Thursday 15 June 2017

Beware of the Echo Chamber

Beware of the Echo Chamber,
The Apostle Paul writes,
“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2Timothy 4:3,4.
I believe what Paul is saying is happening now. Especially here in North America. Many evangelist, church pastors, even denominations have gathered around them consciously or otherwise people who agree with them. They are all for lack of a better term “yes men”. They agree with the one in charge no matter what they say.
Someone once told me such pastors and evangelist are living in an Echo chamber. Where all they here is an echoing of their thoughts and ideas.
I taught a Bible study for a number of years. At times I think I could have said, the sky is really blue with pink spots and people would have believed me. They simply trusted what I said because I was in authority.
Once I finally got them to look at their Bible between sessions. Once I got them to look at commentators that thought differently from our particular denomination real discussion happened.
People started questioning what they believed and why. I made it clear that if they wanted to make a point they couldn’t simply quote an evangelist or teacher. They had to have looked the scriptures up for themselves to see if it was true or not.
It led to some changes both on a personal level for some people and within our own church congregation. Something that surprised even me.
As believers in Jesus we need to take heed to follow the words of the Apostle Paul who said,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15.
We owe it to God, to ourselves and to those with whom we share the Gospel of Christ to follow the Apostle Paul's advice.
Please think about it.

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