A TREASURE MORE THAN FINE GOLD

 Grace be to you all, and peace from God, our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. This epistle we write to you all to stir up your minds by way of remembrance of the Word of God. That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Probably there could be some scoffers among you and amongst your fellows walking in their own lusts and saying in these last days ‘where is the promise of His coming? For since the days of old, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation’. These men willingly are ignorant of the Word of God. And not only so, but also that the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word which we speak to you today , are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. It is with this mind that we write unto you today.

The greatest and most important work of Satan amongst believers in these last days is to counterfeit the doctrines and experiences of God as revealed in scripture in order to deceive saints (2 Corinth 11:14-15, Eph 6:10-18, 1 Tim 4:1-7, Rev 12:9-12). It is written in the scriptures “prove all things and hold fast to that which is good.” All believers are commanded to prove and test all doctrines and even spiritual experiences in the supernatural realm to see if they are of God or of Satan (1 Corinth 2:12-16, Phil 1:9-10, 1 Thess 5:21-22, 1 John 4:1-6). It is a sure thing that every religion, doctrine, and experience among men particularly in these days of our Lord’s coming cannot be of God. We as believers must therefore judge them by the plain written Word of God. The knowledge of the truth is the FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT weapon of warfare against demons, error, and all deceit propagated by men acclaiming to be prophets of God. These men teach and subject the Word of our Lord to their own wisdom and by so doing willingly err from the truth. What really then is the truth some may ask? The ONLY truth is the Word of God (John 17:17). Anything contrary to the Word of God is not the truth neither does it come from God. If it does not come from God, then it must be of the devil. A believer that lacks the true knowledge and understanding of the Word of God is in danger of eternal damnation. Have you not read the scriptures wherein Satan desired even Apostle Peter that he might use him to deter our Lord from being crucified and this did happen more than once? And all these are written in Matt 16:23, Luke 22:31, and John 18:11? But how can this be? Did Apostle Peter not do all this because he loved the Lord? Yes. He did love the Lord in his own eyes yet the Lord rebuked him and told him Satan desires him but He (Lord) has prayed for him (Peter) that his faith fail not. Is it not written that the love of God is to keep His commandments (1 John 5:3) and any man that says he knows God and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4)? Brethren, if there be any among you that claims to know God and does not consistently study the Word of God nor do them, he has no love for God and he is a liar. Surely he belongs to the devil for he is the father of all lies (John 8:44).

Great is the danger when believers accept anything and everything in the realm of the natural or supernatural as being from the Lord. The fact that we are children of God does not stop the devil from trying in every conceivable way to imitate God to us. Brethren, we believers are the ones Satan concentrates on and wars against and this war will only end at the catching away when we go to be with our Lord forever. Perhaps some say ‘why does God allow the devil to continue to war against us’? Because He (God) wants to develop character and faith in us (James 1:12, 1 Peter 1:7-13, 5:8-9, 2 Peter 1:4-9, Jude 20-24), to keep us humble (2 Corinth 12:7), to bring disobedient children amongst us to repentance by allowing affliction, and to purge us all of any possibility of falling in the eternal future (Rev 21).

The most definite way of detecting what kind of spirit is in a man or seeking to control him is by judging his actions based ONLY on the knowledge and understanding of the Word of God by the help of the Holy Spirit. If any man neglects the study of the Word to do them, he will surely fall prey to one of Satan’s demons through ignorance. Ignorance is no guarantee against working of evil spirits. In fact, Ignorance is the chief weapon by which Satan and his forces try to control men. This accounts for their widespread success in getting men to accept doctrines, suggestions, ideas, leadings, and guidance contrary to the Word of God. Any doctrine that denies or causes doubt and unbelief concerning anything already taught and explained in the scriptures is from Satan and his demons. Any person or religion denying the inspiration of the bible, the reality of God as a person, the virgin birth and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, His bodily ascension to heaven, and His coming again to set up His kingdom on the whole earth forever, is not of God. It is of Satan. Do not associate yourselves with men of this manner. Just as God requires the truth of His word in our life so the Holy Spirit can work in us, so also the devil deceives men to believe lies in their minds so he can hold them in bondage of sin. He tries to get them lukewarm in the things of God and keep them that way so that God himself will cut them off in the end. He deceives men into being diligent in business or work so they can spend all their time trying to make more money before serving the Lord, deceiving themselves that they will give to the Lord when they do get rich. Anything done at the expense of the Word of our Lord is a waste and will have no reward.

