It has taken many months of planning and preparation before finally settling into this small remote part of the country, a hundred miles away from immediate family, close friends and the comfortable place we once called home. The majority of those presently living in this community and the surrounding areas seemingly are of Eastern European heritage with a strong emphasis placed on the traditional Catholic upbringing. Many of their ancestors arriving by boat in the earlier part of the last century found work in the surrounding areas during the boom period of the coal mining industry.
We have been here now just a little over a month and are slowly becoming familiar with the surrounding area and a few of our neighbors in this small quaint town of 950 or so people. Just this morning while taking our new puppy Molly for a stroll around the grounds, Molly starting jumping anxiously and wagging her tail furiously at the sound of Bob’s voice. Bob who is our neighbor, is retired and an animal lover. He always has time to say ‘hello’ to Molly.
A Vision of Jesus... or Something Else?
On this particular morning while stopping to chat with Bob a few moments he related to me how bad his health has been. There had even been a suggestion by doctors of the possible need for kidney dialysis treatment in the future. He stressed, “but I won’t do that. I am ready to go if it is my time because I know there is a Heaven. I have seen Jesus."
This is how he related the rest of his story to me:
“One day I came back from work, took off my shoes and layed down on the bench on the front porch. After a little while, I heard someone calling my name. Looking around I saw no one but I continued to hear someone call and was told to look up in the sky. Then I saw Jesus.”
Friends, how can we be sure that this vision was not from God? What does Holy Scripture say about it? And has Christ warned His children about these things?
Mark 13:21 "And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:"
2Corinthians 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Do not leave the matter of where your soul will spend eternity up to chance, nor have confidence in how your fathers were taught, passing along those same beliefs and traditions on to you without question. It is commanded to each one to serve the living God.
Why will God allow delusion? Let us read on:
2Thessalonians 2:10-12
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Isaiah 66:4 "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
God gives us His truth freely and it is found in the Bible. The Bible says all scripture was given by God to the prophets of old under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
2Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Holy Scripture is not given to select preachers to understand and interpret for us! Nor to Catholic priests! Nor to the many hundreds of sects out there, to be passed on to us ‘second hand’. No friends, God’s Spirit through the written Word is in itself enough to guide us even today. The Bible is our handbook, given by God himself to guide His own children through this dark deceitful world. He reveals His truth to our hearts which lights the way in which we are to follow Him home.
Isaiah 58:11
"And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."
Turn to Ezekiel 34:8-16 to see what our Lord says against the shepherds:
“One day I came back from work, took off my shoes and layed down on the bench on the front porch. After a little while, I heard someone calling my name. Looking around I saw no one but I continued to hear someone call and was told to look up in the sky. Then I saw Jesus.”
Friends, how can we be sure that this vision was not from God? What does Holy Scripture say about it? And has Christ warned His children about these things?
Mark 13:21 "And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:"
2Corinthians 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Do not leave the matter of where your soul will spend eternity up to chance, nor have confidence in how your fathers were taught, passing along those same beliefs and traditions on to you without question. It is commanded to each one to serve the living God.
Why will God allow delusion? Let us read on:
2Thessalonians 2:10-12
"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Isaiah 66:4 "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not."
God gives us His truth freely and it is found in the Bible. The Bible says all scripture was given by God to the prophets of old under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
2Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
Holy Scripture is not given to select preachers to understand and interpret for us! Nor to Catholic priests! Nor to the many hundreds of sects out there, to be passed on to us ‘second hand’. No friends, God’s Spirit through the written Word is in itself enough to guide us even today. The Bible is our handbook, given by God himself to guide His own children through this dark deceitful world. He reveals His truth to our hearts which lights the way in which we are to follow Him home.
Isaiah 58:11
"And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."
Turn to Ezekiel 34:8-16 to see what our Lord says against the shepherds:
8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
9 Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Ezekiel 34:11 "For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
Do not be deceived! Nor leave yourself open to delusion or the many lies and false gods that are in this world. Arm yourselves with the knowledge of God’s Word.
Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
1Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
All false gods are of the evil one. If you are not worshipping the God of the Bible, you are worshipping a false god.
Your soul cannot be satisfied where God’s true Word is not found. I am not speaking of where you may or may not go to worship services. I am speaking of the condition of the heart. Your soul cannot have peace and joy without God’s living Word abiding in a circumcised heart.
Isaiah 49:10 "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them."
Who are the astonished that God will reject though they believe they both know God and are doing His work?
Matthew 7:23:
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Is it your desire to know God? To know Who he is? He is found in truth, revealed in Holy Scripture. Who keeps you from studying God’s Holy Scriptures? You may say it is too difficult to understand and I am not learned, so I will trust others who are more qualified to teach me, but it is to His children alone that He reveals Himself to. There is only One true God, which this ‘world’ does not know. He is not found in organized religion but in the heart, and as we wash ourselves in His Word, He reveals Himself to us.
Matthew 11:25 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
Listen to what God says about the popular ways of the world:
Matthew 7:13 "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereafter.
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it."
It is God alone who knows His sheep (His own chosen) and by His Spirit He will lead His children to living waters of life.
2Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Let us humble ourselves and sit at the feet of Jesus. Become a student of the Bible and listen to what our Lord has to say to you. I encourage you to search the Holy Scriptures for yourself; it may be, He will reveal Himself to you.
“Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John 20:29
