"WHAT KINDS OF BOOKS DO YOU LET IN YOUR SPIRIT?"

Good Evening to All!

Are you being deceived by the books you read? Would you even know? How well versed in God's Word are you? Do you know enough of it to be able to tell when you are reading a book of fiction being passed off as truth? Some books, even though they are known to be fiction are just as dangerous as books which are portrayed as truth, yet are fiction. The reason I say this is because they put dangerous ideas into people's heads. Ideas that could actually doom people to an eternity in Hell, and people aren't well-versed enough in God's Truth, to be able to discern the ramifications of these books.

The following post is one which I feel is most important to be read. I got permission from the author, a sweet, wise, woman of God, by the name of Angela. Her blog is titled "IN HIS NAME". I gain so much insight from her blog, and felt like with today's increasing watered-down versions of Christianity, and the lies being "spewed out" disguised as truths, with fiction being portrayed as possible accounts, I felt like this particular post needed to be spread as far and wide as I could possibly spread it. Dan Brown's books, (Angels and Demons, the Da Vinci Code and others which he may be trying to infect the world with are dangerous. Yes, they are fiction, but they leave the minds of those who read them open to the ideas that Satan wants. They mislead the impressionable minds of those who are "on the fence", or new Christians who are not well versed in the Bible. This post helps to eradicate these dangerous myths. He is entitled to "his" opinions, but with the "coming of Christ" drawing nearer, we need to be concentrating on the true things of God, not some rumor that is unfounded. I'm not just speaking of this last book, but all of his books. Just like Satan deceived Eve by twisting the "true word of God around and making them untrue, just like adding a tiny bit of truth to a lot of fabrication, so goes these books. Thank you for allowing me to speak my opinion, and Thank you Angela for speaking yours.

I recommend reading Angela's blog, IN HIS NAME, and getting a fresh new insight to issues that are plaguing this world today. This is only the second time I have had a "guest post" or have used another blogger's post on my blog, so I'm not quite sure of the way it is supposed to be done. From this point on, up to the closing are her wonderful words and ideas. I turn it over to you Angela.

IN HIS NAME

Christian articles and devotionals that lift up the name of Jesus and help to inspire others to live the Christian life.


Cutting And Pasting God's Word

There's a new move afoot to subvert God's teachings through His holy Word. I just finished reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol which, as those of you who have read other books by this author will know, deals with the subject of Freemasonry. In the book, one of the main characters extols the virtues of the Holy Bible and encourages the protagonist, Michael Langdon, to read it. However, he goes on to say that the whole Bible is a parable, full of hidden codes and meanings which will be revealed to us at the proper time.

Now I have a problem with that. If the Holy Bible were a parable which has not yet been interpreted, how could we live by it? How could we discern right from wrong? Why are we seeing those "parables" fulfilled before our eyes as time- as we know it- hurtles to an end? It is no wonder that many are disputing the virgin birth and even the resurrection of Christ. Jesus was famous for speaking in parables; it was the hallmark of his teaching style. When His disciples asked Him, "Why do you speak in parables?" (Matthew 13: 10), Jesus replied, "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them" (v 13-15).

In other words, Jesus was saying that they (the Pharisees and religious leaders of His day) were so hard-hearted that they would never understand when He spoke. But Jesus always interpreted the parable to His disciples when they were alone, and those interpretations are in the Bible for us to read and understand. Therefore to say that the whole Bible is a parable is dangerous and misleading and gives people the licence to interpret God's Word any way they please.

It is no wonder that teachings on sin, heaven and hell and the Holy Spirit are now banned in some churches and a new MTV style of teaching is now penetrating the twenty-first century church. Peter said, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1 : 20-21). 2 Timothy 3 : 16 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: "

Let us not be taken in by skeptics' claims that the Bible is an allegory which should not be taken literally. I believe that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, that He literally died on a crude Roman cross, was buried, literally rose and ascended into heaven, and that one day He is literally coming back for all who believe in Him. And that's no parable!

Thank you again Angela for a most thought provoking post. I hope others think on it long and hard like I did to be careful about the books which I let into my spirit.

Good Night To All and May God Bless!