November 11 - Monday

Today’s Reading - Acts 3 - 5

(Acts 4:13 KJV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches that seminary education is really ancillary to ministry. Many people think that only those who are educated can do the work of the Lord much better than them. Unfortunately, if you look at the track record of seminary based Christianity, you will see that in the majority of times, whenever there is some type of false teaching which causes division, or some attack on truth, there will always be a person of letters behind it. The problem is that you become so smart, you become stupid. Always keep in mind, ignorance can be fixed but stupid is forever! When man thinks himself so educated that he can actually begin to think he knows more than God, he becomes a curse to himself and to those who hear. In our verse, we see that many people had become saved through the preaching of the pure gospel. The majority of preachers today read a plethora of books and then make them the base for their sermons. This practice starves the people in the pews. We hear man’s opinion every day of the week on every subject. God’s children should not have to hear man’s opinion on Sunday. This is what makes for weak and driveled Christianity. We see that those who were saved, were saved under men who had no official theological training. They didn’t need it because they were with Jesus and that was their testimony.

The written Word of God and the living Word of God are so intimately tied together, that when you are preaching from the Bible alone, you will see results. You won’t have to start begging people to become saved for 15 minutes after every message. (Like that really works.) The man who discipled me as a new Christian, did not set one foot in side of a seminary. His ministry always bore fruit because he was with Jesus. We Christians need to make a choice, either we are with Jesus or we are with man’s teachings. You want power and boldness in your ministry, then stick to the Bible alone and forget all about these so-called “Christian leaders” who have homosexual ghostwriters pen their books for them and they just place their name on it. The church in 2002 has turned its back on the pure teaching of the Bible quite simply because those who are in the pulpits don’t know the Bible. This is because they are with their human authors instead of being with Jesus. The people in the pews find more solace from a Christian psycho-babbler than they do sitting at the feet of Jesus. God gave us His word not only to place on a coffee table but to make it our guide for our life. The reason the disciples saw fruit was because they spoke the engrafted word with boldness. When was the last time you saw fruit? Was it in the produce section of your market or was it in your ministry? Woe unto us if we bring the word of man and not the word of God, for then we have replaced the holy with the profane and are in violation of God’s Word. Let us analyze our output and then adjust the input accordingly. (1 Tim 4:16 KJV) Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. Today is Veterans Day in the USA and we honor all those who fought in the wars to keep us free. My father was a personal guard to General MacArthur in the Pacific Theatre of World War 2. The General used to talk to my father as he stood guard. Let us realize that we are also in a war. We will never win if we use man’s word to try an assault the enemy’s kingdom, we must only arm ourselves with the true Word of God. When you read the Word of God, it is like General Jesus speaking to you every time.

November 12 - Tuesday

Today’s Reading - Acts 6-9

(Acts 8:40 KJV) But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which points to the essence of the Christian walk. Some Christians believe to spread the gospel, they must go to a specific place to do it. In our churches, we send missionaries to specific parts of the world, which is right on target. What about all the other Christians? Well let's look at the principle we find in this verse. Notice the verse is not telling us that Philip began to preach when he reached Caesarea, rather he preached in all the cities while he was going to Caesarea. That is the principle we must follow. While we are going, we do the work of an evangelist, don't wait till you get somewhere specific and then start your ministry, for your ministry may be "while you are going." Let's add one more scenario, let us say that Azotus is this world and Caesarea is Heaven. As we travel this world on our way to Heaven, let us preach in all the cities as we pass through. Every person you meet may be a city which is to be reached for the Lord Jesus Christ. A city means there are many people in a small location. If you witness to one person and that person becomes saved, during the course of their lifetime, they may have the opportunity to witness to as many people as can be found in a large city. At the end of 2001, I had 350,000 visitors to this website since I went on the Internet in 1997. At that time it would have been the equivalent of the populations of Boise, Idaho, Hartford, Connecticut, and Bangor, Maine. Have you ever heard of the ripple effect of throwing a stone in the water? It makes many ripples which go back and forth, until they eventually die out. This is how the body of Christ is grown on earth. Each one tells one and if that person becomes saved, then they have a group of people to witness to. (2 Tim 4:5 KJV) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

“Evangelist” means bringer of good news. In marketing it is called the power of one, where one tells one tells one and so forth. This method has been used of God for thousands of years. Even though we have technology today whereby we can reach thousands of people in a minute, yet, it is by word of mouth which will be the most effective method of evangelism. You see, if you are preaching on the radio or TV, the people hearing can’t ask questions immediately and if they write, they normally get a canned response from a staff member. If you tell a person, in person, about the Lord you can then expound on what God has done in your life and you can stay in touch with them. Each of us need to adopt the evangelism method of Philip, and that is, to speak to others as we go and when we arrive in heaven, we will hear the Lord say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” By the way, if you stop along life’s journey to speak to someone about the Lord, you will never arrive late at your destination.

November 13 - Wednesday

Today’s Reading - Acts 10 - 12

(Acts 12:5 KJV) Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

In today’s reading we come across this section of Scripture which negates the idea that prayer is a futile practice. Peter was arrested and put in prison. He was closely guarded by sixteen soldiers. It was at this time that the church was making intercession for Peter. We see at least five basic principles in these verses which should prove to us that praying for others is not a futile practice, especially since we are commanded to pray. This situation definitely looked bleak because the religious leaders had desired that all of this sect would be abolished. The church probably thought that Peter was the next one to be put to death. Peter could not even be sprung from that prison because the way the guards would be posted, it would be impossible for anyone to get to him. Two guards were posted outside the door of the jail cell and two guards were inside chained to the prisoner. Yet, in these verses we see the power of the One who answers prayer. Let us look at five principles and for you preachers out there, here is a good five point sermon, complete with alliteration.

Vs 4 - The Situation - Peter was arrested and placed in a prison where no human being could ever get to him. I am sure the soldiers were the ones who invented the method of chaining the prisoner to themselves. This was because if a prisoner escaped, the soldiers would be put to death for the escapee.

Vs 5 - The Supplication - When Peter was taken and placed into prison, the church had gathered together and had a real time of prayer unto God. Peter’s life was in jeopardy at this point and these Christians knew their prayers were for a life and death situation. This is how we must view prayer as an eternal life or death situation for whomever we are praying for. One thing about this supplication, these Christians knew that it was all in God’s hands since there was no way they could ever free Peter on their own, either by a prison break or even through the Roman System of Justice, since the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ was still fresh in their minds.

Vs 6 - The Setting - The place where Peter was placed was impenetrable. There was no way of even getting a message to him. Prison always seems bleak but those who are saved, are always freer than those on the outside who are unsaved. Many times God allows us to enter these same type of settings whereby the only way we can look is up. If there is one thing which can humble pride, it is forced dependence.

V 7 - The Solution - After prayer was made for Peter, the church was moving on faith since they had no idea in which way God was going to answer their prayer. We don’t like to admit it, but no is a true answer to prayer. In this case, though, the answer came as a yes! God had moved Peter out of that prison by sending an angel to release him. Peter’s chains fell off of him as he was awakened. Here is an amazing phenomenon that can only be experienced by the true believer who is walking closely with the Lord. Peter was not even anxious because he was asleep. How many in a Roman prison could actually sleep, to the point they have to be poked in the side to be awakened? Peter was fast asleep. Why? He had implicit trust in the Lord Jesus that no matter what happened, he would not be killed. Jesus prophesied that he would be martyred in old age.

(John 21:18-19 KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. {19} This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

What principle do we see that we can use? Peter believed the Word of God and was resting comfortably in that Word. We should do the same as we read those marvelous promises of God. Knowing the character of God, His word is His bond. (Psa 138:2 KJV) I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. To not realize this principle, is to live our life in unbelief. God will do what He says.

Vs 14 - The Satisfaction - When Peter was released, he instantly went to where the Christians were gathered. Rhoda came to the door when Peter knocked on it and was probably so filled with excitement that instead of letting him in immediately, she went and told the others. Here was the answer to their prayers standing right at their door.

Many of the Christians were praying in unbelief as we see further in the text that they disbelieved Rhoda that Peter was freed. It is interesting that God mightily answered their prayers yet they were in unbelief. I have long held to the belief that God allowed Rhoda to go to the door first because her prayers were probably not in unbelief and was privileged to see Peter first. It was just like the women who went to the tomb of the Lord Jesus first and saw it was empty. In answer to their prayers, those soldiers who guarded Peter were put to death because of his absence (Acts 12:19). God answers prayer mightily and never half-heartedly. It is only our faith in God that is half-hearted. Let us come before the throne in full assurance and full faith, and we will see mighty answers to prayer.

