I can't think of a time in my 62 years in which I have seen so much deception. Not just in politics, not just in regards to this virus, not just from our government officials or in the recent election, but in Christianity as well. It seems that every day I run into another "theology" that stops me in my tracks and forces me to dive into the Scriptures to see what is true and what isn't. How our Lord must shake His head at all the strange sects and beliefs that have come out of Christianity. I've gone over some of these heresies here on this blog, and honestly l don't wish to give any of them more of our time.
Darkness is descending. If you're spiritually awake, you can feel it like I do. It's almost like a door has been opened, a chain unlocked, and a beast released. In all honesty, I have been a bit down the past week or so. The evil that is encroaching is dark and thick like a black fog spreading over the land... the world.
But the Lord in His gentle, loving way, reminded me that I'm not of this world. I belong to Him and in His Kingdom, under His wing, I am safe, secure, loved, and my future looks bright. Gloriously bright! Do you know how I know that? Because I know Him and I know His Word.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:18
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9
Ephesians 1:18
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9
We can't even imagine what our Savior has in store for us in eternity! And while we are here on earth, He promises to see us through and protect us and take care of us. (see last week's post)
So, despite the darkness around us, we are filled with the light of God's glory as we keep our eyes on Jesus and things above. How do I know that? Because I know Him and His Word
And that's the point of this post. In this age of great darkness and deception, we must know the Bible. We must know it like the back our hands. The devil is clever and very sneaky and he can take a Scripture and twist it in such a tiny way, that someone who doesn't know the Bible would easily fall for it. I see this over and over.
One thing I have done from the time I first got saved 25 years ago, is I have read the Bible nearly every day. I can't count the number of times I've read it through. In recent years, however, I've not just read it, but actually studied it. By that, I mean I look up words in Hebrew or Greek and I compare all the meanings with the translations. I do word or phrase searches on things I don't quite understand and look at other instances in the Bible. The Bible translates the Bible, so if there's something that may be confusing, it's important to see how it is used elsewhere in Scripture.
I'm not saying this to brag, and I don't consider myself an expert on the Bible. But I run across too many Christians who rarely, if ever, open their Bibles. They rely on devotionals, a quick Scripture read coupled with someone else's thoughts on it, and then they go about their day. I'm not against devotionals, but they should never take the place of you getting alone with God with an open Bible in your lap! Neither should a Sunday sermon. Sermons are great! I listen to many during the week, but it should never take the place of you, your Bible, and God.
We are told to study the Scriptures to show ourselves approved. Jesus, Himself, said that all the Scriptures are about Him! So, we should go looking for Him throughout the Bible. What a fun expedition! Jesus is the Word and the Word is life. The Holy Scriptures fill us with Him, with Hope, joy, peace, faith!
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
Lack faith? Read the Bible! Need healing, money, a job, comfort, solace, protection, joy, READ the BIBLE! Not just for a few minutes. Set aside a half hour.. an hour if you can. It's the most important thing you'll do that day.
It's hard work. It takes discipline. But it's so worth it. During that time alone with God as you read the Bible, you will hear from Him. He'll lead you, He'll speak to you. You will feel His presence.
And so important for our current time, you'll not only be encouraged, but you'll be able to spot deception right away!
More than ever as the darkness grows, let God's Word be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path! (Psalm 119:105)
MaryLu, from a group that I am following on line, similar to the Q followers, it has been said that even the Bible has been altered by the Lucifenarians; parts left out, changed, twisted, etc and to be careful which Bible we are reading from, as it could mean something entirely different. It suggested KJ version, but an earlier date, such as maybe 1950, or such. I cannot remember. I am positive that mine is much newer than that. I do not want to be mislead, even by the Bible. Do you think there is any truth to this??
ReplyDeleteGreat question, Kathy. Yes, it matters what translation you read. I should have put that in my post. I wouldn't trust the NIV for sure. I always refer back to the King James Version. What I do is I look at a verse in several different translations just to be sure, but the KJV is probably the closest to the original. I also use a version called the Halleluyah Scriptures that is really good. They claim to be the best translation from the original languages. Here's a link: https://www.halleluyahscriptures.com/halleluyah-scriptures-translation/ But I agree that the older translations are probably the best.
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