GOD’S WORD FOR SEPTEMBER 19
GOD’S WORD FOR SEPTEMBER 19 ~ ~ Deuteronomy 12:8~ ~ “Ye shall not do after all [the things] that we do here this day, every man whatsoever [is] right in his own eyes.”
“Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, …”
What is a religion? You might be tempted to answer that it is any kind of belief about a god or some gods. However, that’s not complete enough to cover all religions. There are many old religions – not to mention the new ones – that don’t believe in any gods at all in the traditional sense!
Some religions even claim to be nonreligious because they reject any idea of God. Did you know that the United States Supreme Court has recognized the beliefs of Secular Humanism as a religious expression covered under the constitution’s protection of religion? All of which is to say there are many religions around today, some of which we forget are religions. And some pretend they are not religions.
If we do not see ourselves as creatures, we cannot recognize the Creator. If human beings don’t recognize the Creator, they are destined to try to take His place. If His values are not central in our lives, our own values will rule. If His definition of who and what we are is not part of our lives, we will make up our own definitions.
Some say that there are no absolutes, no definite truth. They say that there are as many paths to “god” and to “heaven” as there are people, and as many truths as there are individuals. But, if you ask them if that statement is true, they will say, “yes”. But, they said there is no truth. They will trip over their own doctrine, because it is false.
This is exactly what many are doing today. There is no shortage of false religious leaders to encourage them, no matter how outrageous their beliefs. As faithful children of our Creator, we need to understand the religions of our day. We need to know what people believe so that we can show them how Jesus Christ answers their questions better than some guru or popular writer. The Great Commission gives each Christian the need to know the religions of those with whom we come into contact.
We need to pray for discernment, so we don’t get carried away by the strong deception which is ever increasing in these end times.
James 1:6 ~ ~ “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”
1John 4 ~ ~ “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. …”
What is being said in this verse in 1John 4, is, not only must they know that Jesus has come in the flesh, but also know that He is THE long awaited Messiah and that He is God – the second member of the Trinity. Some false teachers say that He existed, but won’t say He is God, nor the Savior. These things are understood to be wrapped up in the name of Jesus Christ, or literally, Jesus THE Christ. (Messiah).
Live in the Light of Our Lord 