[Faith-talk] Belated Daily Thought for Saturday, May 31, 2014

[Paul via Faith-talk]

Sorry for the lateness of this message, but I was at our local Lutheran Outreach Center for the Blind's annual picnic, and didn't get back home until a few minutes ago.  As they say, better late than never.

Here is an article by Sharon Conners about always reading the Bible or a portion of the same every day.  Entitled "Stay In His Word," it is rendered as follows:

Have you heard? There is a deceiver lurking in our midst.  He works in circles of people causing chaos.  He works on our minds, convincing us of his lies.  He is none other than Satan, the enemy of our souls.

God has given us the truth to make sure that the enemy does not throw us off track.  It is important to read God's Word daily and test everything we hear from others with the Word of God.  The Holy Spirit is with us to provide counsel in all matters.

One clear example of the enemy leading people astray in this world is the gay rights movement.  More and more, states across America are considering legislation that recognizes same-sex marriages.

Christians know that the Bible says homosexuality is wrong.  The Old and New Testaments both address this subject.  There is no gray area (cf. Lev. 18:22; 1 Kings 14:24; Rom. 1:26-27).

Some churches have been affected by this great deception.  Some allow openly homosexual people to hold church office and even pastor churches.

Certainly the actions of these churches send the wrong message to those who practice homosexuality.  They may believe that, since a church has approved this lifestyle, it must be OK with God.

For Christians, this whole subject should be black and white, but we are sure to encounter other issues in our lives that are not as black or white for us.  In those cases we must turn to God for wisdom.

Wisdom is in God's Word.  It is important to stay in it every day.  Jesus told us that the things of this world would all fade away but that His Word will remain forever.

Some churches claim to be following God's Word but actually distort the truth.  Cults have been founded when charismatic individuals have gained their own following and deceived people into believing that some gross error was really true.

It is difficult to understand how people could be drawn into such a pack of lies.  Cults usually prey on individuals who are weak and looking for a direction to follow.

If we remain strong in Jesus' teachings and keep listening to biblical truth, we will not fall prey to falsehood.  Keep your Bible close.  When this world tests you, test it.

And there you have today's Daily Thought message for you which I hope was a blessing.  Don't forget that tomorrow we will have our weekly Bible game.

Until then may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul