Be More Fair-minded or Noble in Your Zeal for the Things of God, so that You Will Not Err

"And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?" (Mark 12:24 KJV).

Beloved, when Jesus spoke these words quoted above, he was speaking to the Sadducees -- men who felt in their own estimation that they were learned men and gatekeepers of the Law. And yet, how accurately it applies to us today. How accurately it applies especially to many of these man-ordained, self-proclaimed gatekeepers of the doctrines of the Church. And how relevant and timeless it is as a caution to everyone of us against not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. We err or go wrong and wander from the truth when we don't know the Scriptures. And when we don't know the Scriptures, then we also are not able to get a deep revelation and an experiential knowledge of the power of God. The apostle Paul also made such an observation of Israel and said, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that THEY HAVE A ZEAL FOR GOD, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE. For they being IGNORANT OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, and SEEKING TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, have NOT SUBMITTED to the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:1‭-‬3 NKJV,  emphasis mine). Beloved, zeal for God, without right believing based on knowledge of the truth of God’s Word, cannot save anyone. But unfortunately this is also the problem we have among Christians today. I bear many people witness that they have a zeal for God and for the things of God, but not according to knowledge, and so they err. This same doctrine of righteousness by faith that Paul preached about is being rejected by many professed Christians today who seek to establish their own righteousness rather than submitting to or accepting the righteousness of God which is being offered as a gift to all who believe in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:21 with Romans 5:17). And this is just one of many areas where otherwise zealous Christians are erring because of a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures and the power of God. Today there are so many false doctrines and teachings that have been wrapped around a thin layer of truth -- I call it the false doctrine burrito -- and are being fed to believers who know no better, because they themselves are not reading the Scriptures and verifying things for themselves. These so-called believers are so unlike the Berean Jews in the early Church, whose zeal for God was according to knowledge. These Berean Jews were more fair-minded and would not buy into just any doctrine without going into the Scriptures and verifying things for themselves. The Bible says, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY TO  FIND OUT WHETHER THESE THINGS WERE SO." (Acts 17:11 NKJV). You see, the Bible describes people who receive the Word with all readiness and search the Scriptures to verify things for themselves as more fair-minded or noble people. I wonder what the opposite of that is.

Beloved, don't just accept my teaching because it's coming from me. Make sure you verify everything I say by searching the Scriptures for yourself. This is also the reason why I provide a Biblical reference for everything I say. In fact, I cannot emphasize this enough. Don't just accept any teaching you hear (as truth) without verifying the Scriptures for yourself. And don't allow anybody to convince you that they have their own private interpretation of the Scriptures, and that they are the only people who have the credentials and the right to tell you what the Scriptures mean. The Scriptures mean one and the same thing even when read by a child. The Bible says, we all should know "this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (II Peter 1:20‭-‬21 NKJV). Read the Scriptures for yourself. It is the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers of the Scriptures, and you also have the Holy Spirit to help you understand the Scriptures. The apostle John, assuring believers that we have the promise of eternal life, said, "These things I have written to you concerning those who try  to deceive you. But the anointing (that is, the Holy Spirit) which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." (I John 2:26‭-‬27 NKJV, brackets mine). Don't allow yourself to be deceived, beloved, and do not be self-deceived either, because you will err if you don't study the Scriptures yourself and come to know the power of God. The blame is squarely on you if you allow anyone to deceive you and lead you to hell with false doctrines and philosophies of men. From my experience, those who clamor for the biggest religious titles are often the ones who have no revelation knowledge of the Scriptures; they are often the ones who try to comprehend the Scriptures by human reasoning, and they often preach or teach from sense knowledge, and not revelation knowledge. Nothing is true or makes sense to them (spiritually), unless they can logically explain it. One time Jesus asked a group of such people -- who were called the Pharisees -- some questions about what the parentage of the Christ is according to the Scriptures, but they couldn't answer Him. (see Matthew 22:41-46). The Bible says, “And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.” (Matthew 22:46 NKJV). Ironically these men saw themselves as the learned men and teachers of Israel. Prior to this, they even had the nerve to ask Jesus by what authority He was teaching and conducting His ministry. (see Matthew 21:23). On another occasion Jesus also questioned another Pharisee whose name was Nicodemus; He asked, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?” (see John 3:10 NKJV). Indeed, it is baffling!

And so, beloved, if I could only tell you one thing in conclusion, I would echo the inspired words of the apostle Paul, that "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..." (Colossians 3:16 NKJV). And I can promise you that the Word will build your faith (see Romans 10:17), reveal and multiple grace to you (see 2 Peter 1:2), and give you an assurance of salvation (see 1 John 5:13). Indeed, the Word will give you an experiential knowledge of the power of God. Remain blessed.

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Choose To Be On the Side of Truth

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your WORD IS TRUTH." (John 17:17 NKJV).


I have come to realize that there are two kinds of knowledge or information in this world: Facts, and Truth.

Facts are primarily based on man’s scientific research and investigation, whereas truth is directly from God (and is revealed in the Word of God or the inspired Books of the Bible).

