2nd Corinthians 11: 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that comes, preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might very well bear with him.
Ever since that day when our first parents fell for the substitute to God’s command, given by the serpent, the principle of substitution has taken deep root in every aspect of society, so that currently, there are replacements and substitutes available for almost everything God has given.
These alternatives always as a rule are advertised as being better, wiser, more profitable, and productive of good, than the original instructions and laws God gave to us. When the Bible speaks of being deceived in the last days, it’s not merely on one or two points but instead, it is an entire system of alternatives to God’s ideals.
And as persons adopt and subscribe to philosophies that are antagonistic to Scripture, mortal men seem to be wiser than God, in the eyes of those who will prefer anything other than what God says. Thus, the whole system of deception is riddled with a plethora of replacements, alternatives and substitutes, which in turn drive persons further and further away from God.
In other words, the worldly-wise are made to seem more intelligent than The Creator, and persons who believe in God are relegated in many instances to a much lower round on the totem pole of knowledge, science, and understanding.
Thus, the Christian in our day will find him or herself having to sift through a maze of confusing doctrines, philosophies, and substitutes, and then, intelligent and deliberate choices will have to be made in order walk the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal.
The only way that this is possible is by adhering to the written and Living word, for the Bible gives us a clear moral compass so that if we so choose, we can differentiate between right and wrong, good or evil. The Holy Spirit then enables the written word into a living, breathing testimony, in those who choose to obey God. Let’s read:
Acts 5: 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Yet, we must be cognizant of the fact that there are very many substitutes to everything God has given, and some of them may look and sound so close to the original that Jesus Christ found it necessary to utter the following words, in the context of the last days, in which we are living: “Take heed that no man deceive you”.
The following are just a few samples of the plethora of substitutes we are currently inundated with, and later on in our study, we will take four of them, and expose them for what they really are, so that the sincere in heart can make informed decisions.
There are substitute diets, substitute priesthoods, substitute worship, substitute marriages, substitute prophets, substitute science, substitute doctrines, a substitute day of rest, there is substitute medicine, and there’s a substitute to the second coming of The Lord Jesus Christ.
There’s also a substitute Christianity, and substitute girl-friends, coming from the world of deep fake and artificial intelligence, of which persons were warned in a recent Bible study about deep fake. And now, the philosophers of the day are currently working on a substitute work week in which four days of work will replace the six God gave to us originally.
Though the X-perts might do their research and may come up with what seems to be better proposals, or ideas to God’s originals, it’ll be found sooner or later that the wisdom of God was manifested for the best good of all humanity and conversely, the wisdom of man when arrayed against the Bible would be found to be deeply flawed.
Therefore, the time has come for the unadulterated word of God to speak authoritatively to all of earth’s inhabitants, so that there’ll be no mistaking light for darkness, or bitter for sweet. In other words, when God says it, that settles it, period!
[1] Substitute marriages.
Genesis 2: 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
When God gave to the human family in Eden, that sacred institution of marriage between 1 man, and his female wife, He laid the foundation for societies the world over, to flourish, prosper and to be fruitful and multiply, and if God’s original ideal is followed, thus it shall be. It cannot be otherwise.
But with the advancement of the many alternatives available today, the gradual dissolution of society is scheduled to take place for when you hear the term “Alternative lifestyle” being used, it’s understood as being alternatives to the original. And wherever this is the case, you’ll inevitably have alternative results and outcomes.
Two men or two women can never procreate, and if we continue down this road we are travelling, we’ll soon discover that the human race would become extinct, if Jesus doesn’t come really soon.
In addition to those multitudes of discordant voices uttering a host of blasphemies against the truth, we also have persons in high places coming out in favor of the abomination.
When pastors and clergy lend their influence against the clear word of God, they essentially try to usurp God’s authority and prerogatives, and, by so doing they place themselves in the seat of God, and the end result is man worship, as individuals coalesce around humanistic errors. Let’s read:
2nd Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
CNN Oct 2 2023
Pope Francis suggests for first time some people in same-sex unions could be blessed by Catholic priests on a “case-by-case” basis, a seeming reversal of previous statements.
