Who Told You That?

Guy and Cate Iannello are the founders and directors of Total Freedom Ministries in Ocoee, FL which is a residential program for men and women facing addiction problems. Cate has been travelling for the last week and has stayed at our home for several days. While staying with us she reminded me of a slogan that they use in their ministry which they have placed on t-shirts for their people. That slogan, which is on the front of each t-shirt is “Who Told You That”, and on the back of the t-shirt is a big question mark. So, I’m asking you today, who told you that? Who told you that sickness and poverty is from God? Who told you that God is not good? Who told you that you have gone too far to be loved and accepted by God? Who told you that you cannot be set free? Who told you that???

It’s amazing to me after 37 years of ministry the things people believe just because someone told them that. Religious people seem to be the worst. People that have been brought up in church and taught something by a Pastor or Sunday School Teacher are the absolute hardest to deal with. They just accepted what they heard because their family had always gone to that church so it must be true. Or they may have liked the Pastor or teacher and thought surely they knew what they were talking about. They never bothered to read the Bible for themselves to see if what they were taught was the truth.

My personal background was in one of these type religious situations. My family went to an established Christian denominational church. As I look back on it now the blessing in my case was that all these preachers were not strong teachers of the Word. Sermons and teachings were more like one scripture and then a lot of feel-good stories to go along with it. The blessing in all this was that I did not have a lot of religious doctrine to unlearn.

When I gave my life to the Lord at 35 years of age I just started reading the Bible from cover to cover and accepted the Bible as the truth and the inerrant Word of God. I learned through that process that a lot of the accepted religious doctrines of a lot of churches did not line-up with the scriptures.

It’s not enough for you and I to be members of a church. We have to be a student of the Word. We have to know what the Word says. Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the way, the truth, and the life. The Word of God is quick (alive) and powerful. You have to have a personal relationship with the Word of God (Jesus) to avoid being led down the wrong road. You have to be able to hear the voice of the Lord for yourself. You cannot rely solely on other people to tell you what the truth is.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)