In this compelling episode, we delve into the teachings of Aaron Budgen as he navigates the complexities of broadcasting his unique ministry. As he reflects on his experiences within Christian radio, Aaron discusses the critical distinction between sincere teaching and deceptive practices. He highlights the importance of understanding diverse doctrines and emphasizes the potential for growth through genuine exploration of faith. As the discussion unfolds, Aaron sheds light on the intentional deceit some may practice for personal gain, addressing the motivations and consequences associated with such actions.
Shema Yisrael Welcome to the broadcast outreach of Living God Ministries with Aaron Budgen. Aaron discovered Jesus is his Messiah while preparing to be a rabbi. He now teaches for several organizations and is the teaching pastor for Living God Ministries. Strongly distinguishing between the Old and New Covenants, Aaron presents the scriptures from a Judaic and historical frame of reference. Join Aaron now as he reveals the reality foreshadowed and the new life we can now experience because of what the Lord Jesus accomplished for us.
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Thank you for taking the time to listen to this program. Do also go to our website, livinggodministries.net, and read through the recent testimonials page that we have there. There you will see the effectiveness of this ministry and discover how we have cleared away many of the common barriers that keep them from knowing their God, growing and maturing in their faith. Again, you can find this page at livinggodministries.net. And know that as you listen to these programs, you will likely find something that will be significant for you to grow and mature in your relationship with your God. do take the time to go to the Living God Ministries radio archive at livinggodministries.net. The archive is divided up into three sections. The first section is more of the life of Christ, and I provide a lot of historical content there in those programs. And I have made a lot of important contributions from a historical perspective to better understand what was taking place during Jesus’ ministry. In the second section of the archive, I speak about our life in Christ. And in the third section, you will find the verse-by-verse studies. If you would like some recommendations on what to listen to and in what order, do just send us an email to staff at livinggodministries.net. You will find that email on the Contact Us page. And after a conversation with me, I’ll give you a list of programs that I would recommend and in what order. I’m presenting a verse-by-verse study through Ephesians, and in the previous message, I was in Ephesians 4, verse 14, which says that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. And in the previous message, I was mentioning that there are, of course, many different doctrines. It is very important to be familiar with what other people believe. First of all, of course, to evaluate what you believe, to compare it with other things that other people believe. There can be an opportunity. for you to discover that some of the things that you believe are not true, which of course would be perfectly normal because no one has got a complete version or a complete understanding of what the truth of our God is, not even I. I’m very familiar with the issues related to growth and maturity and the fact that this is accomplished through a discovery of the truth, which is something that I feel is a lifelong experience of which there will be no end for any of us. And so I do believe that it’s valuable to consider what other people think, what other people believe, what other people have discovered, because there will always be an opportunity to make adjustments concerning what we believe personally. I also mentioned that this does of course give you better opportunities to be able to speak effectively to other people about the Lord and about the truths that we do know, that we do personally believe with great sincerity. that it is valuable to understand the many doctrines that are being presented in the world that we are a part of so that we can be more effective in communicating the truth of God to these people who believe a lot of things that simply are not true. And so this is what I was mentioning in the previous program. And I introduced the end of verse 14 with regards to the deceitful plotting, the trickery of men. the cunning craftiness. Paul mentions that there were a lot of people in his part of the world during that time in history who were intentionally deceiving people. They were plotting how they would deceive other people. They were cunning, they were crafty, and they were playing tricks on people in the sense that it was trickery of men. And so this is something that we do need to spend some time talking about. But the first thing I’d like to say is that certainly in the midst of teachings and doctrines that are not true, many of them are presented by people who know full well that what they are telling other people about the Lord is not true. Certainly, there are a lot of people like that, and I will come back to that in just a minute. But there are a lot of other people who are teaching things that are not true out of sincerity as if they genuinely believe that that they are true, and they may very well really believe that what they are telling other people about the Lord is true. Consider this program just as an example. You know, there have been many times when I myself have been in my car, I’ve been driving around, I’ve got the radio on, and I hear this program, I hear myself speaking, and I can’t tell you the number of times that I have heard people These programs being broadcasted on radio, for many years I’ve heard them broadcasted, and it’s not unusual for me to say to myself something that sounds like this. I can’t believe that this is actually being broadcasted on Christian radio. I’m sure that there are many of you who can relate to what I just said. I feel really confident that there are a lot of you