What are we getting from our Bibles?

Blessings brothers and sisters,

     Normally right now I would be working on my sermon for Sunday.  But since it has been so long since my last post I thought now might be a good time to catch up with you some.  I will try to proofread, but please excuse any typos as I had eye surgery on my left eye again this week.  Unfortunately they still have no idea what the form of ocular dystrophy I have is but they are going ahead and treating the glaucoma.

     I hope that you like the new changes happening on G.L.O.V.E. lately.  I need to talk with the admin council but after trying all of the fancy stuff I am hoping we can decide to go with the new look of the latest pages.  Basically we wilol keep the church and banner at the top with the links going down the left side.  The main content of the page goes to the right of the links with the daily readings, upper room etc. at the bottom.  Each section will have it's own simple color. 

     I hope that you are welcoming our 3 new bloggers as well.  All 3 come from different backgrounds and have a lot to offer you. Please let them know what you like and even dislike on their blogs.  Remember that as with all of us they are doing this out of love since we certainly don't have any money to offer. So be sure to leave your questions and comments for them on their blogs so they know you are reading and appreciating them.  And don't forget us old-timers either.  We love to hear what you like about us and if you don't like it then please go away...  no, no that was my poor attempt at humor.  Actually if you disagree with something I say then I need to know that more than if you agree.  And as always, if It can't be found in the Bible don't accept it.  The only truth is God's truth.

     Which brings me to my topic here.  I would hope that we all own at least one Bible.  I'm lucky enough to have several.  If by some chance you don't have one I urge you to get one as soon as possible and use it to check what people tell you about Christianity.  Unfortunately while the Bible is God's litteral word, there are people out there who will twist it and omit sections in order to convince you that it says things it doesn't.  Jesus the Christ Himself warned against this and tells us to be on guard for it.  But if we don't learn the Bible itself so that we don't fall prey to the deceiver.

     Today I ran into two examples today that I think we all need to be aware of.

     The first was a married woman looking for a better explination of what Jesus meant when He talked about the giving of odds and not letting your right hand know what your left hand is doing.  Now I think we can all agree that what our Lord was talking about in this is that when we do good we are to do it quietly and not look for applause from others or that will be our reward and we will have no right to expect any in paradise.   Unfortunately her husband seems to quote it at her as saying that he should not divulge everything to her considering their married life.  I did explain that while the left and right hands are part of the same body they are still seperate and explained that all through the Bible it tells us that marriage joins man and woman into one.  There was more but that was the basics.

     The other example hits Christianity in its basics.  Now I will be the first to admit that I do not believe in rekigous tolerance.  I don't mean denominations here but religion itself.  I mean that I believe that following Christ is the only way to Paradise and I am betting my eternity on it.  Jesus said plainly that He is the only way and if that is true which I beliebe with every fiber of my sou; then there can be no other.  Which tells me that it is my duty to give this truth to everyone I can without compromise.  But today I heard from someone I have always considered to be a good Christian as well as a smart man that all Muslims are terrorists and that we should force all people everywhere to accept Christ or wipe them out.   Brothers and sisters I believe that Jesus Himself would weep at these words.  The God I follow is a God of love.  Yes, there were times when He commanded His people to conquer others by force.  This is not that time.  Yes, there were times when He commanded that His people take no prisoners.  But that was not because He feared that those conquered would refuse Him but because He knew that His own people would let themselves be corrupted if they kept them among them.  But Jesus the Christ showed us a new way.  He never said to go out into the ends of the Earth and kill anyone who won't accept me.  No, He said you will be my wittnesses unto the ends of the Earth.  He never said ;ove your neighbor and hate everyone else.  He didn't even say love your neighbor and your enemy.  No, instead He simply said love your neighbor and love your enemy even more so that they will see my love in you.

My dear brothers and sisters pray for those who do not know Christ persona;;y so that they might find Him while there is time for we were warned that none of us can know how long is left.  And tomorrow, if you happen upon a non-believer tell them that you love them because Jesus fills yor heart with Hisa Holy Spirit and that you wish the same for them.

In His Holy Name, Amen

Pastor Tom 
Sr. Pastor 
G.L.O.V.E. Ministries