August 2024
Â
Â
LEARN TO DISCERN
Â
Dear Friend in Christ:
Â
A few years ago, a slick mobster from New York was running a counterfeit money operation. However, when the money came back from the printer, the mobster was horrified to see that almost $1 million had been printed in stacks of $18 bills. “What are we gonna do with these crazy bills,” he shouted.Â
Â
His consigliere calmly replied, “Boss, I got a great idea. Let’s go down to Alabama with the money and see if we can spend it there. The rubes won’t even know the difference!” So, the mob boss and his consigliere drove their long black Cadillac down to Alabama and stopped into a country general store to try a little test. They walked in and went straight up to the checkout counter. “Something I can help you with,” asked the clerk?
Â
The consigliere spoke in his most soothing voice and said, “Why, yes you can, my friend. I just need to get some change for this here fine, perfectly legal $18 bill.” The clerk smiled and said, “Why sure, I can do that! Would you like two nines or three sixes?”
Â
If you have never seen the real thing, you can easily be deceived by a counterfeit. We live in an age of fakery and deception, so we need to make sure that what we build upon is the Solid Rock and not sinking sand. Who we believe will play a significant role in what we believe.Â
Â
I must admit, during the past decade, many voices I once believed and trusted have been found to be charlatans and grifters. Sadly, many of these voices were in the American Evangelical and Charismatic Church. There have been times when I could identify with this line from “Somebody to Love” by Jefferson Airplane: “When the truth is found to be lies, and all the joy within you dies, don’t you want somebody to love” (Darby Slick).Â
Â
If I didn’t truly know the reality of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, some folks who claim to speak for God would drive me to atheism. This is increasingly happening to our younger generations. Another key part of our mission at CSM is “Restoring the generational bridge.” We cannot fulfill our mission apart from faithfully declaring the authentic Jesus in word and deed, while also confronting the wolves who have crept in among us. Our young people are not stupid; they can smell idolatry and hypocrisy from miles away. We must ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and discernment to understand the times in which we live and to know what to do (see 1 Chronicles 12:32).
Â
In 1970, futurist author Alvin Toffler wrote the best-selling book “Future Shock” about a time when societal changes would happen more rapidly than our ability to process them, a form of culture shock within our own culture. We are living in that time now. Add to this volatility a torrent of deliberate disinformation from enemies foreign and domestic, and you can understand why so many people are weary and confused including many Christians. Conspiracy theories, fear, and anger are pandemics within the American Church today. This is not conducive to our unity nor our mission.
Â
Another part of our mission here at CSM is “Embracing the truth with our lives.” When people have itching ears, truth telling can be not only inconvenient, but very costly. My father said often, “The only popular prophets are either false or dead.”Â
Â
All my life, I have been acutely aware that I am named after a young man in the Bible who was murdered by an angry mob for speaking the truth regarding Jesus. This has significantly marked my life in ways that few know or understand. If you don’t like me, join the club! But I grew up in a home where fear was frowned upon, except for fear of the Lord (awe, reverence). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). Whew, I heard that verse A LOT growing up, and more than once as an adult!
Â
I’m a simple man, but what I get out of that verse is that rightly reverencing God and listening to His voice is where wisdom begins. Without that, true wisdom is unattainable. Seems to me that perhaps we need more of it in the American Church today. But, too often, we are afraid of other things and become susceptible to other voices who pander to our fears and magnify them. Website algorithms push us deeper and deeper into ever-narrowing information silos. We only see and hear what gives us a hit of dopamine or an adrenaline rush. Instead of looking to the Lord, we start looking to our favorite pundits, politicians, and prophets for our salvation and survival.
Â
We fall into echo chambers that only amplify our own opinions and the opinions of others who agree with us. Soon, we become blinded to any voices outside of our own narrow perspective and become vulnerable to other folks who would manipulate our fear, anger, and confusion for their own ends.
Â
PROPAGANDA
World Chess Grand Champion and human rights activist Garry Kasparov said, “The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” That sounds like the devil’s gameplan to me. How about you? I don’t want to play that game.
Â
So many Christians I speak with daily are weary and discouraged. Some are weary because they are swirling in the maelstrom. Others are weary because they’ve watched family members, friends, and churches disappear into the maelstrom. But I have Good News for you: “There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God” (Cleland Boyd McAfee). The Holy Spirit offers us all a gracious invitation in the name of Jesus to come and fellowship with the Father. There with Him, our vision clears, our hearts are mended, our minds become whole, and even our mortal bodies are quickened.Â
Â
Again, quoting my Dad, “Spiritual sensitivity is a matter of survival.” The apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Rome and said, “The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). I could use some of that right now!
Â
Scripture addresses the times in which we live, when deception would even creep into the Church and wreak havoc among those who fail to properly discern truth. There are times when people forget the reality of God, refuse to give Him thanks, and become foolish. God can simply give people over to their own thoughts and desires, and says, “Well, let’s see how that works out for you!” Again, writing to the Romans, Paul says:Â
Â
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:18-25).
Â
STRONG DELUSION
The entire chapter of 2 Thessalonians 2 is worth a read. In it, we see a strong delusion that descends upon people in the world. It is sent by God because people refused to receive the love of truth. That scenario is deeply sobering and should provoke every Christian to humility and prayer. In the delusion, people turn to a character the Bible calls “The Lawless Man.”Â
Â
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).Â
Â
Paul was deeply concerned about the issues of discernment and deception, and constantly warned those in his care. He was like a weather forecaster who understood the conditions in which tornadoes can form, and where the tornado will go once it does form. He loves the people so much that he is willing to rouse them out of their comfort zone and urge them to safety. We see this in his letters to his spiritual son Timothy. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And “from such people turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Â
A “form of godliness” is not the same thing as godliness. Today in America, some who dub themselves “prophets” are mere mountebanks and wily entrepreneurs who prey upon the desperate and the gullible. Some “pastors” are simply wolves in clergy costumes (see Matthew 7:15). God help us! We must learn to discern. And the best way to know a counterfeit is to spend time with the real presence of God in the Holy Spirit: prayer, Scripture reading, worship, and fellowship with other believers, as well as trustworthy mentors and pastors.
Â
GOD AND MAMMON
Also, these days, many politicians are coming for our money. Billions have been spent in 2024 propping up various candidates in America. May I plead with you to not rob God in order to pay wealthy lobbyists and advertisers? Do not stop your tithing to your local church or pastoral leadership. Do not stop supporting ministries, missions, and charities. You don’t have to give money to CSM – though we are always profoundly grateful for every gift.  But please do not take away from your rightful giving to the Lord during this frantic political season in America. We cannot serve both God and Mammon. Invest wisely in the Kingdom and then wherever else the Spirit leads you (see Matthew 6).
Â
Thank you for standing with us in prayer and friendship. Invite a friend to check out our website csmpublishing.org or follow us on Facebook at Charles Simpson Ministries and X Twitter:Â
Â
I am available to speak at your church, conference, or special event. Please call our office (251) 633-7900 for booking information. Visit our website store for ministry resources and let us know how we can pray with you. We love you and thank God for you!
Â
In Jesus,
Stephen Simpson
PresidentÂ