Good morning!

            This morning, I had oatmeal for breakfast. I like oatmeal because you can add anything you want to it like raisons, brown sugar, fresh berries, etc. Some people say that oatmeal is “too bland for my liking” and others, like me, find it be a simple breakfast. The best thing about oatmeal is it can be breakfast, lunch, supper, and/or evening snack. This, of course, is my humble opinion. In the same way that oatmeal is a matter of taste, so is faith. That said, there are people who would never eat oatmeal because they had a bad experience and claim that they will never eat it again. So which viewpoint do you accept as “Gospel”? This is where the word “Faith” comes into play and the need to plant a flag and stand by your choice. Unfortunately, many people tend to jump ship or jump on the bandwagon when public opinion changes.

            In the book, “Jesus the Misunderstood Jew” the writer talks about the early church and beliefs about “End Times” or “eschatology”. The early churches, just as it is today, believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime and establish his kingdom on earth; when things didn’t happen as they though it would, the church would either have to change their time or, disband (Levine, 2006). Here’s the rub, and my point, choosing to believe in Jesus and in the Word of God, is a personal choice and not one to be entered in lightly. The church in America today just like the churches of the 1^st century have or had false theologies that are predicated on a few choice verses. Our common enemy, the Devil of old, is crafty in that he can make insane ideas plausible by using false arguments that appeal to our senses (Genesis 3:1). It is up to humans to decide for themselves what is true or false through careful study and prayer before we make a choice on which hill to plant our flag and be prepared to face whatever consequences come as a result (Joshua 24:14-15). My encouragement for you today is, “Take as much time as you need to make an informed decision”.

In His Service

MK