Is the "Living Word:" "The Bible. Part 3.
Because people’s entire faith is in the Bible instead of Christ they
base the status of their relationship with Christ by how much time they
spend reading and obeying the Bible and doing other religious
disciplines. People feel guilty for not studying it every day of their
life or they feel justified because they spent a lot of time doing the
doings. They think that God would be upset with them for missing daily
Bible reading, not praying enough, but He is pleased with them if they
spend a lot of time doing it. The cycle goes on and on until it becomes a
permanent snare in their relationship.
The deluding shadow of performance based Christianity is always there to put people in their place the moment they show confidence, contentment or joy because of grace living, they agree you are saved by grace but the maintaining of your salivation is based on what you do. We are constantly pressured to "be in the word" and the more time spent in it, the better. No matter how much time we spend studying it; it's never enough. If we read it one hour, we could have read it two. If we read it five hours, we could have read it six. No matter what we do, we're always left feeling like we fell short. It's almost like it was set up that way in order to prevent growth of any kind in people's lives by keeping them feeling guilty.
The purpose of the Bible is to point us to Christ. But people have even taught that their relationship with Christ, now that they have received Him, is lived out through reading and doing the disciplines that is extracted from the bible by religions! Paul never said; "Oh and by the way, in about forty years from now a bunch of guys are going to write letters back and forth to each other and in about three hundred and fifty years from now those letters are going to be bound in a book, and if you don't believe it is inspired, read it everyday of your life and obey the "interpretation of it, you will never know God".
It is appalling the manipulation and oppression that has been put on people in the name being biblical. The half truths and outright lies that has been promoted as Bible truths in order to coerce people to submit and serve their brand of religion is pure manipulation. The guilt and condemnation that so many people live with because they can't keep up with the rigorous demands of an impossible system is deplorable. Some of the things we are taught as being biblical are found nowhere in the Bible; they come from a religious speculation that seeks to whittle people down to a spiritual pauper in an effort to gain control over their minds. This wonderful book is not to be used to stifle the spirits of millions of sincere hearted people who honestly want to connect with God's Heart.
What about the many people who have no bible available, are they sentenced to not knowing God? To believe so is absurd, for the people in the Bible never had a Bible, yet many of them knew God.
We can know about God from reading the Bible, but we know God through relationship and many who have had a relationship with God had no Bible to read.
I believe in the inspiration and accuracy of the original texts of the scripture, however, for the translations from those texts there is no evidence they were inspired, not only that, ecclesiastical ambition greatly influenced the translation putting a twist on the translating. Historically, this love letter from God that we call the Bible was shaped into a scepter of power in the hands of popes and kings to further sustain their power over the masses. This reached new heights at a time when bishops sought the approval of kings to authorize translations that had been purposefully skewed toward their ecclesiastical paradigm.
To some, the idea of a conspiracy is unbelievable, because they believe they possess the unadulterated truth. They hold it in their hands, professing that it is the ultimate authority, the only true Bible, the authorized Bible, the King James Bible. Authorized by whom? Was it authorized by God? No. It was King James himself!
The Bible itself, is subject to interpretation and it appears that man has taken many liberties in the interpretation of it, for self serving ends, this is evidenced by the vast number of denominations that are in existence.
I am sure that the Bible is a source of faith and comfort and means something different to each reader; a personal thing where comfort, satisfaction and help is received by the reading of it. However, it is more often used as a tool to control the lives of others by theological hierarchical religious governments.
View the Bible as a love letter and a guide map from God leading people along the path to a relational journey with God through Jesus. (The Word), that is authenticated by a love relationship with people.
When we really get serious about the Bible we will see it is a path to Christ (The WORD) and it will become evident that it is not book to argue over nor is it a rule book to follow. Rules and laws fail because there is no going back when you break a rule leading some to play the shame and blame game which leads to condemnation.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Bible is the SUPREME WRITTEN source to glean information about God, Jesus and His Holy Spirit. But, is the Bible the ultimate source in and of itself? My understanding is that Jesus Christ…the express image of God is the SUPREME Source! The scriptures declare that “by Him all things were made that was made. He is the Light of all men. He is the express image of the Father (not the Bible). He is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end. It is not the Bible God draws us to, it is to His Son and the Bible points us to Jesus His Son, that is, if we believe the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible call itself the Word of God or the ultimate source of knowledge about God.
