If you’ve noticed that my last blog, Armed and Ready is gone, it’s because a faithful friend remembered seeing it was an urban legend and was sweet enough to let me know. Rather than feel sheepish or embarrassed, I saw that it served as an illustration of what the Lord has been showing me about today’s Christianity–the general lack of TRUTH. Most church-goers are happy to receive whatever is being preached to them from the pulpit as fact, without checking their Bibles to make sure it is indeed true, while those who truly love the Lord are hungry for Truth and are seeking the Lord for a deeper understanding of His Word. Matthew 6:6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled!”

John writes to us concerning this: I John 2: 26 “These things have I written unto you concerning them that deceive you.” 27: “But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.”

Even Paul, when at Berea, said of those who heard him preach: Acts 17:11 “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.”

Sadly, we live in a fast paced, give-it-to-me-now-so-I-can-get-on-with-other-things, age. This includes religion. Shorter sermons, palatable without any chewing, easy on the conscience, and excitingly new and different, even if it comes from practices the Bible- i.e God – says is wrong.

I believe this year, 2009, is a year of separation. God is separating those who are His from those who are described in II Timothy 3…
1: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2: for men shall be lovers of their ownselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”
3:Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.
4:Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6:For of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.
7:Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth!

But don’t stop here…read on and notice verses 12-17 and Chapter 4:1-4
Let me highlight just a couple:
13: But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
4:3: For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4: and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.
Paul then admonishes Timothy to remember the scriptures he has been taught:
15: which is able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
17: That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
4:2: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

My prayer is that more will be convicted by the Holy Spirit, and will turn once again to the Lord with their whole hearts. God has drawn a line in the sands of this year…it’s up to us to cross over and be counted worthy to be His. Be hungry for Truth and be filled!!