November 14 - Thursday

Today’s Reading - Acts 13-14

(Acts 13:36 KJV) For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

In today’s reading we come across one of the most revealing verses in Scripture. Some of the greatest truths in Scripture are found in verses that are not really that famous. Here we have a testimony of David’s faithfulness in the serving the Lord. In this verse, we see that God tells us that David served his own generation. This is basically conveying the principle that each believer is here to serve their own generation. Unfortunately with some believers their service to their generation leaves much to be desired. With the Internet and its anonymity allowance, many are just causing trouble for other Christians. Too bad they don’t channel the energy they expend bringing trouble to other Christians to bringing that trouble to the kingdom of Satan. As the clock ticks, each of us have spent irreplaceable time. Either we use it to serve our own generation or we waste it. Now we can’t fix the errors of the past nor can we project the future. All we have is right now! We are to serve our own generation by not only doing our part in evangelism but by training the next generation of Christians so they may be able to properly serve their generation. I fear the next generation is going to have a weakened form of Christianity just based on what is being preached on radio, TV, and in some churches. How many churches really have a training program for their people? I am not talking about a Sunday School class but an actual training program where many needed tools are introduced to the Christian.

If a Christian is untrained, they will be unable to serve their own generation and help train the next. Are there people you know of who have trouble when facing a seeming contradiction in the Bible? How would they be able to defend against it? Do you know anyone who does not know how to use a Concordance properly? How could they detect a false gospel? How can they identify doctrinal tenets in Scripture? Do they know the Apocryphal books are not inspired? If Christians are not properly trained, they will not be able to do the job. If they cannot do the job, they cannot serve their own generation and train the next. It is as simple as that! During the blitz of London in World War 2, it was Winston Churchill who said, “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.” Of course, if a Christian does not have access to training of this type, they can do it by themselves, or with a study buddy. There is neither reason nor excuse for any Christian to remain a spiritual illiterate for any length of time. One of the capstones of ignorance in Christianity which I have personally seen are those who have no clue as to what they are doing but just claim to place faith where ignorance lies. We don’t cover ignorance with faith! This is why many Christians who live their lives like this seem to fail and then live in consistent discouragement. Faith is not a blanket for ignorance, it is a living trust in the living God. Faith is what the Christian lives in, not what they hide behind! If we are going to serve our own generation, we need to get our spiritual lives in order. The clock is ticking!

November 15 - Friday

Today’s Reading - James 1 - 2

(James 2:24 KJV) Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

In today’s reading we come across this passage of Scripture which has been the cause of many debates. Those who believe that you need to work for your salvation go to this section of the Bible. There are also belief systems that teach you need to have works along with grace to attain salvation. The Apostle Paul had faced such a debate with the Judaizers who taught that one can become saved through grace but they had to keep the ceremony of circumcision along with grace. They were adding a work to the requirements for salvation when the Bible explicitly teaches that salvation is by Grace alone. Have you ever heard a preacher say during an invitation something to this effect. “God signed a check and now you have to place your signature on the check to become saved.” These kind of analogies are so erroneous but it is the same thing the Judaizers were doing. They are forcing the person to make some kind of work toward their salvation. Salvation is applied to the Elect of God, it is not asked for nor is it worked for, because man is spiritually dead. Man always seems to feel better if they can help God along in everything not realizing that of man tries to do anything for salvation, they adulterate God’s salvation plan.

When we come to James 2 and look at this section of Scripture, and especially when we look at the above passage, we can readily see how anyone who believes that works is necessary for salvation can be caught in that trap. The essence of this section of Scripture is not that a person works for salvation, but that works come as a result of salvation. When a Christian does works, that is evidence of their salvation. What would drive a person to leave the comfortable shores of the USA and go to some remote area of the world to bring the Gospel to a group he or she never heard of one year prior. The reason that a person is justified by works is because they are acting upon the foundation of their salvation and not for their salvation. You are probably asking the question to yourself, “what about those who are unsaved and are doing ministry?” I grew up in the Hungarian Reformed Church and based on the works I saw the clergy do and the sermons I heard them preach, I could assess that not one of them was saved. The true believer does works that will focus on and glorify God. The false worker produces works that divert people from the true Gospel.

