Silas
Beloved of All
Your burden for your mother and your loved one in Jesus the Messiah is heard, and your desire to see truth upheld and deception resisted is right before the Lord. I will pray with you about these things.
Scripture shows us that our first family is the family of God. When Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside wanting to speak with Him, He pointed to His disciples and said that whoever does the will of His Father in heaven is His mother and brother and sister. There is no teaching in the Bible that we should go through His earthly mother to reach Him, or that she filters our prayers. We have direct access to Jesus Himself, and it is through Him alone that we are saved and heard. Praying for your mother and your loved one to remain rooted in Jesus alone, and to trust Him directly, is the most secure place for them to stand.
You also mention tongues and languages in a time and place, and a sense that something must be resisted and given no opportunity. That instinct to test what you hear is biblical. Jesus warned that false prophets come in sheep's clothing, looking harmless and sounding mostly true. If they spoke only error no one would listen, so they often speak much that is true and then add what is false. For that reason we must judge what is taught by the Word of God. The test given in the law was strict, requiring complete truthfulness, because even one false word spoken in the name of the Lord marks a false prophet. Two marks help us discern them. They often give a false hope that keeps people from facing what God actually requires, and they often make money and influence their motive, using spiritual language for gain. When you hear teaching about spiritual gifts, including tongues, or any claim to speak for God, bring it quietly and carefully to Scripture and see if it aligns fully with the Bible, and whether it points to Christ or to the speaker.
You also ask about a demand for punishment and consequences for people in that time and place. God does see persecution and deception and He will judge righteously. The early church in Thessalonica suffered heavy persecution, and Paul wrote to encourage them that their suffering was not a sign that God had abandoned them. He assured them that God is just, and that He will repay those who trouble His people and bring relief to those who trust Him. Persecution has never destroyed the true church. It often refines it, separates what is real from what is not, and causes faith and love to grow stronger while God keeps His people. The final judgment on false religious systems is also clear in Scripture. God describes a great system of deception that leads many away from worshiping Him in spirit and truth, and He promises to judge it. You can leave the matter of punishment in His hands and trust His timing and justice, rather than carrying the weight of vengeance yourself.
In light of this, give no place to what does not agree with Scripture. Resist what is false by staying close to the Word, by prayer, and by fellowship with faithful believers who love the truth. Do not give opportunity to teaching that confuses or divides, even if it uses spiritual language.
Let us pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up this dear mother and loved one who are in Christ. Keep them in Your truth, guard them from deception, and help them to hear Your voice clearly through Your Word. Give discernment concerning every teaching about tongues and spiritual things, that what is of You would be embraced and what is not of You would be resisted without fear. You see every person and every action in every time and place, and You will judge with perfect righteousness. We ask for Your protection, Your peace, and Your justice, and we trust You to bring consequences where they are needed and mercy where there is repentance. Build their faith and love to be strong and steady, and draw them ever closer to Jesus, in whom alone we have salvation. Amen.
Scripture shows us that our first family is the family of God. When Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside wanting to speak with Him, He pointed to His disciples and said that whoever does the will of His Father in heaven is His mother and brother and sister. There is no teaching in the Bible that we should go through His earthly mother to reach Him, or that she filters our prayers. We have direct access to Jesus Himself, and it is through Him alone that we are saved and heard. Praying for your mother and your loved one to remain rooted in Jesus alone, and to trust Him directly, is the most secure place for them to stand.
You also mention tongues and languages in a time and place, and a sense that something must be resisted and given no opportunity. That instinct to test what you hear is biblical. Jesus warned that false prophets come in sheep's clothing, looking harmless and sounding mostly true. If they spoke only error no one would listen, so they often speak much that is true and then add what is false. For that reason we must judge what is taught by the Word of God. The test given in the law was strict, requiring complete truthfulness, because even one false word spoken in the name of the Lord marks a false prophet. Two marks help us discern them. They often give a false hope that keeps people from facing what God actually requires, and they often make money and influence their motive, using spiritual language for gain. When you hear teaching about spiritual gifts, including tongues, or any claim to speak for God, bring it quietly and carefully to Scripture and see if it aligns fully with the Bible, and whether it points to Christ or to the speaker.
You also ask about a demand for punishment and consequences for people in that time and place. God does see persecution and deception and He will judge righteously. The early church in Thessalonica suffered heavy persecution, and Paul wrote to encourage them that their suffering was not a sign that God had abandoned them. He assured them that God is just, and that He will repay those who trouble His people and bring relief to those who trust Him. Persecution has never destroyed the true church. It often refines it, separates what is real from what is not, and causes faith and love to grow stronger while God keeps His people. The final judgment on false religious systems is also clear in Scripture. God describes a great system of deception that leads many away from worshiping Him in spirit and truth, and He promises to judge it. You can leave the matter of punishment in His hands and trust His timing and justice, rather than carrying the weight of vengeance yourself.
In light of this, give no place to what does not agree with Scripture. Resist what is false by staying close to the Word, by prayer, and by fellowship with faithful believers who love the truth. Do not give opportunity to teaching that confuses or divides, even if it uses spiritual language.
Let us pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up this dear mother and loved one who are in Christ. Keep them in Your truth, guard them from deception, and help them to hear Your voice clearly through Your Word. Give discernment concerning every teaching about tongues and spiritual things, that what is of You would be embraced and what is not of You would be resisted without fear. You see every person and every action in every time and place, and You will judge with perfect righteousness. We ask for Your protection, Your peace, and Your justice, and we trust You to bring consequences where they are needed and mercy where there is repentance. Build their faith and love to be strong and steady, and draw them ever closer to Jesus, in whom alone we have salvation. Amen.
