The Gospel

I posted this a few years ago on the Flutterbys blog, but I think it’s a better fit here:

I understand that we don't want to get into arguments, and we need to present the truth "in love". So why did the people of Paul's time kill people like Stephen, Peter, Paul, John the Apostle, John the Baptist, etc, etc, etc? Jesus said if we stand for the truth and proclaim it, the world will hate us....why? And if the world doesn't hate us, does that mean we are not actually proclaiming the gospel?
I understand that the Lord's sheep will come to Him, does that let us off the hook from proclaiming the truth which the world hates to hear about? Paul named names of those who didn't preach the truth, are we somehow better than he is if we don't argue?

Edit: I would add to this that the word “gospel” means GOOD NEWS. Also, the original post had great comments after it, if you (like me) enjoy reading comments, you can go to the link:
http://susanflutterbys.blogspot.com/2011/0
Just some things to wrestle in the spirit about.

God’s Word to Us

What a blessing that the Lord would supply us not only with life and the things pertaining to life; food, water, air to breathe, and the beauty of creation all around us; but also His word which are not only His instructions, but also His warnings and promises, both conditional and unconditional promises.

The Flutterbys blog is mainly for musings, home and garden updates, and also to look at controversial topics, to examine things that are happening in the world by trying to make sense of it through the lense of God’s word. I hope you’ll join me there and perhaps share your thoughts on the timing of the rapture and the coming of the Lord. The link to my Flutterbys blog is located on the sidebar ——>

Let’s use scripture to explain scripture and not base it on traditions and feelings and excited utterings. I do not deny prophesying, but let’s not put the cart before the horse by basing scriptures on prophecies (eisegesis), instead of examining prophecies on the plain reading of scripture  (exegesis).

Hope to see you there ❤️

Greater than Abraham

This morning I was thinking about Moses, his trials and tribulations, his temper costing him the blessing of entering the Promised Land, and how that often gets interpreted as meaning one can lose one's salvation. I thought about how Moses begged the Lord  to change His mind, however the Lord is the Lord, and His final answer was "no".

I'm not going to take this into the whys of it not being about losing salvation. That is something that is amply discussed and easily refuted with careful study.

As I thought about Moses and his foibles as well as his triumphs, I thought about how much like Moses our walk with Jesus is. We have our struggles, and failures, and triumphs! and failures....etc, and many times we fail in trusting the Lord, we fail when we lose our temper with coworkers, or even worse; our spouses...but Moses was an exceptional leader and a pillar in the Jewish people's faith. Christians think about Moses once in a while, mostly  when watching Charleton Heston play him in the movie "The Ten Commandments" at Easter / Passover time. But for the Jews Moses is a much bigger deal. Moses recorded the first five books; The Torah. He led Israel out of Egypt. He parted the Red Sea!!!...well, actually God did, but Moses gets the credit....but he did that one little thing wrong; striking a rock; and it carried a huge penalty. Remember the Egyptian he murdered? That didn't cost him the Promised Land. Anyway, that's how my musings went this morning...AND THEN the words "Greater than Abraham is here".

That thought took me aback for a moment. Abraham was great, even by Jewish thinking, as well as Christians and even Muslims too!!! And Abraham had his issues as well, he told some "little white lies" about Sarah being only his sister that got Sarah into some awkward situations. I wish I could have been a fly on their wall to hear what she had to say about that, because knowing Jewish women I know she would have had some words! Yet he is the father of the "great faiths" of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. And pondering over that, then pondering those words of Jesus: "I tell you greater than Abraham is here".

We as people tend to idolize other people, not all people, but certain ones. Many people, even Christians, idolize President Trump right now. They probably would be thrilled to meet him, and be thoroughly gobsmacked in such a situation. I would too! I thought about the people that I hold high...I thought Charles Krauthammer was amazing, what an intellect, but he did not accept Jesus as Messiah, and unlike what many Christians believe, Jews do not get an automatic pass. They revere Abraham and Moses, but "Greater than Abraham is here". Any one of us might get excited to meet with and get the attention of some great world leader, or even a famous movie star, but "Greater than ABRAHAM  is here" who is even greater than anyone we can currently put on a pedestal.

And then I thought about the fact that Jesus gives us the honour of meeting with Him, being in His presence, ANYTIME. Wow! Yet we often look at prayer and reading the Bible as things to do at the bottom of the list of things that we need to get done.

Just something I was pondering this morning....

Unhindered Prayer

Yesterday morning while reading 1 Peter my attention was drawn to two verses in which Peter touched on something that can hinder our prayers:

The first one comes at the end of a warning to husbands and wives to love each other, summing up this admonishment with this:

"and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)

The second comes after stating the importance of avoiding temptations to join others in following after lusts of the flesh, human passions, and debauchery and then saying:

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)

It is less clear in the KJV where it is:

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

 

While reading it made perfect sense that when we live a careless life, doing those things that we have freedom in Christ to do, yet things that are not profitable to do (1st Corinthians 6:12), we hinder our relationship with Christ in the same way we hinder our relationship in a marriage where our communication then as a consequence suffers. 

If we truly love the Lord we want to have that right relationship, one where we stay in communion with each other, praying for each other, even for our enemies, forgiving each other as Jesus has forgiven us and steering clear from those things that would hinder our prayers and our communication with the One who loves us the most.