Don't Shoot the Messenger

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I have to say, it's not easy preaching and teaching the truth!!  I see friends on facebook growing in their relationship with the Lord, learning the truths of the Bible and throwing out the teachings of man that they have grown up with their whole life and I am so THANKFUL.  I thank God for each and everyone that will pray, study, fast, read and pray some more for God to reveal the truth to them and then accept it when HE does!!  Many times God plants a seed through some small something that another person says or HE plants a thought in our minds.  Because of free will, it is then up to us to do something with it.  My heart breaks for those who follow after men, whether it be t.v. Evangelists or their own church Pastor, OR their dad or granddad or uncle etc.  No one, let me repeat, no one will make it into the Kingdom of God based on their relationship with their pastor or any other man.  You cannot follow man and God, you can learn some things from man but if it doesn't line up with Scripture, it's not correct. 

Here is why the title says, "Don't Shoot the Messenger":  When God lays it on someone's heart to pray and search the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit teaches them something, IF they obey God, they do not keep that information to themselves.  IF they have the love of Christ in them, they do not keep that information to themselves.  IF they are truly concerned and love their neighbor as themselves, they do not keep that information to themselves.  They are a messenger, they are the person at that moment that the Holy Spirit has pointed towards truth.  Our job is not to immediately discredit them, slander them, destroy or expose them, etc.  If we are truly a Child of God, we will search the Scriptures, pray and ask God if it's truth, not toss it out because our Pastor doesn't agree or didn't preach it.

Now listen to me carefully, please.  I am not saying that you should be "tossed about by every wind of doctrine".  I am saying that everything we have been taught from childhood is NOT necessarily the truth.  We HAVE to pray, search the scriptures and make sure what we are hearing or reading lines up with the Word of God.  IF what you are reading or hearing does NOT line up with the Word of God, then you can expose false witness, BUT be careful that you search the scriptures and make sure it doesn't line up with it.  Make sure you aren't kicking against something you've just "always been taught".

If we are going to get anywhere in our relationship with God, we have got to "come out of the world".  We have got to get out of doctrine and into God's truth.  We've got to stop believing everything we hear and read and study to show our own selves approved.  Sometimes learning the truth will also be backed up with other research materials, i.e. Sunday observation, where did it come from?, Easter, Christmas, The Pre-Rapture theory.  Not only are these NOT Biblical but you can find through History where these things began and how they came about being celebrated.  I am just listing those few but there are many more things we have been taught to believe come from the Lord only to find out if we study them out that they actually were created by man.

I am just a messenger, but shoot me if you must!  Until then I will keep revealing what the Holy Spirit reveals to me.  To those who are willing to learn, God bless you, continue your search and prayer.  To those who are not willing and get angry when the lies are exposed, I will pray for you and I still love you, so does God. 

All I ask is prayer, that I will continue to pray, fast, seek God and be led by the Lord and the teaching of the Holy Spirit.  Prayer that I will stand for the truth and not fall for anything!  I pray the same for you.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB) ¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) ¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Love you all and God bless you all,

Another Messenger

How Can So Many Be So Right and STILL Be Wrong?

How can so many be so right and still be so wrong?  That question comes to my mind all the time.  I read some great posts by christians about observing the Sabbath or the coming of the Lord.  Posts filled with truth and backed up with Scripture.  Then I see horoscopes or pictures of half naked people or worse yet, the Word of God taken completely out of context in the next post.  That is why I ask, how can so many be so right and still be so wrong?  I already know the answer to that but it saddens me because the church, God's church, God's people are so easily blinded, so easily led astray.  I'm no exception, my only saving grace is God, again, MY ONLY SAVING GRACE IS GOD.   There is an old saying, "there but for the grace of God go I".  If it were not for the convicting Holy Spirit, for putting on God's armor every day, I don't know what I would be doing, (and I might add I don't want to know!).  Thank you God for never leaving me.  There was a time when I "thought" I was right but I was so wrong.  And please don't get me wrong, I am NOT saying now that I'm always right.  The difference is now I know how fallible I am, now I know that I can be right, but I can be so wrong too.

There was a time I followed man's doctrines and believed man's word over the Word of God.
Why would I do that you might ask:
1)  Because I did not read the Word of God myself.
2)  Because I did not have a deep personal relationship with God.
3)  Because I was unwilling to let go of my beliefs and man-made traditions and let God teach me.
4)  Because I was scared I would have to give up some of the things I enjoyed.
5)  Because it was "easier" to listen to a preacher and believe him, than to study and read the Bible for myself
Wow, that #4 because sounded just like my excuses many many years ago for not giving my life totally back to the Lord.  Because I was afraid I would have to give up some things I enjoyed.  That's a subject for another post but let's just say, I didn't give up anything because I HAD to, it all went willingly.

Back to how can you be right and still be wrong.  The Bible says to "be diligent to show thyself approved".  (2 Timothy 2:15) NASB.  Meriam Webster defines diligent as characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking diligent
 worker>.  Steady, earnest, energetic, painstaking?This means God wants us to stay in His Word, to study it, to grow with HIM, not with the world.  We won't get it completely right until the day HE changes our bodies from mortal to immortal, but we can work diligently to spread the TRUTH of HIS Word.  

Here are some things to get you started to search out for yourself.  But before you do, IF you do, I ask you to pray sincerely for God to show you the truth, EVEN if it goes against everything you have been told and taught.  Ask God to open your eyes and ears of understanding.  Be receptive to letting the Holy Spirit teach you.
Ready:  Here goes, God's laws, the 10 Commandments, the 4th Commandment, rapture, holidays, (in particular, Christmas and Easter, trinity, King James Bible, Sunday observance, God's true church.  That's just a few of the things I can think of that I had to relearn.  Now in teaching me the truth about these things, God took me other places ALONG with His Word (the Bible).  The first thing I can remember God showing me was about the rapture.  The word rapture isn't in the Bible!  When you look up how the rapture "theory" came to be, you find out it was an idea started by man!!  You will find a great many "arguments" pro and con but praying and opening yourself up to God will show you the truth.  Arguing fact is one thing, proving and backing up with fact, that's how you get to the truth.  Always back those facts up with Scripture.  The Bible, contrary to what some "say" does NOT contradict itself.  It proves itself, time and time again.
How can so many be right and still be wrong?  By following the world instead of the Word.
God bless you as you study for the truth.