It’s God's Way... or the big wide Highway!

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" John 14:6

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways." Psalm 128:1

"And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own  eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:5-7

"...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.... And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  Romans 12:1-2

"For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 

1 John 2:16-17

Just a few of the many poignant verses in the Bible that reveal the attitude and character of a righteous, just, merciful and jealous God.  

He is the God who has been working His plan of salvation... to recover mankind from the ravages of sin since that infamous day in Eden, when the first man and woman decided they knew better than God how to run their lives.  Since then mankind has been in a state of decay and decline.

Increasingly, society today is adhering to man-made humanistic philosophies, with the central teaching being that no one person or group can be 100% correct about God.  Thus, the Biblical claim that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven is adamantly rejected by those who raise secular humanism and moral relativism as the defining philosophies for humanity. 

Many unsaved sinners today, refuses to trust God, Christ and Christianity.  Instead, they lean upon their own finite, corrupt and carnal understanding of things.  Since the fall of Adam, there has been a battle between God's Word and man's stubborn sinful will to do everything his way.  No matter how successful the philosophies of men seem or how alluring they may be, we should not be lulled into apathy  towards— God's Word, His plan, His methods, His requirements, His judgment.  They all will prevail.  Everything will be done according to God's way. There is no negotiated compromise with God, only consequences for willful disobedience.

These are dire times.  More and more people are ignoring the Bible, viewing it as merely a religious book written by men thousands of years ago.  It is considered irrelevant in today’s humanistic world.  It’s divine authorship is continually challenged.  Yet, even a brief look at how the Bible came into human existence is incontrovertible proof of it's divine origin.  God divinely inspired 40 different men over 1,500 years, spanning 4000 years of human history, to pen the 66 books of the Bible.  

There is no possible way that such an accomplishment could have taken place at the hands of humans, to produce a perfectly harmonized Book of prophecy.  2 Timothy 3:16 states... “All scripture is inspired by God….” In 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter admonishes us... “know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, … but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  In fact, an astonishing 668 Biblical prophecies have been fulfilled and none have ever been proven to be false. The Bible is historically, archeologically and scientifically correct.  No other holy book of any man-made religion comes close to the Bible in the amount of evidence supporting its divine inspiration and authorship. Only a fool would deny that the Bible is God's inspired Word.  

Obey God or Be Eternally Damned

You have no choice, no other option, no other way, in the matter of salvation if you want to firmly claim God’s eternal blessing for your life—you MUST come to God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son.  We read in 1 John 2:23, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”   Again, in 1 John 5:12 we read, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”  

Either you come as a guilty hell-deserving sinner to the cross of Jesus Christ to be saved,  or else you will face everlasting destruction when you die. God’s warning, not mine.   We are sternly warned in 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9... “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.”  Could the Bible be any clearer? 

Yet, most people today have believed the lies of Satan that it doesn't matter what you believe, just so long as you're sincere.   The road to everlasting destruction will be wide and spacious, able to accommodate the throngs of sincere people unwilling to see and hear the truth of God as revealed in Christ and His inspired Word the Bible…

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Either you're going to OBEY God and find the narrow path or you are going to careen aimlessly through your life down “the wide road” captivated by the philosophies of men, and find yourself ending abruptly in the Lake of Fire for all eternity.   It's your choice.  Are you willing to gamble with your soul's eternal destiny?  It's God's Way or a highway bound for Hell.

Make no mistake... the Bible, the source of ALL truth, is intolerant.  It does not offer compromises.   God said what He meant for mankind to know and understand, and He means what He has said.  If you don't accept and believe on Jesus Christ, trusting upon His precious blood to wash away your sins, then you have NO future when you leave this earthly life.  There is ONLY one way to Heaven—Jesus Christ!  

It doesn’t matter what you say, think or feel—how nice a person you are, how sincere, loving and caring you may be.  If you do not repent of your sins, turn your life towards  God, submit to baptism for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38) and live your life in submission and obedience to Him, you have no hope.  Salvation is not found in any  religion... but rather, in a Person —The Lord Jesus Christ. 

Would you rather live your life as if the Bible is true, and die to find out it isn't... or live your life as if it isn't, and die to find out it is?  Think about it.

