PRODIGAL SUN

 

February 2024

 

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

 

For us, fulfilling the above scripture is impossible without God’s direction. Knowing His direction is impossible without hearing from Him. How do you hear from Him?

 

It is no coincidence that the longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119 where the psalmist extols the virtues of God’s Word. Consider this passage from the chapter. Psalm 119:9-16 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statues. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statues; I will not forget Your word.

 

Ephesians 6:17 reads, “ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” From Genesis through Revelation, and for all of eternity, the word of God will endure. Jesus used the written word to overcome Satan’s temptations as an example to us in overcoming the wicked ones schemes in our lives.

 

Lets consider Paul’s final charge to Timothy. 2 Timothy 4:1-4 “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

 

The ‘sound doctrine’ mentioned above requires continuity from it’s inception to conclusion. It cannot be made subject to tradition, or man’s thoughts and/or revelation. In the case of scripture interpretation scripture must be used to interpret scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16 makes it clear that “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” God has protected His sacred word throughout all of man’s generations, and will continue to do so until its fulfillment is complete.

 

A lie of the enemy that many have embraced is that the Bible is fallible because it was written by man. The conclusion that researchers, including non-believers, have arrived at is that no book in antiquity has been so precisely preserved as the Bible. The multiplicity of writers and the continuity which has been maintained over thousands of years speak of the divine protection given God’s word. There is has never been a single shred of scientific evidence to counter attack the validity of scripture. The direct opposite is true in that all ties to science, geography, and historical records have validated the Bible.

 

God’s true word and faithful church have always been under attack by Satan and his followers, whether angels or humans. God’s word is light and one of it’s purposes is to expose darkness. It is what we could call a built in fail-safe protection. 1 John 1:6-7 speaks of this. It reads, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

 

There is a very severe word spoken in Proverbs 13:13 we must give heed to. The first part reads, “He who despises the word will be destroyed.” Despises means to disrespect. Destroyed also can mean bound or perverted. (Hebrew) Not believing God’s word will effectively bind you, pervert your expected walk with Jesus, and eventually destroy you.  Gods word tells us in Psalm 66:18 that God will not hear if we(I) regard iniquity in my heart. If we do not believe what God has written we are disrespecting the One who desires to adopt us, commune with us, and give us peace in all circumstances. Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We cannot escape the consequences of disregarding the ultimate authority of the word of God.

 

Yet another warning is found in Proverbs 28:9 which reads “One who turns away from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” There are many leaders twisting God’s word then offering up prayers that never leave earth, much less piercing the heavens. They are mocking God’s order, the power of the Blood of Jesus, and strengthening the enemy’s grip on those who have no discernment; sheep being led to slaughter.

 

One of the leaders mocking God and His Son Jesus is Joel Osteen. I personally heard him in an interview with Ophrah Winfrey tell her there were many ways to God, and that there would be followers of Islam, and others in heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6.) The blood of many following his teaching will be on his hands and he will burn throughout eternity for his blasphemy, unless he repents (asks Jesus to forgive him and turns from his blasphemy.)

 

Another leader, even more powerful in his influence, is Pope Francis. He professes to be the vicar of Christ, but in truth is a vicar of Satan. Permitting priests to bless ‘same sex unions’ is absolutely demonic and in direct violation of God’s Word which list such actions as abominations. The penalty for same sex partners has always been death and always will be because God says, “For I am the Lord, I do  not change.” Malachi  3:6  (Sodomy was also a capital offense here in America.) No leader ‘blessing’ such actions can possibly be a Christian but is an antichrist.

 

Matthew 5:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits...19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. We are commanded by God to judge the fruit before we eat of it.

 

God’s is the judge and His Word final. If what we see or hear contradicts what God says in His Word flee from it while you are able. False doctrines are like quicksand: once you are drawn in and immersed death is your fate. ONLY Jesus, and He alone has your lifeline.

 

kenhayesfleming9@gmail.com                                                   Kenneth H. Fleming

www.wbcis.com                                                                          502 Market Street

(814) 687-3707                                                                          Fallentimber, Pa. 16639