"Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking....Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires....But they deliberately forget....But...you ought to live holy and godly lives." (From 2 Peter 3, NIV)
Most of people are, "scoffers." Don't believe for a moment all that talk about wanting sermons, teachings, etc., which make the Bible "relevant." First of all, any sermon which points people to Jesus Christ, which is Bible expository in nature is relevant. You don't and cannot make truth relevant. Truth defines relevancy. What most people want, contrary to very popular opinion, is "truth" which affirms them in their rebellion. They want truth which makes them feel good. Maybe this is why so many teachers in Christendom today are centering on you and me and not on Jesus Christ. To state once again the very obvious, Jesus Christ is Truth; "His Word is Truth."
Most people think that Jesus' main purpose for "coming" was to come to us and wallow with us in our life struggle. It was not. It was to bring us to Father in Himself. Now He promised that, "You will be hated by everyone because of me," and, Paul warned us that, "all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." But notice that all this is because of Jesus Christ and our lives lived in, "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ," not because of a life of trying to drag Him around in our agenda. I find it interesting that most say to Jesus, "Come to me." While the Biblical injunction is, "Come to Me!"
As I see it, this is the Gospel of the, "God-Breathed," Word, Biblical Theology, or, one could say the philosophy of life which will keep us, sustain us, and, as Peter says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..."-- and to, "Father's house," of, "many mansions." Frankly, I prefer by far His, "many mansions," over any dwelling I may have. The, "godly lives," of our text is I living His will, not Him living mine.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I would rather You bring me to You, than I try to bring You to me. Amen.
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The Relevancy of the Bible at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
Most of people are, "scoffers." Don't believe for a moment all that talk about wanting sermons, teachings, etc., which make the Bible "relevant." First of all, any sermon which points people to Jesus Christ, which is Bible expository in nature is relevant. You don't and cannot make truth relevant. Truth defines relevancy. What most people want, contrary to very popular opinion, is "truth" which affirms them in their rebellion. They want truth which makes them feel good. Maybe this is why so many teachers in Christendom today are centering on you and me and not on Jesus Christ. To state once again the very obvious, Jesus Christ is Truth; "His Word is Truth."
Most people think that Jesus' main purpose for "coming" was to come to us and wallow with us in our life struggle. It was not. It was to bring us to Father in Himself. Now He promised that, "You will be hated by everyone because of me," and, Paul warned us that, "all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." But notice that all this is because of Jesus Christ and our lives lived in, "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ," not because of a life of trying to drag Him around in our agenda. I find it interesting that most say to Jesus, "Come to me." While the Biblical injunction is, "Come to Me!"
As I see it, this is the Gospel of the, "God-Breathed," Word, Biblical Theology, or, one could say the philosophy of life which will keep us, sustain us, and, as Peter says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..."-- and to, "Father's house," of, "many mansions." Frankly, I prefer by far His, "many mansions," over any dwelling I may have. The, "godly lives," of our text is I living His will, not Him living mine.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I would rather You bring me to You, than I try to bring You to me. Amen.
*********************
The Relevancy of the Bible at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
