ezrider
Member
- Jul 21, 2011
- 4,901
- 821
Somebody posted in another thread that they wished that someone could explain to them why people believed that the Bible was the Word God. The simple answer is because they have to, it is the only thing that gives them a connection to God. Their Bible is their comforter, and because their comforter is Jesus Christ, the Bible must be the Word of God. Or as another poster commented, the Bible proves itself, so it must be true. But like the Israelites before us, they too have passed on the true Word of God, and have instead held up a book in its place, and though it is a book full of truth and wisdom and wonder, they have made of it an idol.
There are any number of concurrent threads and numerous posts on this forum that concern the law in one way or another: Is it abolished? Has it been fulfilled? What is Gods law versus the law of Moses etc, etc..... And the debate goes round and round and on and on out without ever any resolution, because in the end it’s just a debate about ink on a page. The words on the page are litigated over and again, back and forth, but to what end, that of a modern day Pharisee?
The law was given to Moses after the children of Israel had first rejected the Lord. The Lord had instructed the children of Israel to make themselves ready for three days, and on the third day the Lord would descend upon the mountain, and he would write his laws in their hearts and he would dwell with them, and they would be unto him a peculiar people, a kingdom of priests. And the Lord commanded them to put bounds around the mount, and that for three days they should not touch the mount, or they would surely die; but on the third day when the trumpet blew long, then they were to come up. But on the third day, when the trumpet had blown long and the Lord descended on the Mount in a cloud, the people were so afraid that they refused to go up because of the commandment not to touch the mount lest you die. They ignored the second half of the commandment that said but when, because they lived in fear of that which proceeded even though they were told until. The children of Israel rejected the Lord’s kingdom that day, and instead chose to follow Moses. They rejected the Lord and asked to have Moses as their mediator, and they would do whatever Moses commanded them. How many people are still bound to to the Law, though they think themselves free, because their Bible tells them that Jesus is their mediator, they hold him up in lieu of Moses, as if they were the same . Are you like the Israelites of old who rejected the Lord when he descended upon the Mount? Who rejected the Lord and his kingdom and the promises that came with it; And instead chose to adhere to a list of commandments and the blessings that came with them, and the curses too.
Now just like the children in the desert, like the bounds that were set around the Mount, the law of Moses, had an until, and it had a but when attached to it.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
The but when, is when he raised up Jesus, the promised Prophet, who carried in him the Word of God. It is his words we should hearken unto, he brought the words the Israelites were would not hear. Not the old dead words of the law. Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, the same kingdom promised to the children of Israel before they ultimately rejected the Lord’s voice for a list of does and don’ts.
Is this what Jesus meant when he said that he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it? Or was it the acts of faith and mercy that he performed that fulfilled the law? In the end, what does it matter? What matters is if you have let go of that which came until, and heard him who was to come, and he who has come already.
The Lord’s promise was that he would come dwell in our hearts, and that he would teach us all things, not a book. But many have placed the Bible up on some sacred pedestal, where they proceed to argue over it like a pack of rabid dogs tearing at a dead carcass. They are so consumed with the Bible and all of its words, with all of it diverse meanings and interpretations, that they never stop long enough to ever hear the true Word of God that dwells within them. Then they replace that which they can no longer hear, with that which can be seen before them. Thats how the Bible became the word of God.
To them the Bible has become the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it is a book to be desired, a book to make one wise, as the serpent whispers in their ears, but a book whose only end is death. If Jesus has made available again to us the tree of life why then do you still thirst for the tree of knowledge? Reminds me of something Peter spoke of; about a dog returning to its vomit. Any one who tries to measure his own perfection, or his own righteousness in the mirror of the law will only find the devils reflection staring back at them.
Do you love your enemy? Do you forgive those who have despitefully used you, or have wronged you, and then grin and bear it because of some obligation to obedience and duty because Jesus said to forgive one another? Do you find yourself holding back your forgiveness until someone first asks for it, and then only grudgingly give it out of your duty to a commandment? Why would you let someone else hold this burden over you, and why would you want to hold up that burden upon yourself. Would it not be easier to forgive them first, and prevent that burden from taking any hold on you? Or have you learned to forgive them because it is part of the nature of the spirit that is being formed in you? And it bears no burden upon you.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto...insert parable here... The parable of the tares and the wheat warns us that the two seeds look identical, and that they could not be told apart, and that they were to grow together until the time of harvest. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. They heard the message of the kingdom and believed, and faith was bestowed upon them, and they learned to follow the Spirit of the Lord and to hear the Word of God. The tares are the children of the world, they hear the message of the kingdom, but first need to prove it by a book. And they believe that book, and the knowledge and the truth it contains, and have turned their belief of that book into a faith. And they follow the Bible and whatever it says, and they hold up the book of words and proclaim it as the Word of God. As the wicked one whispers, it is a book to be desired, one to make you wise. Yet for all the truth you may learn from it, or all the wisdom that you might gain from it. The book can just as easily become a snare to you, and it rises up to choke out the good seed sown in your heart, and the mystery of God and the message of his kingdom is lost upon you, and they remain all but just another piece of the puzzle that you feel the need to litigate over and over and debate about to no end or resolution. And the words of the book that you cherish, drowns out the very Word of God you profess to believe in.
