November 21 - Thursday
Today’s Reading - Acts 18:12-19:10; 2 Thessalonians 1 - 3
(2 Th 3:6 KJV) Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which contains an admonition which each believer must take into account in their life. There are going to be Christians that we are going to come across and even those who are our friends who may be walking according to the flesh. God is telling us here that this is definitely speaking of Christians and not the world. The world can never be the brethren of the believer. God states that even friendship with the world is enmity against God, never mind elevating any of the unsaved to brethren of the saved. Now whenever we encounter a Christian who is not walking according to the new life, how do we respond? We never respond in hatred but always in the spirit of hope that the our actions may bring them back to walking in concert with the Scriptures. The main reason that God wants us to withdraw from those walking disorderly is so we do not begin to follow their actions. It is a fact of life, that two people walking in the same direction can justify each other’s actions very easily but if a person tries to do wrong things alone, they may just think about what they are doing and come to their senses. It doesn’t take long for the sinful nature of a Christian to rear its ugly head. If we are astute, we will face it head on and deal with it but if we are with another person who is thinking in the flesh also, then we may just follow the flesh and get into trouble. This is why, whether we like it or not, God is warning us to come apart from those Christians who are walking unruly.
The unruly ones will definitely come back at you and say something to the effect of, “who are you to judge me?” The best answer to that is, “The Scriptures are judging your actions, not me!“ (2 Cor 13:5 KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? When dealing with a Christian, focus on their actions, not their salvation, but definitely mention testimony. If they are a true child of God, they cannot lose their salvation but they can still go out of kilter.
Now how do we examine ourselves? Do we compare our lives to other Christians around us? (2 Cor 10:12 KJV) For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. The Bible strictly forbids us comparing our life to others. This is not to say that we cannot learn from those who are walking orderly in the faith but when it comes to spiritual life assessment, the only mirror we are to use is the Scriptures. (2 Cor 10:18 KJV) For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. It behooves every believer to do a daily examination of the spiritual walk. This is necessary to maintain our spiritual balance. We want to be found continually walking in the Lord’s way and not in the way of the evil one. As long as Christians are still living in fleshly bodies, the sinful desires are always going to be tugging at our door. Will we always be victorious over them? Unfortunately, no, but that does not mean we are to continue in sin. As soon as we notice ourselves going awry or if someone else points something out to us, we should heed it and check ourselves. Just a caution, people love to point to other people’s faults. If you are approached by someone who has a concern about your walk, make sure they are not professional fault-finders. I am sure there are one or two in every church. When someone comes to you about a fault, make sure that you can discern whether they are speaking of Christianity or religion. Religion puts undue stress on people and creates a system of works and levels. If you believe you are walking properly according to the Scriptures, then there is no need to bother yourself with someone else’s religion. If you examine yourself daily, you should do fine.
November 22 - Friday
Today’s Reading - 1 Corinthians 1 - 4
(1 Cor 1:10 KJV) Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
In today’s reading we begin the book of 1 Corinthians. This church had many problems and the Apostle Paul took great care in dealing with them. 1 and 2 Corinthians were Paul’s two longest Epistles. Corinth was a great seaport and no doubt many of the false beliefs that came in by ship from foreign countries was making their way into the young church and Paul had to expend much time to help stabilize the church. There were probably many divisions there as later we read that there were cell groups who were following particular preachers. It is the same thing today as many Christians are following individual preachers and this is what causes much division in the churches. Each group of followers think they have a corner on the truth and woe unto those who disagree.
Sometimes division can be a good thing. It can actually help expose false teachings in a church and thus cause the Elders to act on it and remove the troublemaking elements. The phrase “perfectly joined together,” means “being knit together or restored or repaired.” This was Paul’s desire for the church that they begin to start settling on a stable and unifying element in the church to quell division. If an entire church would put away all the peripheral reading materials by schismatic authors, there would be less confusion in the church. Paul is stating that if the Corinthian Christians were restored by being of the same mind, then there would be harmony in the church. However, there must never be a practice in any congregation of harmony at any cost. This is dangerous and it dams souls to Hell. When a church becomes of one mind, there will be harmony and things will get accomplished. When we think of minds, what type of minds accomplish greatly in the Kingdom of God? Let us look at ten mindsets that God gives to His children and is necessary for use in Christian Work.
If we begin to compare our minds to this biblical listing, we will be able to see where we are at this time and then make repairs. Okay preachers, here is another free ten point sermon for you!
November 23 - Saturday
Today’s Reading - 1 Corinthians 5 - 8
(1 Cor 5:13 KJV) But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
In today’s reading we come across this section of Scripture which tells us about a man who was committing fornication with his father’s wife. This was probably a situation whereby the father had remarried and she was not the birth mother of this man. Now when this news came to the church at Corinth, they did nothing about it. This was probably due to the fact that many in the church had been accustomed to the pagan way of living, and this situation was probably business as usual in Corinth. When the Apostle Paul heard of it, he had to address it immediately and head-on. This type of sinful living would not be tolerated in the church because the church of God on earth was to be an entity of those called out of the world system. I believe the major lesson in this chapter is not necessarily this particular sin but is the overriding neglect of many churches to deal with the sins of many of their people. There should never be a tolerance of sin in the church, nor in the individual Christian either. The principle should be, “Truth Not Tolerance.” Remember in Joshua 7 when Achan sinned against the Lord by hiding the stolen treasure under his tent? God took His hand of blessing off the entire nation of Israel and as a result 36 men died in that battle. Hidden sin in the church may be what is keeping God from blessing individual congregations from growing.
The world wants us to be tolerant of their aberrant ways, yet they are absolutely intolerant of the Christian faith. Go tell a practicing sodomite that he or she is living in sin and they will call you all kind of names but let them start telling you how you should be tolerant of their lifestyle, they will be kind to you. As long as you swallow their tolerance teachings, they will leave you alone. Well the church should not be part of the world that accepts and tolerates sin. Christians who sin are not very cognizant of the fact that it is sin that sent Christ to the cross. This is why when the church leaders hear of a sin in a person’s life, it must be dealt with, even if they are the biggest givers in the church. Giving money cannot be an acceptable pass for tolerating their sin. It is almost like the church leaders taking a bribe to overlook the sin. When we look at the man in 1 Corinthians 5 who committed this sin, the church leaders had taken action on this situation and when we get to 2 Corinthians, we find that the man had repented of what he did but we find the church sinning by over-chastising the person. So the church must be careful too when disciplining a fellow believer. Yet, we must never shy away from church discipline because we see the effect of it on this man that he was finally restored to fellowship. Discipline is always a part of training the believer. It is never to be used as a tool for embarrassment or retribution.
November 24 - Sunday
Today’s Reading - 1 Corinthians 9 - 12
(1 Cor 12:15 KJV) If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
In today’s reading we come across this section of Scripture which deals with the diversity in the human body which is likened to the diversity in the body of Christ. When this was penned, I am sure that Paul had dealt with the problem of Christians wanting to pick and choose their ministries. That is one thing which has not changed right up to today. Many look at a preacher on TV and think they want to be like him and then when they finally prepare themselves for that type of ministry, they fall flat on their face. This is because God has not empowered them to do a certain ministry. Too many Christians picture themselves in certain ministry positions simply by using their eyes and then justifying that move. God gives certain spiritual gifts to every believer. There is not one Christian on earth today who does not have at least one spiritual gift. The problem is that we don’t seek out and develop the spiritual gift that God has given us and we try to do ministry by judging the need through what we can do physically. Ministry goes a lot deeper than just doing something physical. Our personal ministries will fail unless we can connect our spiritual gift with the physical working. This is why there are many who fail. God empowers them one area and they seek to do ministry in another area.
This is why Paul is doing comparisons with body parts. He is saying that God has placed all kinds of help in the body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission. There is no such thing as a second chair or second fiddle in the body of Christ. Each person has a purpose and is empowered in that purpose. It is when we start comparing ourselves to the gifts of other and then start envying that gift is when we get into trouble. We begin to enter an area where God has not gifted us. There are many in public ministry who should really be behind the scenes and there are many behind the scenes who should be in public ministry. What if you had two feet at the end of your arms? How would you tie your shoe? Better yet, would you wear gloves or shoes over them in winter? Every body part has a function. Where would you be if you had no lungs but three hearts? What if you had four ears and no eyes? What about your feet? Hands? Nose? Every body part is necessary to keep the body functioning properly. It is the same way with the diversity of Christians. Each one serves a different function but that difference amounts to a harmony in the body of Christ. No Christian should ever say they don’t belong, instead those who are still searching should be saying, “I don’t know where I belong yet.” When God saves someone, He gives them a length of time to learn and then when they mature to a certain level, He then begins to place them into service. If you are in the learning phase right now, take heart, you will be called into service soon enough. Babies gurgle and goo-goo before they can talk. They must be fed until such a time they can feed themselves. This is like the new Christian who must be fed. Steady growth will yield maturity.
November 25 - Monday
Today’s Reading - 1 Corinthians 13 - 16
(1 Cor 15:58 KJV) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
In today’s reading we come across this very popular verse which is an encouragement to all Christians to continue to abide in the work of the Lord, even when things look bleak. Normally, when things look bleak that is on the verge of a great blessing ready to manifest itself. This verse is a fitting appendage to this entire chapter which mainly focuses on the return of the Lord Jesus on the last day and how we will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye into our bodies which will be fit for the Kingdom of God. However, until that day, God is giving us encouragement that we are engage ourselves in three primary requirements for doing the work of the Lord. Even though God gives us great promises of what is to come, He doesn’t want us to sit on a mountain top somewhere and just wait. God wants us to be working till the Kingdom is filled with His Elect. First of all, we are to remain steadfast in the faith. The word “steadfast” means “to sit firm.” This reveals two aspects of the Gospel. First we are to sit which means we are resting or having full assurance in the Gospel which results in the fact that we are sitting firm and stable on that Gospel. This means that no matter what teaching is thrown at us, we can rebuke the false teaching and it will not hurt us. Remember in Mark when the Lord said, “we would drink any deadly thing it would not hurt us.” If we are sitting firmly on the true Gospel, no false teaching will ever harm us nor affect our salvation.
Next God tells us to be “unmovable.” This means that we are to remain on the Rock of Christ and never come off that rock to investigate false teachings or other religions. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall, Satan’s people tried to get him to come down. He was unmovable from the task at hand. This is what God wants us to be. He does not want us to drop the work of the Lord for every worldly thing which comes along. The world will divert the Christian every which way it can but if we remain unmovable, it cannot budge us until the task is complete. We are also to remain unmovable when it comes to our beliefs. There are many teachings in this world which will try to get our eyes off the Scriptures. This is where we must remain unmovable for if we abandon our divine connection to the Scriptures, then we will fail in our life. Then we are told to always be “abounding in the work of the Lord.” The word “abounding” carries with it the meaning of “be over and above” and “overflowing.” If we remain steadfast and unmovable, then we will be overflowing in our work for the Lord. Our work in the Gospel always suffers whenever we abandon the principles of unwavering dedication. This is why many church leaders fall because they have allowed Satan to chip away at their dedication. That holds true for every Christian. Whenever we allow Satan’s people to throw us off track, we derail, and that flows down to the people we know and can hurt them also. No Christian falls alone, there is always effect on other people, especially younger Christians. This is why God is giving us these principles in this verse. If we sit on a mountain top somewhere and neglect our duties, we will never remain steadfast in the faith. Our guard will be down. Then our labor in the Lord may be vain because it is mixed with the world. Our labor for the Lord must always be ordered according to biblical principles and only then will we abound.
November 26 - Tuesday
Today’s Reading - Acts 18:12-19:10; 2 Corinthians 1 - 3
(2 Cor 1:20 KJV) For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us a little insight into the promises of God. We see the Bible is teaching us that all the promises of God are found in the Lord Jesus. He is the one whereby the Christian can be assured that every promise of God will come through and true. When God adds the term “amen,” he is saying that it is final, or “so be it.” What this means to the Christian is that whatever God promises will surely not fail and will come to pass. The Christian can build their faith on the promises of God. There is also another side to the promises of God. When God promises that the unbeliever will be judged and cast into Hell, this is also a promise that the unbeliever can count on. The promises in the Bible are written for God’s children. I heard once a long time ago that there were about 3,000 promises in the Bible. Now I don’t know for sure for I am going on memory. This verse is also telling us that the promises of God are in Christ. (2 Pet 1:4 KJV) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. These promises made to us are beyond what we can even think. The word “great” is the word “megas” which we get our word “mega” from. Right now your computer has MEGAbytes. It is normally a prefix for millions. Remember a few years ago when the hard drives were measured in kilobytes?
Our verse today excludes those who are outside of Christ in the promises of God for His children. Those great and precious promises are only for God’s children. Many religious people read the Bible and think that the promises are for them if they do something right. Unfortunately, many people also make rote prayers out of certain sections of Scriptures, such as the “Prayer of Jabez” and by making repetitions of it, they believe that God is going to act according to their faithfulness in repeating it. Why don’t these same people just say, “million dollars” over and over, because that is what they are really looking for. All God’s promises have either come to pass or will come to pass. (Rom 4:21 KJV) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. God had promised the coming of the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament and He fulfilled that promise in His timing. The Lord Jesus will return on the last day and He won’t be one minute early or one minute late. We can place the Romans 4:21 passage in the future and we can be fully persuaded that what God promises will come to pass. There is never any time that we can ever doubt God. Just because a time in our life may seem hopeless, we can still filter those circumstances through the promises of God. It is at those times that the Bible becomes closer to us than at any other time. (Titus 1:2 KJV) In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; (Heb 10:23 KJV) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
November 27 - Wednesday
Today’s Reading - 2 Corinthians 4 - 6
(2 Cor 4:8 KJV) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
In today’s reading we come across this verse which really is a warning to all Christians that this life is not going to be an easy walk. When the Bible tells us that we are troubled “on every side,” this means there is no area in our life that is untouched by the ravages of sin. Any area in our life can begin to cause us grief at any time. This means that friends, family, church members, colleagues, children, relatives, job, hobbies, or name anything else, can at any moment be used of Satan to bring consternation into our life. In the previous verse we read that we have the treasure in earthen vessels. When we look at a jar full of jewels, what is the nicest part? It is jewels. The same with us. We have been purified in spirit making us pure inside but as long as we are in this fleshly body, it is going to act like a fleshly body. It is hard enough to keep our bodies under submission. Is it possible to walk into a good Italian bakery and not walk out with at least one cannoli? Two of my greatest weaknesses are Hush Puppies and Onion Rings. I live up North so the chances of me getting some good Hush Puppies are slim to none. You see how subtle sin is? We even have to watch ourselves when we pass a bakery. Never mind going into convenience stores and being bombarded with sex magazines and the dopey scandal sheets. The Apostle Paul knew exactly what it was like to be troubled on every side. If he wasn’t facing those who were in opposition to the preaching of the Gospel, he was facing the wrong actions of the Christians within the church.
