Pastor's Column 8/7/22

PASTOR’S COLUMN

“So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, NLT

“Choosing To Believe The Truth!”

The era in which we live is one given to conspiracy theories of all sorts. Many of these so-called facts, are baseless at best, and harmful at worst. We have inherited a world where access to credible facts and knowledge are accessible as never before. However, there also is a plethora of false information and baseless assumptions that are readily available on social platforms. The driving force for knowledge, it appears, is not Biblical truth and encyclopedic knowledge; but, the daily postings on social media. People have substituted information for truth. For example, numerous social media postings have claimed the amount of liquid in different sizes of drink cups is exactly the same. A simple examination proved these statements to be false. The demonstrations given on social media were all a hoax. The intent, it seems, was to harm the reputation of the companies; and, to induce the company to pay bribes to clear its reputation. Like the language of the Gospels, these events are contemporary parables about life. There’s nothing new about deception, evil, and untruth. The Apostle Paul warned early Christians about such influences, which contrasted with the truth. Paul’s world in many ways was not much different from our own. People were being pulled away and captivated by evil and baseless teachings. The Apostle labeled these Satanic influences as “lawlessness.” This meant the propaganda and lies that were being produced and perpetrated, were destroying lives. When people ignore the truth and turn to lies, God allows them to suffer the consequences of their own decisions. The scripture says of such people: “Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth (I Thess. 2:11, NLT).” Some may argue, they have a right to believe as they wish. This is true. But each of us must bear the consequences for our beliefs and actions!