THE IMPREGNABLE ROCK

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 28-29

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Masada is an ancient fortification on top of an isolated rock plateau on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built a palace for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BC. According to Josephus, the siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Jewish rebels and their families holed up there (approximately 73 AD).

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 28:6

And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord, I am totally confident that You do speak to me through Your Word and by Your Spirit. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide me into all Truth as Jesus promised You would. Help me to know when You speak metaphorically and when You speak literally. I choose to believe with all my heart that the Bible is Your Word. You have expressed Your thoughts, and because You are God, You have given oversight to the content of Your book. As David prayed so I pray, “Teach me Thy Word, O God.” In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’m deeply concerned that we all get it right when it comes to God speaking to us. The Apostle Peter had this same concern (I’ve just taken the time to read all of Peter’s second and last recorded teaching). Peter, to whom Jesus gave instructions to “feed my sheep,” does just that. In 1 Peter 1:15-21, we read that we “have the prophetic word made more sure,” and that, “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.” Over the centuries, the private interpretation of Scripture has resulted in all kinds of cults, in self-deceived people who lead others astray. The opposite to “private” is “public.” Publicly throughout the centuries, the doctrines of our faith have been defined and published. The Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the writings of the early Church teachers, such as Augustine and others, the writings of the reformers, and yes, dare I say it, the teachings of hundreds of men and women of God who have appeared on the 100 Huntley Street and Crossroads telecasts over the past 50 plus years, who are as Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14-19…”Rightly dividing the word of truth.” He even names two men who were at that very time perverting the truth because of their vanity. I’ve just read once again Paul’s warnings. He recognized that false teachings “spread like cancer.”

Yours for being careful — very, very careful — to stick close to the historical understanding of God’s Word, the Bible (I’ve also just read 2 Timothy 3:1-5),

David

P.S. Perhaps you can tell that I’m deeply concerned about a drift, sometimes without our knowing, away from the “faith once delivered” (Jude, verses 3-4). Please look up these words and remain faithful to and “contend (do battle) for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Please forgive me for being very much over my “100 Words” goal. The reason for more words is my deep concern that God’s children may be deceived in a major way as seems to happen at least once each century. Prime Minister Gladstone of Britain, when Canada negotiated its separation from direct British rule without war, wrote a book called, The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture. I believe this very wise man, with whom our Canadian representatives negotiated, got it right. Amen!!!

In front of the Crossroads Centre, which houses the ministry of Crossroads and the TV station, CTS, we placed a large Rock, symbolizing the Solid Rock of Christ and His Word.