Stumbling blocks. You don’t want to be one. And you don’t want them in your life, either. But what do you do when the stumbling block comes from someone you love dearly, or from someone with whom you know you are called to labor in God’s Kingdom?

In order to avoid stumbling blocks, we need to recognize them when they arise along the narrow path. At the most basic level, a stumbling block is an obstacle to our progress in the Lord; it’s something that gets in between us and God’s perfect plan for our lives; it is anything that leads us into temptation. It’s a snare. Strong’s Concordance defines a stumbling block as “any person or thing by which one is (entrapped) drawn into error or sin.”

The phrase “stumbling block” is used 14 times in various translations of the Bible. I am going to focus on just one in this exhortation—one that came straight from the lips of the Anointed One to my spirit. It’s an example that shows how even those closest to us—even those called to walk with us and do great things for the Lord alongside us—can at times present a stumbling block in our path. How to we deal with loved ones who present stumbling blocks in a spirit grace, mercy and love without falling into the trap?

Jesus called Peter a stumbling block after he rebuked the Lord for confessing that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priest and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter insisted that such a thing would never happen to Jesus. Selfishness was at the root of Peter’s words. Let’s listen in to how Jesus responded:

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns’” (Matthew 16:23, NIV). Peter was more concerned about himself than the plan of God, and therefore presented a stumbling block.

Imagine if Jesus had entertained Peter’s words … “You know, Peter, you are right. That shouldn’t happen to me. That’s not really fair. I have never sinned. Why should I die for the sin of the world? Maybe I will call on the angels to deliver me. Humankind can deal with its own problems!” Thank God that Jesus did not fall into the snare.

Here’s the point: How often do those around us—even those with the best intentions—speak the opposite of God’s will into our lives? How often do they discourage us from following our God-given dreams because of their unbelief? How often do they get us stirred up when persecution comes and tempts us to retaliate or merely defend ourselves when God wants to vindicate us in His time?

Jesus was quick to discern the stumbling blocks along the path to His destiny—a destiny that would take away the sin of the world—and He was quick to confront and press through them. That’s because He had in mind the concerns of God, not merely human concerns—not even His own concerns. Jesus’ mantra: Not my will, but yours be done even if it kills me. Jesus was quick to discern and deal with the stumbling block, but that didn’t mean that Jesus immediately cast the one who put the stumbling block in His path along the roadside. Jesus used wisdom. He knew Peter was an integral part in God’s plan to build the early church.

No, Jesus didn’t cast Peter aside. But Jesus didn’t allow Peter’s hindering words to live in His heart, either. Jesus instead taught Peter the right way to respond: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:24-25). Jesus didn’t exclude Peter from His inner circle or even sit him down for a season. In His mercy and grace, He helped Peter get his focus back on the concerns of God rather than merely human concerns.

Indeed, six days later, the Bible says, Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high mountain where they witnessed His configuration (-11). What a privelege! Then came Peter’s test. Jesus predicted His death a second time: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life” (Matt. 17:22-23). Although the disciples were filled with grief, Peter did not stand against the will of God. He did not present a stumbling block.

Fast-forward to Matthew chapter 18 and Jesus is once again talking about stumbling blocks. “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell” (v. 7-10).

?People may introduce temptations (stumbling blocks) into your life, however, the responsibility to walk in righteousness by the grace of God falls squarely on our own shoulders. God may indeed deal with the one who introduces the stumbling block, whether it be a spirit of error or some form of lust—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life—but the burden remains on us to discern, confront and press past that stumbling block no matter who introduces it and no matter what it is.

So what do you do if someone you are called to labor alongside in the kingdom—whether that is a family member, a spiritual leader or a friend—presents a stumbling block in your path? Of course be led by the Holy Spirit. Nothing I say here should usurp direct guidance from the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is always biblical. So I offer some words of wisdom from the Scripture:

Although there are certainly times when you must remove someone from your life who refuses to renounce and repent of a lifestyle or a doctrine that tempts you to stray away from God’s will, you shouldn’t make that move without doing what Jesus did: speak the truth in love, and if that doesn’t work take someone along with you to speak the truth in love. Remind them that whoever wants to be Jesus’ disciple must deny themselves—deny lusts, deny error, deny anything that would lead them outside the perfect will of God—and take up their cross and follow Jesus.

