The pretext of a message posted on the social media said, "Don't pray for me...", evoked a sorted response from my readers that I am still searching for the proper response. To set the stage for a message of pray during the Holiday season I alluded to a medical condition. Many did not get past the first sentence thereby missing the entire message. Many messages are presented in this manner, even scripture messages. A pretext is presented to grab your attention, then the message follows. John 3:16 is a classic example.
Understanding a message even biblical scripture is based upon perspective which guides our preception. Without the proper perspective which helps determines the context, we have Jesus advising a would-be follower, "let the dead bury the dead". or telling his disciples they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. A conversation about being born again in order to enter the kingdom of God must remain in the context of the stated conversation. Jesus did not speak in an incoherent or rambling manner. If we fail to get the message then we should ask for clarification.
Yes, this holiday season I ask you to lay aside you request for prayer, begging God for all of his blessing. Lay aside your gimmie disposition, see that old lady sitting at home alone. Don't ask God to stop by and touch her, go by and touch her yourself. See that brother or sister who is suffering a spirit of loneness, don't ask God to fix the problem, ask what can you do to help. If God have bless you this holiday season, be a blessing to someone who is in need, not only this holiday season but through the year. If you are having trouble seeing, remember the Bear, we see what we want to see.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
In a Bible study, the theme was John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The primary focus of the lesson was the love of God. Based upon the supporting text this verse was not used to show Nicodemus that God loved him. "For God so loved the world" is the pretext to a greater message, a message that proclaim "whosoever believeth in him should not perish". The verses that proceed this verse and the verses that follow Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus the plan of salvation offered to those that believe and is born again. This very verse, often in a perverted fashion is separated from its supporting verses and is used to show God love me and he wants me to be happy.
Understanding a message even biblical scripture is based upon perspective which guides our preception. Without the proper perspective which helps determines the context, we have Jesus advising a would-be follower, "let the dead bury the dead". or telling his disciples they must eat his flesh and drink his blood. A conversation about being born again in order to enter the kingdom of God must remain in the context of the stated conversation. Jesus did not speak in an incoherent or rambling manner. If we fail to get the message then we should ask for clarification.
Perspective is fluid, the view of an object from a hilltop is different from a view of the same object in a valley. Therefore, our perception is based upon our perspective. Not long ago while walking in the woods, I took a picture of a peaceful wooded scene. Uploading the picture to the internet, I caption it with, "Can you see the bear?" There were those who saw the bear, there were those who said, I said, "I saw a bear". Still, there existed two more extreme groups, one said, "there is no bear in the picture', and another group who insisted of organizing a bear hunt.
A proper study of the scripture should always begin with a plea to "our father" to open up our understanding. Care must be taken when we make this type of prayer, as often the Devil, a supernatural or metaphysical being, possesses the capabilities of hearing our prayer and in many cases will be the first to answer. We must not become jaded in our Christian walk and assume every revelation is of God. The Devil minics God. Let's validate this assessment. When Peter was in Jail the angel of the Lord came unto him, and a light shined in the prison (Acts 12:7). This event did not escape the Devil's attention. 2nd Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Knowing this Paul also warned in Ephesians 6:13, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." The armor of God will allow us to test the spirits. 1st John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. If the message is a message of reconciliation, a message that brings together the household of faith, a message that heals the wound of those who are suffering then, among other things, then we can be assured that is a message from God.
Too often the Word of God is used to create a division that is contrary to the teaching of Christ. Mark 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. Acts 23:7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 1st Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? Simple things have been used to cause a division in the household of faith, from the color of the carpet in the sanctuary to the transgression of a member or the pastor.
The request posted, "do not pray for me" was not indicative of a state of mind where I felt that I did not need pray. Neither did it infer that I doubted the power of God. The statement was mearly a pretext to what I would consider a greater message. It was an attemp to call attention to and dramatize the pain and suffer that exist within homes, churches, and communities this holiday season. There are family members who cannot get along with each other. There are church members who cannot get along with each other. There are pastor's who preach messages of God's love but have fail to grasp the meaning of the love of God. This condition, this ailment is reflective in our communities. This pain, this suffering, this persecution is not the type that we would describe as the world against Christianity. It is the type of pain and confusion that we as Christians inflict upon each other when we become so focus on following Christ, we are no longer concern or aware of the feeling of others. A proper study of the scripture should always begin with a plea to "our father" to open up our understanding. Care must be taken when we make this type of prayer, as often the Devil, a supernatural or metaphysical being, possesses the capabilities of hearing our prayer and in many cases will be the first to answer. We must not become jaded in our Christian walk and assume every revelation is of God. The Devil minics God. Let's validate this assessment. When Peter was in Jail the angel of the Lord came unto him, and a light shined in the prison (Acts 12:7). This event did not escape the Devil's attention. 2nd Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Knowing this Paul also warned in Ephesians 6:13, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." The armor of God will allow us to test the spirits. 1st John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. If the message is a message of reconciliation, a message that brings together the household of faith, a message that heals the wound of those who are suffering then, among other things, then we can be assured that is a message from God.
