Our Need to Rediscover God's Biblical Truth

For some time now, I have recognized that the path that I have been on to discover Biblical Truth for myself is somewhat distinct from other Christians that I have encountered. I didn't grow up in the Church, and in fact, did not come to my salvation until my early 30s. Perhaps that plays a part in distinguishing my walk with the Lord. And, furthermore, perhaps that is why I have not fallen for the deception that I see infiltrating the organized Church. I'm going to be honest and forthcoming here ... my heart grieves for what I can only describe as "religion that is false"; a system of faith and worship that lacks the underpinnings of absolute trust in Jesus/God, a complete understanding of His plan of redemption for mankind, and an infallible knowledge of His Word and Character.

Instead, as I minister and interact with my fellow Christians, [whom I continue to love and serve with] I see too many people graduating from online religious "universities" with fancy-titled degrees, but yet have no simple recognition of the Scriptures I quote. I see too many people who constantly seek prayer for everything they do, whether out of fear or uncertainty in their walk. I see too many people willing to put their eternal future in the hands of a self-proclaimed "prophet" who teaches and preaches words that tickle their ears. It seems that Christians today are more interested in finding ways to convince God to make their lives more comfortable and happier, than they are in seeking ways to know Him deeper, serve Him more faithfully, and die to themselves, that they might gain true life in Him. 

I have heard other authors refer to this scenario as "religious humanism", but I'm even suspect of this form of terminology because it still focuses on man, not God! Religious humanism is explained as centering on "human needs, interests, and abilities", within the framework of organized religion or congregational traditions. But that is exactly why I'm concerned about the state of the Church! Just like secular humanism, it's belief system is centered on man, not God! Why aren't our religious institutions instructing their members about God's needs, interests, and abilities?!? Have we forgotten that we are subject to Him, not the other way around? 

How did we get so far off track from what Jesus taught and what the Church in the Book of Acts knew -- That His Holiness, His Sovereignty, His Righteousness, and His Justice, are just as important as His Love, Mercy, and Grace? I am seeing far too many people living out of their souls, rather than connecting to God through their spirits. And I am constantly amazed that far too many Christians are unaware that they are a three-part being; body, soul, and spirit. Because our soul consists of our mind [our thoughts and opinions], our emotions [feelings and responses of our flesh], and our free will [the ability to make decisions based on those thoughts and feelings], we often smother our spirit, who is our true identity, made in the image of God, and our direct link to Him. 

If your soul is smothering your spirit, you cannot hear or receive the voice of our Creator, who through the Holy Spirit is always ready to give us His wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord. If you can't hear Him, you can't receive those gifts and will most likely fall prey to human or demonic influences, which are far less rewarding than anything God wants to give you. 

I can remember a specific night when, while watching a documentary about a ministry that introduced the mighty love of Christ to people who desperately wanted a relationship with Him, that I was suddenly overcome with the weight and reality of my sinful nature, and I found myself weeping uncontrollably as I asked Jesus to forgive me and accept my repentance for all the ways I had sinned and hurt Him. One minute I was sitting on my couch moved by the testimonies of others, and the next minute, I felt the overwhelming pain of what my sins cost Him. I realized then, that although I had previously asked Him into my heart and been baptized, that that experience now seemed like a superficial human act of compliance to the traditions of the Church. This ... this was a supernatural experience in which I understood, for the first time, just what my life was worth to my Savior -- that He loved me so much that He would suffer so greatly for me, so that I could be redeemed and we could begin a deeper relationship as I entered into a lifetime of service to Him. 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to open your Bible and begin an earnest study of God's Word. It is there that you can begin to meet Him and grow in your understanding and commitment. It is where you will find the depth of His commitment to us; and what He expects back from us in this mutual relationship. It is where you will find His promises that extend far beyond anything the world offers. We often hear of the "mysteries of God", but there are no mysteries when you seek Him in His Word. I have quoted this verse often (it is my husband's favorite) ... Proverbs 25:2 says, It is the Glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out. Our Father in Heaven loves it when we search for the clues He leaves us to answer our questions. And it is definitely true that the Holy Spirit will reveal more as you seek more. 

