During this political season we have seen many leaders leading in different directions. After teaching us to research the candidates and vote according to our principles and values; many of them forgot those teachings to back candidates they thought would help the economy, protect their wallets, or be able to beat the opponents rather than a candidate that consistently stood for the values they claimed to hold dear. Even some religious leaders sold out. Isaiah 56:11 “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.” To their credit, some that were leading wrongly have admitted it and changed their ways.
The religious leader that has received most of the media attention for leading wrongly is Sen. Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Wright. God does not give those that are lead in the wrong direction a free pass. Ezekiel 33:6 “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” Isaiah 9:16 “For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.”
After all we’ve learned this political season; we can no longer blindly follow our leaders or the media trusting they’ll lead us in the right direction. We MUST learn to research for ourselves. It has been taught that the word Bible is an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. We need to study the “fine print” of our “eternal contract.”
2 Timothy3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
Matthew 22:36-40 “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Since the “great” commandment and the “2nd” commandment were not listed in the 10 Commandments; why did Jesus put more emphasis on them? Do you think people were ignoring the rest of the law and concentrating on just 10 Commandments even back then? Has your “spiritual leader” even TOLD you those verses are in the books of the law?
Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
Many English translations do not use the word “study” in 2 Timothy 2:15. Who would be more likely not to want the word “study” used; God or Satan? I’ve even been told some “spiritual leaders” tell their followers not to read the Scriptures themselves because they wouldn’t be able to understand it. The Bible says:
2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Peter 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
Deuteronomy 11:18-20 “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:”
John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
In the Sermon on the Mount; Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
I am not a legalist that believes we get to heaven by obeying the law. The Bible tells us the law was written to teach us we can’t get to heaven by being good; but by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:24-26 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 5:8-9 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Does that give us permission to forget the law and do what ever we want?
Romans 6:15-16 “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Some think believing is all you need to do. What does the Bible say?
John 3:13-18 “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
James 2:19 “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”
Luke 13:3 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
We must first believe, then repent (turn from our wicked ways) then receive the gift God has given us by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ.
I John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Also, we need to do our best to follow what Jesus told the adulteress AFTER her accusers left. Many people didn’t know there is more to the story.
John 8:4-11 “They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
God did not create a bunch of robots. He gives each of us the choice to do things His way or pay the consequences. Search the Scriptures yourself. Your eternity depends on it.