When the Lord Jesus told Ananias that Paul was going to suffer much for the Lord Jesus, He was really giving us that principle of expectation for the same life. Those of us in the West face a different type of persecution than those in Islamic ruled countries or Communist Dictatorships. They face the possibility of death by murder every day. In the West we face prejudice. Really when an unbeliever or a group of them come against the church, it is really a hate crime. Of course there is always a double standard for Christians. For example, if a Muslim robs a Christian, it is robbery. If a Christian robs a Muslim, it is a hate crime! You know if we were not on the right side, these attacks would not take place. God is warning us that we will face attacks at any time and we should be prepared for them. People hating Christians is not something new, it has happened since the time of the first Pentecost. Up until the time of Emperor Constantine, there were ten major Roman persecutions of the Christians. Enter the name of “Blandina” in a search engine and you will come across her story. She was a young girl who held on to her faith despite the horrible tortures she endured, until the Lord finally released her from her earthen vessel and she went to Glory about 177 A.D. and we are still talking about her today. Each of us must prepare for the time will come in all our lives when we will be “troubled on every side.” As long as we stay close to the Lord, we can walk through those valleys of tears with stability in our walk.
http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps051.shtml
This is a URL to learn about Blandina. You owe me one!
November 28 - Thursday
Today’s Reading - 2 Corinthians 7 - 9
(2 Cor 9:6 KJV) But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA and many families and friends will be gathered together. On this day many remember to give thanks to God for all that the Lord has given them. Even unbelievers say they are thankful for the things they have but I very rarely ever hear them say who they are thankful to for the bounties they enjoy. When one looks around, there is much to be thankful for. The name of this holiday is Thanksgiving and when we split that word in half we have, “thanks” and “giving.” It really means the giving of thanks. The problem is that too many Christians just look at the phrase, “thank you” as a trite saying. I have experienced Christians who only know how to thank without tangible evidence of their inward thankfulness. Does it really hurt to give a brother or sister a few dollars when they help you? Too many believers do not practice Christianity instead practice “Cheapianity.” The verse above tells us that those who tend to hold on to their money instead of investing it in the Lord’s work, will eventually reap sparingly. Many Christians do without because they fear giving to the Lord’s work. They conclude that if they give to their church or missions, then that money is gone forever. That is the farthest thing from the truth. Any money placed into Kingdom work will always produce residual eternal results. In the previous chapter we read that God is looking for those believers who want to give to the work willingly.
Giving money grudgingly to the Lord’s work is like not giving anything. There must be a heart to give before any wallet is opened. God also does not want people donating on their credit cards either. Unless you pay off the donation at the end of the month, the Lord does not want anyone going into debt to make a donation. God knows exactly how much each Christian is able to give. Some Christians have much but desire to give little. Some Christians have little but desire to give much. Every person’s giving should be according to their means. This means that if a person does not have much to give and can maybe afford only $10, then give the ten. If a person is a millionaire and can give $10,000, then they should give the ten large. That is called giving according to their means. If a person is wealthy and gives $5, then they are giving out of their means and not according to it. A good example of this is the Widow who gave two mites. She gave everything and didn’t hold back. She had the true spirit of giving. She was truly thankful. I believe she was saved because no one gives everything to the Lord’s work, unless they are His. Gifts, whether small or large, are all needed for the Kingdom work. Test yourself, see what bill size you automatically look for first when they pass the plate. It will be an eye opener.
November 29 - Friday
Today’s Reading - 2 Corinthians 10 - 13
(2 Cor 12:7 KJV) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which is probably one of the most misunderstood verses in this chapter. The standard interpretation is that Paul was stricken with some kind disease and he asked the Lord three times to remove it. This does not seem to be the proper interpretation as we read in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul is listing all the suffering he has done for the Lord Jesus. Paul also considers himself blessed to suffer for the Lord, so why would he complain and then ask the Lord to remove some type of personal ailment? Paul’s concern was for the churches and he agonized over them. He even says that he was willing to spend and be spent for these Christians, even though the more he has loved them, the less he is loved. That is a principle that we must all keep in mind that the more involved in the Gospel we become, the less we are going to be loved by those we bring it to. It is strange that we bring the Gospel to people so they will not burn in an eternal hell, and they turn around and tell us to get lost. In essence, they are saying they want to burn in hell for eternity. Now to the verse at hand. What is God possibly speaking about when He gives us the thorn in the flesh? If we are to gain understanding in this we must allow the Bible to be its own interpreter.