God's Word is TRUTH... the Only Truth!

There is no question that Biblical Truth and life are on two different paths. Today, more than ever we find ourselves colliding with what the Bible says we should be doing and who we must be to please God. 

And like many things in todays’s volatile culture, just cancel it, re-write it, change it and promote the changes as “newly found freedom” that comes from an enlightened reinterpretation of God’s Word.  If it’s too much of a living challenge... change what the Bible says. After all, it was written a very long time ago and it must ben time for an overhaul?  

Updating its meaning seems logical. Make what the Bible says fit today’s contemporary culture. Adapt God’s Word to our lifestyles. This sort of thinking, is more prevalent in today’s culture than you might think, and amounts to intentional and willful rejection of God’s Word.

Over time, we have become petrified in our religious biases. This is not a new 21st century thing... it’s happened before. Jesus soundly rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for willfully invalidating the Word of God for the sake of their traditions, stating that their worship was in vain because they were elevating the doctrines of men rather than esteeming those of God (Matthew 15:6, 9). They willfully chose not to comprehend God’s Word.

One of the reasons for so much division within the Body of Christ, the greater universal Church, is that far too many persons seek to impose their own theology upon the Scriptures, instead of extracting the unvarnished truth from the the inspired writings. This is theology ex nihilo. If the only basis for our religious preferences and practices is an appeal to what God didn't say, or the creative manipulation of what He did, we have formulated a theological system "out of nothing." God doesn’t recognize it and won’t respond to the efforts of believers trapped in such heresies.

Be honest with yourself... part of the problem is we just don’t like everything God says to us. When we willfully fail to correctly comprehend the Truths in God’s inspired Word, we often feel compelled to formulate our own "truths" out of what He has not revealed -- theology ex nihilo. We elevate to the status of divine LAW our own notions about things God has not revealed or declared. We then seek to impose these doctrines, dogmas, and decrees upon others. We will restrict our fellowship to those who meekly accept our self-made theologies. In doing this, we embrace the shadows and reject the substance.

We have elevated ourselves and our institutions above Jesus our Savior. Once here... we have a well crafted religion but we don’t have an authentic relationship with Christ. Again, we are left out in the cold because Jesus doesn’t recognize or acknowledge us in such heretical thinking and practices. The life we think we are living “in Christ” is in vain.

The apostle Paul warned the young evangelist Timothy that a time was fast approaching when men would no longer desire the substantive Truths clearly revealed by God. Instead, "they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Demonic doctrines and deceitful spirits would be the companions of their newfound theology, and blessings which "God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth" would be forbidden (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Not much has changed today... and Paul’s warning rest squarely at our doorstep.

When our preferences, practices, and perceptions become our "ways and means" ... when our earthly worldly traditions are self-elevated to eternal Truth ... we truly have nothing! We have severed ourselves from our Savior in our futile quest to become self-justified, and have only succeeded in becoming self-righteous! When we reject God's wisdom from above... the vast empty void of earthly wisdom is all that remains. (James 3:15)

My first thought in writing this article was to include a list of beliefs and practices in today’s churches that man has conjured up... “theology ex nihilo”. I wanted you to know what these things might look and feel like in the context of the Church today. I decided not to list any… you already know what they are. They are easy to detect and easy to see in practice. Some are shrouded in heavy handed legalism. Some are legitimized as excuses for divisions among believers. Why do you think there are so many denominations among Christianity? That was certainly not a “Godly idea”. Heretical practices and beliefs almost always focus on man’s wants and desires, interpreting Scripture in such ways as to turn God into a master servant whom we control and waits to grant our every wish and desire. The most telling characteristic of Biblical misinterpretation... every single misinterpretation of Scripture is characterized by a lack of “love”, for “one another” and for God. Finally, the true genuine unadulterated Word of God is not burdensome. Trust in Him to help you carry your load. (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 5:3)

In view of the grave consequences of creating, promoting and practicing misinterpretations of Scripture, it is essential that each of us do as Paul counseled Timothy… Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:2).

You might not like what God is saying to you. You might feel restrained or restricted in your expectations or desires by His Word. That’s okay, if you sincerely seek Him... God will work with you... through those challenges in your life. He’ll change you so that embracing His Truth is easier and a cause for joy in your life.

