- Dec 1, 2017
- 50
- 21
- 67
- Country
- Barbados
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Baptist
- Marital Status
- Married
Let's step back from the emotional ..... and the firmly held "beliefs" of certain faiths that we accepted without question (possibly even as children)
Jesus observed the people and told them they were like "children in the market place, we piped and you did not dance ..... we did a dirge and you did not mourn" (Matthew 11:17) ..... He then proceeded to apply this to Himself and John the baptist
He also said "ye search the Scriptures daily because ye think that in them ye have eternal life and yet ye refuse to believe in ME and be saved ...... yet they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39-40)
The real reason people come to all these differing positions is because of passages that seem to contradict each other ...... and there are very many .... on many topics (baptism, church music, health and medicine, body, nudity, salvation itself, works, grace.... and the list goes on and on)....... FAITH, HOPE and LOVE
and then we have all the dire warnings against FALSE DOCTRINES in Timothy (and many other of Paul's epistles) ...... as well as Jude and John
So truly all this leads to on the one hand the STRICT FUNDAMENTALISTS (no allowing ANYTHING and circumscribed by serious rules and regulations ..... the ascetic.... grave.... and for some people a bit depressing view of Christianity) ... John the Baptist mentality ?
And at the other end of the spectrum the "health, wealth and prosperity gospel" where God just wants to bless and prosper us ..... piping and dancing ?
Ironically the history of Israel shows conclusively that when God gave material blessings the people turned to EVIL ....... why should it be any different today ?
The REAL TRUTH is that neither postion is correct..... there are extreme positions....
Everyone will experience some blessing and some adversity in their life
Blessed is the person who takes the adversity to heart ..... and uses it to draw closer to God .... in love, humility and contriteness...... once lessons have been learned God will soon bless them again (the slide into evil will have been repented of and fellowship restored)
God also has a sense of humor when dealing with us humans of diverse backgrounds ..... and I think this aspect of God's character is lost on those people preaching the "rules and regulations and damning everybody else"
I hope this meditation on the Scriptures blesses somebody today
Jesus observed the people and told them they were like "children in the market place, we piped and you did not dance ..... we did a dirge and you did not mourn" (Matthew 11:17) ..... He then proceeded to apply this to Himself and John the baptist
He also said "ye search the Scriptures daily because ye think that in them ye have eternal life and yet ye refuse to believe in ME and be saved ...... yet they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39-40)
The real reason people come to all these differing positions is because of passages that seem to contradict each other ...... and there are very many .... on many topics (baptism, church music, health and medicine, body, nudity, salvation itself, works, grace.... and the list goes on and on)....... FAITH, HOPE and LOVE
and then we have all the dire warnings against FALSE DOCTRINES in Timothy (and many other of Paul's epistles) ...... as well as Jude and John
So truly all this leads to on the one hand the STRICT FUNDAMENTALISTS (no allowing ANYTHING and circumscribed by serious rules and regulations ..... the ascetic.... grave.... and for some people a bit depressing view of Christianity) ... John the Baptist mentality ?
And at the other end of the spectrum the "health, wealth and prosperity gospel" where God just wants to bless and prosper us ..... piping and dancing ?
Ironically the history of Israel shows conclusively that when God gave material blessings the people turned to EVIL ....... why should it be any different today ?
The REAL TRUTH is that neither postion is correct..... there are extreme positions....
Everyone will experience some blessing and some adversity in their life
Blessed is the person who takes the adversity to heart ..... and uses it to draw closer to God .... in love, humility and contriteness...... once lessons have been learned God will soon bless them again (the slide into evil will have been repented of and fellowship restored)
God also has a sense of humor when dealing with us humans of diverse backgrounds ..... and I think this aspect of God's character is lost on those people preaching the "rules and regulations and damning everybody else"
I hope this meditation on the Scriptures blesses somebody today