Beware of Man-Made Rules

120 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ” So false teachers will regularly pop up in the church in latter days, who with seared consciences that have caused them to depart from the faith will hang their hats on man-made rules or legalism. They will rise up in the church and invent commands that are necessary to follow in order to be part of the Church...the Body of Christ. Remember this portion of Scripture is coming directly from the Holy Spirit who “expressly says,” (He gets very specific and prophetic about what these false teachings will be.) The two teachings mentioned are forbidding marriage and abstaining from certain foods. We aren't told who is forbidden to marry or what foods are forbidden, only that these prohibitions will surface in the church in the future and the sheep should watch for them, for they will serve as a red flag. These two issues of course are not the only calling card of false teachers but when these two showed up the Spirit tells the flock how to deal with them. As always in regard to false teaching we must go to the Scriptures. And the scriptures tell us that marriage is a good thing! Jesus consistently honored marriage with His teachings about divorce. His first miracle took place at a wedding, and in Heb 13:4 we read, “ Marriage is honorable among all, (Don't miss the word “all” here.) and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. In the matter of food, it was made clear to Peter on a rooftop in Joppa that all food was acceptable to eat, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:13) and we are told in these next verses of Timothy how God makes it clean: “nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Got some food set before you? Then thank God and acknowledge that it came from Him and eat with a joyful and pure heart! While your at it, if you are married, share it with your spouse.