Until we realize that the Bible is the written word that points to the living WORD and without the living WORD the written word is a dead book we will fail to realize that Jesus is the SUPREME WORD!
Heed the words of Jesus the WORD.
“Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come to Me, that you might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in My Father’s Name, and you receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?” (John 5:39-44)
While placing the Bible as the Supreme Authority seems to be giving glory and honor to God, it is in truth, a direct denial of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some think the doctrine of confessing Christ “is come” in the flesh means one acknowledges that Christ lived as a man, died, and was resurrected. It goes far beyond that. We know many charlatans called “men of God” who gladly and sincerely acknowledge these things, yet have nothing to do with His teachings, which is evident by their fruit. What these charlatans, will not do, however, is acknowledge the authority of Christ, as He is present in believers. That is Jesus Christ come in the flesh. Could that be what He meant when He said that those who receive His messengers receive Him, and those who receive Him receive the Father (Matthew 10:40).
Because these charlatans don’t know the Lord in a relational manner, they resort to giving themselves a position of spiritual authority on the basis of the “authority” of the Scriptures, which Scriptures they interpret in light of what they already believe. Barring anything but a miracle, the Bible won’t verbalize a rebuke to anyone. It sits there inanimate and will be made what men choose to make of it.
That the Bible is a dead book to the spiritually dead is a dead fact and is made alive because of “The Living Word” (Jesus) alive in our hearts. Anybody that is spiritually dead who has received light from reading the written word has received it from the LIVING WORD, Jesus.
Are the Scriptures applicable to our living? Without any doubt...yes! However, we don’t follow a written book, we follow the LIVING WORD. If believers are dependent on a book, we could ask ourselves how Old Testament people, New Testament people...John the Baptist, the disciples and Paul knew to follow, none of whom had a Bible.
The written word confirms the truth, and teaches truth and the teachers of the Bible teach truth only to the degree that the Bible is rightly interpreted, but it isn’t The SUPREME WORD, ONLY JESUS IS!
Christ led the children of Israel in the wilderness, not the Bible.
JESUS IS SUPREME!
The deluding shadow of performance based Christianity is always there to put people in their place the moment they show confidence, contentment or joy because of grace living, they agree you are saved by grace but the maintaining of your salivation is based on what you do. We are constantly pressured to "be in the word" and the more time spent in it, the better. No matter how much time we spend studying it; it's never enough. If we read it one hour, we could have read it two. If we read it five hours, we could have read it six. No matter what we do, we're always left feeling like we fell short. It's almost like it was set up that way in order to prevent growth of any kind in people's lives by keeping them feeling guilty.
The purpose of the Bible is to point us to Christ. But people have even taught that their relationship with Christ, now that they have received Him, is lived out through reading and doing the disciplines that is extracted from the bible by religions! Paul never said; "Oh and by the way, in about forty years from now a bunch of guys are going to write letters back and forth to each other and in about three hundred and fifty years from now those letters are going to be bound in a book, and if you don't believe it is inspired, read it everyday of your life and obey the "interpretation of it, you will never know God".
It is appalling the manipulation and oppression that has been put on people in the name being biblical. The half truths and outright lies that has been promoted as Bible truths in order to coerce people to submit and serve their brand of religion is pure manipulation. The guilt and condemnation that so many people live with because they can't keep up with the rigorous demands of an impossible system is deplorable. Some of the things we are taught as being biblical are found nowhere in the Bible; they come from a religious speculation that seeks to whittle people down to a spiritual pauper in an effort to gain control over their minds. This wonderful book is not to be used to stifle the spirits of millions of sincere hearted people who honestly want to connect with God's Heart.
What about the many people who have no bible available, are they sentenced to not knowing God? To believe so is absurd, for the people in the Bible never had a Bible, yet many of them knew God.
We can know about God from reading the Bible, but we know God through relationship and many who have had a relationship with God had no Bible to read.