(Num 33:55 KJV) But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
(Josh 23:13 KJV) Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
(Judg 2:3 KJV) Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
When we look at these three verses, we see a common thread running through them. God is telling the Israelites that if they do not drive out these pagans, they would become thorns in their sides by spreading their pagan influence in the camp of Israel. In Joshua 23:13, we see that these unbelievers will become a thorn in their eyes. If a person has a thorn in their eye, they will be blinded. People who bring false Gospels are also blinded by Satan. Sometimes Christians can get caught up in false teachings. These have become thorns in their eyes and sides. So the Apostle Paul is not speaking of some bodily disease, he was concerned for the welfare of the churches from the outside pagan influences which were rampant in Corinth. There was also another group that had harassed Paul and the churches, and they were the Judaizers. These were the ones who told the people that you can become saved by grace but you must also keep the covenant of circumcision. So the Apostle Paul had viewed them as Thorns in his side and this is why he asked the Lord to remove them. It was not for his own self but for the purpose of the purity of the churches. Unbelievers will also be a thorn in your side too. How many times have you done evangelism and unbelievers were there to give you grief? Did you ever witness on the job and some evolutionist comes along and sings the old song, “Where is your proof?” Unbelievers are going to pursue you in your ministry just to cause havoc, so we must heed the answer that God gave Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” If it was sufficient for Paul, it will be sufficient for us. You can count on it!
November 30 - Saturday
Today’s Reading - Acts 20:2; Romans 1 - 4
(Rom 4:3 KJV) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
In today’s reading we come across this verse which is probably one of the most important verses in the entire Bible. I want to focus in on the first five words of this verse, “For what saith the Scripture?” These five words, if heeded, would be able to quell the sin and suffering in the lives of many people. In fact, it would prevent a lot of it in the lives of people. Whenever we have a situation in our lives, and we are looking for counsel on how to handle it, our first response is to go to the Scriptures. Unfortunately, in the day we live in we can find hundreds of self-help books and many of these plague the libraries of many Christians. When problems arise, one of the first reactions is to pick up a book by our favorite author and see what they have to say. If we like it and it is palatable, then we may decide to follow their advice. The problem is that an author of any book will never know you as intimately and thoroughly as God knows you. This is how God has written the Bible. God knows the motivations behind our actions. Too many people deal with emotional surfaces and never get to the root of their problem. In fact, many grab these self-help books with all their psycho-hype to avoid getting to the real problems in their life. We try to avoid the Bible at all costs because it forces us to really take a good look at ourselves and our motives. This is what scares us and sends us running to the hype books.
The Apostle Paul was very adamant about being strong in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ always utilized the Scriptures when fighting evil. The Scriptures need to be our first defense. This is why when we face things, we must go to see what the Scriptures teach before anything else. When we are given some type of teaching that seems to be off-base a little bit, the first place we must look is in the Scriptures and do a comparison. These five words can save a person much concern. God devotes the largest Psalm (119) in that book to the principles of what the Scriptures can do for us and in us. The Scriptures have a power base behind them which stems from God Himself. These self help books only have the tainted understanding of man plus you will never be able to speak to that author. Whenever we read the Scriptures we can pray and ask the Lord to lead us to the passages and teach us the principles that we need to know at that time. It is always easier to talk to God than a famous Christian. Let’s say that 100,000 people initially read a book written by Charles Stanley, and those 100,000 people have a question. Do you think 100,000 people can swoop down on Atlanta and knock on his door and get their questions answered? Of course not! Yet, the God of this universe is able to hear and answer more than 100,000 people at one time. This is why the Scriptures are superior to human authored books and we need to search the Scriptures first. Let me also say at this juncture, that not every human authored book is bad, just those that draw you away from the reality of the Christian world and lead you into your own Fantasy Island, detached from the reality of your problem and solution. Print those five words in the margin of your mind and the next time you are faced with something, repeat them back, “For what saith the Scripture.”