today's meditation (Dt.12) Have Sound Doctrines

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word...)

(Deuteronomy 12:1-32)  “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall carefully observe in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess as long as you live on the earth. 2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. 4 You shall not act like this toward the Lord your God. 5 But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. 6 There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 There also you and your households shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

8 “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes; 9 for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you. 10 When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security, 11 then it shall come about that the place in which the Lord your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.

13 “Be careful that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see, 14 but in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water. 17 You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand. 18 But you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all your undertakings. 19 Be careful that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

20 “When the Lord your God extends your border as He has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, whatever you desire. 21 If the place which the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, then you may slaughter of your herd and flock which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates whatever you desire. 22 Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you will eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. 23 Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water. 25 You shall not eat it, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 Only your holy things which you may have and your votive offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the Lord chooses. 27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, and you shall eat the flesh.

28 “Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

29 “When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ 31 You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

32 “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Still today, people do what is right in their own eyes.  As believers, we have to be careful not to fall into that line of thinking or lifestyle.  We are to do what is right in the sight of the Lord.  This means all the time and everywhere, because the Lord sees everything, and knows what is in our hearts and minds.  In both our homes and our churches, we need to be vigilant that we do not bring in any idols or things to be worshiped.  Whatever comes before God is the thing that we worship, so God needs to be first - in everything.

We need to consistently attend church, to worship and give;  but we need to be careful which church we attend.  Some religions and cults sound similar to God's Church at first, but if any doctrine - anything of God's word - has been changed, this is not one of God's churches.  

A church with sound doctrines will post them on their websites, and will be very willing to talk about them.  They will even encourage people to "NOT just take their word for it - but examine the Bible to see for themselves!"  Their statement of belief should not be wishy-washy or vague.  They should also not be legalistic (which would be the religious idol of SELF-righteous do's and don'ts).  Everything should be about putting on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and resting in His love and grace!!!

Here is an example list of sound doctrines...

Why are beliefs important?

When looking for a church, the most important element for consideration is what the church believes and teaches. This is why “statements of faith” are helpful. This statement of faith is not exhaustive. It simply states what beliefs are absolutely essential for life in Christ (salvation) and in the body of Christ (the church).

 

The Essentials

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life, and that they will be used to settle all matters not specifically addressed in this statement of faith. | II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21

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We believe in only one living and true God, eternally existing in three distinct and equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. | Deuteronomy 6:4; John 14:16

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We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. | Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:5-11

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We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death that is separation from God; that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and therefore are sinners in thought, word, and deed. | Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23

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We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died and paid the penalty for our sins as our substitute to make atonement before God. He rose from the dead on the third day and justifies all who believe in Him by faith alone. | I Corinthians 15:3-5; I John 2:2   

 

We believe water baptism is the public testimony and the first act of obedience of a Christ follower. It declares faith in Jesus to all who are watching and is not a means of salvation. The Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of the Lord’s death “til He comes.” | Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 11:23-26

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We believe God has given every believer the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our salvation. The Holy Spirit enables us to live a holy life and uses us to accomplish his purposes in the world by gifting us to serve His church. | Ephesians 4:30; Galatians 5:22-25

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We believe in the imminent, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ and in His Millennial Kingdom. | I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 22:20

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We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the eternal blessedness of the saved in a literal heaven, and the eternal punishment of the lost in a literal hell. | Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46