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Re: Gleanings from the "Gospels" [message #11654 is a reply to message #11653]

Sat, 11 July 2015 11:55

Gary
Messages: 1025
Registered: August 2008
Location: Indiana

Senior Member

When you first become a Christian you readily accept what you are told concerning the Bible. Now that truth has become a part of your life, you believe the Bible is all true, and generally what you hear from others you accept as being true.

Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes to the Father except by me.

What this is saying is, He is the way into Heaven, the Truth and reality of God, and the Life we should live in Him. There could be other interpretations as well.

Even though we have heard a lot of things passed down from well meaning people, there has been a lot of information passed down after two thousand years that has been interwoven into Christian thinking that is for the most part not even found in the Bible.

It appears the enemy has sown tares of information into the Christian world.

We've all been there to some degree, like one person told me one time, "if Grandma believed it then its good enough for me". Another lady comes to mind who I was showing her the scriptures on the Baptism, hands me back the Bible and says, "you need to talk to my Pastor". People tend not to question someone in authority or some loving family member nor do they look to see what they have been told is true. I'm not saying to question every little thing, but if someone tells you something about the Bible and you find later its not even in there you have to be honest enough to admit it. We've all traveled down this road, and we have to come to some conclusion on what does the Bible say.

It's the little foxes that spoil the vine. One little thing here and another there and before you know it you have a whole new gospel.

Okay maybe some things aren't a major deal, for instance; the three wise men at the manger. Were told every year that three wise men showed up at the manger. But in reality "some" wise men, we don't know how many showed up at a house not the manger, where Mary and Joseph was with the baby Jesus. This is one example among dozens, the church world then ends up having so many distortions that people come to the place that they cannot see the truth on water baptism, Baptism in the Spirit, etc., and are fearful of going forward in the Kingdom. With so many new additions it becomes a different gospel. When I first heard about the Baptism of the Spirit I was a little afraid and hesitant but because I saw it in the Bible I wanted it. If we see it in the Bible its there for us as believers.

Hearing they shall hear but not hear and seeing they shall see but not see.

Anyway with all that said, I wanted to look at many different characters in the Gospels and sort through what it says in relationship to these individuals. This may take some time on my part so I can only post off and on till I think I have it. If I overlook anything please let me know, I must admit I did not catch it concerning the wise men. It's easy to hold on to something and not realize its been changed by who knows who. Every bodies input is appreciated and no offense is taken if I have come to a wrong conclusion and need to change as well.

Concerning another individual, we have been told that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, Does the scriptures teach this? This is just some of the people I will be looking at, but of course I will not cover every single individual. There is a lot of information in the New Testament that has been twisted over the centuries concerning certain individuals.

Jesus said, when He returns to the earth, will He find faith. God is eternal and always was here, man was created from dirt and with his finite mind it is hard to comprehend the fact that God is who He says He is and that is "God".

The world or liberals and atheists say there is no God. The Christians believe there is a God who is invisible and we cannot see Him, only His handiwork. With are finite minds we can only understand this One who came from Eternity and created us, through Jesus and His Word revealed to us.

I have tried to think in my mind about the Lord from all of Eternity and it can only come to a blank, its beyond our scope of understanding Him. We just have to believe by "faith" that He is who He says He is, the Great "I Am".

Faith is the total reality of the invisible God and that God can do anything He wishes in His universe. This is a rest in the fact that He is our God, but there is also a measure of fear, that God is who He says He is and that is "God", do you understand this?

Thankfully we can approach the Father through Jesus Christ the Lamb who was slain on our behalf.

I think its good not to lose sight of who "God" really is, and that what His Word reveals is what He intended us to know about Him.

Gary

[Updated on: Sat, 11 July 2015 12:05]

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