You should recall, that the word of God is a two edged sword, and it can cut both ways. The very same word that can inspire someone to empathy and compassion, can also stir one to indignation and contempt. Elijah was a mighty prophet of God, yet when the disciples asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven as Elijah did, Jesus chastised them and asked them if they new which spirit they were of. Which spirit are you of, the spirit of Elijah, or the spirt of Christ? John came in the spirit of Elijah, and though there was no greater prophet than John, he was still account least in the kingdom.
The word of God is like a two edged sword, that turns every which way. It was set to protect the way to the tree of Life. The Bible too protects the way to the tree of Life. It stands in the way, turning every which way, spinning out a new meaning or a new insight here, or some one else’s interpretation there. A new debate on this topic, or a new denomination to follow along the way, and none of it profitable to the gospel of the kingdom. Like the people of the book before them, they too had accepted the commandments from God, and the promise of a kingdom to come, but when the kingdom did come, they held fast for fear of the commandment instead, and that commandment choked out that which was sown in them. The Word of God came to make for us a way back to the tree of Life, but instead you appeal to the words written of God that turn you away from the tree of Life, and when you look up, the tree of Knowledge stands before you.
Yes, your spirit can be exited by reading the words of the Bible, if you believe in God, how can it not. It’s like a small flower that is naturally drawn towards the source of light. But there comes a point where we must quiet down own spirit and desire for truth and knowledge and wisdom, and learn to listen to that still small voice within us, for there you will find the real Word of God already sown in your hearts.
That which is of the flesh is flesh, and that which is of the spirit is spirit. The commandments of old recorded in the book, are of the flesh, but the Word of God is Spirit. And we know that the flesh is enmity against the spirit. When I look in the Bible, I see an innumerable cloud of witness’ sharing their testimony with me. What do you see in the Bible, another commandment to follow? Christ didn’t come to perfect us in the flesh, he came to perfect our spirit.
There are any number of concurrent threads and numerous posts on this forum that concern the law in one way or another: Is it abolished? Has it been fulfilled? What is Gods law versus the law of Moses etc, etc..... And the debate goes round and round and on and on out without ever any resolution, because in the end it’s just a debate about ink on a page. The words on the page are litigated over and again, back and forth, but to what end, that of a modern day Pharisee?
The law was given to Moses after the children of Israel had first rejected the Lord. The Lord had instructed the children of Israel to make themselves ready for three days, and on the third day the Lord would descend upon the mountain, and he would write his laws in their hearts and he would dwell with them, and they would be unto him a peculiar people, a kingdom of priests. And the Lord commanded them to put bounds around the mount, and that for three days they should not touch the mount, or they would surely die; but on the third day when the trumpet blew long, then they were to come up. But on the third day, when the trumpet had blown long and the Lord descended on the Mount in a cloud, the people were so afraid that they refused to go up because of the commandment not to touch the mount lest you die. They ignored the second half of the commandment that said but when, because they lived in fear of that which proceeded even though they were told until. The children of Israel rejected the Lord’s kingdom that day, and instead chose to follow Moses. They rejected the Lord and asked to have Moses as their mediator, and they would do whatever Moses commanded them. How many people are still bound to to the Law, though they think themselves free, because their Bible tells them that Jesus is their mediator, they hold him up in lieu of Moses, as if they were the same . Are you like the Israelites of old who rejected the Lord when he descended upon the Mount? Who rejected the Lord and his kingdom and the promises that came with it; And instead chose to adhere to a list of commandments and the blessings that came with them, and the curses too.
Now just like the children in the desert, like the bounds that were set around the Mount, the law of Moses, had an until, and it had a but when attached to it.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
The but when, is when he raised up Jesus, the promised Prophet, who carried in him the Word of God. It is his words we should hearken unto, he brought the words the Israelites were would not hear. Not the old dead words of the law. Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, the same kingdom promised to the children of Israel before they ultimately rejected the Lord’s voice for a list of does and don’ts.