God’s Word is Truth. The only Truth in our world. The only pathway to salvation. (John 17:17). If what you believe or think you believe... is not in His inspired Word, then it is theology ex nihilo. It is worthless. It is dangerous to your soul!

Such theology will lead those who embrace it into that great eternal void away from the presence of God, rather than into His promise of life everlasting in His presence

The Devil’s Fool: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

The phrase that is the title of this article is said to have originated in a poem written by William Blake in 1810 entitled “The Liar.” Of course, this phrase has been used by children down through the years to mock their peers for telling a lie. 

Sadly, lying has become so common place in our society that many people lie just to top others without even thinking about it. When was the last time that YOU told a lie?

In their book “The Day America Told the Truth,” authors James Patterson and Peter Kim revealed that 91 percent of Americans lie on a daily basis.  Really?

God doesn’t like lying. Let me take it a step further: God hates lying. Proverbs 6 lists seven things God hates, and it’s worth noting that two of them refer to dishonesty: “There are six things the Lord hates – no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (verses 16–19).

Why is God so adamantly opposed to lying? Because it’s so destructive. In the book of Proverbs we’re told, “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow” (25:18).

From this we could safely conclude that God hates lying in any form. He hates it because he is the source of all truth. In fact, God used that word to describe his very character. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When God chose a word to describe who he is, he said, “I am … the truth” (emphasis mine).

In dramatic contrast, Satan is identified as “the father of lies” (John 8:44). It’s as clear as day: God is truth, and Satan is the father of lies. Therefore when we lie, we are behaving more like the children of the devil than the children of God.

Are you lying about something or someone right now? Do you have a résumé that isn’t honest? Do you find that you give exaggerated reports of what you’ve done? Are you lying about someone else to tear them down and make yourself look better? That is a sin before God.

God doesn’t say, however, that if you have ever told a lie, you can’t worship him. If that were the case, none of us could worship him. We have all lied in one way, shape, or form. At the same time, if you are practicing deceit, if you are continuing to tell lies, then it will hinder your fellowship with God. It’s offensive to him.

You might say, “Lying isn’t a problem in my life. I never lie.” Actually, you may lie a little more often than you think you do.

One way people lie is by gossip and backbiting. Gossip is a powerful force. It wrecks marriages. It ruins careers. It topples governments. It destroys reputations. It spawns suspicion. It generates grief. Even the very word hisses when it’s pronounced. And if you’ve ever had someone gossip about you and tell lies about you, then you know how painful it can be.

Sometimes a little bit of truth is presented with a lot of lies added to it. The tabloids do this. They’ll include a shred of truth to give their article a believability factor, but then they fill it with all kinds of lies.

Sometimes people rationalize gossip. They’ll present it in ways like, “Have you heard?” or “Did you know?” or “I don’t believe it’s true, but I heard …” or “I wouldn’t tell you, but I know it won’t go any further. …” Then there’s the so-called spiritual version: “I’m telling you this only so you can pray. …” It’s gossip. Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers”.

I don’t like to entertain gossip, so when people come to me with information about someone, I’ll ask how they know it’s true. What’s their source? Have they gone to the person they’re talking about and asked for their perspective? Can I quote them on this? If the answer is no, then don’t tell me.

Another way people lie is through flattery. While backbiting is saying behind a person’s back what we would never say to their face, flattery is the opposite. Flattery is saying things to a person’s face that we would never say behind his or her back. Kids are very good at this with their parents. They’ve taken it to an art form. It’s tempting to flatter someone when you want to get something from them. But it’s a form of lying.

Exaggeration is another way people lie. They’ll tell a story and begin to embellish it a little. Each time the story is told, it becomes more dramatic. Of course, they’re always the heroes of their own stories, which show how clever they were or how they came into a situation with just the right words. They stretch the facts a bit. It’s a form of lying.

Keeping silence is another form of lying. When we hear something about someone else that we know for a fact isn’t true, and we remain silent, it’s a form of lying. They might be slamming a friend, and we don’t stand up for that friend. We don’t tell them the truth. That is slander by silence. It’s complicity by passivity.

We live in a time when moral relativism is the rule of the day, when many people don’t believe in absolutes. They don’t believe there is such a thing as absolute truth. If they want to be a success and have to steal, lie, or maybe even murder to get there, that is what they’ll do.

Lying is such an easy sin to slip into. Hebrews 12:1 warns Christians to lay aside “the sin which so easily ensnares us.” Furthermore, remembering that God “cannot lie” (Hebrews 6:18), we as Christians should strive to “be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1). 

As we seek to please the Lord Jesus Christ whose blood has bought us, and to show our Savior to the watching world, we should all ask the Lord to help us cultivate the habit of gracious honesty and integrity. 

Don’t let the devil’s subtle tricks make a fool of you.

Slavery… the Biblical View

In the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the widespread spirit of protest has expanded to a wide array of cultural symbols—ranging from statues of Columbus and George Washington, to the movie Gone With The Wind. 

Activists are demanding the renaming of institutions, major streets, changing flags, and discrediting anyone and everything directly or remotely connected to the evils of chattel slavery in American history.

Some of these campaigns are questionable, even among leaders of the Black community. But in the current environment, any claim or posture that’s seen as emanating from the Black Lives Matter movement, however indirectly, is taken as morally unassailable.

This revolutionary spirit raises an important question… in the relentless quest to discredit and accord as inconsequential all things relating to the evils of slavery, will the Bible be next?  

Among many groups God’s Word is already under attack for certain Old and New Testament passages and the seemingly permissive attitude towards one race or culture owning people as slaves.

Every thinking reader of the Bible is bound to ask, especially now, “Does this book actually condone slavery?”. To be sure, slavery is not the only issue the Bible’s story causes us to question. The Old Testament is rife with palace intrigues, polygamy, divorce, violence and the like, and godly people are very often part of the problem. 

Although the New Testament is decidedly improved on the matter of slavery, it still seems to fall far short of that which twenty-first century human rights would expect. For example… there are no women among the twelve disciples of Jesus and Christian masters do have slaves working for them.

To address an issue as important as slavery referenced and described as acceptable in the Bible, we need to step back and ask three questions: What are the theological, political, and cultural contexts in which the Old Testament narrative unfolds, and how is the behavior of God’s people in the Old Testament expected to be different from those of other cultures? What are the major developments in the New Testament that give us a clue to interpretation of Old Testament ethics? And are we expected to further extrapolate changes in behavior beyond the New Testament times to the present day?

To begin with, it should not be forgotten that the Old Testament narratives contain elements and practices which are ethical, ceremonial, and social. Therefore, while informative and historical in context, their application to the present day should be carefully evaluated. The historical-social elements of the Biblical narratives typically do not apply to contemporary Christians, and the ceremonial ones are largely fulfilled in the completed work of Christ on the Cross. So, it is the ethical aspects of Old Testament teaching with which we should be concerned, and there is indeed much to consider.

As an example, on the way to Canaan, God tells his people through Moses that the alien, or foreigner, among them should not be oppressed (Exodus 23:9). The reason given is fascinating… the people of Israel know in their hearts how it feels to be oppressed!  The word translated “alien” is not the same as slave, but the experience of the Israelites in Egypt was certainly that of slaves. Thus, we see the first statement on human rights expressed in the Bible: the alien [not an Israelite] was to be treated as a citizen; in fact, he was to be loved as one of their own (Leviticus 19:33-34). Even when Hebrew law and custom shared in the common heritage of the ancient world, there is a unique care in God’s directives for those people who by status were not considered to be “of the chosen people”, something absent from the law codes of Babylon and Assyria.

Here’s the thing: The Law of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy and all of the commandments contained within) is not always a description of morality or even what God views as morally right. So even if some biblical passages seem to endorse slavery, it does not mean that God endorses slavery or any form of brutality towards any group of people. 

This is so important to understand. Jesus explains it this way: “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not to be so.” -Matthew 19:8.  God never endorsed the concept of divorce, nor slavery, nor any concept of hurting or harming another person.  But, he permitted his people to exist within a corrupt world by establishing standards [the Mosaic Law] of conduct which could allow them to rise above the evils around them.

