Teresa and Carla are busy
canning tomatoes. They brought in about
three pecks worth to work up – all the larger tomatoes that were ripe – others
are hanging on, but green. They decided
to let them ripen up. It hasn’t froze,
yet, so they should be okay for at least a few more days.
She dug a couple of bushels of
potatoes with more rows to go. Winter is
fast approaching and want to make the most of what we have available to us.
It is Fall out there; mild as it
is right now. Pretty out there.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
17 That the man of God may
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good
works.
As Christians, in America, we
have incredible advantages over those that were Christians in the first century,
while they were taught by the Apostles themselves – and that is a distinct
advantage – we have the privilege of reading, pondering, meditating, reading all
of God’s Word, in one place.
We have Paul’s, Mark’s, Luke’s,
Peter’s, Mathew’s, John’s and perhaps at least one other author who lived in
Jesus times, who were His apostles, who heard and were taught by Him – although
Paul, of course, came to Him later, he was there when Jesus was teaching – all
of these insights, all of the pertinent history in one volume. The early church did not.
And neither do millions of
Christians, in this day and age, world-wide.
The privilege of holding God’s
Word, in their hand and being able to read it, for many isn’t worldwide. Many Christians in oppressed countries are
forbidden to possess God’s Word. The
Bible becomes their most prized possession – they memorize scriptures so that if
they lose their Bible they can still pass on scriptures and the truth to others
as well as meditating on them.
Another advantage we have as
Americans is the opportunity to listen to ministers, teachers and read
commentaries on the scriptures – not that they are equal in any way to the Word
of God – but they can give us insights into what learned Christians are saying
about verses and how they relate to us today.
We can get a better understanding on some of the scriptures we do not
understand or have questions about.
HOWEVER, we also have to be
cautious. There are many false teachers
and charlatans – some mean well, but are ill informed or think they have a ‘new
view’ that actually conflicts with God’s Word.
Others are purely desirous of serving themselves, they want recognition
and/or money; they want power or something else that will stroke their egos and
make them feel self-important.
Anyone can write a book or
pamphlet, rent a building and preach heresy and present conflicting ‘truths’
with the God’s Word; or because of their personalities they can draw people to
their way of thinking, then claim their views to be inspired and therefore they
have an authoritative message on the scriptures.
And these people get followers,
they get millions of dollars donated to them as they lead them down a path to
destruction.
As Christians it is our
responsibility to make sure anything we believe can be verified by God’s
Word.
I realize that different
denominations may have a different interpretation of some points – and while I
may believe they are wrong in those interpretations, it does no good to become
angry over most of these. These are our
brethren in Christ.
I read, recently, of a Pastor in
another part of the world, that had a congregation in the tens of thousands,
where the church is building every day, people are coming to Christ – and not
just for show, but as solid conversions.
He believed, and taught that a person could only be saved on Sundays –
nowhere does the scriptures say that, and I don’t know if he would approach a
person dying on Wednesday that wanted to repent and tell them they can’t.
However, in all other ways, the
writer of the article wrote, he was rock solid in his preaching. Do we get angry with him and say because he
has this quirk that he won’t change, keep us from calling him a Brother? – I think not, we can agree to disagree.
All of us can give examples of
people who we KNOW have been saved by the Christ, who hold a thought that may
not line up with the Scriptures – but do not detract from them – it is basically
their opinion.
When I was the Christian
Education director for our church I would interview our new teachers and some
would say that they didn’t entirely agree with all the doctrines of the
denomination. Yet, what they disagreed
with did not interfere with their teaching of their students and we used
them. Would I use them in every
class? No, teaching children from a
lesson plan is one thing, teaching teenagers or adults, where questions are
going to be much more detailed, is another.
That didn’t mean that they
weren’t Christians; just that as a denomination we don’t want people teaching
that aren’t in agreement – or at least teaching in those areas where that
doctrine is an important part of the lesson.
In all of this we must proclaim,
without reservation that NOTHING is equal to God’s Word. Commentaries are just that, comments by
Christians, many with excellent credentials, that help us understand God’s Word,
that help us put our lives in perspective and our dedication to God and our
service to Him, become more effective. But they are not God’s Word.
But not all of them are worthy
to be read, many lead Christians astray and because they have the ability to get
their message out over the many medias now existing, they can lead more people
astray.
I remember picking up as used
commentary from the Bible Book Store. I
cast it aside when I read that Jesus really didn’t change the loaves and fishes
into food to feed five thousand – the offering of the young boy to share his
food encouraged others to do the same – the miracle was the willingness of the
people to share, not the creating of the food by Christ.
Now, I read this in the novel
The Robe, (a book I really enjoy and have read many times) but I figured it was
just the Centurion trying to make sense of miracles he had not seen and was
trying to make ‘sense’ of the action – I had no idea that some people also held
that as truth. I didn’t bother to find
out what else was wrong in the commentary that was enough to discard it.
I shared that with another
Christian and he told me he visited a church, once, where the Minister actually
preached it. Amazing.
Too many people, rather that
digging into the Word to make sure what is being told them is true, not
verifying the message; but instead taking it as truth just because someone said
so, they just absorb the message. They
get farther away from God as the result.
We are not the only generation
that has had this problem; it has been a problem from the very beginning of the
church’s formation – and actually from the garden where satan told Eve she
should eat of the forbidden fruit – because God gave her wrong information.
Genesis 3:4-5 And the serpent said
unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that
in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as
gods, knowing good and evil.
Paul warned Timothy.
1 Timothy 6:20-21 O Timothy, keep that
which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and
oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing
have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee.
Amen.
As Paul warned Timothy, so we
are warned. Jesus accused the Jewish
leaders of the day of failing to know and obey the scriptures.
WE don’t want to be in the same
situation – especially when we have the actual written Word we can read at any
time and we have access to those that have God’s true insight and the leading of
the Holy Spirit – available to us.
Later, Art :-)
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