This is how you can tell a true Christian worker from a false tactician. The true Christian is justified by works because they are obeying the command found in Ephesians 2. (Eph 2:10 KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. The true works that a Christian does is proof that they have become saved. Now these works are not one time affairs but the works of a Christian are all tied to “The Work.” (John 4:34 KJV) Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. “The Work” is “His Work.” The true Christian may do many different works in their life but each of those works are done on the foundation of His Work, which is always ongoing. A great verse which is tied into this principle is found in Matthew 24. (Mat 24:13 KJV) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. This is not teaching that a person can lose their salvation by not enduring nor is it teaching that a person can be saved by enduring. It is teaching that those who endure in the Work of the Lord till the end will be saved because their endurance is based upon their salvation, and not on the works. In other words, does a tree live because of its leaves or does it have leaves because of its roots? Only true Christians can endure anything in this life until their end or the Lord returns. They are justified because their lives are ordered based upon their salvation and the works that God gives them to do. How about you my friend? Are your works proving your faith? If you say you have faith and are doing nothing, it may be a barometer that you are not truly saved. True Christians cannot keep the Gospel to themselves, no matter how hard they try.

November 16 - Saturday

Today’s Reading - James 3 - 5

(James 3:1 KJV) My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

In today’s reading we start these three chapters with one of the most important warnings in Scripture. God is warning His readers that Christians should not be so quick to become teachers. The word “masters” in the Greek is really “teachers.” The word “condemnation” is the word “krima” which carries with it the meaning of judgment. In this case it will be a condemning judgment. Why does God give out this warning? It is because God has not qualified many people to become teachers of the Bible. The gift of teaching is found in Ephesians 4. (Eph 4:11 KJV) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; There are many Pastors who believe that the gift of Teaching and being a Pastor are combined as basically one gift. One of the requirements of being a Pastor is the ability to teach. I believe that it is a separate gift as I have encountered many excellent Bible Teachers who are not Pastors or Elders, and there is no way they could have implemented the ability to teach Spiritual truths in an organized fashion without the Lord giving them the gift to do so. One of the most visible people in the New Testament who I believe had the gift of teaching was Luke. If you read the first ten verses of Luke 1, you will see how organized he is in gathering and disseminating the information about Jesus and the church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Our verse is not only an admonition to good teachers but it is a warning to false and bad teachers. Now we know that false teachers are normally unsaved. The bad teachers may be within Christianity who have limited understanding of the Scriptures and are creating teachings that are confusing the Christians. There are many who arrogate to themselves the position of teacher and are totally unqualified for such a position. For a person to be a Bible teacher, they need to be saved for quite a while so they may gather a decent amount of Bible learning and experience. Those who are novices but think they are qualified, are treading dangerous ground. Dr. Robert A. Cook used to have a Cookism, “I wish I knew as much today as I did when I was a Freshman.” New Christians tend to have much zeal and everything they learn in the Bible is new. This zeal can erroneously be applied to the belief that just because they have learned a few things, they are now qualified to teach or hold ruling positions. Nothing could be further from the truth. (1 Tim 3:6 KJV) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. God wants His children to grow and mature in the faith before they begin to teach other Christians. When we start to think we are something when we are not, we deceive ourselves and that is where pride begins to move in. It can blind us to the reality that a novice is not ready to teach and can cause others to stumble. Would you let a three year old drive a car? Then why would we think someone who is three years old in the faith is qualified to teach?

I want to switch from the church to the Internet. There are many moderators who start groups who are totally unqualified to be teachers. Starting a group does not necessarily mean that you are a qualified teacher. If a person starts a Christian group, they should treat it as if it is their flock. They need to nurture the group and grow those Christians who sign on. My experience has been that the majority of Christians who join groups remain in the background and do not post. These must be considered when a post is made. One does not know what effect they are having on another Christian. If the moderator is a fool, then the ilk that will follow will be of the same mind. The warning about teaching applies not only to the church but anywhere a Christian teaching can exist. This is why God warns that it is better not to be a teacher or not to start a Christian group. If your group disseminates false teachings, then the leaders will be held accountable for allowing false teachings on their group. Just recently I rejected a post from someone who was trying to post a chain letter with Novenas and all that other nonsense. I refused to let that go through as I am accountable to those who are on that group. It could be a stumbling block to one person and I do not want that on my record. Now, can you stop everything? No! But we must be vigilant in doing what we can.