Is this what Jesus meant when he said that he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it? Or was it the acts of faith and mercy that he performed that fulfilled the law? In the end, what does it matter? What matters is if you have let go of that which came until, and heard him who was to come, and he who has come already.
The Lord’s promise was that he would come dwell in our hearts, and that he would teach us all things, not a book. But many have placed the Bible up on some sacred pedestal, where they proceed to argue over it like a pack of rabid dogs tearing at a dead carcass. They are so consumed with the Bible and all of its words, with all of it diverse meanings and interpretations, that they never stop long enough to ever hear the true Word of God that dwells within them. Then they replace that which they can no longer hear, with that which can be seen before them. Thats how the Bible became the word of God.
To them the Bible has become the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it is a book to be desired, a book to make one wise, as the serpent whispers in their ears, but a book whose only end is death. If Jesus has made available again to us the tree of life why then do you still thirst for the tree of knowledge? Reminds me of something Peter spoke of; about a dog returning to its vomit. Any one who tries to measure his own perfection, or his own righteousness in the mirror of the law will only find the devils reflection staring back at them.
Do you love your enemy? Do you forgive those who have despitefully used you, or have wronged you, and then grin and bear it because of some obligation to obedience and duty because Jesus said to forgive one another? Do you find yourself holding back your forgiveness until someone first asks for it, and then only grudgingly give it out of your duty to a commandment? Why would you let someone else hold this burden over you, and why would you want to hold up that burden upon yourself. Would it not be easier to forgive them first, and prevent that burden from taking any hold on you? Or have you learned to forgive them because it is part of the nature of the spirit that is being formed in you? And it bears no burden upon you.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto...insert parable here... The parable of the tares and the wheat warns us that the two seeds look identical, and that they could not be told apart, and that they were to grow together until the time of harvest. The good seed are the children of the kingdom. They heard the message of the kingdom and believed, and faith was bestowed upon them, and they learned to follow the Spirit of the Lord and to hear the Word of God. The tares are the children of the world, they hear the message of the kingdom, but first need to prove it by a book. And they believe that book, and the knowledge and the truth it contains, and have turned their belief of that book into a faith. And they follow the Bible and whatever it says, and they hold up the book of words and proclaim it as the Word of God. As the wicked one whispers, it is a book to be desired, one to make you wise. Yet for all the truth you may learn from it, or all the wisdom that you might gain from it. The book can just as easily become a snare to you, and it rises up to choke out the good seed sown in your heart, and the mystery of God and the message of his kingdom is lost upon you, and they remain all but just another piece of the puzzle that you feel the need to litigate over and over and debate about to no end or resolution. And the words of the book that you cherish, drowns out the very Word of God you profess to believe in.
You should recall, that the word of God is a two edged sword, and it can cut both ways. The very same word that can inspire someone to empathy and compassion, can also stir one to indignation and contempt. Elijah was a mighty prophet of God, yet when the disciples asked Jesus if they should call down fire from heaven as Elijah did, Jesus chastised them and asked them if they new which spirit they were of. Which spirit are you of, the spirit of Elijah, or the spirt of Christ? John came in the spirit of Elijah, and though there was no greater prophet than John, he was still account least in the kingdom.
The word of God is like a two edged sword, that turns every which way. It was set to protect the way to the tree of Life. The Bible too protects the way to the tree of Life. It stands in the way, turning every which way, spinning out a new meaning or a new insight here, or some one else’s interpretation there. A new debate on this topic, or a new denomination to follow along the way, and none of it profitable to the gospel of the kingdom. Like the people of the book before them, they too had accepted the commandments from God, and the promise of a kingdom to come, but when the kingdom did come, they held fast for fear of the commandment instead, and that commandment choked out that which was sown in them. The Word of God came to make for us a way back to the tree of Life, but instead you appeal to the words written of God that turn you away from the tree of Life, and when you look up, the tree of Knowledge stands before you.
Yes, your spirit can be exited by reading the words of the Bible, if you believe in God, how can it not. It’s like a small flower that is naturally drawn towards the source of light. But there comes a point where we must quiet down own spirit and desire for truth and knowledge and wisdom, and learn to listen to that still small voice within us, for there you will find the real Word of God already sown in your hearts.
That which is of the flesh is flesh, and that which is of the spirit is spirit. The commandments of old recorded in the book, are of the flesh, but the Word of God is Spirit. And we know that the flesh is enmity against the spirit. When I look in the Bible, I see an innumerable cloud of witness’ sharing their testimony with me. What do you see in the Bible, another commandment to follow? Christ didn’t come to perfect us in the flesh, he came to perfect our spirit.
