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Just three years ago today, a "John Doe" (as the judge described him) committed the worst murder spree in the history of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, when he drove a van down Yonge Street, killing ten people and injuring sixteen others. It still has an effect on me as I remember so well standing on my balcony and seeing several bodies lying just across from my building. Apparently, he had been reading misinformation on the Internet.
All our lives, we take in either misinformation or truth. It's been that way since the beginning, when God created the world and it was good. It was not long before the serpent said to Eve, "You will not surely die."
To this day, the tension between misinformation and truth persists, with serious consequences depending on the choices that we make, to believe misinformation or to believe the truth.
The negative results from wrong choices seem to be even more apparent today than ever. Individual circumstances may lead to personal choices, but those who advocate that vaccines are not helpful in controlling pandemics lead uninformed people astray. Conspiracy theories like QAnon abound. While professing to tell the truth, some powerful politicians blatantly state lies that the people want to believe.
In sharp contrast, I am so thankful that I have the Bible that gives me the truth. I believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God and that they constitute the only rule for Christian faith and practice.
Fortunately, although misinformation is easy to advance, it will inevitably be exposed, while the truth is more powerful and will continue to grow. I found these statistics about the growth of the Bible:
- Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world's best-selling and most widely distributed book. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion. – Guinness World Records
As an example of the power of the Word, in 1980, our elder son was privileged to lead a tour group to China. He had many marvellous experiences, but there was one that made the biggest impression on his mother and me. While walking by himself on a busy street, a young Chinese man stepped out of the crowd, and in perfect English said to Bruce, "Are you a Christian?" Startled, Bruce replied, "Yes, I am — but why do you ask?" He responded, "I've found this book — it's called the Bible. I've read it, and I've become a Christian, and you are the first one I've ever seen."
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (ESV)
With such evidence of the growth and power of God's Word, it is surprising that there is such biblical illiteracy amongst Christians. Let us all take the opportunity to read and study God's truth as revealed in the Bible.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to guard against taking in misinformation. Strengthen our desire to study and learn from the truth set out in Your Word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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Well said!
Good advice, Vince.
So true, Vincent. Thanks for sharing your son’s interesting story. God bless!
Thank you, Vincent, for sharing your personal experience and faith today. Love to you on the journey.
Vincent,
Amen to the truth of the Bible. What an experience for the new Christian, and your son. It touched me deeply.
Hi Vincent
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and verses.
I was led to Romans 13 today, vs 10 was highlighted as we ponder and worry about the state of our nation. Thanks.
Thank you for your devotional today. I found it very interesting and helpful. I knew you lived in Toronto, but it hadn’t registered with me before just where in Toronto your retirement home is. May God continue to bless and inspire you and your writing.
Thank you for today’s devotion. We are being bombarded with so much information every day and it’s sometimes hard to know what to believe. I’m so glad we have God’s Word and that we can always rely on it to be true. Blessings to you and stay safe!
Morning, Vincent,
What an amazing story you tell about your son Bruce in China. I can only imagine the reaction of both of those men.
You know that your writings are always inspiration to me. Thank you.
Good morning, Vincent,
Thank you always for your devotionals. I think of you and your messages when I get discouraged during this epidemic. Thank you for stressing the importance of truth and the Bible. What an encouraging story about your son in China.
Thank you for this message. It confirmed my views as well. God is truly using you as his messenger. Thank you for these insightful words. I lean into God and ask him to give me wisdom and discernment in these troubled times so that I may choose wisely which decisions to make. God Bless you!
Thank you, Vincent, for today’s daily devotional. I enjoy reading them and I look forward to seeing them.
Keep up the good work and may the Lord continue to bless you and give you wisdom and understanding.
Stay safe.
Good morning Vince.
What a powerful thing that man said to your son!
Thank goodness we have the Bible to help keep going through life with the right information and direction.
God bless and have a great weekend.
Vincent;
Thank you so much for your devotion today. We truly need to read and study scripture. Jesus Christ said “I am the way, the truth and the life. Well said Vincent. God bless you and keep you safe and well. I am sorry you live so close to the tragedy of the van snuffing people’s life from them.
I lived in Toronto many years ago, so it is easy for me to follow your devotionals.
Your writing is easy to follow and makes me think.
Whenever I see your name, I look forward to reading what you have to say.
Please keep writing.
(ON)
Dear Walter,
What a timely message. I find myself struggling with truth about the covid vaccine. Now I received a video from well-meaning friend says the vaccines may cause other problems.
We have had the vaccine and pray for good results long term. Thanks for listening.
Blessings to you.
Hi Vince,
Thanks so much for your devotion. Having just received a “misinformation” text about the vaccine from a parishioner, I was encouraged by your reflection.
I’m still trying to find a way to respond to the individual that does not discount his opinion but challenges the “veracity” of his text.
Keep writing.
Thanks.
Good morning sir,
I usually read with great interest your devotional submissions as our lives have had much in common, especially in regards to living and working in foreign lands that are decidedly not Judeo-Christian in belief.
As Pilate asked: ”What is truth”? In those lands it was whatever the local religion/government said it was.
For those of us who follow God, the answer is no further away than a sound version of the Bible. I have never found it to be wrong on anything and that its truths are eternal.
Dear Vincent,
I am not on social media, so I don’t know a lot about the misinformation that is going around but I do know it exists. The Bible is an important source for our knowledge and the Holy Spirit helps us to keep things straight. That was an interesting experience your son had. It probably was because he was white that the young man approached him and thought he might be Christian. I looked it up and the estimate there was about 6 million Christians in China in the 1980’s which I thought was interesting. Thank you for sharing. I hope you have also been out to enjoy this spectacular day.