«They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.” (2 Kings 17:33).
In Samaria the inhabitants celebrated a strange mixture of reverence for God and the worship of pagan gods. An unknown priest was contracted by the king of Assyria to teach the people of Samaria to fear the Lord (see 2 Kings 17:28). His corrupted teaching contained elements of the true religion mixed with the idolatrous paganism of the nearby cultures. We need pastors and church leaders who will remain steadfast and obedient to thus saith the Lord, who are strict in following the word of God, who keep the doctrine pure without extravagant stimulation. False science, manifested in spiritism, skepticism, apostasy, free love, and fanaticism are baits that Satan offers with overwhelming success.
Whoever accepts the responsibility to be the mouthpiece of God must stay close to the great Shepherd and be committed to receiving and transmitting only the truth. Let them lift up Christ in every sermon presented; that is the only guarantee that they will not fall into the enemy’s traps. There are popular ministers who in order to win the affection of the congregation, stray away from God’s commandments and teach as truth the customs and traditions that the members want to hear. In the following paragraph, we read a declaration of the enemy as shown to E. G. White in vision:
«I will have upon the ground, as my agents, men holding false doctrines mingled with just enough truth to deceive souls. I will also have unbelieving ones present who will express doubts in regard to the Lord’s messages of warning to His church. Should the people read and believe these admonitions, we could have little hope of overcoming them. But if we can divert their attention from these warnings, they will remain ignorant of our power and cunning, and we shall secure them in our ranks at last. God will not permit His words to be slighted with impunity. If we can keep souls deceived for a time, God’s mercy will be withdrawn, and He will give them up to our full control. We must cause distraction and division. We must destroy their anxiety for their own souls, and lead them to criticize, to judge, and to accuse and condemn one another, and to cherish selfishness and enmity. For these sins, God banished us from His presence; and all who follow our example will meet a similar fate.»— Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, ch. 17, p. 475.
The power of evil can only be kept in check by the power of God. Take His power for yourself.
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Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023
“DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid
From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
