Blogs

The Kingdom Light – Episode 1127

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On today’s program, we’ll deal with some of the fallout from the Charlie Kirk assassination AND tell you about some new things coming to GCM.

-Show Intro –

Do me a favor and SMASH that LIKE button! If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

That site URL is changing, by the way, but we’ll get into that later.

At the top of the stack this week, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he is designating Antifa as a terrorist group. Some of us feel this is long overdue. In recent days, the president has accused left-wing groups of fomenting violence against Republicans and conservatives. He holds the “far left” responsible for inciting hatred and violence after the assassination of conservative spokesman Charlie Kirk on September 10th.

Like most of you, I was shocked to hear that sad news last week. I’ve been familiar with Charlie’s podcast for some time, as well as his life’s work with Turning Point USA. Over the years, I quoted Kirk several times and thought very highly of him. His death hit me harder than I could ever have imagined, as he truly was one of the best of us.

This is why the hatred that spewed from the left, even after his murder, deeply angered me. The people who are saying those nasty negative things about Charlie Kirk are just parroting the lies they’ve heard from deep state media. Similar to their attacks on Trump, they kept saying Charlie was “a Nazi” and “like Hitler” and “full of hate” until somebody decided it was a good idea to shoot him. This time, the bullet took the life of the intended target, and the demonic lefties have been cheering gleefully ever since.

But then, as someone on social media pointed out…

Lots of people don’t like the truth. It makes them uncomfortable. They are quite fond of the lies they believe, and they take any disagreement with them as hateful. They’re actually projecting hate onto the one who speaks truth and legitimizing and excusing violent attacks against that truth teller.

Am I comparing Charlie Kirk to Jesus? Of course not. I’m saying the same evil that crucified Christ is still trying to silence voices of truth today. And in reality, Charlie was a lot more like Jesus than like Hitler. That kind of talk has got to stop. It incites the very violent behavior the left then blames us for.

Jimmy Kimmel was the most recent one to mess around and find out about this. Earlier this week, Kimmel spread the disinformation that Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a Donald Trump supporter. And no, he wasn’t joking. Here’s a quote from his show…

This, of course, was a lie. One which defies all logic. Why in the world would anyone identifying as MAGA – which are conservatives, by the way – ever have such a beef with fellow conservative, Charlie Kirk, and wish to kill him? That makes absolutely zero sense.

The shooter was indeed identified as a lefty from a family of mostly MAGA folks. He has a trans-girlfriend (a male) lover, and suspected ties to Antifa. He inscribed shell casings with anti-MAGA sentiments. His own father turned him into the authorities, refusing to accept the $100,000 reward – which should probably go to Kirk’s wife to use as she sees fit.

Kimmel, on the other hand, has learned his false allegations have consequences. He was suspended, likely leading to ABC’s cancelation of his show. Like Colbert’s show, Kimmel’s had long been in the tank ratings-wise, so no one will miss it. While Kimmel himself seems unrepentant, he was reportedly livid and ready to break his contract with ABC anyway.

What gets me is the national media seems more sympathetic toward Jimmy Kimmel for losing his job than they are toward Charlie Kirk for losing his life. Here’s the very simple difference no one seems willing to say out loud, but I will… Jimmy told a blatant lie and lost his job for it, while Charlie told the truth and lost his life for it. Just because you don’t like the truth doesn’t make it any less true.

Jimmy told a blatant lie and lost his job for it, while Charlie told the truth and lost his life for it.

This week, Turning Point USA has announced that Kirk’s widow, Erika, is taking over as CEO. To her and everyone else at TP USA, as well as all those continuing Charlie’s legacy, we send our heartfelt prayers and blessings. Charlie will be missed, but never forgotten. And there’s still work to be done.

The fact that so many like Colbert and Kimmel are actually reaping the whirlwind because of their lies is promising. It would seem to indicate that the tide is indeed turning. No longer are the propagandists flatly getting away with their slander. At least, not all of them. This is, quite frankly, because of people like Charlie Kirk.

But it’s also a result of the litany of prayers from folks like you. Make no mistake. Prayer is still our best tool against our spiritual enemies. So keep it up.

Also this week, the Senate has unanimously declared October 14, 2025, Charlie Kirk’s birthday, as the “National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk.” Mark your calendars. He deserves it.

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Next up, I wanna remind you that we’re moving into that time of year again. Truth is, we should never wait for the giving season to support worthy causes. My favorite charity has been St. Jude. I developed a connection to the organization years ago while emceeing a fundraiser. I researched St. Jude and read the stories of countless children who’ve benefited from it. And so I’m asking you to please take a little time to go donate to the cause.

Go to stjude.org – that’s stjude.org. Click on the donation link and give generously. The St. Jude Research Hospital has been the number one institution fighting to save the lives of kids with childhood cancers. They deserve all the help they can get. So give today at stjude.org.

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Finally, I wanna bring you up to speed with what’s going on here at GCM. For those of you who didn’t already read the note from Stace I posted earlier this week, here’s what it’s all about…

As of this week, our official site URL has changed from TheKingdomLight.com to TheGCMedia.com. If you need to re-bookmark us, you have plenty of time. The old site address will continue to work until August of 2026. Still, why wait, right? And hopefully, there will be no need to change the URL again. Maybe.

God has also been stirring something in me lately. Got me to thinking about some things differently. And got me to feeling like making another change in the current podcast’s name. This one took me a while to get my head around. I have always resisted naming a show after myself. I never wanted to give anyone the notion that it’s all about me! No!