After all, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Can you imagine if Jesus had excommunicated Peter for a single mistake rooted in selfishness? What if Jesus booted you out of His kingdom for foolish words, or even foolish acts? God is a forgiving God, and we should act like our Father. If we are strong in the Lord and the power of His might, we should be strong enough not to stumble when the snare arises. We should be strong enough to correct in love. And we should be strong enough to restore a believer’s focus on Christ. Amen!

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

@ or visit her website here.

A newspaper reporter called me the other day to
solicit my opinion on an elderly woman’s so-called “divinely inspired
concoctions.” Her little shop of mystic wonderments peddles oils, herbs, sprays
and candles that claim to bring love into your life, and even get others to
obey your every command. As the reporter described the woman’s mixtures, supposedly potent enough to
solve any problem known to man, I couldn’t help but see mental images of the apostle Paul wrestling the beast at Ephesus. But I digress … .

The elderly woman has 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and a
divination sanctum littered with statues and images of various saints. A
necklace adorned with charms of the tools each saint works with dangles from
her neck, according to the reporter’s observations.

On Tuesdays this oldster fills an aluminum pan with alcohol, lights it
ablaze and purports to chant away evil spirits. An incense-filled pot meant to
ward off the day’s evil guards the back door of her soothsaying studio. Granny
acts as trusted adviser to her customers, who share with her problems both
large and small. Then she meditates about the issues for a day before mixing a
potion of herbs and oils designed to fix what ails them. For this she charges
$75—or more—but she offers a 100 percent guarantee and asserts that she hasn’t
had an unsatisfied customer yet.

If all that is not troubling enough, here is the clincher. The grandmotherly
spiritualist professes a strong sense of faith and belief in the Bible and God.
(The question is, which bible and what god?) She admitted that all her knowledge
about helping people is “in her head” but alleges it is a gift from above.

So what did I say to the reporter who asked me for my view? I told her what
you would say: “No Bible-believing Christian would claim a potion could help
someone find and keep love. This is a form of witchcraft, essentially,” I
argued in the newspaper article. “It’s not unlike the tarot card reader who
proudly displays an image of Jesus in her front office. This woman is merely
merchandising lonely people and using a religious mask to make them more
comfortable with her deception.”

So here I see a merchandising spirit in operation. I see Jezebel deceiving
people, many of whom are probably seeking help for hurts and wounds. I see
religion attempting to make divination acceptable in the name of the Lord. I
see idolatry. I see divination. I see witchcraft. And the world is not the only
place I see it … .

As Christians, we are quick to recognize the evil behind the tarot card
reader, the aura cleansers, the potion makers—and the diviners with Jamaican
accents who pollute the television airwaves with promises they can’t keep (even
at $ a minute). It seems utterly ridiculous that anyone would be foolish
enough to shell out $75 a pop for bogus advice and pleasant-smelling
concoctions, doesn’t it? I thought so too, but apparently this level of
deception has spread into the church.

I recently heard a radio commercial on a Christian broadcast. A “prophet”
was proclaiming a double blessing and the prosperity oil to bring it into
manifestation for anybody who would sow $ into his traveling ministry. How
is this any different from the potion-making granny? OK, the radio prophet
charges less for his concoction, but it still wreaks of merchandising.

“Here she goes, slamming false prophets again.” I can hear my critics now.
But if Jehovah’s prophets don’t take a stand against this mess—in the world and
in the church—then who will? That brings me back to the apostle Paul and his
wrestling match with the beast at Ephesus.

You remember in Acts 19, a huge ruckus broke out because Paul, as Demetrius
the silversmith put it, barged in and discredited those who were manufacturing
shrines to the goddess Diana. Demetrius stirred up the whole city against Paul
for taking a stand against Jezebel worship.

The Bible says there was great confusion after the people, who were worried
about losing profits from selling their idolatrous wares, began to cry out in
praise of Diana. “Some were yelling one thing, some were yelling another. Most
of them had no idea what was going on or why they were there” (Acts 19:32, The
Message).

We need to know what’s going on and why we are here: to take dominion; to
invade the kingdoms of this world and make them to become the kingdoms of our
Lord and His Christ; to set the captives free; to take the gospel to the
uttermost parts of the earth.

With all this in mind, who could disagree with the need to break the
deception over God-fearing believers who are being sucked in with ambiguous
prophetic words that proclaim “the first 100 people to sow $638 according to
Luke 6:38” will get their long-awaited breakthrough?

Don’t get mad at me now. I’m not the only one who has witnessed these
things. I hope you agree that we need to wrestle this beast in the church.
We need to dispel this merchandising spirit from our midst so people are not
hoodwinked into buying idols named “breakthrough.” You can’t buy a
breakthrough, healing or anything else from the Lord any more than you can buy
love in a bottle sold by a great-grandmother in Florida. 

Just as we can’t ignore the devil, we can’t ignore these things either. So
how do we overcome evil? With good. That’s why the apostolic-prophetic is so
important in this hour. As true apostles and prophets rise up to declare the
uncompromising truth—despite the persecution—we will see the deception begin to
crumble. We will witness a sea of change in the church that will have a ripple
effect on the world. We will be one step closer to a glorious church without
spot or wrinkle. Amen.

About the Author: Jennifer LeClaire is
news editor at Charisma.
She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of
the Prophetic. Visit her website here.

Did you know that about 17 percent of Americans believe the Bible is full of man-written fables and fairy tales? Only 30 percent believe the Word of God is the literal Word of God. So says a recent Gallup poll.

Although fairy tale writers draw inspiration from the Bible, I’m here to tell you that the Bible can in no way be compared to Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, where a wicked queen peered into a mirror, mirror on the wall to get assurance that she was the fairest of them all.

However, there is a supernatural mirror, if you will, that we can look into to get assurance that we are the most cherished of them all. This mirror transforms us from glory to glory. It’s called the Bible, the Word of God, the Holy Scripture. And its authors, inspired by the Holy Ghost, compared it to a mirror on three occasions. By exploring the Bible as a mirror, we gain a clearer understanding of how to become more like the holiest of all.

Do you speak in tongues? So did Paul the apostle. But he would be the first to tell you that without love it meant little more than sounding brass and clanging cymbals. Can you prophesy an accurate word in due season? Paul could prophesy with the best of them, and he understood the mystery of Christ. Do you move in the gift of faith? Paul did. Yet without love, Paul confessed, he would have been nothing. Do you give to the poor? Would you be wiling to die for the cause of Christ? That’s awesome. But if you aren’t motivated by love, it won’t do you a bit of good in eternity.

The truth is, prophecies will fail, tongues will cease and knowledge will vanish away. We know in part and we prophesy in part. We won’t be perfect until we trade this mortality for immortality, this corruption for incorruption. But we must steadily mature along the narrow path, even if we can’t see clearly where we are going. We walk by faith and not by sight. And we have to focus on what matters. What matters is most faith, hope and love. Paul put it this way:

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:11-13).

When we look into the Word of God, the mirror, it builds faith, restores hope and inspires love in our hearts for God, ourselves and others. When we turn to the Lord—and when we turn through the pages of His Word seeking His truth—the veil is taken away. In other words, our minds are renewed. And we are transformed by the renewing of our minds as the Spirit of God supernaturally reveals the Word of God with such clear understanding that we are never the same.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:17-18).

Now here’s the rub. As we look into the mirror that is the Word of God, we must believe what it says about who we are and we must do what it says we should do by the grace of God. Otherwise, we walk away with a spirit of deception hot on our trail. James said it better than I can:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” (James 1:22-24).

The mirror tells us who we are. We are holy as He is holy. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. We are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. We are more than conquerors in Christ. I could go on and on about who you are in Christ. The mirror speaks clearly. And there’s an interesting correlation here between our behavior and the revelation of who we are.

I believe that when we fail to walk in the revealed light of God’s Word to us, it robs us of the confidence of who we are in Him. Sin—failing to do the Word—causes a breach in our fellowship with God. It brings guilt, shame and condemnation. When we sin, we have to remember who we are in Christ—the forgiven—and quickly repent.

Then we need to go back and look in the mirror again to find out who we are. The more time we spend in front of the mirror looking at who we are, the less often we’ll stumble. A revelation of who we are is a mighty weapon against the enemy. When we put that revelation into words it becomes a spiritual sword. Look out devil!

Our ultimate goal is to be transformed into the image of Christ. The writer of Hebrews offers us hope:

“Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. Recently he spoke to us directly through his Son. By his Son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. This Son perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature. He holds everything together by what he says—powerful words!” (Hebrews 1:1-3 MSG)

The Son perfectly mirrors God. One day, we will perfectly mirror the Son. Until then, let us look into the mirror of God’s Word to seek the face of the Holiest of all—and let us speak forth the revelation of who we are in Christ—and who we will be in eternity. Powerful words! Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

@ or visit her website here.

A newspaper reporter called me the other day to solicit my opinion on an
elderly woman’s so-called “divinely inspired concoctions.” Her little
shop of mystic wonderments peddles oils, herbs, sprays and candles that
claim to bring love into your life, and even get others to obey your
every command.

As the reporter described the woman’s mixtures,
supposedly potent enough to solve any problem known to man, I couldn’t
help but see mental images of the Apostle Paul wrestling the beast at
Ephesus. But I digress …

The elderly woman has 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and a
divination sanctum littered with statues and images of various saints. A
necklace adorned with charms of the tools each saint works with dangles
from her neck, according to the reporter’s observations.

On
Tuesdays this oldster fills an aluminum pan with alcohol, lights it
ablaze and purports to chant away evil spirits. An incense-filled pot
meant to ward off the day’s evil guards the back door of her soothsaying
studio. Granny acts as trusted advisor to her customers, who share with
her problems both large and small. Then she meditates about the issues
for a day before mixing a potion of herbs and oils designed to fix what
ails them. For this she charges $75—or more—but she offers a 100
percent guarantee and asserts that she hasn’t had an unsatisfied
customer yet.

If all that is not troubling enough, here is the
clincher. The grandmotherly spiritualist professes a strong sense of
faith and belief in the Bible and God. (The question is which bible and
what god?) She admitted that all her knowledge about helping people is
“in her head” but alleges it is a gift from above.

So what did I
say to the reporter who asked me for my view? I told her what you would
say: “No Bible-believing Christian would claim a potion could help
someone find and keep love. This is a form of witchcraft, essentially,” I
argued in the newspaper article. “It’s not unlike the tarot card reader
who proudly displays an image of Jesus in her front office. This woman
is merely merchandising lonely people and using a religious mask to make
them more comfortable with her deception.”

So here I see a
merchandising spirit in operation. I see Jezebel deceiving people, many
of whom are probably seeking help for hurts and wounds. I see religion
attempting to make divination acceptable in the name of the Lord. I see
idolatry. I see divination. I see witchcraft. And the world is not the
only place I see it …

As Christians, we are quick to recognize the
evil behind the tarot card reader, the aura cleansers, the potion
makers—and the diviners with Jamaican accents who pollute the
television airwaves with promises they can’t keep (even at $ a
minute). It seems utterly ridiculous that anyone would be foolish enough
to shell out $75 a pop for bogus advice and pleasant-smelling
concoctions, doesn’t it? I thought so too, but apparently this level of
deception has spread into the church.

I recently heard a radio commercial on a Christian broadcast. A
“prophet” was proclaiming a double blessing and the prosperity oil to
bring it into manifestation for anybody who would sow $ into his
traveling ministry. How is this any different from the potion-making
granny? OK, the radio prophet charges less for his concoction, but it
still wreaks of merchandising.

“Here she goes, slamming false
prophets again.” I can hear my critics now. But if Jehovah’s prophets
don’t take a stand against this mess—in the world and in the church—then who will? That brings me back to the Apostle Paul and his wrestling
match with the beast at Ephesus.

You remember in Acts 19, a
huge ruckus broke out because Paul, as Demetrius the silversmith put it,
barged in and discredited those who were manufacturing shrines to the
goddess Diana. Demetrius stirred up the whole city against Paul for
taking a stand against Jezebel worship.

The Bible says there was great
confusion after the people, who were worried about losing profits from
selling their idolatrous wares, began to cry out in praise of Diana.
“Some were yelling one thing, some were yelling another. Most of them
had no idea what was going on or why they were there” (Acts 19:32, The Message).

We
need to know what’s going on and why we are here: to take dominion; to
invade the kingdoms of this world and make them to become the kingdoms
of our Lord and His Christ; to set the captives free; to take the gospel
to the uttermost parts of the Earth.

With all this in mind, who
could disagree with the need to break the deception over God-fearing
believers who are being sucked in with ambiguous prophetic words that
proclaim “the first 100 people to sow $638 according to Luke 6:38” will
get their long-awaited breakthrough?

Don’t get mad at me now. I’m not
the only one who has witnessed these things. I hope that you agree that
we need to wrestle this beast in the church. We need to dispel this
merchandising spirit from our midst so people are not hoodwinked into
buying idols named “breakthrough.” You can’t buy a breakthrough,
healing or anything else from the Lord any more than you can buy love
in a bottle sold by a great-grandmother in Florida. 

Just as we
can’t ignore the devil, we can’t ignore these things either. So how do
we overcome evil? With good. That’s why the apostolic-prophetic is so
important in this hour. As true apostles and prophets rise up to declare
the uncompromising truth—despite the persecution—we will see the
deception begin to crumble. We will witness a sea of change in the church that will have a ripple effect on the world. We will be one step
closer to a glorious church without spot or wrinkle. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at
@ or visit her website here.

Some say you can smell the spirit of death. I wasn’t born again when my great-grandmother was on her death bed—discerning of spirits wasn’t in operation—but I somehow still knew it was the last time I would see her.

And she had something important she wanted to tell me.

I want to share those same words with you; words with eternal implications. But I first want you to understand the spirit from which they came.

My great-grandmother was born in the 1800s and lived to be nearly 100 years old. During her lifetime seven states joined the Union. She lived through the women’s suffrage and several world-shaking wars. She also lived through the Azusa Street Revival, witnessed the rise of a young Billy Graham and witnessed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Mama Norris, as she was affectionately known by hundreds, was also a pillar of the church. She helped plant a handful of churches in the small Florida town she called home. (I still have her Bible in my room and relish to read all of the Scriptures that she underlined; Scriptures that touched her heart.)

I said all that to say this: As she lay at the edge of glory, Mama Norris had wisdom equal to and even beyond her 96 years. She had heaven’s wisdom in her heart and she wanted to share it with me. Did she know it was a prophetic admonition that would save my life? I am not sure. But I am sure that the Lord put it on her heart to share three simple, yet profound words with me before she came face-to-face with the King.

It was 20 years ago that I stood over her hospital bed knowing she was about to leave this earth. She opened her eyes and saw me standing there. She couldn’t speak above a faint whisper, so she motioned for me to come nearer. When I did, she said three words to me that seemed almost like an inconsequential warning at the time. It would take a decade before I started to understand what she really meant, and 20 years altogether before the ultimate revelation graced me.

Here’s what she said: “Never hate anyone.”

I didn’t hate anyone at the time. I couldn’t even imagine hating anyone. Not really. Not until my husband abandoned me with a 2-year-old child, exiting the country with piles of my hard-earned money and leaving behind monumental tax issues and credit card bills, along with a wrecked home and a child who screamed every night for a year hoping her missing father might return. He never did. And I hated him. Actually, I hated him with a passion. And I shook my fist at God.

Then I heard those three words Mama told me resonating in my heart: “Never hate anyone.”

Those words saved my eternal life. At the time, I came to truly understand that hating and forgiveness cannot flow out of the same heart. And if I didn’t forgive my husband God couldn’t forgive me. But it wasn’t until recently that I got an even greater revelation of Mama’s three last words to me.

I was reading 1 John—a book I have read over and over and over again—and I suddenly received a much deeper understanding of the importance of Mama’s words in the light of Scripture:

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:9-11).

Mama knew that hate is the ultimate stumbling block. Hate blinds us. Hate was blinding me.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:14-15).

Hate not only blinds us, hate is a sign of murder in our heart—and a sure sign that eternal life is not dwelling in our spirits. In other words, hatred for mankind cannot live in a heart that belongs to Jesus Christ. Hate had bound me.

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).

We are commanded to love. Hatred is a violation of the one new commandment Jesus gave us. If the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost—if it really is—we will draw from His unconditional love to love the unlovely even in the face of their hateful betrayals, vile persecutions and other revolting acts toward us. Hate was killing me.

Love. It’s the bottom line of Christianity. And that was Mama’s last ditch effort at preaching the gospel to her then-lost great-grandchild in three forced words from a dying body. Mama wanted to make sure that I would see her one day again in heaven. And God was faithful to raise up a harvest of the word seeds she planted at a time in my life when hatred was trying to lead me in to the fiery eternity that is hell.

Thanks, Mama. And thank you Jesus.

Maybe you’ve never been abandoned or betrayed or persecuted or used or abused. But I reckon you have seen your fair share of mistreatment. Some of you have experienced far worse than I ever will. Or maybe this truth sounds too simple to you, as it did to me when I first heard it. But it’s profound and you may need it one day like I did. (I hope you don’t.)

Either way, whether you are struggling to forgive right now or couldn’t imagine every facing such a struggle, I implore you, just as my great-grandmother implored me: “Never hate anyone.”

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at
@ or visit her website here.

Beware. It’s prophetic word of warning to be on your guard; a verbal alert that danger lies ahead. But are modern-day Christians bearing in mind the Scriptural admonishment to “beware” in these last days?

Current news headlines warn us to beware of the stock market; to beware of partisan politicians; to beware of Muslim extremists and so on, and so on, and so on. To be sure, society offers us so many ominous cautions that it’s easy to see how men’s hearts could fail them for fear as a sinful world waxes worse and worse (Luke 21:26).

Although godless fear mongers often issue notices to “beware” that are motivated by greed and power, there is wisdom in warnings that originate from a pure and godly source. And the New Testament is full of such red alerts. Beloved, there are flashing sirens throughout the Word of God to warn us of danger all around—but the first place we need to look is within our own hearts.

Listen, much is written about the Beatitudes, as well it should be. (The Beatitudes are the foundation of kingdom living.) But the Bible also warns us to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16). Walking circumspectly means to consider all circumstances and possible consequences. So when the Bible says to “beware,” we should abandon our pride and receive the word.

Essentially, the circumspect Christian is the prudent Christian. And the prudent Christian is the wise Christian. Not wise in our own opinions. Rather, wise in what is good and simple concerning evil (Romans 16:19). Remember, God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (1 Cor. 1:19). We are only wise in Christ (1 Cor. 4:10).

Wasn’t it King Solomon, after all, who at the end of his life—a journey marked by great wisdom and great sin—concluded that man’s whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecc. 12:13)?

Again, there are plenty of commandments to “beware” in the New Testament. So I ask you: Are you taking those commandments to heart? Are you walking circumspectly with regard to the prophetic warnings from the apostles, and from Jesus Himself, in your daily life? Let’s review some of those commands to “beware” before we answer.

Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Saducees” (Matt. 16:6). This warning still echoes in my mind today. We must remain vigilant against snobbish, hypocritical doctrine that prevents people from entering the kingdom. The fields are white and ready for harvest, yet the spirit of religion is slamming its legalistic door in the face of lost souls and new believers alike.

Jesus issued eight “woes” to the religious leaders of His day.  Like Joyce Meyer has often said, “I don’t know what woe is, but I don’t want any of it!” Examine your heart and ask God to show you if you are walking in the letter of the law that kills rather than the spirit that gives life (2 Cor. 3:6). 

Jesus also warned to “beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). The Bible cautions us not to keep company with a believer who is covetous (1 Cor. 5:11) and makes it clear that the covetous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:5). Paul commanded us by the Spirit of God to put to death any covetousness in our members (Col. 3:5). We should be content with what we have (Heb. 13:5). Covetousness comes out of the heart (Mark 7:21). Examine your heart and ask God to show you if there be any covetousness there.

