A Pilgrims search for the Truth, the whole truth, and nothing BUT the truth
Before I start this, I want to point out that I am not against people. Brothers and sisters in the Lord are what it is all about. We are of the same Kingdom and need to recognize that more and more as the time draws near. If I offend anyone's sense of beliefs and purpose, please forgive me. It is not meant that way. Denominational strongholds are another matter however, and I do not care if I offend them.
For so many years now I have been taking in what is preached with no real testing of it's content. I have conducted my life like a lamb to the slaughter.
I should have learned this lesson 33 years ago, but alas I forgot it with time.
To keep this short on to the point, I would like write about where I have come to in my own walk, after many years of seeking and following in different churches.
For years I have listened to the 'expanded' version of the Word, based on whoever happened to be preaching at whichever church I was attending.
I can't tell you how many times I have heard a verse, or section of a verse read out loud, then Bible put down and the statement made that goes something like this: "and it does not mean just that, but it ALSO means..." and off they go with their own theories based on their denomination's institutional teaching.
I believe that the assumptive expansion of God's Word has caused more deception, pain, hurt, and dissension in the church today than anything else. (by 'church' in this case I mean the people of God, not the buildings or denominations).
I started out in a dispensational fundamentalist denomination that decided the work of the Spirit of God that came to pass at Pentacost, and was evident in the early church, was done away with by the advent of the King James Bible.
I found that to be presumptious, at the very least, ridiculous at best.
Was this when the translation was first penned? When it was first read? When it was first printed on Gutenberg's press? When it first sold on the shelves? and tell me all about revised versions and the 'New' King James Bible? Were those ones somehow more of a 'fulfillment', new and improved?
This expanded theory was used to throw out everything that the pentacostal churches believed. The basic idea among that denomination was that Pentacostal churches were demonic cults. I kid you not. I took a stand against that, and paid the price.
It is interesting how at least half, if not more, of those same people today believe the way I did 33 years ago, a young ignorant 17 year old teenage boy who just took the Bible literally.
Off and on since then I have been involved with the Pentacostal denominations of one flavor or another.
I am finally realizing that my lesson of so many years ago was not about particular beliefs in tongues, miracles and prophecy that were incorrect.
The lesson was about not expanding on the Word of God!
The expanded version in Pentacostal denominational circles leads to some interesting theories also. Their main premise is that when Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sin, which is clearly written in the Word He did not die only for our sin, but also for our healing and for our bank accounts.
This particular idea leads to the wildest theories you can imagine. Most of the ideas come from trying to explain away why it does not work.
Since the cross can't be blamed as not having done it's 'job', the blame must go elsewhere. The teachers take no blame of coarse, but put it on the people as having 'not enough faith', 'being in unbelief', that sort of thing.
This idea has also led to 'positive confession' which is just a version of witchcraft with a charismatic 'wrapper' on it. Chanting words for power and effect is far from new.
You will even hear statements such as: I do not have a cold, I just have symptoms coming on me to make me THINK I have a cold and make a negative confession. Mary Baker Eddy could not have said it better.
How foolish we can become with just a simple 'expanded' version of God's actual written Word?. By only one or two people the 'trickle down' effect of that expansive interpretation has had a huge global impact. Having a large impact does NOT make it right by the way. Truth is not democratic, being made true by a count of hands.
The pagan world around us knows that the symptoms you experience when fighting off a cold is evidence of your body healing itself. The higher temperature you run is there to kill the invader. The mucous is also there to kill the invader.
Rest, take it easy, (thank God, those of us who are Christian, for the healing He gave you, as we acknowledge Him in ALL our ways) and move on with your life. What load of hogwash is this about symptoms only being temptation to 'negative confession"?
Is it any wonder the world around us are not flocking to hear the 'Gospel' that preaches that the symptoms are just little 'demonic entities' of some sort, trying to tempt you into a negative confession? Please! God does tell us in His word that He gave us a sound mind. Claim THAT one before it is too late!
I will not even go into the prosperity aspect of the teaching. Life is too short and it is too ugly.
Since I did not get the chance to study at any of man's denominational institutes where all of this 'interpretation' seems to make sense, for this pilgrim there is only one answer: I will have to go by the written word only. If it is not specifically written, exactly how it is being preached, then do not preach it to me. My response will no longer be 'Amen', it will be 'Says who?'
Sincerely
Nathan
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Author: goodnews
Location: Fitzwilliam New Hampshire USA
Gender: Male
Age: 51
Blog Entries: 25 (archive)
Blog Comments: 83
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