However, the word of God is still as clear as crystal, therefore, the time is now and the place is here that the trumpet must be given a certain sound. God will never accept gay marriage, regardless of politicians, pontiffs and clergy who may vouch for the contrary. God never has and He never will. Period! Let’s read:
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you.
25 And the land is defiled: therefore, I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants.
Psalms 89: 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
[2] Substitute worship.
Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The worship of images, including those claiming to portray Mary, St. Peter, or any of the other apostles and saints for that matter is strictly prohibited in the word of God and should never be a part of any form of worship, where God must be the center. Let’s read:
Isaiah 42: 8 I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
For instance, when the philistine priests attempted to have Dagon share the stage with the true God of heaven, they found the fish god badly mutilated the following day, and that attempt triggered a serious calamity that shook the nation to its core. That is because, as the Psalmist David declares, God does not share His praise or glory with any graven image.
Again, praying to any dead saint does absolutely nothing for the petitioner, for they cannot help any person, in any situation, nor do they hear, or answer any prayers. In addition, praying to or for one’s dead relatives does nothing whatsoever for such persons, for the Bible clearly says that any such attempted communication is anathema to sound doctrine. Let’s read:
Isaiah 8: 19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? instead of the living to the dead?
20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Again, on the issue of worship, the substitute day of worship that has taken the masses of people in its snare is not of heavenly origin. Sunday was named after the sun by pagan priests and worshipers, who, in direct contravention of the first commandment, bowed down to, and worshiped the sun as a god.
Thus, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is God’s original ideal, that has never been changed from creation, and would never be changed in the earth made new.
Therefore, God is calling on people the world over, in our day, whosoever will hear His voice, that if you intend to go to heaven you will need to worship God on the day that God has blessed and sanctified. So says the scriptures. Let’s read:
Isaiah 66: 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.
[3] Substitute Diets and foods.
The first temptation upon our planet was upon food in which an alternative was suggested to Adam and Eve by man’s nemesis. When God created Adam and Eve, He gave to the human family the very best diet, that would in turn produce the best results. Let’s read:
Genesis 1: 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
It is true, that after the flood, God gave permission to eat flesh, which man was already eating, before any such permission was granted, yet, if we were to observe the elapsed time between God giving us His ideal, to when He finally gave permission after the flood, we will observe a span of almost 2000 years.
That tells us that it took rather long for God to okay the alternative and therefore, if it was indeed better than the original the logical question would be Why did God take so long to grant us something better, if God knew it would be productive of greater good to the human family?”
Thus, without going into arguments about the pros and cons of the original versus the alternative, let’s examine the raw facts in the case, and let the chips fall where they may.
There is a famous Roti shop in El Soccoro Trinidad, that is renowned for a delicious goat Roti, and some customers are known to wait in line for a substantial period of time to get their hands on the hot mouth-watering products. When coupled together with a drizzle of scorching pepper sauce, it can make for an eye-watering, unforgettable experience.
Now, if God says that the original diet is superior to the alternatives, we should expect to see better and superior results if persons made the switch to plant based diets, for if it turns out to be that individuals would become weaker, and suffer deficiencies as a result, then that would be a malicious thing to do.
In other words, persons should not be asked to give up the goat Roti from El Socorro, in exchange for the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, which God gave us as His ideal, if they would suffer loss, and come up short, when compared with using substitutes.
So, let us ask a simple question directly, and we will let God answer for Himself: If an individual were to switch over from a flesh-based diet to God’s ideal in Genesis, will that person suffer loss, become weaker become unhealthier? Or will the opposite be true? This question is so loaded with ramifications that we must let God answer for Himself. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 34: 7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
Now, some may argue that Moses’ longevity, and his ability to defy conventional wisdom on aging could have been because he’d been in close contact with The Life Giver on numerous occasions, and as such, longevity could have rubbed off on him as a natural byproduct. That’s one perspective.
So, we will have to look for someone who was not in close, direct contact with God, to make an unbiased objective judgment, on whether or not, God’s ideal is productive of better results physically. For this we turn to Caleb, who had never gone up to the mount to meet with God, in close proximity, as Moses had done.
Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
That phrase: “Followed me fully” suggests to our reasoning powers that Caleb did not participate in the uprisings and murmurings that characterized a majority of the Hebrews, especially on the issue of diets and foods, or else, God could not reasonably declare that Caleb followed Him “Fully”.
Therefore, we must of necessity dig deeper so as to discover Caleb’s experience with God. According to what is written in the Scriptures, two facts surface, as it pertains to Caleb [1] He followed God fully. [2] As a result, God worked in him to bring to pass the preferred outcome.
These two factors are of critical importance to those who wish to make the transition from substitutes to God’s ideal, as it pertains to diets and foods. Folks must endeavor by God’s grace to follow God “Fully” and as a direct result God will work in behalf of such persons, to bring to pass the preferred outcome.
Believe it or not, there can be something such as a rebellious vegetarian, who eats fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, but who does not follow God fully, by keeping His other commandments and laws. It is of critical importance for persons to follow Caleb’s lead, and God, according to His purpose, will come through like clockwork for those who believe with a willing heart. Let’s read:
Joshua 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, You know the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadesh-barnea.
7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.
10 And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spoke this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.
Before we proceed, we must of necessity find out who these Anakims were, for Caleb is going to do something that no 85 year-old in their right mind would do. He’s going to pick a fight with the Anakim at his age, which is long past the conventional age for retirement, and Caleb seems very confident, for some unknown reason. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 1: 25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the Lord our God doth give us.
27 And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart saying the people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
29 Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.
Obviously, Caleb is referring to the giants in the land of Canaan, who caused the other ten spies to be so terrified when they beheld their enormous size.
And now, forty-five years later, when most normal retirees will be receiving social security, Medicaid, and other benefits, from the government, Caleb is going to pick a fight with some iron pumping giants, because, according to what he is saying, he has lost no strength whatsoever, nor has he aged at all for the last 45 years. Let’s read:
Joshua 14:13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
15 And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 378] God brought the Israelites from Egypt, that He might establish them in the land of Canaan, a pure, holy, and happy people. In the accomplishment of this object, He subjected them to a course of discipline, both for their own good and for the good of their posterity.
She is referring to diet, exercise, and faith in God, by which Caleb was certified as following God wholly. In other words, Caleb obeyed the commandments of God, he cooperated with God’s ideal for diets and foods, and the physical aspects of his being weren’t neglected, because following God wholly, is holistic in nature whereby every aspect of our being is to be brought into harmony with God’s ideal.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 378] Had they been willing to deny appetite, in obedience to His wise restrictions, feebleness and disease would have been unknown among them. Their descendants would have possessed both physical and mental strength.
They would have had clear perceptions of truth and duty, keen discrimination, and sound judgment. But their unwillingness to submit to the restrictions and requirements of God, prevented them, to a great extent, from reaching the high standard which He desired them to attain, and from receiving the blessings which He was ready to bestow upon them.
[4] The substitute work week.
One of the bargaining chips on the table currently in negotiations across the nation and across the globe is that of a four-day work week for certain workers. According to the X-perts, persons seem to be more productive overall when they work a short week of four days.
Several countries including Spain, and South Africa are among the nations that have embarked upon a trial of a four-day workweek for certain businesses, companies and workers. In fact, a test run done in the U.K involving almost 3000 workers from a total of 61 companies resulted in 92 % of the employers retaining the four-day work week.
Since the prophecy of Daniel stating that knowledge would increase, the world in general has gradually shifted to a format of less work, less activity, and more free time which has resulted in a spike in the many diseases and illnesses which currently plague the industrial world, and many developed countries.
We are just observing a particular trend, to see why we are heading for a crossroad, in the context of the substitute work week that is gaining momentum. In days gone by, persons and families would be found at the grocery, supermarket, or the mall, where they would spend hours on end shopping.
This obviously included a whole lot of walking so the shoppers would unconsciously be getting a certain amount of exercise as they would walk from store to store and from aisle to aisle, and thereby be burning calories. But gradually, going to shop in person was dumbed down by the likes of Amazon, Uber Eats, and Door Dash.
Then Covid came, and shut everything down across the world, and what used to be a convenience had now become a necessity, as individuals and families found it necessary to shop and work from home. In many cases, this resulted in less activity, and more free time, in so much that employees are loathed to go back to the office.
Now in addition to this there are now driverless cars and gizmos that could clean and vacuum floors such as Roomba and there are other gadgets which make it unnecessary for individuals to engage in too much movement throughout the day, in so much that one has to be deliberate about their exercise regimen, if you desire some level of activity.
On top of this, here comes the prospect of a shorter work week, looming on the horizon, and businesses, employees, and X-perts are beginning to vouch for it. Thus, the question is, “What is God’s ideal, and why is His ideal the best for humanity?”
In days of old, the Hebrews were put on a rigorous regimen of walking through the desert, in addition to manual labor, which was required in the agrarian society in which they lived, and this, coupled with the abstemious diet God put them on, resulted in health and longevity to those who were exercised thereby. Let’s read:
Psalms 105: 37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Now, we are not here to discuss the pros and cons of a shortened work week, nor are we here to throw cold water on your work from home convenience. We are just observing a particular trend to less and less movement, mobility, and physical activity that is almost certain to have adverse results.
Thus, lest we lose sight of God’s ideal, let us take a second look at the fourth commandment, and then we will consider what the Lord has to say about the days in which we live, in the historical context of the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let’s read:
Exodus 20: 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
When the Bible says that in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, it is certifying the fact that God was productive for each of the six working days and thus the Sabbath rest for us humans is not merely a command, it is a sheer necessity.
This does not mean that every person has to work a six-day week, for there are high intensity, and high concentration jobs in our day, which require rest at shorter intervals. But the concept of persons being productive throughout the working week is what is set as an example for us by God.
As a general rule, whenever the majority is headed in a certain direction, God’s way is almost always in the opposite direction. Thus, we must question who could possibly be behind the general push for more free time, less mobility, less physical activity, and on top of that, a shortened work week. Something just doesn’t smell right. Let’s read:
Patriarchs & Prophets pp 156] Fairest among the cities of the Jordan Valley was Sodom… With little thought or labor, every want of life could be supplied, and the whole year seemed one round of festivity. The profusion reigning everywhere gave birth to luxury and pride.
Idleness and riches make the heart hard that has never been oppressed by want or burdened by sorrow. The love of pleasure was fostered by wealth and leisure, and the people gave themselves up to sensual indulgence.
Their useless, idle life made them a prey to Satan's temptations, and they defaced the image of God, and became satanic rather than divine. Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train.
It enfeebles the mind, perverts the understanding, and debases the soul. Satan lies in ambush, ready to destroy those who are unguarded, whose leisure gives him opportunity to insinuate himself under some attractive disguise. He is never more successful than when he comes to men in their idle hours.
In our day, we are inundated with substitutes and a host of alternatives to God’s original ideals, and yet, the X-perts declare themselves wiser than God. The Christian in our day will soon find himself or herself having to make some very hard choices, if we intend to live in harmony with God’s ideal will.
When bombarded with multiple substitutes, let us therefore seek to understand God’s ideals as written in the Scriptures, for the word of God is given as a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path, to guide each one safely from the here and now to the great hereafter. Thus, we will end with a passage that will echo this very sentiment. Let’s read:
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
God Bless!