In His Holy Scriptures the Almighty has spelled out in detail His definitions of holiness and sin which are paths leading to either life or death.  He has given to man the power to choose which path he will take and has described for him the results associated with each path.  We are daily confronted with moral decisions concerning what we think, say, do, where we go, what we read, watch, listen to, wear, with whom we associate, etc.  For those who believe in moral absolutes, each of the above entities involve right and wrong alternatives.  God is the final Arbiter of right and wrong.  Our choices determine whether we are right or wrong with Him.  As stated previously, He does not allow the mixing of the two, for this makes the person “lukewarm,” meaning something akin to vomit which He will “spew out.”  The passage is found in Revelation 3:14-20 where is Jesus addressing one of His churches (vs 14).  True believers have access to the “voice” of God when determining what to do, say, think, etc.   The key is to know God’s “voice,” believe and obey it.  He has given us His voice which we can “hear” from inside our hearts (minds) IF we take the time and effort to “record” it there.  We are commanded to “redeem the time” for Him (Eph. 5:16).  For when it’s gone, it’s gone.  Let us therefore record God’s Word by focusing on it.  Later, when doing something that doesn’t require our concentration we can “listen” to His “voice.”  Let us remember that we will be judged by His voice.  “I didn’t know” will not impress God Who said: “My people perish for lack of knowledge (of His Word)” –Hosea 4:6.  Note that these are God’s people who are spiritually and physically dying because they do not know His Word.  We must focus on God and His Word, commit it to memory and thereby shut off the voice of the devil.

But this isn’t always easy to do.  Satan picks his battles.  He knows which buttons to push.  When we least expect it he  beacons to us, calling us away from God’s Scriptural voice.  God whispers–Satan yells.  God tells us to obey His Word–Satan tells us to obey church doctrine.  Those who do so become guilty of “will worship.”  Because of years of false teaching, church people, who have never heard the Truth, are not able to distinguish God’s voice from Satan’s voice.  This is why they are shocked when exposed to God’s Truth.   “I didn’t know that was in the Bible” is a familiar theme when church people are shown what is written in God’s Word.  This admission is quickly followed by a total rejection of what has just become known.  Within seconds Satan has them back under his control and they go merrily on their religious way.

With extremely rare exception, religious man chooses to answer Satan’s call to follow his easy, self-serving path laid out by his prophets who counsel their parishioners to go with the church flow, to ride the gentle wave of church doctrine, to not rock the church boat by bringing up God’s Word.  Any mention of His Truth can bring on a tsunami of religious indignation.  Allow me a moment of self-reflection which proves my point.  Just prior to my leaving “the church” I was voted in as the teacher of the adult Sunday School class.  By that time my reputation was well-known.  One morning I had decided to go to a café for a cup of coffee.  As I was preparing to go, God spoke to me, telling me that the pastor of the church, a personal friend, would be there and would tell me he did not want me to teach the class.  He walked in right behind me.  Though the people in the class voted for me to teach them, not one came out with me.  Some of them have come to me when things have gone bad for them.  They did not go to the pastor, but to me.  But none stayed with me.  Though they know I am right, they will not stand with me.  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE SATAN’S POWER.

One of the reasons church people know so little Truth is because we have all been taught to believe whatever our church leaders tell us.  We are taught not to question what we are told because ministers are called by God whom they listen to, etc.  If only this were true.  If church leaders were all called of God there would be only one church–the Church of God (not to be confused with the cult by that name).  Unfortunately, we are all told to take what we are told at face value.  This in spite of God’s command that we “test the spirits” of those who lead us “to determine IF they are of God” (1 Jn. 4:1).  Recall the Apostle Paul telling the churches of Galatia that THEY (plural) had all been hearing a “perversion” of THE (one) true gospel–AND BELIEVING IT.  When it comes to what is taught in church, everything that glitters is not gold.  Most of it is fool’s gold.  Only by comparing what we hear to the Holy Scriptures can we determine which voice is telling us the Truth.

Regardless of the situation, the individual ultimately decides which voice he/she will obey.  As one who believed what he heard early on, I fully understand the devil’s powers of persuasion.  His ministers are imbued with those same powers.  Millions flock to hear and see church leaders today.  Some people fly long distances each Sunday to be in the presence of their guru.  One family drove over 2000 miles just to see one such leader–not to touch him, but to just SEE HIM from a distance.  People fly to Europe to spend a few moments with this false prophet.  I have a friend who had his picture taken kissing his ring.  I have dealt with various “prophets, teachers, witnesses,” etc. in face-to-face encounters.  I am continually amazed at the blindness Satan has cast over them and the “explanations” he has given them for refuting the Bible, which they all own and carry with them.  DO NOT EVER UNDERESTIMATE SATAN.  Without God’s Holy Spirit man cannot stand up to him.  This includes me.   L.J.