"Aplanis my paths"

Do not listen to the false teachers who would like to make you believe that God can be used as a genius to fulfill your wishes. Never give a dollar to a church that offers you a hope of getting more. God is saddened by this kind of false doctrine and by the parishioners who embrace them. Our prayer can not be : "Lord, bless me," but should be : "Lord, put me on the right path. Arrange my heart. Flatten my paths. Then no lion shall devour me, and I shall have authority to perform the works of Your kingdom."

It is always best to flee corruption before it can happen. Again and again in the Bible, we see God taking away His people from corrupt situations. When He commanded Noah to enter the Ark, it was to take away His servant from a corrupt world. When He led Israel into the Promised Land, He removed them from the oppressive slavery of Egypt.

But a fallen world or false teachers in the church are not the only ones to corrupt. There is also the problem of our own sinful heart. When popular preachers tell us : "You can have a prosperous life today," something in us wakes up - especially if we feel our lives have been disappointing. But our motivation to approach God can not be : "Can I get something from Him ?" If so, we are looking for the wrong god.

I do not say that kind of thing very often. But I can not go back to any of the things I wrote here. My friend, flee from the biblical studies that exist only to make you feel good. Avoid relationships that push you to seek more pleasures and less to seek Christ. Find another church if yours has worked hard to get you into the building and then fail to train you to take Jesus everywhere. Flee - and know that God is pleased with your obedience.

Gary Wilkerson