Discerning

I was reflecting the other day on the April 8^th, 2024 eclipse. If you will recall, there was quite a bit of hoop la la, and mass hysteria among those who typically use their heads for little more than hatracks. A plethora of the so-called prophets and their associated prophecies flooded the airwaves and media outlets. Another defining moment in man’s history of his willingness to be led astray, not to mention the ease with which this is accomplished.

We are called to have faith and to be discerning. To accomplish this, we must utilize the brains God gave us as well as seek his guidance in matters. To verify something, your first step is to check it against what God says and if it contradicts scripture, then it is a no brainer. It is either deception or an outright lie.

Fatih is not blindly accepting something as true; that is not faith at all, but merely stupidity. We are called to have faith and biblical faith is, “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 NKJV. The Message beautifully defines faith as, “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.”

Jesus himself instructed his disciples to “…be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” According to the Oxford dictionary, to be shrewd is defined as being, “clever at understanding and making judgments about a situation.” It is notable that none of the pejoratives associated with the serpent in The Garden were present in Jesus’ statement. Here the focus was on positive attributes, and nothing that could be construed as condoning deception. This instruction was provided as he sent the Twelve out on their first missionary journey. Later we find the apostle Paul using this same wisdom throughout his own missionary travels, thus, we can rest assured that Jesus’ words regarding this subject are still applicable today.

False teachers have always walked among us. It is not only prudent, but it is incumbent upon us that we actually think. Be ever mindful of the deceiver and those that would be used by him. They may tout, and they may even believe their own tripe and that they are doing “God’s work, but in short, they ain’t.

As Mark Twain said, “I always suspect anyone, who has entered into partnership with God without his knowledge.”

C. Klingle