The Bible also offers strong warning against strife. Paul warns, “But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another” (Gal. 5:15, AMP). When there was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot, the elder was wise enough to separate himself from it.

Proverbs also has plenty to say about strife. Partisan strife in the church is no better than partisan strife in politics—in fact it’s much worse. “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (James 3:16, KJV). There’s no place for strife in the church of Jesus Christ. Examine your heart for signs of strife, such as competition, resistance and sarcasm.

Paul’s wisdom led to another sober warning: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8, NKJV). This follows an admonishment to live in Christ—to do what the Bible teaches line upon line and precept upon precept.

In other words, be a doer of the Word. James warns that if we hear the Word and don’t do it, we’ve deceived ourselves (James 1:22). How much easier is it for a false prophet or false apostle to make merchandise of you if you’ve already deceived yourself? Examine your heart.

The writer of Hebrews chimed in with a solemn warning to the church: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God” (Heb. 3:12). And finally, Peter issued a warning with eternal implications when he wrote in 2 Peter 3:17: “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away in the error of the wicked.”

These and other calls to “beware” recorded in the Bible were relevant on the day they were spoken and written. But they were also prophetic. How much more are these cautions needed in today’s times, when the spirit of religion is rising, covetousness is woven into a Babylonian society, strife is dividing the Church along denominational lines and worse?

The bottom line: We need to guard our hearts with all diligence for out it flow the issues of life. So, beloved, beware. Examine your heart. And if you find these tendencies within you, repent and walk in Christ.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at
@ or visit her website here.

Benny Perez in a ‘war’ to save his church campus

Benny Perez isn’t wrestling against flesh and blood—but he is wrestling. The pastor of The Church of South Las Vegas, a 4,000-member charismatic megachurch in Henderson, Nev., is battling a Babylonian system to save his campus from foreclosure.

“This is a spiritual battle,” he says. “The enemy loves to stop churches by using money. We are one building away from feeding and clothing more people, reaching more youth and children, and helping more prostitutes. This is not about a bank. It is a principality and a power.”

The Church of South Las Vegas paid $4.5 million for 3.3 acres of Las Vegas Valley land three years ago. In March, that land appraised for $475,000—a 90 percent decline. The church owes a combined $7.7 million on the property and land. It appraised for $2.3 million. Perez is $5.4 million upside down.

The real battle began when the bank wanted to collect $1.8 million in church offerings. When Perez tried to negotiate to reduce the principal of the $7.7 million loan in line with actual property values, the bank refused.

After prayer and legal counsel, the church decided a strategic default was the best stewardship move. It stopped making payments on the loan on May 1. The bank subsequently filed suit against the church on June 17. And in July, the church filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to save its campus.

“People are asking if it is biblical to do a strategic default and declare bankruptcy,” Perez says. “For us, it is a stewardship issue. Would you keep throwing thousands of dollars into a black hole? ”

By filing for bankruptcy protection, the church doesn’t have to leave the property—for now—because foreclosure is stayed. But it could wind up losing its current home.

“Hopefully these banks will come to their senses and start working with churches that are helping the communities. This church isn’t a business. There are lives at stake.”

Barnabas Aid is working against trends such as the Insider Movement to convert Muslims to Christ

Barnabas Aid is on a mission to bring hope and relief to the persecuted church—but the group also has a massive outreach to Muslims. The international ministry has more than 400 full-time missionaries and pastors in Islamic countries. It distributed nearly 1 million tracts last year and funded TV and radio broadcasts that evangelize the Muslim world. Barnabas Aid also supports new church construction and income-generating projects that sustain converts when they lose everything for following Christ.

“We are seeing considerable growth of the church in the Muslim world. The Lord is doing a remarkable thing,” says Patrick Sookhdeo, international director for Barnabas Aid, who himself converted from Islam in the 1970s. “The numbers are not as some have been reporting about many millions of Muslims each year turning to Christ. Still, Muslims are turning to Christ in an unprecedented way.”

Of course, converting Muslims is one thing. Discipling them is another. The name Barnabas means “son of encouragement,” and Barnabas Aid lives up to that name by encouraging and strengthening converts. But the challenges of raising up strong believers in the Muslim world are many. Indeed, the consequences of calling Jesus “Lord” in extremist nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan can be deadly. 

