The biggest danger in how we Christians read the bible is that most of us have already been taught what to believe about what it is saying to us -- before the Spirit of God has a chance to speak His truth to us in the word!
We sadly, subconsciously merely read the text for multiple confirmations of what parents, friends, spouses, teachers, preachers, books, professors, TV shows, etc have previously affirmed to us about Christ, salvation, faith, the Christian life, the nature of Man, the Church, history, God, heaven, prophecy, the Holy Spirit and such.
It is way past time, we each humbly pray, before we read the bible, asking God the Spirit to be our Teacher, Guide and ultimate Giver of His revelation.
"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
~ I John 2:27 (KJV)
"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
~ Jeremiah 31:34 (KJV)
For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
~ 1 Corinthians 1:19 (NIV)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI have been travelling the last few weeks so haven't had much opportunity to respond to you.
Yes, I had noticed that you were "back".
The Holy Spirit has always confirmed the renewing of my mind, step by step, by revealing that each step is in alighnment with scripture and then by the witness of another. You are one of those other witnesses.
Keep witnessing to the Truth revealed in you.
May I and my wife encourage you and yours as you walk in the Way. It can seem so lonely when we look from our eyes but from the inner eye all we see is Him and his Kingdom - what a "place" to be!
Adam
Adam,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kindness of thoughts and words my brother.
As the Lord impresses Himself, I will try and be faithful to share His life here.
Believe it or not, I believe we can be the Church, ministering Christ one to another be it in person, in prayer while apart, via a conference call or even in a blog format such as this. The Spirit is not bound by time or space. He uses whatever way He calls us to so speak of Christ and the Corporate Man, His Body is united and strengthened! Amazing!
May the blessed Revealer from the Holy One speak now and show us each the heights & depths of Christ Jesus.
God bless you!
:-)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean and I agree but you probably are aware of my thoughts on the use of the word "Church" (and other ecclesiastical words) in connection with "those called out of the world".
In Christ
Adam
Adam,
ReplyDeleteYeah, the phrase "the Church" I mentioned means the true one, existing among the ekklesia (the called out people of God) and not in some organization or system of men.
We are definitely on the same page. ;^D