The Law was designed in order to provide a framework of governance for an emerging people, a nation, something attainable for the Israelites who were so accustomed to the evil culture they were living around. As Moses said in Deuteronomy 30:11 “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”

The New Testament further gives us a paradigm to interpret Old Testament practices. In one of their notorious fault-finding missions, the Pharisees test Jesus on the subject of divorce (Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 10:2-9). He initially appears to play into their hands, asking what Mosaic Law has to say on the subject. When they gleefully quote the permission of Moses to divorce one’s wife, Jesus lays down a method of interpretation that has to be taken very seriously. He makes it clear that certain Old Testament commandments were to be understood as concessions to the hardness of the human heart rather than as expressions of God’s holy character. He goes on to reference how this was not the state of affairs in the beginning—that is, before the fall of man.  

One might conclude, that because of God’s great love for humanity, he “modified his high standards” to allow his chosen people specifically, to grow and rise above the sinful attitudes and practices of the ancient world.

The regulation of slavery should therefore be seen as a practical step to deal with the realities of the day resulting from the human fall. The aberrations that lead to alienation among individuals, races, and nations are the result of a fundamental broken relationship between humankind and God. 

Within this tragic scenario, Scripture comes as a breath of fresh air as it seeks to redeem the “situations of sin” and set humanity on a path of ever-increasing improvement of man’s predicament. While the Bible does not reject slavery outright, to draw the conclusion that it actually favors slavery… is completely wrong and out of character with a loving God. 

Scripture does reveal that slavery is not ideal, both in Old Testament laws forbidding the enslavement of fellow Israelites, the law of jubilee, and in New Testament applications of Christ. 

In fact, the Bible teaches that the feeling of superiority in general is sin (Philippians 2:1-8). The evaluation of slavery by biblical standards, and principles demands that the abhorrent concept be abolished. The pre-fall statement that should guide and ultimately eliminate such (and any) practices of superiority is the declaration that all humans—men and women—are made in the image of God.

On this principle, the Bible even lays the foundation for progressing far beyond what was possible in New Testament times by addressing the very economic discrimination and favoritism of which slavery is the worst expression (James 2:1-9; 5:1-6). Of course, it must be reckoned, that the Church has taken many centuries, far too long, to live out what Scripture taught long ago, and no doubt we continue to struggle, often in silence, in the fight against injustices and brutality towards people of color. 

The time delay between the Word of Scripture and its implementation in society is often due to the “holy huddle” mentality prevailing among Christians who are largely unconcerned about issues outside of their immediate periphery. 

Another reason many Christians continue to remain silent in the face of injustice is the platonic view of the cosmos we have adopted, implying that life in the hereafter is the only issue to be addressed, while we watch the world go by in its destructive way. Both mentalities are sadly misguided.

Those of us who say that we believe the Bible to be the Word of God have to raise our level of awareness and involvement regarding social issues. Having failed to do so, we have let these issues of racial inequality pass into the hands of those who may not be Christians, but are better informed about social injustice and concerned enough to fight wrong practices through legal means. 

While they have no logical basis to do what they are doing, the real tragedy is that Christians who do have a basis to address these issues remain largely indifferent. May the Lord of Scripture open our eyes to see that God is interested in the redemption of the “whole of creation” and not just disembodied souls and spirits!

The Bible does not condone slavery any more than it condones polygamy or divorce. The Bible has never glossed over the concept of slavery or other shortcomings of humanity.  

Instead, it establishes humane limits for an existing, evil system. It contains many references to slavery, which was a common practice in antiquity. Biblical texts outline the legal status of slaves, economic roles of slavery, types of slavery, and debt slavery, which thoroughly explain the institution of slavery in Israel in antiquity. The law of Moses laid the groundwork for the eventual demise of one of the most demeaning institutions in human society… the evils of slavery.

GOD’S WORD doesn’t change

One of life’s constants is change. Like it or not, it happens. We grow. We age. Technology reinvents the way we do things. Some relish change, others resist. We like it best on our terms, but don’t always have that option. Sometimes all we can do is cope with it. 

When given the opportunity to exert our will in the matter, we’re wise to proceed with caution. Change for the sake of change is a risk – the grass on the fence’s other side isn’t always greener.  In fact, it can be poisonous and dangerous!

