June 1
2 Sam 18:1-19:10 | PS 119:153-176 | Prov 16:14-15 | John 20:1-31
In the Hunger Games trilogy most find themselves disliking President Snow and eventually rooting for the leader of the rebellion, Alma Coin, only to find out in the end that after the rebellion succeeds, that Coin is perhaps just as corrupt as Snow. So it is with us. All too often we blindly follow, raising one side up while pushing against another. As a physician, we have been trained in Western medicine. Western medicine certainly has its issues from the corruption of Big Pharma, to the selective process of editorial journalism in our respected journals in which a select group decide how medicine is to be directed, to the corruption in many of the organizations, but it is not all bad. Eastern medicine, focusing on herbs, focusing on many of the arts practiced in the East, certainly has its merits, but one cannot diminish the demonic nature behind some of these principles, and the fact that just as on the western side, their thought leaders and editors will push forward their agenda. If you believe one side is all good and altruistic and the other is evil you are mistaken. How to navigate this conundrum is very difficult. I remain vigilantly against many of the vaccines, but not all of them. I believe there is a place for alternative or functional medicine but not all of it. For those who push for bioidentical hormones as the fountain of youth, and to be taken forever, one must ask, "Do you believe God made a mistake?" Because God saw to it that there is indeed a transition called menopause when a woman's hormones greatly decrease. I have always used hormone therapy to treat bothersome symptoms, but to claim that they are all good and not bad, seems quite a leap, and the data (if one can trust the slanted data) is certainly not in. We need to be careful to maintain a spirit of discernment and not simply follow whichever group we desire to follow. We read in Psalm 119:169, "O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised."
King David was clearly anointed, while Absalom was not. But this did not prevent the majority of the kingdom to be swayed by the words of Absalom and some select individuals that surrounded him. The masses were wrong yet they were in battle and prepared to kill David. After Absalom is defeated, we read the mindset of the people who had just backed Absalom in 2 Samuel 19:8-10, "So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him. Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes. And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, “The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country. Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?”" Jesus was clearly the Messiah, yet we read in John 2:24-25, "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." Thomas had spent years being taught by Jesus and personally witnessing the miracles, and despite all of his fellow apostles telling him that they had already encountered the risen Jesus, he chose still not to believe. We read the interaction between Thomas and Jesus after His resurrection in John 20:27-29, "Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”"
Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? If so, then He has given you the Holy Spirit to reside within you. He can and will discern life's choices for us if we allow Him. But if we choose to follow one leader after another, one ism after another, one new wave after another, then realize often you have chosen to follow others rather than the Holy Spirit. God's Word is pure. The Holy Spirit is pure. These are completely trustworthy. But when it comes to all other sources, be careful what you quote. As one who has been in the field of medicine for over four decades it is very easy to see how the leaders sway the masses. I have seen it in the arena of abortion, in the arena of transgenderism, and in so many other areas. Experts are elevated, organizations are elevated, but many of them do not deserve to be elevated. Please go to God's Word and base everything upon this. If something, anything seems to go against God's counsel or God's character, please take notice and reconsider and don't just follow the advice of others simply because everyone seems to be doing so.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: