hearts and lives), that we lose not those things which we have wrought (worked for) but that we receive a full reward.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath the Father and the Son.

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

For him that biddeth him God speed (wishes him well in his endeavors) is partaker of his evil deeds.” 2 JOHN 1:1-11

Talk about spiritual land mines, another concerning trend in the modern church is the promotion of other faiths.

This is especially disturbing as people who hide behind church titles and use their forums to acknowledge, condone, and even welcome religions and organizations into communities that are blatantly against the teachings of Jesus Christ.

All the while, if any dare voice the truth concerning the teaching of Christianity, we are criticized, and mocked, and made absolute spectacles in those forums.

They only start these debates to drum up the drama, drag others into their swamp, and joy and gloat over the attention they receive while patting themselves on the back as they continue ranting of their enlightened tolerance and racking up views.

As John exhorted the church and her children, which are the believers in the passage above, we know the truth, true followers of Jesus Christ know the truth because that truth lives inside of his children.

We are to be witnesses of Christ not witnesses against him by promoting and validating false religions.

If we truly know the truth and truly believe in heaven and hell, how on earth could we ever justify encouraging others in false religions and attack those who want to win them to the truth?

John also warns us to examine ourselves and to protect ourselves from these heresies and this teaches us that we are not to be part of false teachings in any way.

We are not to allow them it in our homes or listen to the doctrines or promote or encourage it in any way.

We are also warned to not even wish them well in their dealings, we are told to not wish them God speed, which means to wish someone to prosper in whatever they are doing and we are clearly told to not to do that.

Those who do will be guilty before God in spreading false doctrine and will suffer the eternal consquence of that.

A person professing Christ but points others who are seeking in another direction, are actually leading them away from the truth and care nothing for that person’s soul.

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 7:15-18: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs, or thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit .”

They work themselves into the churches and pretend to feed the flocks while having a secret agenda to actually scatter that flock.

The thorns and thistles are the arguments and negativity, trouble, drama, and discord they bring and leave in their wake.

God’s word is to be honored and to be shared, as a witness to win others to Christ, we are never encouraged to send others seeking false gods and pagan religions, that is the work of the enemy.

We will study out a few more verses concerning how we are expected to present eternal life to others.

JAMES 5:20: ” Let him know, that he which convereth (converts) the sinner from his way shall save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins.”

PROVERBS 11:30: ” The fruit of the righteousness is a tree of life, and he who winneth souls is wise.”

GALANTIANS 6:1: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault (sins or struggle), ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.“

That one is also a warning that if we do not help others back on the path or we ridicule and judge them for their struggles, we will find ourselves in that same struggle, we are also to do so in meekness, and humbly not accusing and condemning.

When we are faced with those seeking the truth, we must offer only the truth, and the only truth is Jehovah God, Jesus Christ the only way to eternal life.

EZEKIEL 33:8:” When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou doth not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.”

That is the requirement of prophets and messengers, if we are to be held accountable for not warning those that we should, how would those who mingle the promoting of false religions with Christianity be accounted?

I don’t think there is much of a question.

Please do not fall to the notion of false tolerance, we are called to be children of God, we are not called to make concessions in our personal lives for false religions and pagan practices.

Do not fall for the debates, it just leads to more ungodliness.

God tells us to have nothing at all to do with them, stay away from them and their drama.

2 CORINTHIANS 6: 14- 18: ” Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

And what concord hath Christ with Belial (wicked)? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; and God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

He calls us out of the world and out of the drama and false teachings of the world, when we fall to others screaming that if we do not accept the false teaching of the world we are bigots and goad us in agreement with something that we do not agree with, we are allowing ourselves to be led away from the truth.

Ephesians 4:14: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

That is the purpose, that is the agenda, to confuse, to divide, and to ultimately deceive.

Do not allow yourself to be carried away by their false doctrine, nonsense, and false teachings.

The battle for the human soul is as old as time and it is a very real battle and the only way that we can be taken off the field is if we allow our selves to be carried away, away from God and away from the truth.

Protect yourself and those you love by honoring and sharing the truth of God’s word and do not waste your time debating it with those who only want to pervert it.

Φλογιζω NBJ 2026/ Rev. N Brown Johnson