Job 1:9-10
(9) “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. (10) “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
If religious leaders, unfortunately, decided to mislead their flock, many will get lost. This is because many follow and obey religious leaders without question. The word of a religious leader is not as good as God’s word, yet many perceive it as such. A religious leader is only right if their words and actions are consistent with what the Bible teaches.
The Sabbath is a priority, but not when emergencies occur. When an emergency occurs, the Sabbath is no longer a priority. Emergencies like sheep falling into a pit. Sheep don’t fall into pits as per calendar or announcements or plans, it is accidental and emergency. Critical national exams are not emergencies or accidents. Duties at work are not accidents. Making money is not an accident. Attending social events is not an accident. Only emergencies have a priority over the Sabbath. The Sabbath remains a priority unless an emergency occurs. Defend the Sabbath when there is no emergency calling on you to defend life. Make defense a priority!
Apostle John salutes the church in our text today and he punctuates his greetings and message with the word truth. He refers to the church as children he loves in the truth. Then he says, the greetings come from him and all those who know the truth. Then he says the truth which lives in us will never abandon us but will be with us forever. The keyword in his salutation and message is the word truth. Are you as concerned for the truth?
Have you ever heard the lie that God doesn’t care about Religion because He cares only about the heart and/or spirituality? Have you ever heard the ignorant notion that Religion is of human origin? Have you ever heard the misinformed declaring that true believers should have nothing to do with Religion? Yet the Bible tells us today that there is a religion that God loves and approves of. God loves this particular Religion!
Those opposing the church from within were in categories. First, those who opposed the teachings. Secondly, those who opposed the leadership. Thirdly, those who just opposed anything and everything because they thrive in anarchy. Paul insisted that they must be dealt with firmly or else the church will never progress.
No Bible teachings should only be explainable using a certain Bible translation, version, paraphrase or language. Sound Bible teachings should make sense whichever Bible is used. If you must insist on everyone having a specific Bible, then the teachings are suspect.
They confidently contradict scripture but the confidence blinds the majority of listeners from noticing the contradictions. For example, they will read a text on Christ’s second return where it says nobody knows the day nor the hour, then they will confidently misinterpret scripture and claim to know the time of Christ’s return. The confidence is blinding. If you strip them of confidence, nothing remains!
All the three ways in which the world ends cannot be known by date and time. No one can know the date and time when Jesus will come. No amount of prophecy study would yield that date. Nobody knows when they will die, that is a secret reserved for God. Nobody knows when probation will close for them or for the whole world. Nobody knows the date or time of the end of the world by any means. You won’t know about times and dates, but, you will receive the power to witness!