When philosophers try to distinguish between facts and truth, they tend to put facts above truth in reliability and superiority, claiming that truth is variable or dependent on the perspective and experience of individuals whereas facts are based on empirical evidence and are thus concrete and verifiable. This clearly shows that the natural man, just like Pontius Pilate, does not know or understand what truth is. Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (see John 18:38). And this is the question that the natural man has still not been able to answer correctly and continues to struggle with. Jesus came into the world to bear witness to the truth, and He rightly said that anyone who is of the truth hears Him or pays heed to His words. (see John 18:37). What philosophers don't seem to realize is that Truth is a Person, Truth is Jesus Christ (see John 14:6), Truth is God, Truth is the Spirit of God (see 1 John 5:6), Truth is the Word of God. (see John 17:17). Satan “the god of this age” has blinded the minds of unbelievers (or natural men), so that they cannot see the light (or truth) of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor 4:4 NIV, brackets and emphasis mine). And this blindness of the mind is only removed when one turns to Christ or accepts Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. (see 2 Cor 3:14, 16). Then and only then is man able to know and to walk in the truth. And I can tell you that nothing gives God greater joy than to see men walk in the truth. The Spirit, speaking through the apostle John, says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4 NKJV). Yet, Satan works hard to prevent men from knowing the truth and walking in it, because Satan knows that the moment a man comes to know the truth and to walk in it, that man becomes free from bondage to Satan and his deception. “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you HOLD TO MY TEACHING, you are really my disciples. Then you will KNOW THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.” (John 8:31‭-‬32). Indeed, knowledge of the truth makes a man free, and knowledge of the truth only comes when one holds to or continues in the teachings of Jesus Christ who proclaims light (or truth) to the whole world – both Jews and Gentiles. (see Acts 26:23)

My dear friend, don’t let Satan fool you. All truth are facts; but not all facts are truth. For instance, it was once accepted as a fact that the earth was flat, but that fact wasn't truth. That fact later changed to conform to the truth of God's Word that the earth is round or circular. (see Isaiah 40:22). There are many similar examples where the Bible or God’s Word has remained true and man’s so-called scientific facts that challenged the truth of God’s Word have been proven to be false. For years, medical science believed that bleeding a sick person would help the sick to recover. Consequently, when George Washington, the first president of the US, was sick, the doctors bled him, then they bled him again till he lost so much blood and died. I  don't blame the doctors for doing what they did; they were only following the scientific FACTS of the day. But imagine what would've happened if they had read the Bible and discovered the TRUTH that "the life of a creature is in the blood." (see Leviticus 17:11). Medical science would later learn this truth and CHANGE their FACTS to conform with the TRUTH of the Bible. And so today, when someone is sick, doctors don't bleed him; they rather give him blood (blood transfusion), because the life of a creature is indeed in the blood. Truth never changes, my dear friend. But facts do change.

Today, scientists claim that the theory of evolution is a fact; that man evolved from apes. But any honest scientist will admit that Evolution (though they call it a fact) is not truth; it is more fictional than Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." The theory of Evolution is not backed by any empirical evidence; nor is it independently verifiable through the scientific method of investigation. Thus it does not even pass scientists’ own standard of what constitutes a scientific fact. Just as on many other subjects, only the Bible has the truth regarding the origin of man. And the truth is that God created man. Not just that, God created man in His own image and likeness. (see Genesis 1:26-27). Thank God I am on the side of truth. Thank God I know the truth; thank God I walk in the truth; thank God that I am a worker for the truth. (see 3 John 1:8). My life and my hope is built on the truth of God's Word, because God's Word is unshakable; it doesn’t change (see Numbers 23:19), and it endures forever (see Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). You can also choose to be on the side of truth and be a fellow worker for the truth. Don't be fooled by facts that are not truth. Don't be fooled by the philosophies of men. The Bible says, "BEWARE lest anyone CHEAT YOU through PHILOSOPHY and empty deceit, according to THE TRADITION OF MEN, according to the BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8 NKJV). The choice to be deceived or not to be deceived is ultimately yours. Be enlightened by choosing to believe in Jesus Christ who is the Light of the world, and who is The Way, The Truth and The Life. (see John 9:5, with John 14:6). Jesus Christ is not just one of many ways to God; He is The Way, The only Way to God. Jesus Christ is not just one of many truths in the world; He is The Truth, The only Truth in the world. Jesus Christ is not just one of many ways or forms of life; He is The Life, The only Life. Whoever follows Jesus will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. (see John 8:12).

My dear friend, Satan is the invisible being behind every lie in this world. He is the one who keeps people in darkness (or ignorance of the truth). Jesus pointed out during His earth ministry that Satan is a liar and the father of it, and that Satan does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. (see John 8:44). Satan’s goal is and has always been to deceive mankind by opposing or disputing the truth of God’s Word. And since Satan is the god of this world (see 2 Cor 4:4) and the whole world is under his control (see 1 John 5:19), he propagates his lies everywhere through the world’s educational, political, religious, economic, cultural and social systems. In fact, Satan’s most potent weapon against man is and has always been his ability to deceive subtly. If Satan ever loses the power of deception, he will cease to be relevant. And so Satan works hard to stay relevant. And the Bible says that he deceives the whole world. (see Revelation 12:9). In the garden of Eden he deceived Eve by his craftiness. (see 2 Cor 11:3). He was able to trick Eve into believing his lies over the truth of God’s Word (see Genesis 3:1-6); and that is what he continues to do today.

God loves the world so much (see John 3:16), and yet Satan, through the power of deception has been able to turn the world against God, making many men rebellious against God and against the Word of God. After God made man in His own image and likeness, He made man His under-ruler. God gave man dominion over all the works of His hands. (see Genesis 1:28; Psalm 8:3, 6). Man thus became ruler over all creation on earth, subject to no one but God. God made Man so intelligent that he was able to name the many different species of animals God created, and whatever he called each living creature, that was its name. (see Genesis 2:19-20). Man indeed had God’s authority to rule over His creation on earth. He was the master or lord of the earth; he was the god of this world, only answerable to the Almighty God and Creator. Man was only answerable to the Almighty God – the God who is also called the God of gods and Lord of lords. (see Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:2; Revelation 19:16). God loved man so much, and so He told man the truth about life and death, and commanded man to choose life and avoid death. Thus, after God had planted a garden eastward in Eden and had made every tree grow out of the ground that was pleasant to the sight and good for food, including THE TREE OF LIFE which was also in the midst of the garden, as well as THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (see Genesis 2:9 NKJV), “the Lord God COMMANDED the man, saying, “Of EVERY TREE of the garden YOU MAY FREELY EAT; BUT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL YOU SHALL NOT EAT, for IN THE DAY that you EAT of it YOU SHALL SURELY DIE.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV, emphasis mine). Thus, God set before Adam life and death, blessing and cursing, and told him to choose life. My dear friend, the way of the truth is the way of life.

Since the creation of the first man Adam, God has always told man the truth that there is a CHOICE that has to be made between LIFE and DEATH, and God will not violate man’s free will or freedom to choose. Yet, God has always gone the extra mile by recommending to us that we CHOOSE LIFE, because obviously life is a better choice over death. To the children of Israel, Moses said, "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I HAVE SET BEFORE YOU LIFE AND DEATH, blessing and cursing; THEREFORE CHOOSE LIFE, that both you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19 NKJV). God basically said the same thing to Adam. God’s command to Adam was very simple. God's command to man is always very simple. And yes, the truth is always very simple. So today God commands us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. (see John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10; Romans 10:13). A truth so simple it's scary! And thus, Paul says, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY that is in Christ.” (II Corinthians 11:3 NKJV). Even after God has told us to choose life by believing in Jesus Christ, many people today are still choosing death over life. Many people today criticize Adam for his choice in the garden of Eden; they criticize Eve for allowing Satan (the serpent) to deceive her. And yet they themselves are like Adam and Eve; they are also following the deception of Satan as he sways them away from the truth of God’s Word; and they are making the same stupid choice Adam made, choosing death over life by rejecting Jesus Christ who is the Life. The Bible says, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal LIFE, and THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON. He who HAS the Son HAS LIFE; he who does not have the Son of God DOES NOT HAVE LIFE." (1 John 5:11-12 NKJV). My dear friend, God has set before you life and death. This is the truth, and it has always been the same since the beginning of the world. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to CHOOSE LIFE by choosing the Son Jesus Christ. If you accept Jesus Christ today as your Lord and Savior, you will have LIFE. Be wise and eat of the tree of life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH but HAVE everlasting LIFE. He WHO BELIEVES in Him IS NOT CONDEMNED; but he WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16, 18 NKJV, emphasis mine).

Given the time-tested and proven truth of God’s Word, every man must be able to make the right choice today. God is trusting each one of us to make an informed choice. Evidently, God trusted the man (Adam) to make an informed choice, and so He held Adam accountable for his choice. Adam could've done the wise thing by eating of the TREE OF LIFE, which would've united him with God or given him eternal life and immortality for his body. But instead, and sadly, the man failed to obey God’s command (see Genesis 3), and chose to obey Satan instead. Adam chose  to eat of the (forbidden) TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (or more bluntly, the tree of death), and thus suffered its consequence of spiritual death, and mortality for his body. Man, by his disobedience, set into motion the law of sin and death. (see Romans 5:12, with Romans 8:2). The Bible says, “death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.” (see Romans 5:14 NKJV). “Through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation” (see Romans 5:18 NKJV). And so “by one man’s (or Adam’s) disobedience many were made sinners” (see Romans 5:19 NKJV, brackets mine). But the good news today is that “as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19 NKJV). And this one Man whose obedience has made many righteous is the Lord Jesus Christ. For God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV). If you’re in Christ you are the righteousness of God; you have come out of the first Adam, and you are in Christ the Second or Last Adam, and so you are no longer a sinner but a righteous man. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is  a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). I encourage you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and become a new creation. Come into Christ; Come into the truth, and be blessed. If you are already in the truth, continue to walk in the truth, and remain blessed.

I share this message, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16).

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