A Flood of Religious Literature: What to Read?

A FLOOD OF RELIGIOUS LITERATURE

Question:

A flood of religious literature varied and contradictory is coming to me, and I do not know what to make of it all, as one piece is endeavoring to indoctrinate me in one way, and another piece in the opposite way, and still other pieces in still other ways, with the result that should I try at the same time to go all the ways advocated or commanded, I would, so to speak, be running around myself. What hope is there to find one’s way through such a maze of doctrines? On one hand, I fear that if I study into it all, it may cause me to lose sight even of the truth which I now have; and on the other hand, I fear that if I do not study it, I may turn down some precious present truth, and thus lose eternity.

The very fact that there are so many winds of doctrine blowing is, to my mind, manifest evidence that the Lord must have a message in the land, and that the great flood of religious literature overflowing the religious world is being poured out in the desperate attempt to drown out the voice of the Lord’s message for today.

So as you [original Shepherd's Rod] seem to have better Bible grounds for your positions than the others do for theirs, and as you also have singular Scriptural endorsement (Mic. 6:9) for hearing your message, I am taking courage to turn to you in the hope that the voice of the Rod will lead me out of the confusion of voices that are crying “lo here” and “lo there.”

Answer:

The questioner is obviously correct as to the reason for the many winds of doctrine blowing today. And in view of this confusion of voices his fears concerning listening to them are understandable, and makes the more commendable his determination to discharge his God-imposed responsibility of personal investigation:

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” Jer. 6:16. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1.

To relegate everything to the waste basket certainly is not only to cast out the very truth, but also to disregard the Lord’s command as seen in the verses already quoted.

For every truth-seeker, moreover, stands the promise that He will not let one of them be deceived: “God never honors unbelief and questioning and doubt. When He speaks, His word is to be recognized and carried out in the daily actions. And if the heart of man is in living connection with God, the voice that cometh from above will be recognized… Those that do the will of God shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God for no deception will cloud their minds.” — Testimonies on Sabbath-School Work, pp. 64, 65.” — Tract No. 10, pp. 40-42 [bracket added]

For copies of the original Shepherd’s Rod tract literature for your own personal study, please send your request to the email address associated with this website. Or for your convenience, you can download digital scans of the original tracts as PDF’s for reading or printing off of your own computer at the following link.

http://www.shepherds-rod-speaks.org/rod-publications/

Tagged as: present truth, religious literature, shepherd's rod