by J. Randal Matheny

Spam is a term used to describe unwanted email messages selling some product or service or attempting to get you to visit a site you have no interest in. Spammers do everything to deceive you into thinking you've got a regular message from someone you do or should know. They want you to open their email, on the chance you will click on the inevitable link embedded there.

Here are some tips on how to recognize spam, without having to open the email.

• The name of the person has no relation to the email address.

• The subject line is blank.

• There are bunches of numbers or letters in the subject line or "From" line, especially scooted out of sight at the end.

• There's a "RE" in the subject, which means "reply," but you don't remember sending any such subject to any such person.

• It comes from a Dr.

• It's in all caps and yells something like "URGENT REQUEST."

• It mentions sex, money, or the latest, greatest product of the century.

• It misspells words or substitutes a number for a letter, as in b1scuits. (Be assured it won't be talking about biscuits.)

None of these by themselves constitutes spam, but after a while you begin to get a feel for the fatal combinations.

These hardened criminals are sneaky. You have to be on your toes. If not, they'll get by you and, before you know it, you've fallen victim to their scam. Or at least you wasted precious time opening and reading their trash.

There is a more dangerous type of false message, however. Spiritual spam has been around for ages. Like the virtual type, this spam can also be recognized.

• Love, grace, mercy, forgiveness dominate their speech to the exclusion of justice, obedience, judgment, commandment.

• They search out felt needs to the detriment of the one eternal need.

• Moving stories make up more of their sermons and lessons than working through the biblical text.

• Ask these spiritual spammers specifically what they believe about certain doctrines, and they often hedge without coming right out and saying.

• People are more important than truth, which they call "rules."

• Personal opinions (read "convictions") aren't allowed to interfere with a broader fellowship.

• The common denominator is the name of Jesus, minus his authority. Jesus is Savior, but not Lord.

• What matters, they say, is sincerity; after all, what God most hates is hypocrisy.

• Emotionalism and doctrinal relativity make for vague definitions of fellowship, extreme forms of worship, and a slippery, self-centered religion.

If you are a constant student of the Word of God, you begin to get a feel for these fatal combinations. And you begin to see that the spiritual spammers are as underhanded as the email bombers.

"Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep" (2 Pet. 2:2-3, NASU).