Based on John 10:1-6 (New King James Version)
“‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.”
Nowadays, there are many more voices (per se) than ever before, in the sense that there are all kinds of media that is bombarding us at every moment. Today, and thanks to technology, we have printed material like books, newspapers, etc. We have the radio that transmits music, commentary, opinions, etc. We have television that not only does what radio does, but also, it shows us visually different messages. And of course, we now have the internet with millions of websites. According to a survey Netcraft did on January 2018, it is estimated that there are more than 1.8 billion websites in the internet. And through the internet, you have everything that the print media, radio, and television combined can offer, and moreover, at your finger tips. Welcome to the world of mass media and communications! And all of this media is constantly trying to tell you what you should do, how you should live life, give you advice, opinions, etc. The majority of the media tries to control even what you believe, what you think, what should be your sexual preference, who you should vote for, what a family is, etc., etc. There is a lot of information that is trying to penetrate us wherever possible! With so much information, like what we receive from individuals around us and through the different forms of media, how can we decipher what is true or not true, what is good and what is not good, and what we should pay attention to or ignore?
To be able to focus a little better, we need to assign proper value to what should be searched for; to that which helps us get to and grow in the Truth of God. There may be a lot of things that might be good and important, but nothing can give you eternal life and the wisdom to live that life that has no end like the Truth of God. The Truth of God is the only thing that can help us get to the things that can really fill us, that can change our lives, and that can teach us how to treat our fellow man. But again, with everything that exists, with all of the different sources of information, how can we know what really comes from God? How can anyone know that what they are reading, or listening to, or seeing is part of God’s Truth?
Now then, where is God’s Truth? God’s Truth can be found in the Holy Bible, which is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. We need to have some time alone with His Word, so we can read it, meditate on it, study it, and let the Lord speak to us through it. We need to cultivate our own direct relationship with the Lord, so we can understand and here Him clearly. And when we listen to something, or read something, or see something or someone, we need to observe them carefully, to see if they coincide with God’s Word or not. The Scriptures give us an example on how to do things, where it says: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11. Despite the fact that the Apostles themselves were the ones ministering, and performing signs, miracles, and wonders, done through the work of the Holy Spirit, these people still had the zeal in trying to discern whether what they were being taught was right or not, whether things coincided with the Scriptures or not. That’s why everything I share I always try to do it by being inspired and based upon the Scriptures, and not using the Scriptures to support what I want to say (as an example). Everything has to be looked at very carefully, because there are all kinds of things out there. Not everything that is said to be good is good.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the enemy of our souls disguises himself with things that seem nice, and pleasing, and attractive, and even good. Satan will never come close to you using his real appearance, as he tries to tempt you to follow something false. Everything he uses to deceive with sounds and seems like the truth. This is what the Bible says regarding this: “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.
We have to be very careful who we listen to. Unfortunately, there is a lot of evil, people that are only looking to take advantage of others, looking for their own convenience and interest. But the Lord did warn us about the problems we would face, and He gave us good insight, so we can be careful with people like that, for it is written: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. ‘Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:15-23. So then, we just need to see their conduct and their lifestyle, at least, whenever possible.
We need to be careful with lacking knowledge, for it is also written: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6. The Word of God is within our reach. But, if we don’t pay attention to it, the natural consequence is that we will be ignoring the very thing that can guide us to everything that is truly good.
So then, are you looking for and following faithfully the One (Jesus) that died for you, so you could have life, and have it abundantly? Lord bless! John