Book Excerpt: One Important Thing!

Here is the one important thing you must know: The teachings of Christ do not change. The author of Hebrews makes this clear in chapter 13:8-9:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.” (NIV)

It is apparent from this verse that if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then His message is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, we need to be careful we are not carried away by any kind of strange teachings and ideas contrary to the teaching of Christ. Second Timothy 4:3-4 illustrates this reality:

“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (NIV)

So then the question becomes: What must we do to guard ourselves against many of the lies brought to us through television programs and TV personalities? Just as discussed previously, God’s Word must be our foundation so we do not accept new teachings and ideas that are in opposition to the Word of God.

- Let Jesus Be Your Talk Show Host, Ch. 1

Who Are You Centering Your Life Around?

 

Many talk shows today are made up of segments featuring interviews and advice about your health, business, finances, relationships, fashion tips, and how-to’s on almost any subject. In addition, talk show segments that teach about spirituality have become common place. A plethora of views and beliefs are floating around through television programs, billboards, media, and thousands of self-help books. So the question becomes: How can we, as Christians, discern which view is the correct view? With so many different media personalities feeding us their beliefs and ideas, how are we to know which set of beliefs are true? 

My answer? Let Jesus be your talk show host!

You might ask, “Well how do I do that?” The answer is: Let Jesus, your Lord and Savior, be the Person around whom you center your beliefs and worldview. The definition of the word center is “a source from which something originates.” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed.) This definition gives good insight into who Jesus Christ should be in our lives. The set of principles by which we live should always originate from the teachings of Jesus, not a television personality or any other influential person in our culture today. 

- Let Jesus Be Your Talk Show Host, Ch. 1

Poll #3: What Does it Mean to Be Double-Minded?

 

Happy Monday! Last week’s poll question was, “What does it mean to be double-minded?” 75% of you answered all of the above (to have divided interests, to be doubtful, or to be uncertain). 25% of you answered “to have divided interests.” The answer is “all of the above.”

The following is an excerpt from chapter 4 of the book Let Jesus Be Your Talk Show Host. This chapter is about false doctrine and false teaching. This excerpt is found in the section named “Be alert, self-controlled, resist the enemy, and stand firm.” To stand firm against the enemy, we as believers must not be double-minded. We must be firm in what we believe to be the truth. If not, we may unknowingly acquire incorrect teachings about God and Scripture:

 

 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV)

 

In this passage, Peter admonishes believers to stand firm in the faith and resist the devil. God wants us to stand firm in our knowledge of Jesus Christ and be unmovable when new, deceptive teachings arise. It reminds me of James 1:6-8 which states that a man who is “double-minded” is unstable in all he does:

 

 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:5-8, NIV)

 

“Double-minded” used here identifies a person who wavers in her beliefs, who doubts, is uncertain, or has divided interests.[ii] You see, our interests must be wholly on God and certain in what we believe is the truth. This is how we stand firm and resist the enemy.

-Let Jesus Be Your Talk Show Host, Ch. 4

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[i] Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985) , 2:842.

[ii] Enhanced Strongs Lexicon, s.v. “G1374.”