PRODIGAL
SUN
January
2020
Let
your
light
so
shine
before
men
that
they
see
your
good
works
and
glorify
your
Father
in
heaven.
(NKJV)
A
couple
of
weeks
ago
I
was
talking
with
a
priest
about
a
particular
scripture
verse
that
had
spoken
to
me.
His
comment
was
“there
is
some
merit
there.”
It
really
floored
me
that
anyone
in
charge
of
the
spiritual
well
being
of
his
congregation
could
ever
say
only
that
there
is
SOME
merit
there
in
reference
to
a
Bible
verse.
God’s
Word
is
ALL
MERIT,
never
just
some.
Any
minister
of
the
Gospel
must
know
and
place
God’s
Word
FIRST
or
he,
or
she,
will
eventually
lead
the
flock
astray.
Church
doctrine
and
traditions
must
conform
to
God’s
Word,
never
to
man’s
interpretation.
ANY
church
tradition
that
conflicts
with
scripture
is
WRONG;
always
has
been
and
always
will
be.
Peter
wrote
in
2
Peter
1:19-2:3
after
his
encounter
on
the
Mount
where
Christ
was
transfigured.
(New
English
Translation)
The
scriptures
read,
“All
this
only
confirms
for
us
the
message
of
the
prophets,
to
which
you
will
do
well
to
attend,
because
it
is
like
a
lamp
shining
in
a
murky
place,
until
the
day
breaks
and
the
morning
star
rises
to
illuminate
your
minds.
But
first
note
this:
No
one
can
interpret
any
prophecy
of
Scripture
by
himself.
For
it
was
not
through
any
human
whim
that
men
prophesied of
old;
men
they
were,
but,
impelled
by
the
Holy
Spirit,
they
spoke
the
words
of
God.”
Chapter
2
then
starts,
“But
Israel
had
false
prophets
as
well
as
true;
and
you
likewise
will
have
false
teachers
among
you.
They
will
import
disastrous
heresies,
disowning
the
very
Master
who
bought
them,
and
bringing
swift
disaster
on
their
own
heads.
They
will
gain
many
adherents
to
their
dissolute
practices,
through
whom
the
true
way
will
be
brought
into
disrepute. In
their
greed
for
money
they
will
trade
on
your
credulity
with
sheer
fabrications.
IF
we
search
the
scriptures
the
Holy
Spirit
will
reveal
the
truth
to
us.
Much
error
has
crept
into
the
various
church
systems
mainly
because
(1)
Of
the
laziness
of
the
congregation
to
study
the
Word
of
God
and
(2)
Failure
to
challenge
false
teachings
when
they
arise.
Paul
encouraged
Timothy
in
2
Timothy
3
with
the
following
words,
“Yes,
persecution
will
come
to
all
who
want
to
live
a
godly
life
as
Christians,
whereas
wicked
men
and
charlatans
will
make
progress
from
bad
to
worse,
deceiving
and
being
deceived.
But,
for
your
part,
stand
by
the
truths
you
have
learned
and
are
assured
of.
Remember
from
whom
you
learned
them;
remember
that
from
early
childhood
you
have
been
familiar
with
the
sacred
writings
which
have
power
to
make
you
wise
and
lead
you
to
salvation
through
faith
in
Christ
Jesus.
Every
inspired
scripture
has
its
use
for
teaching
the
truth
and
refuting
error,
or
for
the
reformation
of
manners
and
discipline
in
right
living,
so
that
the
man
who
belongs
to
God
may
be
efficient
and
equipped
for
good
work
of
every
kind.”
Reading
of
the
impact
of
God’s
Word
since
childhood
in
the
life
of
Timothy
(thanks
to
his
mother
and
grandmother)
we
see
why
Satan
has
worked
so
diligently
to
remove
the
Bible
from
schools
and
our
government.
The
entrance
of
God’s
Word
brings
light
according
to
Psalm
119:130.
By
forfeiting
the
only
true
source
of
light
we
therefore
confine
ourselves
to
darkness
and
all
that
it
(darkness)entails
throughout
our
lives.
We
are
then
left
to
fend
for
ourselves,
making
our
own
decisions
without
Godly
wisdom
thereby
walking
all
our
lives
in
bondage
to
the
world
and
its
ways.
Even
in
Christian
circles
we
hear
much
about
walking
in
liberty
but
few
appear
to
recognize
that
much
of
our
‘liberty
’
is
nothing
more
than
the
pampering
of
our
flesh.
Psalms
119:45
makes
it
clear
that
one
can
only
walk
in
liberty
by
seeking
His
precepts.
When
one
‘puts
on
Christ
Jesus’
it
is
His
nature,
His
character,
that
is
to
be
embraced
by
us.
We
are
to
give
no
place
to
the
old
man
that
still
wars
in
our
members,
but
to
be
imitators
of
Christ.
To
do
this
we
must
learn
to
be
responsive
to
the
leading
to
the
Holy
Spirit,
and
also
to
be
pro-active
to
the
Word
of
God
as
it
is
written.
Sometime
ago
I
wrote,
“The
greatest
influence
to
the
rise
of
America
as
a
nation
was
the
Bible
applied.
The
greatest
destruction
to
America
is
the
Bible
denied.”
Lets
personalize
that
by
saying,
“
The
greatest
influence
in
my
life
is
the
Bible
applied,
and
the
Holy
Spirit
supplied,”
then
setting
that
as
our
priority
for
the
New
Year.
Let’s
pursue
the
One
whose
birth
we
just
celebrated
until
He
truly
apprehends
us.
A
final
promise
for
this
month’s
issue
is
found
in
John
14:21,23,24
They
read
(in
the
NKJV)
21.
“He
who
has
my
commandments
and
keeps
them,
it
is
he
who
loves
Me.
And
he
who
loves
Me
will
be
loved
by
My
Father,
and
I
will
love
him
and
manifest
Myself
to
him.
23.
Jesus
answered
and
said
to
him,
“If
anyone
loves
Me
he
will
keep
My
word;
and
My
Father
will
love
him,
and
We
will
come
to
him
and
make
Our
home
with
him.
24.
He
who
does
not
love
Me
does
not
keep
My
words;
and
the
word
which
you
hear
is
not
mine,
but
the
Father’s
Who
sent
Me.”
(814)
687-3707
Ken
Fleming
502
Market
Street
Fallentimber,
Pa.
16639