TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE
Please read Acts 17
As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
Acts 17:10-12
DEVOTIONAL
by Elder Chris Beltran
Today, we need to be as discerning and careful as the Bereans. First, they acknowledged the Scriptures as the final authority of spiritual matters. If our tradition, practices, and culture run contrary to what the Bible says, it must overrule these practices. Why? Because it is God’s word and should be the final authority over man’s word, it should form our tradition, practices, and culture.
Second, we should examine the Bible diligently to find out if a teaching is true or false. Diligently means we keep searching and searching until the truth is revealed. Today, we have so many cults, conflicting instructions, misquoted Bible passages, and even seemingly inspiring messages to suit people’s agenda instead of God’s plan. People would claim the name “Christian” but proclaim a different gospel. Some would say being a member of their church would lead to salvation. In some countries, some self-proclaimed messiahs boldly claim the authority to sign certificates of salvation.
Just because a person has the title such as Bishop, Pastor, Brother, etc., or because a group of people claims that they are “Christians” and that their church follows Christ, does not always mean they represent the true God of the Bible. The Bible reminds us to be careful of such people as they are “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” And if we are not careful, we will be swayed into following the wrong person leading to the wrong destination.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, in Acts 17, we see the importance of boldly proclaiming Your truth while discerning false teachings. Grant us the courage to share Your gospel amidst our culture and the wisdom to distinguish truth from deception. Open hearts to receive Your Word and ignite in us a passion for seeking Your guidance. May our lives reflect Your message as we learn, proclaim, and live it out. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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