The relentless pursuit for “better” can sometimes leave us bitter, regretting changes we didn’t need to make.  The pursuit of change in the way we are expected to believe and process life’s important milestones can bring us into a kind of change confrontation… when we want something changed to suit us… to meld with our personal expectations and beliefs mostly infiltrated by the cultural dogma around us.

What you believe will have eternal consequences.  Our destiny, our future depends on resisting the pressures to conform, to change core and foundational beliefs simply because attitudes dominating the world we live in are constantly changing.

Bible-believing Christians cannot accept the "many paths" popular view as a genuine cornerstone for their faith. Yet professing Christians consider this "inclusive" stance to be the enlightened one. 

Liberal Christianity offers a humanistic reinterpretation of our faith and claims that Bible-believing Christians are mired in rigid, unenlightened, antiquated thinking. They tell us that times have changed, people have changed, society has progressed, and the church must evolve and change to be relevant.

They even twist the idea of the Bible as the Living Word to make it open to radical reinterpretation—so that its original meaning is turned upside down—as society and opinions change.

It should really pain us to see so much of Christianity today caught up in heresies and untruths in a misguided belief that change is necessary to be relevant in a fallen world. 

So many lives are at risk, as professing Christians embrace “as changed or reformatted truth”  incorrect interpretations of what the Bible teaches simply to be part of a popular religious movement that suits their needs and liberal views.

God knows our weaknesses and how we would try and modify His Word to suit our needs, wants and desires. His warning “not to do this” is sternly given in numerous verses throughout the Bible… none more crystal clear than Revelation 22:18-19... “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this

book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

I can’t speak for you… but that passage scares me!  Why would anyone want to challenge the truthfulness and authenticity of God’s pure and unadulterated Word, just to feel contemporary, relevant or part of the majority?

The Bible does not mince words about its power and influence…"The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

The Bible is NOT subject to generational revisions or "new revelations" driven by the shifting of public tastes and political moods.

The Bible doesn't change; it changes us. If we disagree with something we read in Scripture, it's not the Bible that needs to change—it's us. We must reexamine our opinions and change them in the light of God's unchanging Word.

Consider carefully what you are taught, what you hear and what you read, other than the Bible itself.  Be on guard!  As various leaders and authors in the church subtly move away from a Biblical understanding of social issues, the church is being led into apostasy and error, while the nation is being led into secularism, moral relativism, and depravity. 

There is no question that Biblical Truth and life are on two different paths. We find ourselves constantly colliding with what the Bible says we should be doing and who we must become to please God. 

Here’s what’s happening…. If what God expects of His followers is too much of a living challenge... then change what the Bible says. Rewrite the rules of engagement with God.  After all, the Bible was written a very long time ago, and surely God would want us to update his Word and for Christians to be relevant in the world. 

For the novice believer, updating the Bible’s meaning seems logical. Make what the Bible says fit today’s contemporary culture. Adapt God’s Word to our lifestyles.  If human conduct that God abhors is socially acceptable and popular, then discredit what the Bible says about such behaviors, so the church can be socially and politically relevant. Utter Nonsense!

This sort of thinking, is far more prevalent in today’s culture influenced church than you might think, and amounts to intentional, willful rejection of God’s Word.

The church can only be destroyed from within. If we stray from the Scriptures and contaminate God's Truth with worldly ideas, placating the sinner, the church as a beacon of salvation will cease to truly seek and save lost souls. The church must wake up and shake itself from its dangerous dalliances with worldliness.

You and I and everyone who claims to follow Jesus must take an unshakable stand on the unchanging Truth of God’s Word — His guide for living—the Bible.

The church has all but sidelined itself, making itself irrelevant at the very time when the world is in desperate need of God's Truth.

God's message to us hasn't changed since the beginning of time. It remains the same: Do not tamper with the Truth of God. 

Christ taught His disciples the importance of knowing, speaking, and defending the Truth because Jesus Himself is Truth incarnate

Christian complacency and apostasy are a far greater threat to the life of the church than any other single thing that man could bring against it.

"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him" (Proverbs 30:5).

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