Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
For many years, a lot of us have kept something in our glove box to help us find our way from one place to another. When we don’t know which way to go, we pull over to the side of the road and open up the road map. But a lot has changed in the past 20 years, with the development of computerized mapping services. Many people are now using their cell phones as a hands-free option to guide them where they want to go. All they need to do is punch in the city and address, and then follow the computerized prompts that lead them to their final destination. But I have heard stories from many different people who have been led in the wrong direction and never ever reached their intended target. Rather than looking at the original map in their glove box, they simply placed all of their trust in somebody else to find the way for them.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
When people choose not to look at the map anymore, they can be led off in all kinds of different directions. I’ve asked a few people directions in my life, only to realize later that they didn’t even know what they were talking about. At times like these, we must trust the map that has been given to us by God. But nowadays, many people have turned their ears away from it, and placed their trust in false prophets to guide them instead. The devil wants to lead people away from obedience to Christ, trying to get them to trust him, rather than the truth of Scripture. This has been going on ever since the garden of Eden when he seduced Eve to go against the will of God. He justifies sinful behavior and then lies to the people, telling them that everything’s going to be fine. But the truth is, that without repentance people are going to perish. He knows that, and wants to take as many with him as he can. The devil can be very cunning, even appearing as a minister of light, but his ultimate function is to lead you away from complete submission to God. Jesus warned that many false prophets were going to rise, and it’s happening as we speak. When they try to lead you off in a different direction, we need to make sure that we keep our eyes focused on the teachings and guidance of God’s Word, a Spiritual roadmap that leads us on the path of eternal life.
2 Timothy 3 ¹³ But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ¹⁴ But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
If you have been shopping at the same grocery store for twenty years, why would you listen to some stranger try to give you directions there? You already know the way. Many over the road truck drivers have driven the same route so many times that they could practically drive it in their sleep. Do you really think that they would allow themselves to be led in the wrong direction? They already know the way. This is how well we want to know God’s Holy Word, so when people make the attempt to lead us the wrong way, they will be incapable of doing so, because we already know the way.
John 14 ⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
I’ve always said that the best defense against the lies of the devil is a liberal dose of God’s truth. The devil cannot compete with the sword of God’s Word, and even during the temptation of Jesus, he eventually gave up and left. Followers of Christ must keep themselves well rooted in scripture, so they are not deceived with the rest of the world.
Colossians 2 ⁶ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: ⁷ Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. ⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Once again, the devil tries to lead people away from Jesus. He wants them to follow him rather than the teachings of Christ. His path is a road of rebellion and impenitence, leading people astray from perfect obedience to God. The devil is a usurper who places himself above the teachings of Christ. In his rebellion, he encourages others to do the same. Like a wolf waiting to spring upon his prey, he lies in wait to deceive.
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Ephesians 4:14
As the return of Christ Jesus draws closer, things are going to get a lot worse. Look at the change of morals in society just within the last 200 years. This is evidence enough of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:13
The devil tries to make people believe a lie, but without repentance from dead works, you will only reap eternal corruption.
Galatians 6 ⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Women are especially susceptible to being deceived because they are the weaker vessel. Rather than following the commands of Christ and being a chaste keeper at home, some will venture out into the world and be seduced and led astray by the devil.
1 Timothy 5 ¹⁴ I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. ¹⁵ For some are already turned aside after Satan.
It’d be pretty naive to think that everybody in the church is going to make it to heaven. Some of them will only last a season because of their hard and impenitent hearts. Some of them will run off and try to join some other false church that isn’t so dogmatic and conservative. Because of their unwillingness to accept and submit to scriptural truth, they will believe lies instead.
2 Timothy 4 ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Are you keeping yourself well rooted in the teachings of scripture? Are you rejecting the lies of the devil and following the path of biblical truth? Are you obeying the directions that have already been prepared for us? When will you reach into the glove box, and pull out….
….Gods Roadmap
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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