But what I do, I will also continue to do,
that I may cut off the opportunity
from those who desire an opportunity
to be regarded just as we are
in the thing so which they boast.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder! For Satan himself
transforms himself into an angel of light.
2Corinthians 11:12-14
In the Bible light is the word used most often to denote the truth, that one should be enlightened with the truth, but we have an adversary: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1Peter 5:8-9). Jesus Christ came into the world to die as was previously shown, but more than that, He also came to give the light of truth to the world as was prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:2): "to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79). We are to change from darkness of light, to being a child of darkness into a child of light, this Jesus did while on earth and is doing now as our intercessor, we are to become what Jesus desires of those believing upon Him: "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.' These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them" (John 12:36). Jesus is that light, the truth, and He gives that light to the children of God, but we have an adversary, Satan who changes himself into light, as though he has the truth, and has infected men with lies, and falsehood, bringing into the Church, false teachings, and heresy. This has been a problem for the Church from the beginning, and is now a problem for us today for there are those who seem to preach, and teach what is truth, but in actuality are teaching a false doctrine: we need to know who they are and this we can tell be coming to know the truth, that which the Bible clearly explains to us, we are not left in darkness, we have Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit that will teach us, but we must take the time to study, to examine. Is this important? Yes! How we live, execute our faith is either damaged or harmed to the point that what we teach and believe is not what the Bible says, rather it sounds so holy, so true, it is only Satan causing his light of falsehood to be proclaimed in the Church leading men and women into a life that is not according to the teaching of our Savior, the One who came and died for the remission of sins. John gives us this sound word: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we have fellowship with Him, and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1John 1:5-7). Yes, there are some among us that claim to be in the light but are not, they are in darkness and even though they claim to have fellowship with God and His Son, they do not; but how do we know who they are? We take the time to examine them, by the guiding light of truth that is found in His word. The question that may plague you is whether or not you will change if you come to see the light, or will you continue to stay in darkness that seems to resemble the light, the truth? John gives us this admonition: "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. but whoever keeps his word, truly the love of god is perfected in him. by this we know that we are in Him" (1John 2:4-5). There are those who say that the know Him, that they are following Him, and they hold up the Bible to the crowd and claim to follow His word, or they do more and sell pieces of cloth that are supposed to have some miraculous power, they change the truth for a lie and many have succumbed. Yet, what is worse is not always so plainly seen, for there are those who are teaching a false teaching, and many are having their ears tickles, but Jesus says this when speaking to the seven Churches in Revelation: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. to him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). This phrase about having an ear to hear is said several times in this chapter of Revelation, we must have ears that will hear. What is to be heard? The Gospel, the truth, the light of truth, and this we do by studying His word, it is the truth. But men have misused the words of truth by ascribing to some manuscripts that certainly are filled with untruth, lies, so to speak, they interpose some truth with lies of their own beliefs, and these translations have become a major Bible for many who are seeking the truth. Satan will use whatever means he can to put his light of lies and falsehood into the Church. What can he do more than to stop the spread of truth, and this he does within the secular world, and in the Church by those who will listen to the world, and not to the truth of God's word. They want more, more, more, give more, help to have instant belief, make God's word more good sounding, leave off those difficult things that Jesus taught. Is this not the secular world's thinking, fast food, more "g's", faster access to the internet, cars that have speedometers that have numbers of speed way beyond that which the law allows, but, oh boy, we have a fast car, we have a life of leisure due to the things we can have now, but for many this is so wrong, they want the truth and that truth is in God's word, His word that He has preserved, as promised, and this will take us to the place, that is if we are really wanting the truth, to examine all that we have been taught.
Therefore, I will attempt to bring to light, truth, by examination and asking questions, leading you to think upon your faith, and with the mission of changing you and I from the inside out. Will you walk with me? Will take the time to examine what you believe? I pray you will.
Then Jesus spoke to them
again, saying, 'I am the
light of the world. He who
follows Me shall not
walk in darkness, but have
the light of life.
John 8:12
Pray, Pray for guidance
Richard L. Crumb
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