Our God is so much bigger than we've ever been taught. But when all you hear is that God is love and grace and mercy (which He is!), and you don't hear that He is also righteous and just, then you don't really need to be concerned about the consequences of your actions ... He's going to always love you, right? And there is a huge void in the Church regarding those attributes, which has greatly affected our culture and societal morals. It then becomes all about us, and our needs, and our desires. If you aren't conscious that God is Holy and Righteous, above all else, then you aren't going to worry about what He thinks about killing your unborn child. As a society, we are focused on the conditions of our lifestyle, instead of the conditions of our heart and spirit, where Jesus resides. 

As we long as we "do not forsake the gathering together" in our church houses on Sunday, we can convince ourselves that we are good Christians. But the rest of that passage exhorts us to meet for instruction and to encourage each other to no longer sin [after receiving the knowledge of the truth] so that we can avoid divine judgment, should we continue to willfully and deliberately sin. Just meeting together on a Sunday doesn't atone for our continuance in sin. The Church should be equipping us for the spiritual war that is waging all around us in the spiritual realms right now! We desperately need to understand that, just as the saints in the Book of Acts did. We have a spiritual responsibility to go into the world and not only expose the darkness in our midst, but instruct and train and disciple our fellow man to serve the One True God and His Kingdom here on earth! Sadly, America and her churches have failed in this duty. And please don't try to convince me that we are primarily a Christian nation. Does our society and culture bear the fruit of that label?  

I do not write this post to discourage or malign. I write to pour out the frustration and sadness of my heart as I see that we have fallen far short of the honor and praise that is due our Messiah and Savior. I love this nation. It is still the best place on earth to live. But for how long? I sincerely worry that our shallow demonstrations of covenant with our God are deteriorating, and that a false representation of what Jesus modeled for us has no imperishable foundation. Our churches pray for revival, but why would God trust us to defend and fight for how He would want to revive us? We've allowed His marriage covenant to be perverted; His sanctity of life to be rejected; and the bodies of our children to be corrupted, modified, and altered beyond His design. We need the bold and courageous spirit of Jesus's followers in the First Century to be sown into our spiritual lives. We need to rediscover the truth of the Bible and the perfect, immutable, power of His Word to awaken in our land. I know this is not my eternal home, but I pray that we can make it as close to Heaven as we can. 

Psalm 119:160     The sum of Your Word is Truth (the full meaning of all Your precepts), and every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever.

The Importance of God's Truth in a "Cultural Christian" World

At the heart of my post today is the concept that a society cannot continue to exist if it discards a foundation of truth. And, of course, it is important to define what truth is and why it's important. In this postmodern world, truth is often looked upon as being individually decided by one's own history, social class, gender, culture, etc. Feelings become a basis of establishing your individual truth and there is no belief in a moral absolute definition of truth. In a postmodern world, truth is relative to your individual belief system and life circumstances. 

To me, the funny thing is that this idea of "postmodernity" is fairly recent -- that modernity ended in the late 20th century [1980s or early 1990s]. Those of us who are older can actually see that mindset taking hold in our younger generations. But the idea of Truth is certainly thousands of years older than that, right? How did we so quickly reject what passed as Truth for centuries before ? 

Of course, as a Christian, I know God as the ultimate definition of Truth. In fact, the website Got Questions tells us the Greek word for truth is aletheia, meaning "divine revelation", and it is related to another word that literally means "what can't be hidden." The Hebrew word for truth is emeth, which means "firmness, constancy, and duration" -- the idea that truth is established and unchanging; there is an understanding that it is universally valid and the ultimate reality.

Think about this: the opponent [and opposite] of Truth is Lies. We get a clear picture of that dynamic when Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin for trial by religious men who didn't like the Truth He spoke because it threatened their livelihood and power. They renounced, rejected, and subverted the truth [with lies] in order to destroy it. But they had no legal right to eliminate Truth, so Jesus found Himself standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. They played verbal judo over Jesus's kingship, until Jesus pronounced,"You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice" ... to which Pilate responded with the question that has resounded throughout the world, "What is truth"? 

As Creator of the world, the Father and Jesus established their Truth as the foundation of a righteous, good, virtuous and ethical world that was meant to benefit everyone. It is [and was meant to be] an established foundation that would guide mankind into a morally right and virtuous life in relationship with their Creator; a life that would last for eternity. I believe that many things can have elements of truth about them, but there is only one thing that is at the root and origin of Truth. And that is God. Truth began with Him. 

