Numbers 24:17

Numbers 24:17      Balaam, the sorcerer said, "I see him, but not in the present time. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel." NLT Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." God, Your Word is my hope and my light in these dark and dreary days. 1400 years before You gloriously broke through the night sky, Balaam, a stingy sorcerer and soothsayer was well paid to convince Your people to compromise their moral standards. Despite the fact that he was a tool in Satan's hand, You used him to mysteriously point the way to Bethlehem. Today, the very large and rapidly growing emerging church is blindly leading multitudes of biblically illiterate people who claim to be Christians to Hell by the teachings of modern-day Balaams. Their watered-down messages are designed to bring in warm bodies and cold cash. In this New Age era, truth is not only unclear and uncertain, but also bad for business.  No wonder the days are so hopeless and dark. The only true light has been all but extinguished. Lord, protect me from the secretly destructive heresies and cleverly invented stories that are running rampant through the Church today. At the Living Word Academy, held in the classroom of my heart, teach me by Your Spirit to diligently seek, genuinely love, and absolutely believe the Truth of Your Word. Full of knowledge, I will be like the Magi who recognized a nugget of truth in the middle of a whole lot of fiction, and willingly left their familiar surroundings to follow the Wondrous Star of Heaven. O Star of Wonder, Star of Light, Star with royal beauty bright, westward leading still proceeding, guide me to Your Perfect Light. Amen.  God's Word is absolute Truth. Abundantly clear, it will be your only hope and light in the blackest night. How well do you know it? Do you love it? Do you believe it? It's not too late to attend the Living Word Academy. The only textbook required is Your Bible, the Living Word of God. The only Teacher required is the Holy Spirit. Open The Book and start seeking Truth before it's too late. Peter says, "They (false teachers) have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam who loved the wages of wickedness." 2 Peter 2:15   John MacArthur writes in The Truth War: Genuine love for truth is built into saving faith. It is therefore, one of the distinguishing qualities of every true believer. In Jesus' words, they have known the truth and the truth has set them free (John 8:32). Nothing in all the world is more important or more valuable than truth.