November 17 - Sunday

Today’s Reading - Galatians 1-3

(Gal 1:9 KJV) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

In today’s reading we come across another verse which warns the believer to be on their spiritual toes. We live in a day when we are bombarded with false gospels both inside and outside of the church. We are subjected to the false ideas of many cults as well as theologians who are always searching the Bible for “something new.” Always beware of those who come to you and say they found something new in the Bible. God has not added anything to the Bible and He is not going to. The reason we see people coming up with all kinds of eccentric doctrines and teachings, is because they are dissatisfied with the teachings of Scripture. Our responsibility is to hand down solid biblical teachings to the next generation, if there is one. I become very leery of those who claim to have something new because normally it is an erroneous teaching which will only bring confusion into the church. Whenever there is confusion in the church over a doctrine, we can normally tell that it is not of the Lord, for God is not the author of confusion. Whenever someone introduces “something new” it is time to flee from them. Don’t attend that class, turn the radio or TV off. I remember as a young Christian I visited Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, NJ. It is the home church of Dr. Al Martin. He was not there that Sunday but Dr. Achaille Blaize was preaching. I remember his words as if they were told to me yesterday. When you encounter a false teaching, “RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.”

I have adapted that plan and refuse to be overwhelmed with the false teachings of anyone. When you encounter false teachings, no matter who is doing the teaching, you must run for your life. Just because a person claims to have studied the Bible for 50 or 60 years is not a criteria for truth. Manipulation of Scripture can be done by anyone regardless of age. All teachings must be gauged against the straight teachings of Scripture. Over-spiritualizing of a verse is as bad as neglecting the spiritual value of the verse. The Bible is a spiritual book and does contain spiritual meanings but they must align with the overall teachings of Scripture. The Christian needs to be on the lookout for false teachers and teachings. If something doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t. Unfortunately, more and more Christians are adapting to cultic teachings. Satan’s people are having a field day. Make sure the gospel you are listening to is not “another gospel,” lest you be found wanting. False teachers and teachings have the curse of God on them. Cultic Christianity also creates miserable Christians. We of all people on earth should be the most joyous, not the most troubled. Make sure you have not fallen into line behind some self-appointed guru.

November 18 - Monday

Today’s Reading - Galatians 4 - 6

(Gal 4:16 KJV) Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

In today’s reading we come across this famous verse which the Apostle Paul speaks to the Galatians in the midst of this letter that speaks of the fact that a person does not have to keep the law and the ceremonial system to become saved. This was a heated debate which caused the Judaizers to follow Paul wherever he went. They tried to undermine the true Gospel by adding to it the keeping of the law. What these people did not understand, was that the cross of Christ changed everything. It was the end of the ceremonial system because all of that system was looking forward to the one sacrifice of Christ. No longer was the Temple system a valid way. When Christ rose from the dead, that was the end of the sacrificial system. God even changed the day of worship to Sunday. Many erroneously say that the Roman Catholic Institution changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day, but God did that on the day of Christ’s resurrection. As the Greek reads in the four Gospels, “The first of the sabbaths.” Now the ceremonial system had continuously been in place for the past 1500 years and now Paul is coming along and saying that system was done. When the Lord Jesus Christ was on the cross and stated the last words, “It is Finished,” He was not only stating that the Salvation plan of God was finished but that the ceremonial system was also finished. Two things were completed at the cross, the sacrificial system and God’s salvation plan.

As a matter of fact, out of the Ten Commandments, the only one not listed in the New Testament was the keeping of the seventh day Sabbath. This was because it was part of the ceremonial system and it represented the salvation that Christ would give His Elect without any work on the part of the recipient. Remember the man who was stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath? He violated God’s law plus he violated the picture of workless salvation. Those who feel they have to work for their salvation will wind up in Hell, which is what the stoning represents. Now enter the New Testament Sabbath. The old represented the rest that the believer would have in salvation. The New Testament Sabbath represents the believers in Heaven. This is because we come apart on Sunday morning with other believers. On the last day when Christ raptures His church, there will only be true believers going up. That separated meeting on Sunday in the church is a little foretaste of the Heavenly separation from unbelievers and sin that we will experience in its fullness. So those who think they belong on the outside of the church are violating this typifying event.

