Daily Devotional for Sunday August 17, 2014
Two Popular Books I Warned You about are Making A Comeback
(Proverbs 22:6; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, I am a mother of 3 who has our own Bible lesson and praise on Sunday morning instead of going to a church. My husband works Fri-Mon so its just me and my children. I have found when I get involved with a church it turns into a gossip club. Is it wrong for me to teach my children on Sundays instead of them going to Sunday school?
ANSWER: The Bible warns us in Hebrews not to forsake the fellowship of others. Being part of a local church body is an important part of our spiritual journey and growth, especially for children. It is great you have Bible lessons with your children, and you should continue! I hear you about the politics and gossip at church, sadly, that will always be part of any group of people, even in church. I would ask you pray and seek the Lord about finding a good church home, since it is important for your children, and for you and your husband. I will be praying for you and your family as God gudies you.
Several years ago, there are two very popular books I warned you about that are making a comeback. These book are "Conversations With God" and "Conversations With God For Teens," both written by Neale Donald Walsch. >From the titles, they sound like something that you would want to read, especially since they were on the New York Times bestseller list. However, there is an old saying that you can't judge a book by its cover.
That saying is more true today than ever before! You see, there is only ONE God, and that is the God of the Bible. I have no idea what "god" Neale Donald Walsch had his conversations with, but it was NOT the God of the Bible. These books are an abomination to God since they go against everything that He says in His Word. RUN FROM THESE BOOKS! THESE ARE NOT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GOD OF THE BIBLE!
I first warned those in the Liveprayer family about these books when they were originally released in 2003!!! They became very popular when the queen of the "spiritual crack" dealers, Oprah began promoting them on her defunct daily program. After finding great success pushing the New Age agenda over the years on her TV program and other media platforms, New Age witch Oprah Winfrey committed her vast resources to lead millions of unsuspecting souls to hell selling them the "spiritual crack" of the day...New Age teachings. Just like crack, these false teachings make people feel good for a moment but lead them on a path of destruction.
There are three very important points that I want to make today. First, just because someone uses the word "god", it does NOT mean they are talking about the God of the Bible. There is clearly only ONE God, and He has made Himself known to us through the Bible. That is why it is clear that the god Neale Donald Walsch had his conversations with is not GOD.
That is why it is clear that the god of the Mormon Church is not GOD. That is why it is clear that the god Miss Cleo spoke to was not GOD. That is why it is clear that the Allah of the Muslims is not GOD. That is why it is clear that the god "dead-talker" John Edwards speaks to is not GOD. It is VERY IMPORTANT to not simply assume that when someone uses the name "god," they are talking about the God of the Bible.
The second point is that you have to be very careful what you see and hear. I often use the computer adage "garbage in, garbage out," though I prefer my modification, "God in, God out." There is so much "mental pollution" out in the world that we are exposed to every day. That is why reading and studying the Bible is so critical, so that you can identify what is of God, and what is opposed to God.
This is also a warning to parents that you have to be EXTREMELY AWARE of what is out there for your children to be exposed to. You have every right, and responsibility to censor what you allow in your home, but censor it with an explanation of why so that as they get older they can make that same quality decision for themselves.
You must take the TIME to talk to your children about what is in our popular culture like books, movies, television, music, magazines, video games, and everything else that they are exposed to on a daily basis. You need to put what they see and hear into a Biblical context so that they can understand what God says, and why something can be good or harmful to their life.
The third point is that we MUST, as those who accept the Bible as God's inspired, inerrant Word, as ABSOLUTE TRUTH and our final authority in all matters, take that TRUTH to the world in which we live in. There is a circular trough that is made up of the church, Christian television, Christian radio, Christian books, Christian magazines, and many Christian ministries.
THEY ALL FEED OUT OF THAT SAME TROUGH. They all target the same people, those who are already in the church. Why? Maintenance. Self-perpetuation. Money. Safety. Fear of rejection. The sad fact is, the majority of the people who desperately need to hear of the hope and love of Christ are OUTSIDE OF THAT TROUGH!
Those who oppose the work of God understand this fact, and take their message directly to the masses to find those who are hurting, lost, and looking for hope. That is where the cults like the Mormons, the JW's, and the Scientologists take their message. That is where the false religions of the world like the Muslims, the Buddhists, the satanists, and the New Agers take their message.
While Christians are sitting back in the comfort of their churches, conferences, crusades, and media organizations, preaching to the choir and trading dollars amongst themselves, those who are outside of the "trough," hurting and desperate for a message of hope, are being lured in by those who worship false gods and lead like sheep to the slaughter. The lie thrives because the people who possess the TRUTH don't take their message to the masses outside of the trough!
I love you and care about you so much. I pray today that you become more aware that everyone proclaiming the name of "god" is NOT always talking about the God of the Bible. We must be very aware of what we hear and see, since there is so much in this world that can damage our lives. This is especially true with our children. There is so much unGodly content available in the world today, that parents must be diligent in not only knowing what their children are being exposed to, but helping them understand how to make Godly choices.
Lastly, those who know the TRUTH of God's Word, have got to become more bold and creative in taking that TRUTH to the world at large, the world outside the four walls of the church. Not only has God commanded us to do this, but we can't allow those who represent the false gods of this world to take good people and lead them into eternal damnation. There is only ONE GOD, the GOD OF THE BIBLE!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller