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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How should we take the Bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | mark d seyler | 154943 | ||
Hi Jeff, I agree with you in hoping that what Doc described is the exception and not the rule, but I stand with Doc, and am a part of his "we". Who among us would think, or claim, that we follow the Lord's mandates most of the time? Why do you think that there are so many places that we are told to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only? Not because it comes automatically, easily, or quickly, I am certain. I would even go a little further than what Doc wrote, and say that we don't even try to figure out how to not obey, we so often have not even the slightest intention of obeying. We read the Word so that we can think we are ok, and then continue with our lives as we choose. There is such a fundamental disobedience within us that has to die, and I think that of the people I know or have met, that have more than half died to themselves as God requires, I could count on one hand. Look at the state of the Christian church in America, and you tell me how far we have come. How many Christians do you know who you would characturize as primarily engaged in a ministry of reconciliation of mankind to God (2Cor 5)? How many are persecuted (2Tim 3)? How many have even suffered minor loss for the sake of the gospel? How many could stand up before us today, and say with clear conscience, "I live holy before God." How should we take the Bible? Like a scalpel in the hand of the only One Who can save us, like the drops of water on a dying man's lips, like our marching orders for today, lest we waste yet another day. Like our Father's words of love, and of power, that will light our way home. Blessings! Love in Christ, Mark |
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2 | How should we take the Bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | humbledbyhisgrace | 154945 | ||
Hey Mark, Granted, there is much self that must die within us. But I find it hard to believe that any of us can speak to how much that is for each individual Christian. At what level do you assign persecution and loss? Look around and it doesn't take long to see Christians are persecuted daily and it's for the very Gospel they suffer. Does it only count if we are beheaded, imprisoned, or suffer some horrible death at the hands of the unbeliever? I agree, the state of the church seems lacking. But so did the state of Israel to Elijah in 1Kings 19. But what did God see that Elijah didn't? What does God see in the Church today that we don't? I only wanted to respond to the statements and raise these questions because just recently I was struggling with the questions "why did I not see the passion in others that I feel inside of me"? "Why does my experience seem to be so different then what I see from others"? I didn't understand why and I wanted to see the same passion in others that I feel in my spirit. I wanted others to have what I had been given. It was only through prayer and discussions with a wise YOUNG man I know and spending time with God one on one seeking the answers to this that I have only begin to realize that maybe, just maybe it's that many are already at the place I long to be and have already found the place I am seeking. What God has given me is not mine to give to others. Only God has the ability to give it to them. So mine is to be concerned with my relationship with God and share what is given to me with others. If it is God's will that they are given what I am given then God will give it to them. It's beyond me to give and therefore, not mine to question. Maybe there are some of us that fit in the "we" category and maybe there are some that are far past that place and the "we" can't see it because they have not reached it yet. I just don't think we can base others relationships with God on our own standards of what we perceive it to be or what we think it should be. We know from scripture what our objectives are, but we don't know the heart of every Christian and what they have been through and/or how they live their life. What each Christian has, was given to them by God. The relationship is between them and God and is not ours to question. May God truly bless you all! |
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3 | How should we take the Bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | mark d seyler | 154953 | ||
HumbledbyHisgrace, Its true that we cannot see inside our brother's heart. May there be millions of whom God can say "I have reserved these unto Myself." But how many of us have lost jobs, or homes, or been injured, or been imprisoned, because of our faith in Jesus? Of how many of us could be said, "Whenever I am with this person, I realize my need for Jesus." So true that we each have our own relationship with God, and to Him we are responsible. One more question: "What percentage of my day do I spend building up and gathering to the Church, and what percentage is spent doing meaningless or worse pursuits?" Believe me, these are not pleasant questions for me to answer. I am not trying to say "we are all a bunch of losers", I will leave each of us to decide that for ourselves. What I wish to say is that if we truly lived for God, it would be said of us as was said in olden times: "These men have turned the whole world upside down, and now they have come here!" Love in Christ, Mark |
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4 | How should we take the Bible? | Bible general Archive 2 | humbledbyhisgrace | 154968 | ||
I hear what your saying brother. I do. And I don't think that you are trying to insinuate we are all losers. Rest assured, your comments did not come across that way at all. I see the same concerns in your comments that I had. But for me, I believe the relationship between God and His, is sacred and is not for me to question. If anything, I will accept what I see as a blessing from God and a reason to take a closer look at myself. I can't help but think that the things we see so clearly is because they are so familiar to us and/or, they give us reason to ignore our own faults. Don't forget, God knew what you and me and every other Christian would do for Him even before He called us and graciously gave us our salvation. Yet He still called us. Oh to love like our Father loves us! What a blessing we could truly be to others. God bless us all! |
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