I believe in the inspiration and accuracy of the original texts of the scripture, however, for the translations from those texts there is no evidence they were inspired, not only that, ecclesiastical ambition greatly influenced the translation putting a twist on the translating. Historically, this love letter from God that we call the Bible was shaped into a scepter of power in the hands of popes and kings to further sustain their power over the masses. This reached new heights at a time when bishops sought the approval of kings to authorize translations that had been purposefully skewed toward their ecclesiastical paradigm.
To some, the idea of a conspiracy is unbelievable, because they believe they possess the unadulterated truth. They hold it in their hands, professing that it is the ultimate authority, the only true Bible, the authorized Bible, the King James Bible. Authorized by whom? Was it authorized by God? No. It was King James himself!
The Bible itself, is subject to interpretation and it appears that man has taken many liberties in the interpretation of it, for self serving ends, this is evidenced by the vast number of denominations that are in existence.
I am sure that the Bible is a source of faith and comfort and means something different to each reader; a personal thing where comfort, satisfaction and help is received by the reading of it. However, it is more often used as a tool to control the lives of others by theological hierarchical religious governments.
View the Bible as a love letter and a guide map from God leading people along the path to a relational journey with God through Jesus. (The Word), that is authenticated by a love relationship with people.
When we really get serious about the Bible we will see it is a path to Christ (The WORD) and it will become evident that it is not book to argue over nor is it a rule book to follow. Rules and laws fail because there is no going back when you break a rule leading some to play the shame and blame game which leads to condemnation.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Bible is the SUPREME WRITTEN source to glean information about God, Jesus and His Holy Spirit. But, is the Bible the ultimate source in and of itself? My understanding is that Jesus Christ…the express image of God is the SUPREME Source! The scriptures declare that “by Him all things were made that was made. He is the Light of all men. He is the express image of the Father (not the Bible). He is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end. It is not the Bible God draws us to, it is to His Son and the Bible points us to Jesus His Son, that is, if we believe the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible call itself the Word of God or the ultimate source of knowledge about God.
Until we realize that the Bible is the written word that points to the living WORD and without the living WORD the written word is a dead book we will fail to realize that Jesus is the SUPREME WORD!
Heed the words of Jesus the WORD.
“Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come to Me, that you might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in My Father’s Name, and you receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?” (John 5:39-44)
While placing the Bible as the Supreme Authority seems to be giving glory and honor to God, it is in truth, a direct denial of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some think the doctrine of confessing Christ “is come” in the flesh means one acknowledges that Christ lived as a man, died, and was resurrected. It goes far beyond that. We know many charlatans called “men of God” who gladly and sincerely acknowledge these things, yet have nothing to do with His teachings, which is evident by their fruit. What these charlatans, will not do, however, is acknowledge the authority of Christ, as He is present in believers. That is Jesus Christ come in the flesh. Could that be what He meant when He said that those who receive His messengers receive Him, and those who receive Him receive the Father (Matthew 10:40).
Because these charlatans don’t know the Lord in a relational manner, they resort to giving themselves a position of spiritual authority on the basis of the “authority” of the Scriptures, which Scriptures they interpret in light of what they already believe. Barring anything but a miracle, the Bible won’t verbalize a rebuke to anyone. It sits there inanimate and will be made what men choose to make of it.
That the Bible is a dead book to the spiritually dead is a dead fact and is made alive because of “The Living Word” (Jesus) alive in our hearts. Anybody that is spiritually dead who has received light from reading the written word has received it from the LIVING WORD, Jesus.
Are the Scriptures applicable to our living? Without any doubt...yes! However, we don’t follow a written book, we follow the LIVING WORD. If believers are dependent on a book, we could ask ourselves how Old Testament people, New Testament people...John the Baptist, the disciples and Paul knew to follow, none of whom had a Bible.
The written word confirms the truth, and teaches truth and the teachers of the Bible teach truth only to the degree that the Bible is rightly interpreted, but it isn’t The SUPREME WORD, ONLY JESUS IS!
Christ led the children of Israel in the wilderness, not the Bible.
JESUS IS SUPREME!
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