Beliefs That Are Difficult To Convey

[Follower of Christ too]

It is not so difficult when you remember that the OT is just types and shadows of the real. The real is Jesus. You do not see Jesus doing those sorts of things. Jesus is the exact image of the Father... If you want to see the Father, what His will is, and what He is really like: Look at Jesus!

Act 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Jam 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This is exactly what I try to convey. I even mentioned the types and shadows. When I attempt to tell them about the love of Jesus I get "So are there two Gods one mean and one nice(something along those lines). Sometimes I feel like getting off that thread but then a question is asked that is so clear to me and I answer. I just can't help it! It is so important for people to understand we serve a God of love.

 

[hal]

Over a period of twenty-five years of teaching on the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I have had the most difficulty conveying the concept of spiritual growth. For me to suggest that God has more for them is inferred to say that they have less. They become defensive and give me a litany of all the things they are doing. I have learned not to try to teach to a closed mind.

 

[Mark W]

The God of the old testament is the same as Christ. (Of course, this has already been pointed out.) What most people ignore in the OT (besides the types and shadows) is the time frame. God is very, very patient with people. For instance, according to Jude, Enoch was a prophet. God told him that the flood was coming and he named his son Methusela, which means "when he dies, it will come". God saw to it that Methusela lived longer than any man would live. He waited almost a 1000 years to bring judgement. Name me one man that would wait so long to bring judgement to violent people!

As for the people in Canaan, God told Abraham "your offspring will be slaves in Egypt for 400 years because the iniquity of the canaanites has not yet reached it's full measure".


He let his children suffer for 400 years waiting on the amorites to repent. If you read closely, God provided a way out for those that did repent (i.e. Rahab). Even whole tribes were spared because of the way they treated Israel.


God was very patient with the world but all the world chooses to see is how God finally deals with them. They are willingly ignorant of the grace and mercy of our God. Is it any wonder that when his wrath falls, it falls hard! For their sin is a sin against mercy. A sin against a Father that forsook his son for their sakes. Yet, they after 400 years, or 1000 years refuse to acknowledge his sacrifice for them and in righteous judgement, God removes them from the earth. All the while stating

"God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked".


Blessings,

Mark