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Exclusive Intelligence Examiner Report
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Listening for the Shepherd’s voice
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“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
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“...that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
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Oxygen cannot be seen, but people know it’s there. There is absolutely no doubt in their mind it exists. They mindlessly breathe in and assume it will always be there.
For centuries poets have put pen to paper in an effort to explain what love is. This emotion cannot be seen nor touched, but it can be felt. Again, there is no doubt.
However, there are multitudes of people who continually question the sanity of Christians. Faith in God, to these naysayers, is unfathomable. These lost souls may not wish to do physical harm, but they are not members of a special flock.
In John 10:9-14, Jesus teaches:
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“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
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Sadly, many of the scattered sheep have succumbed to the snares of this world. Our pulpits are rife with wolves who are looking to feast on the lost and misguided. How else does one explain the diminishing number of congregants?
One of the many questions these lost souls will ask is, “If I am a good person but don’t believe in God, what will happen to me when I die?” They believe in their heart of hearts that heaven is their ultimate destination.
How many so-called pastors preach of hell? Would you hazard a guess and say not very many? Why is this a topic that is never broached? These people dare not for fear of losing their monthly paycheck. Instead, they choose to focus on the love of Christ and peddle a false doctrine.
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Sermons on hell are likely not at the top of the list of topics desired by church congregations, but in Revelation 20:15, “whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.” The Bible doesn’t indicate that being a good person is the qualification to be in the Book of Life.
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Were we not warned of these evildoers? In Matthew 7:15-16 we read:
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“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”
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Many of these people will quote Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” They fail to take in the full counsel of God on using righteous judgment. These half-truths are dangerous fodder for the sheep.
What of those who claim that there is no just God, only one who rewards sycophants? Jesus did not come looking for flatterers. If that were the case, why would Jesus have come to pay the ultimate price for our sins? In 1 Timothy 2:4-6 we read:
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“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
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Likewise, John 3:15-18 says:
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“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
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Faith in Christ is not a burden as some would have you believe. It is as light as the oxygen we breath. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus tells us:
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“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
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Unfortunately, some will succumb to the temptations of this world. The Apostle Paul warned us in 1 Timothy 4:1-2:
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“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
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In these last days before His glorious return there will be more and more turmoil unleashed by Satan and his minions. Those who practice “Churchianity” will be first on line to have their ears tickled by the wolves in the pulpit. Jesus warned us of these men in Matthew 23:27-28:
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“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
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These purveyors of deceit will stop at nothing to win over souls for Satan. How will one avoid the pitfalls of these false teachers? Our most potent defense is prayer.
Ask the Lord for the gift of discernment to see the lies. Listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. He gave His life as ransom for us. He will lead the way. 
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