By Michael Adekoya – “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” Matt. 22:29.
Dear readers, I read a story recently about a church who had just received a new young Pastor. Intent on visiting every Sunday school class, the eager young man began his first Sunday on the job by visiting the teenagers’ class. While meeting with them, the young Pastor asked them, “Would you tell me please, who knocked down the wall of Jericho?” They immediately fell silent and began to look at one another, saying, “I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it.” Shocked and dismayed by their lack of biblical knowledge, the Pastor called the Church Elders Board meeting the next week to discuss the incident. After hearing what happened, an elder stood up and said, “Pastor, let’s just get some money out of the ‘Repair and Maintenance fund’ and fix the wall and get on with it!” What a level of Biblical ignorance in that church!
Unfortunately, this lack of biblical knowledge is more true than not today! Knowledge of the Word of God has decelerated drastically among Christians, especially over the past 100 years. We go through this life with such speed that it has isolated us from the Word of God like never before. My friend, I will spare you a history lesson, but experts agree that our generation is in a period of time called “postmodernism.” And while the term itself is relatively new, the root causes of postmodernism are as old as time itself. Back in the Garden of Eden, satan asked a very simple, yet it was a damning question when he asked Eve, “Did God really say that?” With this one inquiry, satan launched attack against the truth and authority of God’s Word.
The devil cast doubt and mistrust on God and eventually neutralized what God had said to Adam and Eve in the Garden. And so it goes today; satan is neutralizing the power of the Word of God by the mantras of postmodern thinking like these: “Truth is relative.” “Morality is obsolete.” “Authority as a concept is passed” “Honesty is for fools.” “The pursuit of truth is meaningless.” “You cannot make it if you are too honest and truthful.” “There is no clean wealth.” “Make it fast and free!” Do any of these sound familiar to you? My friend, we are dogged with postmodern thinking today…with satan’s deception…every day. It is endless, from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed! It’s in the movies we see…the TV shows we watch…the internet we surf…the books we read…the words teachers teach…and (most sadly) even in some of the sermons we hear from our pulpits or telecasts.
There are lots of ‘extra-biblical’ beliefs and practices, traps of the spirit humanism and lying wonders going on today in most churches and unfortunately many people are buying all these deception because of lack of knowledge of the Word of God. My friend, there is no way on God’s earth that two hours in church, one day a week, are going to neutralize the impact which postmodern culture has upon you. Think about it. The Bible makes it clear that satan bombarded Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with continuous doubt about the words of God. And eventually, Eve got weary, threw in the towel and gave in. Today, so many people, even in the church, react to satan’s bombardment the same way as Eve did and as a result they err, make mistake, misled, deceived, abusively controlled, manipulated, walk in darkness, initiated into occultism, used and misused, live a false and fraudulent life or die spiritually because they are ignorance of God’s Word.
My friend, Jesus says our problem today and the reason why we walk in darkness is that we don’t know the Scriptures, and we don’t know the power of God. Listen to Apostle Paul’s testimony: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes…” (Rom 1:16). God says, “My people perish from a lack of knowledge.” (Hos. 4: 6) And Jesus came with a solution to the problem of ignorance. He says, “You shall know the truth and the truth you know will make you free (John 8:32) Jesus is the Word and He is the Truth. Its one thing to know your Bible, but it is another thing to know the God of the Bible, Jesus, the Saviour and Holy Spirit, the Helper! Listen! Until you know God, through Jesus Christ and have personal relationship with, the chance of not being deceived, misled or abused is remote.
My friend, I desperately want you to avoid this problem today! That’s why I’m challenging you to ingest the truth of the Word of God on a daily basis. God tells us in Pro. 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Did you hear that? Your postmodern and physiological way of thinking would lead to spiritual death if you don’t change. But today, if you make the decision to read, study, meditate and obey the Word of God on a daily basis, it will change you for good and bless you. I pray you will make a daily commitment to spend time in God’s Word. Trust me, it will bless you in ways you never thought possible! Your life will be radically changed as you make the truth of God’s Word your daily diet.
Jesus said, “It is written that man or woman shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). While rice (cooked or fried), Big Mac, fish and chips or pounded yam is food to the body, the word of God is the only food that the Spirit of God in you needs in order to grow. My friend, the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, is your weapon of offense against the devil (Eph read 6:17). When satan tempted Jesus Christ, how did Jesus handle the moment? He brought God into it. He quoted the Bible, God’s word. Each time the Devil tried to trap Jesus, Jesus would respond,”It is written!” Don’t let the devil rob you out of the riches of the Lord because of a lack of knowledge of what’s yours in Christ Jesus. Don’t let him destroy your relationship or your faith because of your ignorance of the Word! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
David says, “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; however they do not know, neither do they understand; they walk on in darkness …” (Psa 82:1, 5). My friend, do you know? Are you walking in the light or in darkness? Do not only know your Bible, but spend time getting to know the God of the Bible so that you may grow in the knowledge of knowing Jesus, and all that He has made available to you by His blessings and His grace. Let the word of God dwell in you richly that you may know what Jesus Christ has divinely and most graciously given you through the blessings of His divine exchange, at the cross of Calvary. Know and live in the power of being a child of the true and living God. Many years ago, Prophet Habakkuk prophesied and said, “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab 2:14) Hear me! We are now in that day! Go into the entire world and preach the Gospel to all creation, starting from your home and family and then to your community, work-place, city, nation and the entire world. Remain blessed!
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