Have you ever been forwarded an email with an amazing story that turned out to be false? It happens every day. Especially with Christians. Like the one about hell.
In 1984, a scientific journal reported on scientists drilling in Russia who encountered rare rock formations, and temperatures of 180 degrees. But soon, stories began circulating that the scientists had drilled through to hell, and that screams of condemned people could be heard from the well. The temperature was reported to be, not 180, but 2,000 degrees. Trinity Broadcasting Network picked up the story “Scientists Discover Hell.” A visiting school teacher heard it, wrote about it to a Christian magazine in Finland who published it. From there the tale was repeated in missionary newsletters, in evangelistic sermons, and by a number of Christian publications. For example, the Weekly World News ran the story in 1992, but this time reported that it happened in Alaska, and that 13 oil rig workers were killed when the Devil came roaring up out of the ground.
This is my regular appeal that you don’t contribute to passing along false stories, no matter how exciting they may sound. Don’t forward stuff you can’t verify. Don’t share information that is not true. This is counterproductive to our mission. It is exactly the kind of thing we are warned about in Scripture when it comes to end time events.written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is to the Christians living in the Greek city of Thessalonica. They are going off the deep end, because they are misinformed and misunderstand what God says regarding the future. They were forwarded a false message. So the Apostle wrote this letter is to get them on track, and keep them focused on the right things. Any of us who follow Jesus need that same stability and guidance today.
In 1984, a scientific journal reported on scientists drilling in Russia who encountered rare rock formations, and temperatures of 180 degrees. But soon, stories began circulating that the scientists had drilled through to hell, and that screams of condemned people could be heard from the well. The temperature was reported to be, not 180, but 2,000 degrees. Trinity Broadcasting Network picked up the story “Scientists Discover Hell.” A visiting school teacher heard it, wrote about it to a Christian magazine in Finland who published it. From there the tale was repeated in missionary newsletters, in evangelistic sermons, and by a number of Christian publications. For example, the Weekly World News ran the story in 1992, but this time reported that it happened in Alaska, and that 13 oil rig workers were killed when the Devil came roaring up out of the ground.
This is my regular appeal that you don’t contribute to passing along false stories, no matter how exciting they may sound. Don’t forward stuff you can’t verify. Don’t share information that is not true. This is counterproductive to our mission. It is exactly the kind of thing we are warned about in Scripture when it comes to end time events.written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is to the Christians living in the Greek city of Thessalonica. They are going off the deep end, because they are misinformed and misunderstand what God says regarding the future. They were forwarded a false message. So the Apostle wrote this letter is to get them on track, and keep them focused on the right things. Any of us who follow Jesus need that same stability and guidance today.
vv.1-2 “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come.”
In our day it could be a website, an email, an ebook, a blog, a video that creates a disturbance in the church. John Piper says: “Behind every disturbance is a lie.” God wants his people to be calm, stable, composed especially when the world is going crazy. When we are not, it is usually because we have been deceived. If there is emotional upset, ask yourself, What lies am I believing? How have I been deceived? The lie might be that God isn’t in control. The lie might be that you have to save yourself, that it all depends on you. The lie might be that you are alone, without hope, out of options. The only way to combat the lies is with God’s truth. Cling to the truth, believe the truth, and face all situations with grace and peace.
Behind Every Disturbance Is a Lie
False reports were circulating in the church. Someone had stood up in the service and made a prophecy that the end times had already started. Or the preacher said in his sermon that according to Paul, Jesus’ returned already. Or a letter with Paul’s name on it was being passed around that said the second coming already happened. The church was all upset. They were shaken and frightened. But it was a lie. Paul says, I don’t care where you heard it, it isn’t so. It doesn’t matter who said it, it isn’t true.In our day it could be a website, an email, an ebook, a blog, a video that creates a disturbance in the church. John Piper says: “Behind every disturbance is a lie.” God wants his people to be calm, stable, composed especially when the world is going crazy. When we are not, it is usually because we have been deceived. If there is emotional upset, ask yourself, What lies am I believing? How have I been deceived? The lie might be that God isn’t in control. The lie might be that you have to save yourself, that it all depends on you. The lie might be that you are alone, without hope, out of options. The only way to combat the lies is with God’s truth. Cling to the truth, believe the truth, and face all situations with grace and peace.
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