“The Same Truth Is a Must”

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all you soul.  You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”          Deuteronomy 13:1-4

My family drove up to Boone last week to visit our son who is going to school there.  Of course one of the things you have to do for a college student when you visit is FEED THEM!!!  I mean, it’s like you feed them the entire time you visit.  You would think they never eat.  And many do not know this about my family, but we eat Mexican food at least once a week (sometime twice.)  So when we asked the 4 kids we had with us on this trip the first place they wanted to eat, well, we ended up at the local Mexican restaurant in Boone.  

Because of my family’s habits, I have eaten in just about every Mexican restaurant in every town I’ve visited or lived.  Here is the deal!  I’ve noticed that in all of these different restaurants, they all have something in common.  It is #5.  Yes, #5 on the menu.  #5 on every menu is 2 beef enchiladas, rice and beans.  Always!  

This has to be passed along to new restaurants that open.  We had a new Mexican restaurant open in Moore County and the first thing I went to when I opened the menu was to see if the #5 was 2 beef enchiladas, rice and beans.  Yep!  There is was.  The exact SAME meal.

While I was eating in Boone on that Monday with the family, eating my #5, I thought about one of my Bible readings from Deuteronomy in recent weeks (the passage above).  And my crazy mind went to, “wait a minute, there is something about every Christian living, preaching, teaching the same truth.”

If the truth is distorted, twisted, or false, that’s a problem.  Unfortunately, this happens all the time.  It happens in churches, with preachers, with congregational members.  False teaching, false doctrine is lift up as “truth” when all they are giving you is words with no real truth.  Some of you are saying, “Marty, please!”  But wait minute!  Truth is important.

If you are listening to the dreamers, the false prophets (preachers), it may be a test to see if you truly know God.  Do you truly love Him with all your heart.  Just because they say it does not make it true.  You have to test scripture with scripture.  And here is the thing, God says, fear Him, listen to Him, serve Him, and keep His commandments.  If you are listening to His Word being distorted, then there is a problem.

Moses goes on to say, that those dreamers and prophets that are spreading false teachings will be put to death.  Or in other words, they will face eternal separation from God.  

The “Same Truth is a Must.”  We have to teach, preach, and share the same truth from God’s Word.  You cannot take His Word out of context to make your desires or your agenda seem to be His.  His “truth” is the only truth.  Oh, the dreamer can make it sound so real and even, as this passage tells us, do signs and wonders, but that does not make it “truth.”

Paul tells Timothy, his preacher brother in Christ, to beware of false teachers that can lead you astray.  This message still holds true.

I know I can go into just about any Mexican restaurant and order a #5 and have the same thing.  We should be able to go in any Church and get the same truth, GOD’S WORD!  As long as I’m the pastor at HOPE EPC of Raleigh, you can be sure the truth will be proclaimed.  His Word Preached!  The same truth is a must!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty                   

Worship, Grow & Serve