So then, why are men deceived, afflicted, and eventually destroyed by the enemy today? Because they either lack the knowledge of the Word of God or they claim to know the Word but yet do not keep them by the Holy Spirit. Such lack true understanding which only comes by obedience to God’s word (Job 28:28, Psa 111:10). Brethren, it is better not to say you love the Lord if you do not keep His Word. If you do, you lie, and so commit sin. The devil has power over all men that commit sin. If you overcome sin, you overcome the devil. But how shall many of you overcome sin when you have refused to keep God’s words in your hearts and to pant after it as bread? How can you obey what you do not know? How many of you do find new revelation in these letters we write to you as the Lord has commanded us and go back to check the scriptures whether these things are so? Are these things not written concerning the Berea Christians (Acts 17:11)? And for you that think you stand firm and you already know, take heed to these words lest you are led away by the error of the wicked and fall from your steadfastness.

Should men pray? Yes. How often? Always, and without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17, Luke 21:36). Why then do some men seemingly pray so much and yet have little to show for it? Because they do not understand the will of God for their present situation concerning which they prayed. But where is the will of God? And how can a man know it and walk in it? The will of God is always in the Word of God. You must first study the Word, pray the Holy Spirit for understanding, and then strongly desire above all things in this world to do what the Word of God says. Though it is good to pray and it is good for men to continue praying until they have an answer (Luke 18:1-8), God does not hear men for their many prayers or for so much praying (Isa 1:15, Matt 6:5-8). God will always hear men’s prayers when they pray only according to His will (1 John 5:14). Now, the puzzle is that His will is only in His Word and men have refused to study His Word to know His will. By this, they have rejected His will. How then will He hear them and answer their prayers? Some even know His will and bear witness to the truth but do so in some form of unrighteousness and sinfulness. How shall their prayers not be hindered?

Brethren, we beseech you by the mercies of God to receive these words for our Lord sent us. We did not come by ourselves but He sent us. He has commanded us to urge all men to live righteously and godly in these last days according to His Word. He has commanded us to warn all men of coming events in view of their attitude concerning His Word, and to pray and make supplication for His people for Him to be merciful to them so they don’t partake and drink of the wine of His wrath which will be poured without mixture into the cup of His indignation in the days to come wherein many shall burn and none shall quench them. Please brethren, hear us. He that does not receive him whom the Lord has sent does not receive also the Lord that sent him and so he does not belong to the Lord. We are of God; he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God does not hear us. By this, we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Therefore brethren, we encourage you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to study the Word of God day and night as often as you can. Spend your money on spiritual things, bibles, tapes, books, etc. that will nourish you spiritually. And not only so, but you must keep the words you read in your hearts by the help of the Holy Spirit. Be filled with the Holy Spirit in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Strive everyday to live only by the Word of God and nothing else. Judge all you do by the Word of God. If you work 8 hours a day, eat 3 times a day, and only study the word of God for some few minutes daily, and yet you claim that the Word is bread to you, you deceive yourself and not God. He sees you. Come out of your deceit today lest the Lord come to you shortly and suddenly and count you with the wicked. Seek the Lord diligently today with all that is within you. Lose your sleep for the Word of God. It’s worth more than your cheap sleep. Much more than fine gold. It’s eternal. As the end of all things is at hand, let us be sober, and watch unto prayer with all supplication in the Spirit, for the coming of our Lord is at hand. It is even at the doors, May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.