October 7
Jer 8:8-9:26 | PS 78:32-55 | Prov 24:27 | Col 3:1-17
God alone is to be glorified. God alone is perfect. No human should be elevated, for no human, except the Lord, Jesus Christ is perfect. Teachers of God, whether they be called pastors, priests, or rabbis, at best honestly convey God's principles with honesty and authenticity. But, all can be prone to error, either by mistake, or due to the sin which pervades their own lives. We read in Jeremiah 8:8-9, ""How can you say, "We are wise because we have the word of the Lord," when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies? These wise teachers will fall into the trap of their own foolishness, for thy have rejected the word of the Lord. Are they so wise after all?" Talking further of these teachers, we read in 8:11, "They offer superficial treatments for my people's mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace." This is why we need to be in the full counsel of God through His Word. You may be fortunate enough to have a wise teacher, but no one is wiser than God, and He will direct you personally if you simply take the time to invest in the entirety of His Word.
Because of rampant biblical illiteracy and teachers who put forth erroneous information, we read in Jeremiah 9:3, "My people bend their tongues like bows to shoot out lies. They refuse to stand up for the truth. They only go from bad to worse. They do not know Me," says the Lord." God gave them all that they needed, yet we read in 9:13, "The Lord replies, "This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said." Following your leader, who could be misleading you will not be an excuse when you one day stand before the Lord God and await judgment. Ignorance is no excuse. Laziness is no excuse. Being led astray when your source, the Bible, is at your fingertips is no excuse. In 1 Corinthians, Paul quotes Jeremiah 9:23-24, which we would all do well to heed, "This is what the Lord says: "Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know Me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!"
The choice is really up to each of us. Many like to delegate. They can delegate their walk with God to their chosen leader. They can delegate their children's walk with God to the youth group leader. They can delegate their growth in God to what others say in commentaries, podcasts, or devotionals. But, if you delegate incorrectly, what is at stake is eternity. Repent, or change your mind about your own sinful nature, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then get into His Word, daily, and never stop, as we read in Colossians 3:10, "Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him." This will be the most worthwhile and satisfying pursuit any of us could ever undertake, and it never ends on this earth until we take our last breath, and then we get Paradise in heaven with God. Please don't leave this important decision up to chance or opinion, pick up the Word of God and let the words wash over you.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: