CONDEMN OR PROMOTE

                                                   CONDEMN OR PROMOTE

    There are several hot button issues now that have been with us in the past and will be in the future. Many people have predetermined their position. Unfortunately, predetermination can prove to be a huge mistake. Unless you examine ALL information on a subject, your first
conclusion may be wrong. I urge all readers to examine scripture and other reliable sources before reaching a conclusion. Other reliable sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and history books, as long as these latter histories are not compiled by writers representing
a specific denomination or personal conclusion. I have encountered many Christians who will only read books written by founding or other denominational writers. This is a major mistake on their part, because no individual or denomination has all the answers. Christ told us only
the Father knew certain things (Matt. 24:36), and that you must be listening to the Holy Spirit to understand certain things such as the parables (Matt. 13:11-17). It takes time and effort to do the research and gain any solid background information. Apparently that is why so many Christians don't understand some true issues.

    While the entire bible is our overall manual, as Christians we need to place the four gospels (Matt., Mark, Luke and John) as the primary source for our decisions. If you are a heart-committed recipient of  Christ's offer of salvation, these four books of the New Testament are
your guide. You need to remember the scripture in the epistles and some of the Old Testament books (Proverbs, for example) must be considered according to their origin. Proverbs contains much advice that is solid, but this advice does not come from Christ. That does not make it bad, but it does come from men, some of whom had no real connection with clergy or priests. It is "common" advice.

    Christ said that parables would be difficult to understand unless the hearer had the help of the Holy Spirit. Christians are blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit upon salvation. However, that does not mean you are "filled" with the Holy Spirit. That infilling comes when
you surrender your personal control of your life and follow His teaching. Many pastors don't understand the parables and mislead Christians with their false interpretation. It is easy to make these mistakes by concentrating on some verses while ignoring a sentence or two.

    Teaching of the epistles has created vast chasms between many Christian denominations. Many pastors have not spent the time and effort to study history and culture. That is especially true today with the global decisions being made by virtually every politician, no matter the party affiliation. Paul admits in 1 Corinthians that some of his rules reflect his opinion as a man as well as an apostle. Some of the things  he addresses here and in other epistles include such cultural matters as personal dress, colors, family life, church leadership, etc. These were all new churches, and the local/regional leadership was held by unschooled Christians.

    Some of these newly established churches had to break away from serious personal sins accepted by the population as normal. There  were numerous "rules" established to counter the cultural sins, but other rules were misunderstood. One such rule was the use of colors. When God established the temple and installed priests, He stipulated certain colors for robes and "decorations". Later, use of color was discouraged because it implied humans were glorifying themselves. We have denominations called "plain people" today as an offshoot of this misunderstanding. That is not necessarily wrong, and not a sin, but is does separate believers. Man rules not given by Christ tend to sooner or later separate believers. It certainly was not Paul's attempt to do this, but the inability of new believers to educate themselves. Paul's instruction was to eliminate the predominant cultural sins.

    The instructions Christ gave us are the pure gospel. They are simple and direct. He knew many would not understand, and told the disciples it would take more than seeing and hearing to understand. Paul warned the new churches that all believers ARE ONE, and believers should not add man rules that would cause division. I've attended and preached in churches of several denominations, and unfortunately the division is very apparent. To understand the complexity of His word, you need to study Matt. 13:10-17. Please read these verses, and pay special heed to verse 17, which warns us that being righteous does not mean we'll be able to understand. The church is full of righteous people, such as the man who refused to hear a word I had to say because "he had the truth." What he had was a prepared spiel provided by a denomination that doesn't follow many of Christ's guidelines. I don't believe in pushing
Christianity on anyone. It is a choice everyone is free to make. The current attempt to force Christian ideals, whether real or imagined, is a terrible mistake. I'm seeing more and more uncommitted people comment on the attempt to pass religious laws. In fact, one Supreme
Court justice has said our Constitution gives religious law overruling that document.

    I pray you have read Matt. 13:10-17, and I ask you to go back to  chapter 12 and read verses 22-30. This scripture covers the problem caused by a divided house. The inability of Christian leaders to follow this instruction is exacerbating the division of believers. Furthermore, the attention to divisive issues is ignoring the primary issues such as placing the likeness of God and Christ the same as a corporation. This violates all scripture going back to Genesis and the creation of man. Some corporations require employees to greet people with Happy Holiday Season rather than Merry Christmas. The recent court ruling permitting discrimination at the whim of an employer or businessman is another example of division. It forces people to do something that may be against their belief. It denies the liberty our nation was supposedly founded upon. 

    What would Christians think if another religion became dominant and we would have to follow their religious rules? Most religions are peaceful, but we are currently seeing radicals take over governments and institute religious laws. Violators are harshly punished, including
death. Christ told us that God provided freedom of choice and the  liberty to pursue happiness. If Christianity becomes mandatory by law, there will be confusion on the part of differing leaders, and much resentment by Americans who are being told what they must do.

     I close this message with Matt. 13:12, which I pray you read as previously requested in this message. This passage is frequently taught by pastors and teachers incorrectly. The emphasis on abundance is likened to mean worldly success--money and social standing. It  reads, "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have  abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." Christ never taught about financial abundance, but about spiritual abundance. The rewards for believers will come in heaven. There's nothing wrong with earthy rewards as long as they are earned in accordance with following the gospels. Our biggest problem as believers is to put God and Christ's teaching after our number one desire: earthly success. It's not religious control nor the love of money that Christ taught, but to love our fellowman and care for others of any persuasion.

Rev. Walbear