Truth Vs Myths

Truth vs Myths

It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who wisely observed that discernment is not essentially the ability to know the difference between what is right and wrong but rather that which helps us distinguish between what is right and what appears to be almost right. Truth by nature liberates (John8:32). In this Message, Yours Truly has endeavored to bring to the fore some of the subtle tricks being purveyed by the Master Deceiver (Rev 12:9) to derail a Christian from the right path of leading a God-honoring life. The solution in seeing through the craftily-laid traps lies in knowing what pleases the Lord the most through Scripture and sticking to it. Truth be said, nothing pleases our Heavenly Father more than living a life of obedience for obedience is love in action (2 John 1:6-7) which implicitly listens and does what the Father says to His children with no questions asked. Which earthly father doesn’t dote on a child who heeds to his instructions? Ditto with our Heavenly Father too!!!

Let’s see in what matters obedience which brings along with it “perfect security” from the Father is far better than many other “spiritual” actions which the gullible hold very closely to their hearts. Mind you these seemingly “good actions’ “ are good in themselves but it is when the naive ones’ get carried away by a myth at the behest of the Ultimate Liar (John 8:44) that that these “noble efforts” can take the place of implicit obedience itself…then from that point on quite sadly for these susceptible souls’ everything would go awry. So what then are these “Sacred endeavors’”, we need to be wary about? Let’s go step by step. Firstly…

Sacrifices for the Sovereign…

Prophet Samuel hits the nail on the head by stating quite unequivocally that obedience is better than sacrifices offered to the Almighty whilst confronting King Saul for his disobedience of sparing King Agag the wicked Amalekite King and his herd contrary to the Divine instructions (Deu 25:17-19/1 Sam 15:1-3). Cattle were presumably preserved for offering God-pleasing sacrifices.

King Saul to his detriment tried to play “kinder” than God (none can be kinder or holier than Him) and in the process let off some of genocide-prone King Agag’s descendents who would rear their ugly head almost 600 hundred years later in the form of yet another exterminator Haman the Agagite and his ilk (Esther 3:1/5:14). Of course, it is another matter that the good Lord uses this time around yet another Benjaminite- an obedient one at that- Mordecai (Hey, King Saul too was a Benjaminite) to complete some “unfinished business” (Esther 7, 9:1-10).

Dear Christian, do you think God desires your sizeable offerings and tithes more than your unreserved obedience in all the areas’ of your life? Be on high alert, by not ignoring the latter at the cost of the former (Matt 23:23).

Supplication of the Saints…

Oh how some souls reaping bitter consequences of their wrongful actions’ (especially in the financial realm) queue up near a devout Christian leader soliciting his intercessory prayers, without first setting right their relationship with the Almighty/fellow Christians’ whom they have wronged. A Godly Saint may unaware of their hypocritical, unsurrendered hearts in the manner of an earnest intercessor (Ezekiel 22:30) do his part sincerely but will these troubled souls get out of the mess the Mighty disciplinarian has put them in? Let the Scripture take over at this stage…

Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!-Jeremiah 15:1

Should not one shudder when Scripture bears out the fact that none in OT Biblical history were greater than Moses and Samuel when it came to offering fervent intercessory prayers (Exodus 32:7-14/32/1 Sam 12:23)? So more than seeking the supplications of the Earthly Saints in messy situations, what a chastised Christian needs to do is sincerely repent of his sins (restitute, if needed) and leave it to our Greatest High Priest to do the rest (1 John 1:9-10/2:1-2/Heb 4:14-16). Ah that’s obedience at the time of being at the receiving end of Divine comeuppance!!!

Cheer-up those who are sincerely toeing the line of obedience…for all your needs in line with His will…prayerfully claim the promise of 1 John 3:22.

Sacrament of the Saints…

It is indeed painful to notice some misguided ones’ taking “shelter” from the “Evil One” under the sacraments such as “prayer oil” and “handkerchiefs” prayed over by some Charismatic Servants’ of God. While these sacraments may bring deliverance to those outside the fold of the Church (I Cor 14:22-for Signs are primarily meant for them), for those who are the already children of God it is simply their obedience which would determine the presence of fiery fence of protection all around (2 Kings 6:17/1 John 4:4) from the “Murderer” (John 8:44).