I saw an interesting video on social media when a learned Christian spoke to a young woman who claimed to be an atheist, not believing that God was real or existed. But the Christian asked her if she could agree that if she looked upon a painting, she had to admit that there was a painter who had painted it; that there was an originator of that work of art; it didn't just appear out of nothing. That painting began with an idea from the painter and he or she established the beginning and foundation of that painting. Its existence was founded and developed by the painter, and the substance [the fundamental quality and heart of the painting] belong to the painter. Other pretenders or false artists can copy that painting and add their own elements to it and try to change its intrinsic appearance, but at its core, it still belongs to the painter. 

That relationship exists between God and Truth. It was His work that established the earth and everything in it. It is His Truth that is the foundation upon which the earth and mankind rests. We don't determine God's Truth; we discover it as He reveals it to us. We don't invent our version of His Truth; we follow what He has given us. God's Truth is a very real and definitive set of instructions by which we are to live our lives. It is based on His all-knowing wisdom and knowledge -- not on what we decide works best for us. That is why it benefits mankind when we obey His commandments and His Word ... everyone understands what is desired of us from the One who created us, which creates a Biblical worldview that everyone can agree on, eliminating strife and disagreements.

I recently read an article in Harbinger's Daily, which quoted George Orwell: "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it". And remember when I said the opposite of Truth is Lies? Well, we have an Enemy who is the Father of Lies, and his goal is to attack God's Truth any way he can. His favorite ways are to distort it and corrupt it; changing the original context of Truth into his version, which is full of lies ... such as we are not created, but we evolved; a fetus is just a clump of cells, not a baby; and you are not born a specific gender -- the decision is yours. All this masking and distorting of God's Truth results in a perverted worldview. And it is not limited to the secular world.

Did you know that there is now a societal stance [or viewpoint] called a "cultural Christian"? And did you know that it can be adopted by people as diverse as Richard Dawkins, the well-known atheist and Elon Musk, who has become an icon of technology and innovation in the realms of the economy, national security, social discourse, and the future of humanity? But what does Musk mean by identifying as a cultural Christian? Again, Harbinger's Daily revealed an interview with Jordan Peterson, in which Elon said this: "While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise ... there's a tremendous wisdom in turning the other cheek." He went on to say he's a "big believer in the principles of Christianity", and thereby identified as "probably a cultural Christian."

But, Elon, giving a nod to the teachings of Jesus isn't the same as surrendering your life to Him, and receiving Him as your Savior. In that sense, you are refusing to accept God's Truth -- His complete and comprehensive Truth. You can't cherry-pick which of His "principles" you want to follow, while rejecting others, and have the right to call yourself a Christian. While the article says Musk believes he's found some truth in Jesus, he's yet to discover that Jesus Christ is the truth! While the religion of Christianity fulfills his curious nature and gives him greater enlightenment, Musk is missing out on the core message of Jesus's teachings: mankind needs the redemption from our sins that Jesus provides by His sacrifice on our behalf.

All these thoughts and opinions on Truth not anchored in the Originator are just that ... opinions. Without believing in the preeminent and authoritative Truth of God [as stated in the Bible]; the Truth that has established absolute and supreme morality, then men will create and build their own foundation of truth on shifting ground. You cannot try to live with half  your heart in agreement with the culture and the other half according to the principles in the Bible. Because what is your foundation? God's Word or man's flawed, narcissistic creation of his particular truth? You will not be able to stand in times of trouble. There's a battle coming, and we must fight it in Truth and Spirit. The Culture will not defend us.

Joshua 24:15     Choose this day who you will serve, whether ... the gods ... in whose land you dwell [or] ... the Lord" 

PETA and Artificial Intelligence Co-Author New Bible Version of Creation!

I hesitate to say that I have "seen it all", but a headline on The Christian Post website titled PETA sells vegan-friendly AI Bible rewrite of the Creation story, certainly pushes the bounds of absurdity. The article by Ian M. Giatti, reports that PETA used ChatGBT to steer an AI developed version of the Book of Genesis to support their animal rights message.

First of all, it must be recognized that ChatGBT is an AI software platform that ... surprise! ... has bias built into it based on the source data that is feeding it, and has the ability to modify itself according to corrective information and algorithms input by its human handlers. So, any logical thinking human should be mindful of the predisposition and prejudice of any person, group, or organization presenting information via AI and/or ChatGBT. 

That being said, just how is PETA using AI to alter the text of Genesis in their 75-page digital download, and what is the revised "word" they are promoting? Mr. Giatti records several instances of changed wording, along with deliberately deleted passages to promote their version of the Creation story. I'll share some of them, point out the truth of the Bible, and an ulterior motive for their false variation of Genesis.

Giatti states, "According to PETA, 'The message in Genesis is that God created every sentient being. He saw that they were good, and He gave them greens for sustenance' ". Ok, let's break this seemingly simple sentence down. The word sentient means "able to perceive or feel things; having a conscience".  By using the words sentient being, PETA is implying that God made humans and animals as equals. God very specifically refers to the animals as "beasts" or "creatures". That is an important distinction that has been obscured in the AI wording of this interpretation. Furthermore, there is the reference that He gave them greens for sustenance. In other words, PETA wants the readers of this new Genesis account to believe that mankind is meant to follow vegetarian practices. There is much to understand about God's instruction in the Bible regarding what is acceptable to eat. Let me try to simplify our understanding by pointing out a few Scriptures...

Yes, in the beginning God revealed that He provided plants as food for both man and animals (Genesis 1:29-30). PETA and AI stop there in their narrative. They do not reveal that after Man's Fall and the Flood, God changes His plan, and tells Noah in Genesis 9:3, Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I [now] give you everything. GotQuestions.org points out "Throughout the Old Testament, meat eating was the norm, from the Passover lamb (Exodus 12) to the quail that God provided in the wilderness (Exodus 16) to the portions of the animal sacrifices that the priests and Levites ate (Deuteronomy 18). Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the king’s food in Babylon, choosing only vegetables (Daniel 1), but this was probably because there was no guarantee that the meat would have been considered clean according to the Mosaic law. Vegetarianism was not the issue" [my emphasis]. Furthermore, Jesus ate meat when He observed the Passover meal of the sacrificed lamb. 

As Mr. Giatti points out, "Another deviation is the use of plant fibers like hemp and bamboo as clothing rather than animal skins, a significant change from the narrative in Genesis 3 in which God made “garments of [an unidentified animal] skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). I believe this is an intentional attempt to disregard the first blood sacrifice in the Bible that foreshadows the inevitable sacrifice of Jesus's blood on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. As I noted in my prior blog post, Bible illiteracy in this nation [even, sadly, among Christians] opens the door for deception and delusion [and false belief systems]. Satan would love nothing more than to wipe the truth of the power of the blood of Jesus from the AI-indoctrinated generations to come. 

Perhaps the most grievous misinterpretation centers around the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to show his faith in God. In the PETA/AI version, Abraham's strength of faith is diminished to merely befriending a lamb, rather than any reference to a sacrifice, whether of Isaac or a ram. And among the most absurd additions to the Genesis account is the fabrication that Abraham and Sarah, who are 100 and 90, respectively, decide to add to their family by adopting a dog they name Herbie! If you can pick your jaw up off the floor, here is how the AI passage reads: "As they walked with Herbie, Sarah and Abraham thought of the importance of adopting dogs from shelters and rescue organizations rather than purchasing them from breeders...". How could anyone believe this blasphemous nonsense?!? But believe it they will, because "they refused to love the truth and so be saved".  

When confronted with this false revisionist form of the Bible, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk rationalized it by stating, “The Bible has long been used to justify all forms of oppression, so we’ve used ChatGPT to make it clear that a loving God would never endorse exploitation of or cruelty to animals ... This modern rendering of Genesis is a positive approach to bringing more people to understand God’s message of compassion, a return to the Garden of Eden, if you will,” she said. “This chatbot interpretation of the creation story clarifies and highlights God’s intended message of kindness, gentleness and love for everyone.”

So, now PETA claims to know the mind of our sovereign and God??? It appears to me that they have decided to rewrite God in the image of man! And do they really think they have the right and permission to change God's holy design of Creation that has been believed for thousands of years? It should also be alarming to all Believers that they are soft-pedaling their version to capture the attention of the faith-based public by claiming "Scriptural evidence for what Peta says is God's plans for animals under the stewardship of man". But when they go so far as to proclaim that "a vegan diet is a Kingdom diet", and use the harmony between man and animal in Isaiah 11:6-9 as their justification, the distortion is all too obvious. 

In summary, this is just one more example of how Satan is using technology to put forth AI-scripted theological discourses that will lead the blind and Biblically illiterate down a path of deception. We must educate our youth as to the Truth of the Bible and how to discern the spirit of not only people, but what is being disseminated as coming from God, for many false prophets and teachers are operating in the world today. It is our duty as Kingdom ambassadors, to take a stand; and do not be caught off guard when that results in harassment and tyranny from an increasingly AI-dominant system. But fear not! Jesus will soon come and confront the liars and deceivers, the falsifiers and the fabricators. Stay vigilant! See where technology is taking us, and be ready to stand on solid Biblical ground. We need Believers who see and hear without error! 

Thanks to christianpost.com and got questions.org for the reference material that contributed to this blog post. 

2 Timothy 4:3-5    For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching .... and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Perilous Times Call For Plain-Spoken Truth and Persistent Perseverance

 It has become unquestionably clear to me that Evil has pervaded our culture in every sphere of our existence. What does that look like? It can be encapsulated in 2 Timothy 3:1-8 ... "But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. 6 For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women weighed down by [the burden of their] sins, easily swayed by various impulses, 7 always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres [the court magicians of Egypt] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, unqualified and worthless [as teachers] in regard to the faith". 

I hope you didn't skip over this familiar and important passage of the Bible. Paul knows he is facing his impending death, and he writes to Timothy, a "baby Christian" to encourage him to stand strong in his faith; to endure in the face of everything the Enemy will throw at him to confound and confute his faith. Paul goes on to describe all the characteristics of people who are lovers of self, rather than lovers of God. And make no mistake ... within that vast group of sinners, the Church is not found innocent. Now read that passage again with intention. Increasingly, we can see that "difficult days that will be hard to bear" are upon us. We see the arrogance and greed extend from our government at the highest levels to the corporate titans to the scammers who take advantage of the vulnerable on the internet. We see the actions of those who are "devoid of natural human affection" as the numbers of innocent people who are killed or injured in our cities rises to alarming statistics. We see immorality intensify to obscene, blasphemous, and debased levels -- children sold for sexual pleasure; the government [through our education system] seeking to claim our children for themselves and lead them into a debauched culture of men claiming to be women, and women denying their role in creation; thereby stealing and corrupting the innocence of childhood.

But, lest there any of us who claim security in our faith, we need to understand that Paul doesn't hold the Church guiltless either. And I want to make myself clear -- I do not disparage all members of the Church! I understand that it is the institution of the Church that has not lived up to the commission Jesus called His followers to. I am fully aware that individual followers are committed to being devout and obedient servants of His Kingdom here on earth. It is not up to me [or anyone else] to judge their hearts or measure the worth of their faith. That, Jesus will do at the Judgment Seat. But each of us can judge the fruit of the institution, and those who walk in religion, seeking to control and dictate belief systems through misleading and false teachings, or deceptive, man-made doctrine. Following Jesus is easy; we have His Word to guide us, and it is the Holy Spirit who counsels and reveals God's will for the faithful. The institutionalized Church, if not careful, can switch the focus of Jesus's teachings from His truth to their own interpretation, resulting in people losing sight of Him as they seek to please the leadership and themselves.     

A man I greatly admire, Victor Marx, recently posted a meme that stated, "Too many Christians want a seat at the table that Jesus would have flipped over". "The table" he is talking about is the seat of power and reputation/recognition that the Church has become for far too many who claim their faith in Jesus. The Lord flipped the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple because they were profiting off the poor; requiring inflated payment for the poor to have access to the sacrificial animals and entry into the House of His Father. The Temple was to be open and available to all; it is the Father's will that all have access to His love and to His Presence.

But is it really any different today? I have personally seen the 10 Ways the Enemy Has Infiltrated the Church, from a powerful article written by Evangelist Chuck Lawless. I have seen 1) Rivalry in the Church, 2) Immaturity among believers, 3) Tolerating sin in the congregation, 4) Believers turning on believers, 5) Sexual immorality in the church, 6) Misuse of Christian liberty [to condemn others], 7) Idolatry in the church, 8) Competition over spiritual gifts, 9) Unwillingness to forgive a repentant believer, and 10) False teaching in the church. I do not point these out from a superior attitude -- it is always my heart for God to purify anything He finds unholy in my heart. My intention is to call ourselves to account for the ways we might be limiting access to God for anyone seeking Him. 

I mean, are we really glorifying our Lord if we are fighting over ministry turf; allowing internal strife between members; tolerating sexual sin; promoting someone or a ministry above our holy God [worshiping the gods of our heart]; competing over whose spiritual gift is greater; being unwilling to forgive a repentant brother or sister in Christ; or being unable to discern a false teaching from the grace of Jesus to allow for a difference of opinion that doesn't contradict the Gospel and the Father's will? 

For instance, does it really matter if we baptize in the Name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit -- or we simply baptize in the Name of Jesus? Isn't that make Baptism into a religious ritual rather than a pronouncement of our allegiance to Heaven? Didn't Jesus say He and the Father are One, and if we've seen Him, we've seen the Father? Isn't the purpose of declaring a name is that you know who you are declaring your spiritual allegiance to -- the Light or the dark side? Jesus allowed His followers to eat from the wheat fields on the Sabbath, breaking a strict religious rule. When He declared that “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath”, He is proclaiming that He exercises authority over the Sabbath. He also exercises authority over baptism, and if we choose to be baptized, He knows the condition of our heart, and that we understand the significance of this action. He never desired that our faith be difficult, once we choose to believe. Why do we make it so?

Finally, I think there can be no disagreement that we are seeing the brutality of mankind on the earth. And when the Rule of Law is no longer operating, then the message the masses receive is that there are no rules; or the rules are made to be broken; or it's ok to make your own rules and just do what makes you feel good about yourself -- none of which were ever taught by the Creator and Redeemer of all mankind. Therefore those men [and women] will come to despise the One who made the rules to guide us all to a peaceful and harmonious life. And they will deny His power and authority to guide their lives because it comes in conflict with their own self-interests. 

It is evident from the threats of war, famine, disease/plagues, and persecution from those who love power and those who hate God, that we are indeed in perilous times. Is the glorious return of our Lord imminent, or will He give us a reprieve by some miracle of His mercy and grace? No one can say for sure, but this I do know ... it is time to receive HIS TRUTH, not the truth of the world, and most certainly time to discern if you are hearing the truth in your place of worship. It is not time "to tolerate unsound doctrine and inaccurate instruction [that does not challenge them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold." It is perilous enough that you need to know what you believe and why! Don't rely on another's faith -- own your own. And remember what Jesus said to His disciples in those ancient times ... Listen carefully, I have told you in advance. So go and find out what HE said because His words "will not pass away". For it is most assuredly the time to determine that we will stand in persistent perseverance. And He will stand with us! Praise Him, above all Names, for He is worthy to be praised! 

Luke 21:28    Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near.”

Defending The Word In An Age of Compromise

For the sake of this post, I am referring to all Believers as "preachers" of the Word when we share it with the lost. But how do we know we are preaching it "rightly"? After all, 2 Timothy 2:15 says, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth. I don't know about you, but I take that very seriously, and I consistently pray that I am representing God and His Word accurately and well. 

As we look upon our religious culture in the 21st Century, it is becoming quite apparent that there are diverse "messages" out there, all proclaiming to represent the rightly divided Word of God. But they can't all be correct, since there are contrasting views within "the Church" on God's acceptance of homosexuality; on the relevance of spiritual warfare; on the definition of the Great Commission; on His acceptance of worshiping other gods (sadly); and even on how we are to honor rituals and traditions.

How do we know, these 2000+ years later, that we are in alignment with the teachings that Jesus commanded the Apostles to carry forward as "the Church"? From the very beginning, there was an ardent desire to preserve the Lord's teachings accurately and authentically. It's important for us to know how those teachings became theology and doctrine, and just how difficult it became to do that without letting human error creep in, whether consciously or subconsciously.