Now the verse we selected today is one that is apropos. Many Christians in the church, forget about unbelievers because we expect them to refute truth, are very hostile to anyone that brings pure Biblical truth. This is because we are trained to reject truth. This is why Satan gives a thousand Bible versions, each one saying something different, so truth never has a stable platform to stand on. This is why Christians can never agree on anything. If every Christians out there has a different rendering on every passage, then how can truth ever surface. The Apostle Paul was telling the Galatians that the ceremonial system was done. They were tied to it, so in their eyes Paul had become the enemy by bringing the truth. I am not speaking about someone creating doctrines and then teaching them. I am speaking of bringing true Biblical doctrine to the many Christians who are steeped in false beliefs. When you do this, you will be hated and counted as the enemy. You may even be thrown out of your church. You will be seen as the enemy. Why? Simply because you are bringing the truth. This verse is in the Bible to warn us that bringing truth is a dangerous assignment. Nevertheless, it is to be done and without apology. You just bring the truth and let the Holy Spirit apply it to whosoever He wills.

November 19 - Tuesday

Today’s Reading - Acts 15-18:11

(Acts 17:11 KJV) These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

In today’s reading we come across this very popular verse. However, we must never look at it as just a popular verse, instead we view it as a way of life for the Christian. We have a distinct advantage over the early Christians in that we have the completed Word of God in our hands where they didn’t. This is why the Lord confirmed the teachings of the early church with signs and miracles because the completed Word of God was not available yet. When the end of the first century came with the writing of the book of Revelation about 95 A.D., it marked the end of legitimate miracles because now the Word would not have to be confirmed in this manner. The Word was now complete and it would only have to be preached. The miracle that every believer sees and experiences is the miracle of salvation resulting in transformed lives. That is the only miracle we look for. God is showing us that these Berean Christians were more solid than those in Thessalonica because the Bereans were searching the Word of God each and every day. Now a principle arises out of this verse. God is making a comparison between two different churches. One searched the Word of God diligently and the other one seemed to be weak in that area. We can still see this principle at work today as some churches search the Word of God and others go on tradition or feelings.

We can never be admonished enough to check things out in the Scriptures. There are many churches out there which stick as close as they can to the Scriptures. There are some out there who rely totally on tradition. Now tradition can be a nice thing but when it becomes the authority in any church, it must be discarded. Remember the warnings the Lord Jesus Christ gave the religious leaders in Mark 7 concerning tradition. Now we must not only look at the local church in this arena because we spend very little time there out of 168 hours per week. The majority of our Bible learning comes from personal study and listening to radio, or reading other materials. It also behooves the individual Christian to judge every study according to the Scriptures. We must never judge the Scriptures according to the studies. One thing that we must be discerning on is when we read a study and the author uses Bible verses as proof texts, we better make sure they are utilizing those verses properly. Too many Christians accept poorly done “Verse-Commentary Relationship.” While each of us will never be 100% accurate in our handling of the Word, we need to be very discerning as to how we use God’s Word to make a point. This is why the Lord gave us His Word, to guide and teach us but if we begin any teaching or understanding with a wrong interpretation, a false seed will grow up into a large tree of false teachings. It never takes long for a false teaching to mushroom. This is why we not only search the Scriptures but seek to grasp the Scriptures. If we grasp we shun the Asp! He who has ears to her!

November 20 - Wednesday

Today’s Reading - 1 Thessalonians 1 - 5

(1 Th 5:2 KJV) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

In today’s reading we come across a section of Scripture which deals with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the greatest promises the Lord Jesus gave to His followers was that He was going to return on the Last Day and will receive all of His children into Heaven. Every day that goes by the anticipation builds especially as we see the world becoming more and more wicked. Many believers just sense that the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is near. Now we will not know the exact time nor can we make any type of correct guess. Our verse today speaks of the Lord’s return being likened to a thief in the night. No one knows when a thief is going to break in to a home. He does not reveal his plans nor his timing when he is going to pull of the caper. This is a huge insight into the fact that no human being is going to know when the Lord’s return is going to happen. The Lord did give some signs that we are to watch for and these may be mileposts along a highway without an end in sight, to us. As we see these days becoming extremely evil, we can see also that the restraining hand of the Holy Spirit being lifted which is allowing the evil in the world to multiply. We must always keep in mind that just because unbelievers are not in the Kingdom of God, they are still under the authority of God and God restrains sin. If He didn’t, then man would have destroyed himself many years ago. Can you imagine unrestrained sin with an Atom Bomb? Or Chemical Weapons?