who are listening to this program right now and you know exactly what I mean by this. That you have listened to me for years and there have been many occasions when you have thought, I can’t believe that this is being broadcasted on Christian radio. And I’m saying that in order to emphasize the point that what I teach is in many ways very different, if not the complete opposite in many cases, of what other people are teaching on this same radio station. And I acknowledge that. I understand that. And, you know, without these other people broadcasting on this station, how could this station continue to do its operations, right? You know, because there are not very many people who are teaching the same thing that I am, and so of course we need to have lots of people who would teach something else just because it’s so hard to find somebody who will. You can’t finance a radio station’s operation with just one ministry. It’s not going to work that way. Not very well. Unless, of course, there’s an enormous support base, which I don’t think anybody’s really got that kind of support base in order to have their own exclusive station so that all that they broadcast is what they personally believe. I don’t think so. I think it does take a lot of different people, and whenever you have… a lot of different people, you’re going to find differences. However, you’ll find that what I’m presenting is very different in comparison with what most people are presenting. I’d like to say that I’m very thankful that I have the opportunity to teach through this radio station, and even though what I am presenting, in many cases, is different from what other people are presenting, I am doing so out of sincerity. I really do believe… what it is that I say. I am genuinely proclaiming what I really do believe is the truth. I’m not presenting messages through radio so that somebody can evaluate them and let me know what they think and so that I can be corrected. I’ve already put out a lot of effort to determine what am I really going to say and why. And of course, when I have uncertainties, I mention those uncertainties. I’m not shy about that at all. But my point is, is that when you think to yourself, I can’t believe that this is actually being broadcasted on Christian radio, you have an example, you know, you have an example of a difference. And without question, most everyone who listens to this radio station will have trouble with a lot of things that I say. I’m definitely not among the best supported in terms of what I do. I’m probably the most popular in the sense that there are a lot of people who appreciate what I do and what I do communicate through this radio program. But that definitely does not translate into an increase in donations in order to support the work that I’m doing. Those are two completely different. I may be among the most popular, and yet I am also the least known in many respects, and among the least that’s being supported. But we are successful because we don’t run the ministry like a business, and so we can function on a minimal amount. And as I mentioned in the previous program, you can go through the Living God Ministries website and you can see on one of the tabs on all the pages at the top that there’s a link to recent testimonials and you can see the effectiveness of this ministry. But without question, Most of the people who broadcast on this station and who listen to this station would look at what I am saying as if it is not true. And I understand that. And, you know, I have a niche. There are many people who still do appreciate this program well enough. But from their point of view, these are doctrines that could perhaps fit into verse 14 with regards to doctrines that are not true, that could potentially be presented through the trickery of men in my cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting in some way. But it’s not. I’m very sincere and I do speak out of conviction. So you need to allow for that for everyone. You know, you need to allow for the possibility that that people are actually being honest, you know, that what they are saying are things that they genuinely believe. And, you know, I’ve encountered a lot of people who teach things, who believe things that are the complete opposite, that are definitely in absolute conflict with what I believe is the truth. I’ve known a lot of people who believe these things and teach these things, and yet I can tell that they really do believe these things. You know, they’re very sincere. They really do have these convictions. And of course, I can see the frustration within them as they realize that it’s not working out for them, but they still believe it. You know, they want to believe it. They really do. And so I can definitely testify that I’ve witnessed a lot of sincerity that these are people who are not plotting against others. They’re not being deceitful. They’re not being crafty or cunning. They’re not trying to trick you. That’s not what they’re really about, even though they’re not saying things that I believe are true at all. And they will definitely lead people into tremendous bondage and deception, and it will keep them from knowing their God. But it doesn’t mean that they’re doing it intentionally. and plotting how they’re going to do this to you for their own personal benefit. There are many people who are in positions in ministry, pastors and teachers, who are very sincere and are very honest with what they do and why. And I absolutely will let that be recognized. I will speak of that and say that, yes, you know, without question, I can be a witness to this effect. However, there are also a lot of people who are intentionally telling people things that are not true. All right. There are. I have encountered a number of other people who tell people things about God. who tell people things about the Lord, about the scriptures, and they know that what they are saying, that what they are teaching is not true. I have encountered many people like this as well. And from my perspective, it couldn’t be any more obvious than what it is. Now, of course, we have to consider what the motivations might be as well. You know, does that mean that they have intentional, deceptive, destructive motivations that they really want to cause harm to people? Is that really what it’s about? You know, I’ve only met a few people who I think would fit into that category. Very few. Most of the folks that I have encountered who intentionally deceive and lie to people are I have found a number of people who do this, they know they are being dishonest, and yet they do this to people because they do want something good to come out of it. You know, they will intentionally lie about the Lord. They will not tell the truth about the Lord or about the scriptures because they want an outcome that is better than what they might be faced with otherwise. All right. And you need an example for this. I understand. In just a moment, I’ll give you an example, probably the most common example that I’ve encountered. All right. But that, yes, there are people who are deceitful. They are plotting against people. They are cunning. They are crafty and they are tricksters. You know, they’re very trickery in that sense by the trickery of men. Cunning, craftiness, deceitful plotting. Yes, they are, but they are doing so because they are trying to do something good, you know. So, yes, there are many who do that intentionally wanting to be destructive to other people. but there are others who will be dishonest because they are afraid of the consequences of the truth and they feel safer in the consequences of the lie. Now, I just mentioned that I would give you an example. This is the most common example that I’ve encountered. The example of forgiveness. Have you been forgiven by God, or have you not been forgiven by God? Is the sin issue between you and God over, or is it not over? Now, I have encountered a lot of pastors and teachers and others who, who deep down inside, they know and they agree with me that the sin issue between us and God came to an end when Jesus died on the cross, and that there is no sacrifice for sins, there is no way to obtain forgiveness, there is no confession, there is no offering, there is no nothing that we can do in order to obtain forgiveness ever again. The sin issue came to an end, so that we could have a new life with our God that has now been established because of the complete forgiveness of sins. They know this. There’s no reason to argue the point with them at all. I’ve encountered a lot of people like this, and yet they will not tell other people that this is the truth. And the reason why is really simple. They don’t want people to use this truth as an excuse to go out and indulge their flesh. which is something that happens. You know, I’ve encountered a lot of people who do this. It’s not unusual for me to hear from somebody who listened to me for a while. They discovered that the sin issue was over. They used that as an excuse to go out and indulge their flesh. And then after a while, they got sick and tired of it and realized that it just wasn’t worth it. And so they contact me and they let me know, you know what, I was one of those. I was one of those who decided to use that truth inappropriately for reasons that God did not intend. I went out and indulged my flesh, and I destroyed myself in various ways, and I have now repented, and I’m going to turn to Him for the inheritance that I have received in Christ. I’m going to start over with the truth and use it for the purpose that God gives. gave it for, the purpose for which he forgave us, the reason why the sin issue came to an end, and they would pursue that now. So I know it is a legitimate concern in the sense that, yeah, it may very well unfold. Of course, from my point of view, I would suggest that it probably would have happened anyway, even if a person would have tried to live a life in devotion to whatever system of law that they would like to define in order to manage their flesh. which of course will stir up sin in many other ways anyway. And so that’s what I mean by it doesn’t really matter because people are going to go out and sin anyway, whether they have an excuse or not. But this is the most common example. You know, it really is the most common example that I’ve encountered of people intentionally not telling others about the truth because they feel guilty. that there may be terrible consequences if they do, and they’re trying to avoid those consequences. And from a certain point of view, they are saying for the greater good, you know, in order to not contribute to any more sin in the world, which, of course, I just explained, you could actually end up with more as the law will stir up sin. But still, you know, they take this position, they take this point of view that they don’t want to be known as someone who might contribute to the sin of the world in some way, even though it’s just not going to happen that way. But that’s what people do, you know, and so for the greater good, they believe that if they tell these lies, then there will be more people who will live for the restraint of the flesh, there will be a reduction of sin, and there will be a better world. You know, that this will be the default excuse for not telling the truth to people. Knowing and understanding that the truth is going to be made known to these people one way or another, and so they’re going to be confronted with it. The person who is teaching is not ultimately going to be responsible, right? Okay, again, the person who’s teaching this kind of stuff is not ultimately going to be responsible, right? For what people believe, each individual is going to go before the Lord and they will give an account concerning what they believe in a certain way. And if they don’t believe the truth, they might attempt to make the claim before God. Well, this person told me that, you know, this person said that. I was believing this person and that person. It’s their fault, right? That’s how a lot of people like to try to solve the problems of life. And I would be shocked if there were not an abundance of people who would relate to God that way when they see him. But it’s not going to work. It’s not going to help. He might get a good laugh out of the first few who approach him that way. But after a while, I suspect he’s going to get a little bit tired of that kind of an excuse. I’m sure that there will be… be a lot of people who try to use it, and it’s just not going to work, all right? But these are people who intentionally tell others that they are not forgiven knowing that they really are, who intentionally tell others that if they do not confess their sins and ask for forgiveness, you know, because the wages of sin is now apology instead of the shedding of blood, right? You know, the sin is not that bad anymore. That’s effectively what people say, and they are intentionally telling people to do that Knowing that it’s wrong because they are afraid that this person might use the truth of God as an excuse to continue and indulge their flesh, maybe even do it more. Which, like I said, I’ve seen happen for a period of time until they get sick and tired of it. And then they let me know that it’s just not working. I was right. And then they proceed as they should. And of course, not everyone makes it all the way through that path. But it’s still important to stay firm and committed to the truth no matter what. because it is our God who told us to tell the truth. That’s what he tells. That’s what he does. That’s his ministry. If we’re going to be a part of his ministry, we need to be a part of his ministry on the basis of the truth. All right. But now with these people who are not telling the truth and not doing it intentionally, they have to be deceitful. They are intentionally being deceitful. And when they prepare themselves, to tell you things that are not true, they are plotting. And you may notice that in many ways there is an art to telling people things that are not true. You get the sense of that when you hear people talk. You’ll realize, you know, This is a well-practiced art form to give you like 25 minutes of grace and mercy in a 30-minute message and then bury you under the law in the last five minutes. And yet it still seems like a cohesive, perfect fit with everything that he just said. And yet I know that it’s filled with contradictions. You know, this is cunning craftiness. Being a pastor is a craft. You know, being somebody who presents sermons, who teaches Bible studies in many ways, is a craft. And there are schools that give you plenty of training in your craft on how to be deceitful and how to plot in order to be so. This is the trickery of men. when people do so intentionally with the excuse that they are looking for a positive outcome, that the ends will justify the means. You know, there just are. There are a lot of people who hold to that position that the ends will justify the means. And then after we’ve got their flesh under control, Then maybe we’ll tell them the truth, you know, privately, secretly, and hopefully they won’t misuse the truth in a way that God, of course, never intended. Now, as for the rest of the people who are intentional, you have to ask why, right? I mean, what is this really about? Why are people intentionally deceiving people when they’re not really doing it for the greater good, but they are intentionally wanting to be destructive in other lives? What could this possibly be about? Well, you’ll find that in general, it’s about money. Money, wealth, power, influence, control over other people, all right? This is what a lot of people are really about. They are in the ministry because it gives them an opportunity to get money in a way that’s much easier than the alternatives that they would have to turn to if they had to get a different kind of job. They are there only for what they are going to personally gain from from someone else and I know that this might sound a little surprising but it turns out that that there is no shortage of people who are living their lives only for their own personal benefit, that it’s not about being a participant in the work of God. That’s not what their lives are about. That’s not what they are about. They are about only one thing, satisfying the needs of their personal flesh and doing so with the least amount of effort required. And it turns out that life is hard. You know, life is difficult. And in order to overcome the difficulties of life, we often have to engage in labor of some kind. And labor naturally produces pain. And so what do we do? We look for ways to avoid the pain which means, by default, we look for ways to avoid labor. And one of the popular ways to accomplish that is to find a way to live off of the labor of someone else. This is what people do. In general, this is what people look for. They look for ways to live off of the labor of someone else. which of course often requires deceitful plotting, cunning craftiness, and maybe a little trickery now and then. And whether they are men or women is not relevant. You’ll find that a lot of people solve the problems of life by being deceptive and dishonest. And it turns out that religion can be very profitable in this regard. And I will continue with this in the next program. Thank you for tuning in to today’s program. This is Aaron Budgen, and I recently released a book titled Building Life. This is for young people who are starting out into adulthood, and it is also for those who have found themselves in a circumstance where they are starting their lives over. I have put a lot of effort into writing this book. It is a short read of about two and a half hours. It is only available directly from me. So if you would like a copy, go to the Living God Ministries website and you will see a link there that says, inform me of Aaron’s books. Fill out the form and I will get back with you as soon as I can.
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Do help us develop new radio programs and continue broadcasting on this and other radio stations. Send your contributions to Living God Ministries P.O. Box 383 Or use the donation link on our website, livinggodministries.net. That is livinggodministries.net.