I hope you will suffer me to give a cursory history of the struggle to "rightly handle" the Word of God -- from the very beginning. Just in the first 300 years, Christ's teachings were rendered and interpreted through several groups which have become known as the Early Church Fathers. You have the "Apostolic Fathers", who were a group of early Christian leaders and authors who lived shortly after the 12 Apostles. Their writings are typically dated between AD 80–180. Most of the Apostolic Fathers are believed to have known the Apostles personally or were connected to them in some way. The apostolic church fathers were the ones like Clement of Rome who were contemporaries of the apostles and were probably taught by them, carrying on the tradition and teaching of the apostles themselves. Polycarp and Clement are considered two of the imminent Apostolic Fathers, and they soon became embroiled in presenting truth to counter the theological heresies of Gnosticism and Docetism. Gnostics believed that anything done in the body was inherently evil and sinful, but it didn't really matter, because real life existed in the spirit realm only. Docetism promoted that Jesus was never fully human; He only "seemed" to have a body, and may have been somewhat divine. 

The ante-Nicene fathers were those who came after the apostolic fathers and before the Council of Nicea in AD 325. Such individuals as Irenaeus, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr are ante-Nicene fathers. The post-Nicene church fathers are those who came after the Council of Nicea in AD 325. These are such noted men as Augustine, bishop of Hippo, who is often called the father of the [Roman Catholic] Church because of his great work in Church doctrine; Chrysostom, called the “golden-mouthed” for his excellent oratorical skills; and Eusebius, who wrote a history of the church from the birth of Jesus to AD 324, one year before the Council of Nicea.

But even these zealous Early Church Fathers could not keep the Enemy of God from working his own agenda and begin infiltrating the Church with false and counterfeit teachings and doctrines. The Apostolic Fathers were passionate in presenting the gospel just as the apostles taught them, but became increasingly involved in defending the gospel from these heresies, rather than presenting Jesus's teachings in their purest and authoritative form. The very fact that the Nicene Council was convened in AD 325 is evidence that there was a growing fragmentation in the Church between various theologies and doctrines. What followed in the way of commentaries and endless examinations among these disparate groups undoubtedly has led to centuries of interpretations [and denominations] led by theologians such as Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and the post-Enlightenment theologians like Karl Barth. 

As we consider this history, we have to ask ourselves this question: So, do all these varying religious opinions down through the centuries meet the approval of God by the standards He sets in His Word? Which of these messages come from human wisdom, and which are revealed through the Spirit of Truth in the Bible? Which messages rest in the wisdom of men, and which in the power of God? 

These may seem like elementary questions, but I think we need to be very aware of the Enemy's tactics in these Last Days. I am seeing everything from a powerless Gospel being preached, to a dangerous message of unity among different gods and religions; that is not Biblical. The Word is the power of God to save us from eternal hell. But that Word must not be weakened, watered down, or compromised. The very definition of the word compromise is this: a middle state between conflicting opinions or actions reached by mutual concession or modification; an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions; the acceptance of standards that are lower than is desirable. Do any of those definitions sound like they define the Nature of our God? Does He make concessions or allowances for His laws and commandments -- or ever lower His standards?

Yet, we are now paying the consequences in our society because of compromise; because of our willingness to undermine the Word of God by embracing cultural lifestyles that do not conform to the commandments of the God we pray to. There is no "happy medium" where God is willing to adapt His Glory, Majesty, or Sovereignty to fit our ideas of theology, justice or mercy. Nor is He willing to compromise His order of divine government with corrupted and unholy social ideologies that subvert His righteous rule of the nations. It is time that we, the true Believers in the One True God, declare our unyielding and unshakeable faith in the accurate Word of God. It's time to step into our authority to preach the Word as laid out in 2 Timothy 4:2: "proclaim the Word of God and stand upon it no matter what! Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. Preach in the full expression of the Holy Spirit —with wisdom and patience as you instruct and teach the people". No more compromise! 

Thanks to the website gotquestions.com for the concise history of the Early Church Fathers.

I Thessalonians 2:13   And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers.

We Are Guardians of God's Truth!

 

We're hearing a lot about "misinformation" these days, which is defined by our media culture as misleading and deceptive news. But we are also inundated with "disinformation", which is deliberate, often orchestrated attempts to confuse or manipulate people through delivering dishonest information to them. We see that in abundance in the political arena in our country.