“Many converts lose everything. Psychologically they become quite dysfunctional. So the need for emotional and spiritual stability becomes hugely important,” Sookhdeo says. “Because Islam is a religion that is heavily demonic, you are dealing with difficult spiritual and psychological matters.”

Then there’s the Insider Movement, which Sookhdeo calls “catastrophic.” It takes a ministry approach to foster a belief that missionaries should not try to remove a convert from his Islamic community. The Insider Movement argues that the gospel message is found in the Quran and converts should continue upholding Muhammad as a prophet and attending their mosque.

“Some Western groups are literally imposing upon converts what I would say is postmodern Christianity, where culture is everything and truth goes out the window,” he says. “The Insider Movement poses a major theological challenge. [It] is actually downplaying the Trinity and Christology. Unfortunately, we have a huge difficulty as missionaries are bringing this new doctrine into the Muslim world.”

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Sookhdeo believes the church needs to distinguish between three issues. First, we must love Muslims unconditionally because they are created in God’s image. Second, the church must approach Islam from the perspective of Bible doctrine—we have to be free to critique the religion. Sookhdeo stresses that taking a scriptural approach to Islam does not equate to Islamophobia—and loving people doesn’t mean loving another religion.

“I read about a clergyman from the States who has allowed Muslims to create a mosque in the basement of his church. He believes that if he loves Muslims he must respect their religion and allow them to practice it in the basement of his church,” Sookhdeo says. “This is where Americans have a huge issue with their pride and become so emotional they find it difficult to separate their mind from their feelings; and so their truths fall to love.”

Third, Sookhdeo says, when a religion tries to become political or enter public space through Sharia law—or any time that religion intends to practice violence—the church needs to flat-out reject it and instead “seek to win the Muslim for Christ.”

The Fairness Doctrine is dead, and few conservatives will shed a tear. The Federal Communications Commission on Monday official removed the controversial doctrine from the Code of Federal Regulations.

“The elimination of the obsolete Fairness Doctrine regulations will remove an unnecessary distraction. As I have said, striking this from our books ensures there can be no mistake that what has long been a dead letter remains dead,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

The rule enabled the FCC to compel broadcasters to air opposing viewpoints on controversial issues that the government decided to be of public importance. The Fairness doctrine was first put on the books in 1949, and later eliminated in 1987. But there was a push by liberals to give new life to the old rule.

“The Fairness Doctrine is a relic of an earlier era when government officials thought they knew best what news and information the American people wanted and needed,” said House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (Mich.) and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.). “The rules are outdated and needlessly endanger our sacred freedoms of speech and the press. The FCC has finally done what it should have done 20 years ago: It has scrapped the Fairness Doctrine once and for all.”

Beyond the government, the NRB is also applauding the death of the Fairness Doctrine. For the last eight years, the NRB has been actively warning Congress that the Fairness Doctrine was not dead because it was still ‘on the books.’ The NRB vowed to remain vigilant.

“While the letter of the law is now dead, we want to ensure that the spirit of this particular law also remains dead,” said Dr. Frank Wright, NRB President & CEO. “There are many voices calling for increased scrutiny of broadcast programming under the guise of ‘localism,’ and we see such proposals as a Fairness Doctrine in different garb.”

New York is shaking—and it’s not just Wall Street. In what
some may view as a sign of the end times, a earthquake struck
Virginia on Tuesday afternoon, rocking the Northeast U.S. No injuries have been
reported.

DID YOU FEEL THE
QUAKE? SEND IN AN EYEWITNESS REPORT TO CHARISMA NEWS.

The earthquake hit Washington, D.C., forcing the Pentagon to
evacuate, before rolling over Manhattan and causing skyscrapers to sway in the
sky. Even the White House felt the shaking. CNN reports that traders on the New
York Stock Exchange felt the shaking and nonetheless shouted “Keep trading!”

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was
half a mile deep. But the shaking reached southward to Chapel Hill, N.C. The
center of the quake was near Louisa, Va., south of Washington and northwest of
Richmond.

Developing…