Then I realized… Naming the show after me doesn’t mean it’s about me. By doing so, I’m taking responsibility for it – I’m owning it. Who’s responsible for how I make this ministry look? Me. Who’s responsible for the words I speak? Me. Who’s to blame when I get it wrong? Me. Wait, huh? Oh yeah, I am indeed fallible. I am capable of messing up. If that happens, who should get the black mark? This ministry? Christianity in general? NO! Me! I should own my own mistakes. For sure.

That’s why the current name and format of the podcast will be changing again in the coming weeks. The Kingdom Light will be replaced with – simply – STACE. That’s right. It’s MY own opinions based on MY morals and MY beliefs and how I understand the Bible. I think God’s telling me to OWN my beliefs and then OWN how I treat the ministry HE gave me. I’m imperfect and I should own those imperfections.

This, along with a few tweaks to the format of the show, will be seen in the next few weeks. The mission of GCMedia, as always, remains the same – reaching people with the truth, including a biblical perspective on current events. And you should hold me personally accountable to that.

Until next time, God bless and keep looking up. Our redemption is at hand.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1126

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Once again, vile shootings are in the news. And once again, the left is mischaracterizing the event for political reasons. Today we put it into perspective, and expose the evil that so few people choose to acknowledge.

-Show Intro –

Do me a favor and SMASH that LIKE button! If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

As you are probably aware, this past week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, there was a terrible assault targeting young children at a Catholic Church. A young man who had transitioned to become a woman opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church. The shooting took place during the campus-wide Mass, attended by students and faculty of the Annunciation Catholic School.

Two children, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, were killed. A total of 21 other people were injured, including 18 children and three adults in their 80s. The perpetrator was identified as 23-year-old Robin M. Westman. Armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, Westman fired dozens of rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows from outside before dying by suicide in the parking lot.

Following the shooting, first responders and community members, including parents, rushed to the scene to help the wounded. Many of the injured were taken to local hospitals. The community has come together to mourn the victims, with memorials and fundraisers established for the affected families. They are all still in our prayers, which we’ll talk about later.

Now naturally, this shooting has also sparked renewed debates on gun control and mental health. The left always pounces on tragedies like this one as an opportunity to put the blame on guns, rather than bring attention to the real underlying problems that exist. Then when someone does point out the gender disphoria and other mental health issues which played a part, they are scoffed at and called transphobic.

While many of us indeed recognize the trans issues as mental health issues, this is denied by everyone who stands to gain from these confusing problems many young people are going through. Those problems are being capitalized on by evil forces who are out to destroy our kids and victimize them in any way possible.

Let me go ahead and deal with this gun thing and get it over with because I really want to stay on point with what the real problems are. Like I said, every time we have a mass shooting, the left starts singing that same old tired song – it’s guns, the problem is that we don’t have enough gun control! Wrong. Most cities that have the strictest gun laws still have some of the worst crime, including gun violence. For example, the city of Chicago.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Chicago had 37 separate shootings, in which a total of 58 people were shot – 8 of those people died. But what does Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker have to say about that?

[clip 1 – Pritzker evades question]

Hold up. First, he doesn’t take ownership of the problem. Rather he makes the excuse, “Oh well, Chicago is a big city, and big cities have a lot of crime, that’s just how it is.” So all the shootings, all the crime and death, that’s what? Just the status quo? And you accept that? Really?

Then of course, he quickly deflects and says Trump is picking on Chicago when there’s more crime and gun violence in red states. Now he’s comparing apples to oranges, cities to whole states. But where are the worst crime areas in those red states? Yep, in the blue democrat-run cities. Here in my home state of Tennessee, for example, the city of Memphis has one of the worst crime rates in the country. Who runs it? Democrats.

But they keep blaming guns as the problem when they know that’s not true. Why? I’ve said it before. There’s only one reason to ban gun ownership, and that’s to completely control the populous. Firearm restrictions are a slippery slope that inevitably leads to outright gun bans. History tells us that what follows is tyranny. Our founders knew that, which is why the 2nd Amendment exists.

But we have people like Tim Caine, for example, who would deny that our rights come from God rather than from government. Thankfully Ted Cruz was available to set him straight.

[clip 2 – the 2 TCs debate the origin of individual rights]

I’ve heard this same insanity, like what Tim Caine said, from the leftist media hacks. They either don’t know what our founding documents say, or they simply don’t care and choose to deny it. Our rights were clearly self evidently God-given according to the Founding Fathers, and self evident to me as well, whether self evident to anyone else or not. But let’s get back to what I believe is a hellish war on our kids.

I posted my thoughts on this topic earlier in the week, so I’ll just throw that Facebook post on the screen and read it…

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Listen to what renowned brain surgeon Dr. Ben Carson told Vince Coglianese this week…

[clip 3 – excerpt from Vince podcast]

He’s absolutely right. But I can hear some of you maybe saying, I thought this was about the shootings – why are you talking about the trans thing? Because in many cases, as was the case with last week’s shooting in Minneapolis, the shooter was a person with mental problems – including thinking he was trapped in the wrong body. He had even made statements that he was tired of being trans. The transgender belief itself is one of the key factors in this case and others.

Another reason I’m talking about the mental health problem of today’s trans youth is because that’s something which has been foisted upon them at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable. This too, I believe, is part of hell’s war on our kids. And I have two clips that illustrate my point.

Now, these are only two of the thousands of examples of young people who’s lives have been irrevocably altered by the transgender lie. These clips are about 3 minutes each, but it is important that their stories are heard. Here’s the first one…

[clip 4 – detransitioner testimonial]

Heartbreaking. Here’s the other one, and she talks about the effects of the drugs she was given as well…

[clip 5 – detransitioner testimonial]

Dear Lord. It’s not only heartbreaking, it’s quite frankly outrageous that our youth is having to deal with this atrocity. It is purely demonic what’s happening to these kids. And as Christians, we know the most effective weapon at our disposal for fighting against the powers of hell is prayer.

As for the families affected by the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, prayer is indeed an effective tool for them also. There are many who say prayer means nothing. In fact, here’s a tweet from Jen Psaki this week after so many people offered their thoughts and prayers for the victims’ families…

How self-righteous and callous of her to say such a thing! She ignores the heartfelt sentiments of those who know and believe in the power of prayer. Not to mention that those effected families have requested that people pray for them. Listen to what Vice President Vance said about that just a couple of days ago…

[clip 6 – Vance relays message from Minneapolis parents of shooting victims]

Please say a prayer. Absolutely. Obviously, there are those who don’t believe in prayer. But that alone wouldn’t warrant such a heartless response to people praying. No, there’s a larger issue at play.

The Department of Homeland Security posted this last week on X, and the legacy media just about lost their collective minds…

Remember the lady who was arrested for praying outside an abortion clinic? Yeah, she broke no law. Neither did the “praying grandma” who was arrested at the Capitol on January 6th. So what’s really going on?

Simple. When people rail at you for praying, it’s because it upsets their demons. I said what I said. The demonic forces at work behind all these issues are enraged when we pray because it works. Prayer isn’t just asking God to give you stuff. It is active participation in spiritual warfare. That’s why they don’t want you praying.

So pray all the more. Pray for these kids in Minneapolis and others like them, and also pray for our young people who are under the onslaught of hell and the brainwashing of transgenderism. Pray that the confusion and lies would be halted in Jesus’ name!

Hell’s minions would love to continue waging war on our kids and have us stripped of our best tool for defeating them – prayer. But they can’t stop it. You can pray out loud or you can pray silently, but hell cannot withstand the power of prayer! Don’t. Ever. Stop.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1125

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On today’s program – some call it cussin’, some call it cursing, while others just say it’s using dirty words. Well, we’re gonna see what the Bible says about it – AND you might be surprised by what we learn during this Plain Talk About Vain Speech.

-Show Intro –

Do me a favor and SMASH that LIKE button! If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

Before I start, let me once again emphasize that everything I’m about to say is MY opinion. Do not base your beliefs on me or my words. Seek God for your own answers. But I am going to examine several scriptures, and I will base my opinion on how I understand the Bible’s take on the topic of using terms which are considered profanity.

Okay, I’m sure we’ve all done it. You accidentally hurt yourself and something comes out of your mouth, right? Or maybe those kinds of words are part of your everyday vocabulary. I’ve heard people shamelessly curse like a sailor, and I’ve heard others who let a profanity slip out just in a kinda whoopsie moment. But is it really a big deal, or is it overly frowned upon?

I’ll go ahead and tell you right now that I believe many of us have focused on the wrong aspect of this. Now, don’t think I’m excusing cussing someone out – I’m not. I’ll explain what I mean in a moment. Listen carefully. Some people point to this passage in Matthew, chapter 12…

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

But to what is this referring? What are careless words? We get a bit more insight by reading more than just a verse or two of scripture. So let’s look just a couple lines before this, where the Bible makes a statement that clears things up…

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

So what we’re really talking about here is the attitude of the heart. Keep that in mind because that’s gonna be at the core of this whole discussion. Again, don’t get ahead of me and assume I’m preparing to make excuses for using profanity. No. What I’m doing is trying to get you to realize what’s really the big issue and why it should be avoided. So stay with me here.

Let’s look at another passage found in Exodus, chapter 20, verse 7. You’ll recognize it as one of the Ten Commandments…

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Now we’re getting into addressing this as vain speech. What is vain speech and why should we avoid it? Pride and vanity are what? Conditions of the heart. So what does it mean to take the Lord’s name in vain? Here’s the best and perhaps worst example I can think of…

When someone uses “Jesus,” or “Jesus Christ,” as a swear word, what you’re actually doing is using His name and His title for no good reason. You’re not talking about Him, let alone talking to Him, so you are literally saying His name in vain. I’ve heard professing Christians do this, and it always bothers me because that’s my savior and He deserves more respect that having His name used as some empty exclamation.

What about using the term “GD?” This one I see more as an actual curse than taking His name in vain. Different category, but still bad. In saying this, you’re basically asking God to damn something – or curse it – whether it’s a situation, or even a person. I’m gonna go on record here as saying that’s probably not something we ought to do, but what makes it worse is – again – the attitude of your heart when you say it. Often, if you shout GD, you’re likely harboring some anger or malice, which is poison for your spirit. Plus the fact that it’s disrespectful. Plenty of reasons why we shouldn’t say it.

Another scripture people think of on this topic is James 3:10, which says…

^{From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.}

This passage is all about taming the tongue. Again, it’s referring to saying destructive things – words that tear down rather than build up. You need to understand right now that this has to do with far more than just some filthy terminology. You don’t have to cuss to curse, if you know what I mean.

So we see here once again that it’s not about the words themselves, but rather it’s about the intention behind the words. People say words have power – yes, but not because of the words, but because of the condition of the heart behind the tongue that’s speaking the words. If your heart is full of rage and violence, it will poison your spirit, and you end up cursing people when we are meant to bless people. This verse tells us the two things are incompatible.

One more passage and we’re gonna bring it all home. Look at 2 Timothy 2:16…

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness.

So let’s break this down. What is irreverent babble? Being reverent means showing due respect, and in the case of being reverent to God it’s also having a holy fear – which is recognizing His majesty. So then, irreverent babble is disrespectful speech that flippantly disregards the holiness of God.

If you examine a little further down in this chapter, you see that it gives the example of some people who had swerved from the truth and begun to lead others astray in the process. It states that everyone who declares the name of the Lord should refrain from causing iniquity and confusion with their words. So this is referring specifically to believers who irreverently go off on their own tangent, straying from the intended context of God’s Word.

This is why we need to avoid cherry-picking Bible verses and taking them out of context to support our own ideas. And I think I’ve stayed within the thought lines of these scriptures. I never wanna be the guy who says, “Well THIS is what I think, so let me find some biblical tidbits to support my personal way of thinking.” No, let the Bible speak for itself, and always seek insight from the Holy Spirit when searching the scriptures!

So what have we learned? First, it’s not about the words themselves. You might be surprised to learn that many words we consider profane aren’t thought to be that in certain cultures. Conversely, there are certain gestures thought to be very crude and disrespectful in other cultures which aren’t so to us. Holding out your hand for a handshake is actually an insult to some tribal people. Meanwhile, letting out a loud burp after a meal in Japan is considered a compliment on the meal. Does this mean it’s okay to swear? No, you’ve missed the point. If your local custom considers it taboo, avoid saying it.

This is because, second, it’s really about the attitude of your heart. In our culture, certain profanities especially are often used as expressions of anger or with ill intent. This vile attitude comes from the heart, gets spoken by the tongue, and poisons the spirit. Some things are better left unsaid. The Bible tells us that we can be angry and sin not. So we should try to tame our tongue and avoid speaking harsh words of any kind.

Why? That’s the third thing – WE WERE MEANT TO BLESS OTHERS, not to curse them. Not only can our words be poisonous to our own spirits, but they can have a huge impact on other people. The Bible says our mouths speak both blessings and cursings, and that shouldn’t be the case. The two things are incompatible, which means that one of those things will ultimately take over. Which one depends on the attitude of your heart and how close you really want to be with God. I would submit that people who speak curses or profanity as part of everyday life are nowhere near as close to God as they need to be. And we all need to grow closer to Him every day.

Finally, let’s keep in mind that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And also, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So if you hear someone speak words that offend you, pray for them. If that person is a believer in Christ, and yet uses irreverent speech, don’t let your first thought be condemnatory – but instead let it be compassionate. Lift that person up in prayer and let that be it. You don’t know but what God is already dealing with the situation. Each of us has our own struggles with sin. Let us regard one another then in brotherly love.

God bless, and have a wonderful weekend.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1124

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On today’s show, we’re gonna spend some time in the book of Acts, chapter 8. This will be a Bible study into some of the amazing adventures of a man named Philip – complete with signs, wonders, and even the unexpected.

-Show Intro –

Welcome, welcome! Do you see that LIKE button right there? If you don’t mind, go ahead and HIT it, PUNCH it, SMASH it for me. It would also be cool if you’d SHARE this podcast to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. Email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

Now you have heard me say often times that we are called to preach the truth and the good news of Christ. The same was true of Philip. He was a man of God, called to spread the gospel message. And today we’re going to learn some important truths about this calling.

As we open up this 8th chapter of Acts, one of the great martyrs of our faith, Stephen, had just been stoned to death for daring to preach about Jesus. Saul had just given his approval of Stephen’s death. Of course, this was before Saul’s conversion – before he became Paul, one of the greatest Apostles of our faith.

So this chapter begins in a very dangerous time to be a Christian. Yet even as Saul was ravaging the church and having people jailed or worse, Philip was faithfully fulfilling his duty and proclaiming the teachings of Christ. Let’s pick up with verse 5…

5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

In a time when people were being imprisoned and even killed for their belief in Jesus, there were obedient men of God who did not shrink from declaring truth. Philip was one of those men. And his obedience was met with great success. Evil spirits came shrieking out of people. Others who were afflicted experienced healing. People found joy in Christ in the midst of turmoil.

So the first thing we learn from Philip is to let nothing discourage you from doing what God calls you to do. Trust me, when you set out to do the will of God, the enemy is going to come after you with roadblocks, quicksand, and everything he can think of to stop you. But we must stand firm and obey God.

As we continue with verse 9, we see that obedience to God brings signs and wonders that get the attention of sinners…

⁹ But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. ¹⁰ They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” ¹¹ And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. ¹² But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

This guy, Simon, had been a magician – someone who was all about the fame and notoriety. He was an attention seeker. Like one of those people at a county fair, Come see Simon the Sorcerer! Now Philip’s preaching was accompanied by amazing signs, so Simon believed. However, we’re about to see in the next few verses that someone new to Christianity can still fall back into old habits.

¹⁴ Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, ¹⁵ who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

…As though this power could be purchased with money. Boy, was he about to get the rebuke of a lifetime!

²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

Now we know that Peter has always been a little over-the-top. This is the same guy who chopped off the ear of a Roman guard the night they came to arrest Jesus. Some of us might look at how harshly he handled Simon here and say, “Whoa, wait a second there, Pete! This Simon guy is new to the faith. Cut him a little slack, man!” But NO, everything Peter said to him was right. And even though his words may seem a bit much, this is exactly what Simon needed to hear. He needed someone like Peter to get in his face and tell him the real score.

²⁴ And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Even though Simon had believed, he was still seeing the power of God as something to be exploited and used for his own purposes. Recognizing this, Peter called him out for his wickedness. Here we see even those who believe can be in need of correction.

Now let’s get back to Philip, because this dude is all about doing what God says to do and going where God says to go. And doing God’s will can be a real adventure! See, there was another person nearby who was new to the faith and needed some guidance. Picking up in verse 26…

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. ²⁷ And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸ and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” ³⁰ So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Let me point out that, when the spirit of the Lord tells you to do something, do it knowing that this is a important opportunity to see God work. Once again, it is in the obedience that we see God’s hand. And we see here that this was divinely orchestrated. This Ethiopian official was primed and ready to receive a word from God – he was actively seeking it. That’s just when the Holy Spirit sent Philip to him. God’s timing is perfect.

As Philip began to explain the words of Isaiah were referring to the coming of the Messiah, teaching the eunuch all about Jesus, there was an excitement building up in his heart. This guy was hungry for the truth of Christ! We see just how excited he was down in verse 36 of this passage…

³⁶ And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ³⁸ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

You see, the truth of salvation through Christ is exciting and desirable. When people who are hungry for something to give purpose and meaning to their lives find out how God loves us and made a way for us to live forever with Him, why would anyone turn that down? Those who long for the light of truth will find it in Jesus, but those who prefer darkness will reject Him.

Now folks, for the grand finale, let’s look at what happened after Philip obeyed God and baptized this Ethiopian official…

³⁹ And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through, he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Okay, hold up. You need to get this picture in your mind. This official, a man so excited to learn of Jesus, who insisted on being baptized as soon as he spotted some water – he comes up out of the water, smile on his face, wipes his eyes and sees what? Philip is gone. Vanished. Poof.

There’s no record here of the dude freaking out that Philip had disappeared. All it says is that he just went on his way rejoicing. He’s just given his heart and life to Christ, and nothing else seems to matter. From this we learn that giving your life to Jesus is more important than anything.

But what about Philip? What happened to him? He baptized a guy, came up out of the water and – suddenly finds himself in another town? Biblical scholars say that, from where that baptism took place to where Philip appeared in Azotus, it’s a distance of about 25 miles. Other manuscripts say that Philip was translated by the Holy Spirit from one place to the other.

This isn’t like the Star Trek transporters – you know, “Beam me up, Scotty.” No this is beyond that. This was an instantaneous, now you see me now you don’t, moving at the speed of thought, kind of thing. Philip’s job with the eunuch was done and God needed him elsewhere. So, poof, now you’re in Azotus. Preach on, Philip!

I love how this chapter ends! A miraculous teleportation from one place to another. Why not? We need not be shocked when God does the unexpected. Take it in stride and go on about our calling. That’s what Philip did. So should we.

Living in the will of God is anything but boring. And we are called to His purpose no matter what obstacles get in the way. Those who press on in obedience will see God’s hand prevail. We will witness signs, wonders, and yes, even the unexpected. It’s all part of the adventure for we who are charged with shining the Kingdom Light.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1123

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We’ve probably all felt alone at some point in our lives. Perhaps a friend moved away, a spouse died, you got divorced, or your own shyness around people has kept you prisoner. Whatever your situation, today we’re going to look at an absolute cure for loneliness.

-Show Intro –

Welcome to the show, everyone. Go ahead and SMASH that LIKE button! If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

If you’re like me, you probably expected things from your life that just never happened. When I was young, I figured I’d end up married, have kids, grandkids, the house, the car, etc. I thought that’s simply what happens. I never expected to get divorced twice, have no children, and face the reality of so many disappointments.

Most times, we get dealt completely different cards than what we expected. When those disappointments separate us from the people we thought would always be there, we can easily fall into loneliness and depression. The enemy tell you that you’re a failure, causing you to isolate yourself further.

This becomes a trap of self-pity that feeds on itself. Negative emotions start to set themselves up as the focal point of your life. Every day you wake up, and there it is, a heavy burden of sadness. It keeps you in a deep dark pit of despair.

[clip from The Princess Bride: “the pit of despair…”]

But there is an escape. There is a way out of this dark place. And you probably already know what I’m gonna say, right?

[clip from Infinity War: “what am I supposed to say, Jesus?”]

Yeah, I’m not ashamed to say it. Jesus is my constant companion. He’s the friend who sticks closer than a brother. I am never alone. He’s always there. That relationship is the foundation of my life. It’s what keeps me going.

Some people will scoff at this. It all sounds like a bunch of clichés. Real life is hard, and you can’t merely say a few magic words and fix it. I hear you. I get the hesitation to believe something that seems too good to be true. But I can tell you from experience, when it comes to life with Christ, it’s not only true, but it’s also too good to pass up.

I’ve heard the arguments, though. Come on, man. You can’t rely on some imaginary friend to defeat loneliness. You need REAL relationships with REAL people! Yep, but my real-life experience tells me that there’s nothing at all imaginary about my relationship with Jesus. It doesn’t GET any more REAL than this! And it’s amazing!

Understand, my life has not been all puppies and rainbows. I’ve had plenty of sorrows. Friends died. Close family members died. I’ve had 2 failed marriages. I was diagnosed with severe degenerative disc disease in my lower back, causing me chronic pain that I still live with today. I have major anxiety issues. Trust me, the list goes on and on.

[clip from Dumb and Dumber: “Man, you are one pathetic loser.”]

Nah, my life is glorious. No matter what comes my way, I never have to face any of it alone. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ is the smartest decision I ever made. He has never failed to see me through every situation. But it’s also important to have some good Christian friends to commune with.

Years ago, I talked about this very thing…

[clip from the GC, ep408]

The enemy would love to keep you isolated and cut off from any sources of joy and strength. It took me decades to learn how to spot his tricks. Another benefit of having that close relationship with Christ is, the more time I spend with Him, the more spiritual discernment He gives me. Do I still stumble? Do I still have tough times? Of course, and He’s always there to pick me up and teach me one valuable lesson after another.

I praise God that I finally reached a point where loneliness is simply not part of my life at all. I have the cure. His name is Jesus, and I take Him with me everywhere I go. You can have that same assurance, that same cure. You’ll find, just as I did, that having a relationship with the Creator automatically means loneliness gets kicked to the curb.

[clip from Naked Gun: “You’re outta here!”]

As for cultivating other friendships, be sure to take precautions. People who are also friends with Jesus are gonna be your best choices. And if you have friends who don’t know Him, introduce Jesus to them. Their response will be a good gage as to whether or not hanging out with them is a good idea. The sad fact is, there are a lot of folks who will only bring you down. Being close with God will help you figure that out – if you listen to Him.

Bottom line…a friendship with Jesus is the sure-fire way to beat loneliness for good. And He’ll never let you down.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1122

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We live in a world where people are fascinated with superheroes. Probably because deep down most people desire to be more than they are. The idea of being heroic is inspiring, but the reality is that most of us seldom reach our full potential as human beings, let alone being heroes. Today, we’re gonna revisit this concept as we attempt to revive the hero mentality.

-Show Intro –

I’ll give you a chance to be my hero right now – SMASH that LIKE button!

[clip from Avengers: Captain America says, “Hulk…smash.” Hulk grins.]

If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

Here’s a little device for remembering basically what a hero is:

HERO = Helping Everywhere Regardless of Obstacles

Now, some people call it heroism just because, so few people actually show the fortitude to do it. The truth is, it’s really just doing the right thing no matter what.

What do heroes do? First of all, they follow the theme of Micah 6:8… “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Secondly, they SHOW UP. Often times, battles are only won because the right folks cared enough to be there. Thirdly, they FOLLOW THROUGH. They don’t just give mental ascent to morality – they put it into action.

So, heroes 1) possess a moral code, 2) show up where that code needs enforcing, and 3) follow through with the enforcement. They protect the weak, right the wrongs, and make it known that There IS a Standard. They draw a line in the sand and tell evil forces, “This is the line you will not cross without reaping the most severe of consequences.”

And most importantly, real heroes are backed by a righteous God who gives them power and authority to act swiftly and thoroughly. They are continually in contact with Him through prayer and through the Holy Spirit. They are, in fact, agents of the King. It is His work they perform and His justice they carry out – at His command.

It’s important to note here that it is unwise to attempt heroics without certain things already securely in place. Before stepping into the fray, ask yourself these questions… Am I doing this for God’s glory or my own? Am I prayed up and backed up by the Holy Spirit?

The first question is easily answered. If you’re overly focused on documenting your heroics with video or photos to post on social media, you are probably seeking praise for yourself rather than for God. We need to be doing the right things for the right reasons.

That last question is a little trickier. As I said, it’s a good idea to pray at all times. Keeping a constant line of communication open with heaven helps us stay in God’s will. It’s also a good idea to say a quick little prayer before proceeding into a situation. Something like, “Lord, please go with me and dispatch heavenly hosts to assist me in this action.”

So what are some heroic actions we should be ready and willing to do at a moment’s notice? Think of it this way – we are the hands and feet of Christ. We are charged to continue His work. So whenever faced with a situation, think about what Jesus Himself might do, and do that.

Lay hands on the sick and pray for their healing. Comfort those who need comfort. Clothe those who need clothing. Feed the hungry. Help someone cross the street. Wherever you see a need, fill it.

And yes, if you see someone being wronged, do what you can to help them – whether it’s calling the police or intervening yourself. Be wise about it but be willing to do whatever is necessary. This is when being prayed up can keep you from doing something stupid.

The point is to be so much like Jesus that you can easily spot opportunities to do some good. Remember, you’re representing the Kingdom. And if you need a quick reminder of exactly what a Kingdom Hero is, check out what younger me had to say about it…

[KH clip – GC ep309]

Wow. I couldn’t have said it better myself. 😉

Keep in mind, all it takes for evil to win is for good people to do nothing. So let’s do something heroic and stop evil in its tracks.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1121

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On today’s program, current events that can’t be ignored – though there are plenty of folks who still won’t believe it.

-Show Intro –

Before we dive in, SMASH that LIKE button! If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

I’m not gonna sugar-coat it. I’m not gonna revel in it. It’s a terrible truth that had to be revealed. And it’s about time. So let’s watch it together…

[lengthy clip of this week’s news on Obama’s involvement in the Russia Hoax]

PLEASE REFER TO THE VIDEO PODCAST AT RUMBLE.COM/GCM, EPISODE 1121

Folks, this is a dark stain on our country. I know there are some who don’t believe any of this is true, but many of us had already suspected it for years. What’s more, I also believe this is the tip of the iceberg. It’s all connected to a much larger reality – that we’ve been lied to for a very long time, and about things even greater in scope than even this.

This year is only a little more than half over, and what’s been uncovered so far staggers the imagination. But at the risk of sounding like some crazy conspiracy theorist, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The fact is, we’re running out of these so-called “conspiracy theories” anyway. They’re all coming true.

This isn’t about political parties. They’re both infected with the same evil disease. It’s always been about exposing the deep state and those who collude with it. Truth doesn’t need your belief or approval to be true. And I implore you to keep God as your council on these and all matters.

Now isn’t a time for gloating or saying, “we told you so.” This is a time for all of us to get on our knees and ask God to heal our land. This type of scandal could destroy a nation. Pray for America. And don’t stop praying. Things still aren’t yet as crazy as they’re going to be. But trust this: God’s perfect will is in no danger of being nullified. Brace yourselves. It’s not over yet.

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1120

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We sure do love our pets, don’t we?! Many of us refer to them as our fur babies, treating them like our own children, and loving them as members of the family. Today’s show is a little different because I wanna address that question that so many of us have pondered – Will we see our pets in heaven?

-Show Intro –

Welcome to the podcast, folks. Do me a favor and SMASH that LIKE button! If you enjoy the show, please SHARE it to your social media. FOLLOW our Rumble Channel – Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. You can email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website – TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

While some people might say our topic today is a silly or trivial one, you have to admit that the question has crossed your mind at some point. All of us who have had pets have lost pets. They typically live much shorter lives than we do. In fact, someone once said that we must seem like immortals to our pets. We’re there at the beginning of their lives, all during, and we remain at the end. When pets die, we often mourn for them just like we do anyone else.

The fact is, God made these animals that so many of us bring into our lives and under our roofs. He cares for all His creation, and He certainly cares for these critters that mean so much to us – His children. So then, does He allow them an afterlife as He does us? And is there any biblical basis at all for believing that?

Let’s take a quick trip back to the beginning of creation itself. When God first created life, He began with plants and animals and ended with humans. Everything was perfect. Life was designed to thrive. There was no sickness or disease, so there was no death. Of course, everything changed when sin entered the world. But it’s a fair assumption that God’s original design was for life to continue forever.

Fast-forward to present day. There are now all kinds of sickness and disease, so death is all around us. The curse of sin has corrupted this world, so now things indeed get old and decay and eventually die. But there IS an afterlife. Heaven is waiting for those of us who belong to Jesus and have accepted Him as Lord. Is it really such a stretch to think that heaven is also waiting for those faithful creatures who belong to us?

“That’s just silly,” some might say, “animals aren’t like human beings. They’re just soulless creatures.” Well, I dare you to look into the eyes of my dog and tell me there’s no soul in there. “But there’s nothing in the Bible that supports the idea of animals being in heaven.” Really? I would argue that since animals were a big part of God’s original plan of creation that it’s highly likely that they are also meant to be part of His heavenly kingdom.

Consider the following stories and use all the spiritual discernment God has given you. I’m leaving out the names, but these are stories I recently heard from individuals who were simply sharing their personal testimonies. Just take it in and let God speak to your spirit as to their truthfulness…

First, there was a lady who was praying one night. As she was talking to God and thanking Him for blessings and praising Him, she said to Him, “Lord, I know that when I’m in heaven I’m gonna be praising You continually for eternity. But honestly, it’s only been a few minutes, and I have run out of words. How will I be able to praise You forever?” Then God answered her, “I will continually give you new reasons to be grateful and praise Me.”

What this woman’s story teaches me is that this current life is short, and while there are many reasons thus far to praise God, those reasons do seem to be somewhat finite. We also have many distractions in this world which often prevent us from being able to focus on our blessings. But that won’t be so in the life to come. We will be with God forever, and there will be no worldly distractions at all – nothing to take our eyes off of His love for us.

He will pour out eternal blessing upon us, giving us an infinite number of reasons to praise and worship Him for all eternity. And perhaps – just perhaps, mind you – just a few of those unending reasons will be the pets we cared for while here in this life. I like to think so.

Then finally, one man’s near-death experience seemed to answer the question absolutely for him. When an accident severely destroyed much of his body, he went to heaven and met Jesus. While there, he was shown what would be his home. While some dream of mansions, the perfect home for this man was a lakeside house with lots of land around it. He saw amazing colors and he said the grass and trees all seemed to give off a musical tone that, when heard all together, sounded like a beautiful symphony.

As he stood there in heaven on what was to become his forever homestead, a number of animals ran up to meet him. He was astonished when he realized that these were all pets he’d once had. There was a horse, a couple of dogs, and a cat that all hurried to where he was standing – all anxious to greet him. What’s more, he was able to communicate with them. They didn’t speak to him in a human tongue, but there was a language they used that he was able to understand, and this made him very happy.

Now you can take all this with a grain of salt, as it were, but I’m just telling you what I have personally concluded from all of this. Some may dismiss it as wishful thinking, but I do believe there is sufficient reason to believe that we will indeed see our pets in heaven. And I’ve found absolutely nothing to indicate that we won’t.

In the end, there are only two possible answers to the question: Either our pets won’t be there, and we’ll have too many wonderful blessings to miss them – OR, they’ll definitely be there as part of the many blessings of heaven. Frankly, I choose to believe the latter. But suit yourself.

What I think we can all agree on is that, here in this life, our pets are a blessing. We can learn a lot from them. I mean, they often worship at our feet – much how we’re supposed to be toward our Master. They illustrate to us the concepts of loyalty and unconditional love, and they do it far better than most humans. So in that respect, I think they even deserve an afterlife. Don’t you?

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The Kingdom Light – Episode 1119

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It may shock you to learn this, but not every long-held tradition or every single thing you were taught is actually true. Today, we’ll discover how important it is to separate fact from fiction by seeking after the TRUTH above ALL else.

-Show Intro –

Welcome to the show, everyone! Go ahead and SMASH that LIKE button. If you enjoy this podcast, please SHARE it to all your social media outlets. Follow our official video page at Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. Email us at kingdomlight@usa.com, that’s kingdomlight@usa.com. And for links, blogs, transcripts and more, check out our website at TheKingdomLight.com, that’s TheKingdomLight.com.

Stop trusting what you think you know, or everything this preacher said, or what that person said, or even the things that I say. Instead learn things for yourself and find out the truth for yourself by reading the word of God for yourself.

Here’s an example of something traditionally or widely accepted as truth which is not. Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden and the serpent convinced them to eat the apple. Nowhere in scripture does it say that the fruit which was forbidden was an apple. Obviously we are not forbidden from eating apples. But you see the depiction in paintings regarding that story and it’s always an apple they’re holding.

[clip1: “how do ya like them apples?” – Good Will Hunting

This is a minor example, however what the Bible actually says is important. The word used in the scripture is simply a word for fruit, and it never actually tells us exactly what that forbidden fruit is because that’s not the point of the story. The point of the story is obedience to God, otherwise bad things happen. This is simply because God knows what’s best for us and also what is not good for us at all.

There’s a far better example I can give you. But this one is going to make some of you doubt me because of what you’ve been taught all your life. And for reference, I went into great detail about this topic almost 2 years ago in an episode titled, “The Truth About the Rapture.” Are you ready for this? Here it is. I can find no biblical support whatsoever for the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture of the church. Allow me to explain…

Point of fact: the notion of a pre-trib rapture never existed before the 1800s. Once introduced however, it spread like wildfire for 2 main reasons – a) the idea that God’s people would be removed from the earth before things get really really bad is inherently popular, nobody likes the idea of being around for all the horrible stuff, and b) not enough people were willing to search the scriptures for themselves to verify, much less to denounce, this idea.

So what does the Bible really say about this? First you have to understand what the rapture is because that word itself is not in scripture. The word rapture is used to refer to the “catching up” or “gathering” of the church at the second coming of Christ. Frankly to believe in the pre-trib rapture, one would have to completely dismiss or ignore what it CLEARLY states in Matthew 24:29-31. In fact, pay very close attention to the first 4 words of this passage!

That last verse there talks about what we call the rapture, the angels gathering up God’s people from all over the earth. And WHEN does it say this happens? “Immediately after the tribulation.” That’s not my opinion. That’s precisely what the Bible says.

In fact, further down in verse 37, it states, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Now while it might be a more comfortable thing to believe we’ll be taken up before tribulation, the scriptures indicate God’s pattern is to protect His people DURING times of great trouble. Noah and his family weren’t removed from the earth when God sent the flood, but rather God provided for their survival while judgment was poured out on the earth.

And think about this. For that period of time when they were on the ark, they were NOT completely exempt from the reality of that judgment. They SURVIVED it, but they weren’t in the greatest of circumstances. Stuck on that ship, with all those animals, all the smells, waves tossing them about – this was no pleasure cruise.

[clip2: “what’s that smell?!” – Ron Burgundy]

So, while God will indeed provide for his people during the time of the tribulation, that does not mean by any stretch that the righteous will be living completely unaffected by it. That’s not a comfortable thought, but truth isn’t always comfortable.

My point is this. Anyone can take scripture and build a story or a narrative that either seems to make sense or makes you comfortable believing it. But you’re not going to know the truth of it unless you study the scriptures for yourself, meditate on it, and talk to God about it. If you’re not doing those things, you’re liable to believe anything. I know because, for most of my adult life, I trusted what I was told without having the self-discipline to study the Word of God for myself.

This is one of the biggest problems in the church today. There are too many complacent Christians who will blindly follow whatever they hear BECAUSE they lack the knowledge of truth that only comes from being deeply rooted in God’s Word. This requires action. It means you have to actually READ the Bible and communicate with God in order to acquire true knowledge and wisdom. A pretty story is nice, but TRUTH matters above all else.

This is also a good general rule of life. You can’t just automatically trust what people tell you about anything these days. Just because you read it on the internet or saw it in a TikTok video doesn’t mean it’s fact. Far from it! Not even the media can be trusted. This world has been compromised and corrupted by sin, and lies abound everywhere.

If you’re not actively seeking out the truth for yourself and asking God for discernment, you will most definitely be led astray by a cleverly designed narrative that appeals to your feelings. You’ll WANT to believe it, so you will. A story rooted in feelings is powerful and deceives many, but the wise will seek God’s council for truth.

A story rooted in feelings is powerful and deceives many, but the wise will seek God’s council for truth.

Our ultimate source of truth is God Almighty and His Holy Word. Seek after it, or satan will gladly offer you his twisted version of everything. Traditional beliefs that were handed down to you can lead you off track if they don’t line up with scripture. So make the effort. Go to the source.

Remember to LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW the show, and join us again next time for The Kingdom Light.

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