And lest we think dispelling [or eliminating] truth is a new phenomenon invented in the modern age of technology, disinformation is as old as the Garden of Eden. Satan deliberately manipulated Eve with dishonest temptations to lead her astray from the will of God. In fact, among the definitions of "dishonest" is the word "cunning", exactly how Genesis 3 describes Satan as the serpent! And nothing has changed! Down through the centuries the Enemy of God has attempted to distort the Creator's Truth [with a capital "T"] in order to corrupt and defeat God's plan for reconciliation with mankind.

We must never forget that our Creator [who happens to be the Most High God] gave us the administration of this earth, so that it would be governed as He governs in Heaven. We are overseers and God's stewards; not only of this planet and realm, but of His Truth! The Bible calls us servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. But what is truth...  specifically God's Truth? Interestingly enough, that very profound question was asked by Pilate, an unbeliever, in response to Jesus's declaration that He had come into the world to testify to the truth. 

And here we are 2,000 years later, with the world still arguing over whose definition of truth [with a lower case "t"] is, well .... true. The world has rejected the one over-riding fact about defining truth. We learn from the Bible that truth comes from God. It is consistent with the will, mind, character, nature, glory and being of God. God is truth; it is His self-expression, and the  knowledge of who He is. All truth flows from God. And as His representatives on earth, we are stewards of His Truth. We are the guardians of how God is expressed in the world; we are the guardians in charge of maintaining and preserving what is left of Biblical truth. 

In case you haven't noticed, our culture is steeped in "moral relativism", which is the concept that there are no absolute truths about what is moral or not; whether something is right or wrong can change depending on opinion, personal or social context, culture, or other societal factors. The same is becoming evident when it comes to truth, itself. In other words, truth is now becoming defined by personal or cultural standards, instead of our God, who personifies both morality and truth! To far too many people, there is no foundational truth; it can be manufactured to suit any personal or group agenda. 

God's Truth and moral laws have been slowly disappearing from every aspect of our lives. Just consider how God's Truth is being redefined in the seven mountains of influence: family, religion, business, politics, education, media, entertainment/arts. How far have each of these institutions deviated from the expression of God in the Bible? We see the effects of this slow deterioration in the re-defining of family; the glorifying of evil in the entertainment industry; the further removal of anything Christian in our schools, centers of government, and social commentary.

We can see that what the Bible teaches us about God and His Truth is no longer sufficient nor tolerated by a growing number of the earth's inhabitants. When Jesus announced to His disciples that He would be going away to prepare a place where they can be with Him, Thomas questions Jesus about how to find the way to Him. Jesus's answer points to what we need to reclaim and promote as guardians of God's Truth... I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life...".

Furthermore, Jesus made it clear that He was not of this world, nor a part of it -- and He states the same is true of us. He prays to our Father, "Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. For their sake I sanctify Myself [to do Your will], so that they also may be sanctified [set apart, dedicated, made holy] in [Your] Truth". That is what our Savior has declared over us! We are to be set apart to testify to that Truth! We are to be dedicated to protect that Truth! And we are to walk in holiness as we demonstrate God's Truth! 

Sadly, as I look at the moral objectivity on display throughout the segments of this society, it cannot be denied that the we, as the Church, and followers of Christ, have not always walked in our commission. We have not adequately stood for real Truth, which cannot be defined without recognizing that God is Truth! It's time we stop compromising with the world and trying to be impartial or neutral about what is Truth [with a capital T]. We are seeing the consequences of the concessions we've made; an undermining and weakening of what is God's absolute Truth -- His complete, perfect, unadulterated Truth -- which has resulted in the moral degradation of our country. It is evident in the rebellion and iniquity associated with all the ills of our society.

My final thoughts are this: it is God who has created and defined Truth. It belongs to Him.  And to rebel against it, or reject it, is to invite judgment. Let us agree to stand together to take back the definition of "truth" as the world sees it, and reinstate God's Truth as absolute. Let us execute our assignment to be a shield to safeguard it's trustworthiness and holiness. Just like our God, Truth should be constant and unchangeable. It is time to quit apologizing for believing in God's Truth, and be the very embodiment of it! 

1 John 4:6     We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.