Too often the Word of God is used to create a division that is contrary to the teaching of Christ. Mark 3:24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. Acts 23:7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 1st Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? Simple things have been used to cause a division in the household of faith, from the color of the carpet in the sanctuary to the transgression of a member or the pastor.
Yes, this holiday season I ask you to lay aside you request for prayer, begging God for all of his blessing. Lay aside your gimmie disposition, see that old lady sitting at home alone. Don't ask God to stop by and touch her, go by and touch her yourself. See that brother or sister who is suffering a spirit of loneness, don't ask God to fix the problem, ask what can you do to help. If God have bless you this holiday season, be a blessing to someone who is in need, not only this holiday season but through the year. If you are having trouble seeing, remember the Bear, we see what we want to see.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Brother Earl, not everybody reads and interprets the Scriptures like you.
ReplyDeleteYou have a unique way, which is good for you this day, but tomorrow the Lord Jesus may change that so as to lead you into a deeper revelation than yesterday.
John 3:16 is the spiritual food (metaphorically) for every believer and it is nourishing only for the day, but tomorrow the Lord Jesus may add a new dimension to John 3:16, something we could never see before.
At least, that was so in my experience walking closely with my Lord for 34 years.
You said, "If the message is a message of reconciliation, a message that brings together the household of faith, a message that heals the wound of those who are suffering then, among other things, then we can be assured that is a message from God."
Well brother, that is only so in your opinion, but not in my opinion.
The Jehovah Witnesses, the Buddhists, the Muslims etc. they all say the same thing.
Are they the household of faith? Do they have the message that heals? Are they assured that it is a message from God?
I don't think so, therefore I'll always ask, 'a message from WHICH God'?
Interestingly, they will never tell me the name of their God they believe in, that is apart from the Jehovah Witnesses, they claim that the Name of God is Jehovah, although that name is not found in the Bible (the Scriptures).
Also, I think that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who brings a division between those who believe in Him and those who believe in another god called Jehovah etc. He brings division between the sheep and the goats, rights and wrongs, the true circumcision and the false circumcision, true doctrines and false doctrines etc.
As for you and me, we ought to preach the truth, and the truth will bring division among the brothers of those who believe and those who don't.
Dear Brother, I believe you are reading beyond my thoughts. I address issues, I encourage the reader to find solutions. Perspective is important when we seek to understand the message that is presented by another. If our perspective is different then it is possible that we can miss the message. When I speak of the Household of Faith I am not speaking inclusively of all religions only of those who follows the teachings of Christ and claim to be Christians. The confusion of Christianity is perpetrated by those of us who seek to inject labels and/or denominations. If a person has the faith in Christ Jesus, the faith and the elements of faith that the Apostles and Paul spoke of, then they are of the household of faith. My books, my writings, my blogs are not written to those whom we refer to as "those who are of the world". I post questions directed to the "household of faith". There is too much division within the ranks of the organize Christian churches. Very rarely do I reference to the world of religion. From that perspective, it is pointless to draw in other groups of beliefs, for we know they do not believe the same as we do. The confusion of Christianity that exist within the organized Church that is driving members away from the church is the focus of my dissent.
ReplyDeleteIn the ancient days leading up to 1054AD, the church was a place where the members of the body of Christ would assemble and offered their support to each other. Since that infamous date, the Christian church has splitter into many different sects or denominations. Each one of these sects of denominations differs in some sort of approach to the Word of God. There are those who can defend with great skill their difference as a church that is less than 200 years old will state that it is the only true way. Some say we should do this, some say we should do that, others say we should use this name, some say the Rapture (caught up) is wrong because it cannot be found in the Bible. Some say we should address God by his Jewish name, others say it is okay to say "our Father". Brother, I am representative of that confused soul standing by the side of the road wondering how all of this is going to play out in the Kingdom of God.