How often people question and challenge the Word of God, if the bible’s teachings are so great, why is it so that many Christians still remain unsuccessful? Obviously there’s nothing wrong with God’s word, the problem lies with us, the imperfect humans prone to many doubts and skeptism.
The word ‘hear’ in the bible appears 2601 times in the NKJVersion, every time these people in the bible hear from God, and did what they were told to, every single time, God prevails for them! I like to use John 9 as a great example; after rubbing the clay into the blind man’s eyes Jesus specifically told the blind man to wash at this certain pool, which he did and recieved his sight.
So how often do we hear from God and do specifically to what He says? What if the blind man did not go to the pool he was specifically intructed to? God requires us to have a partnership with him, he will always take the first step for us, just as it is in John 9, Jesus spat on the floor and rubbed clay into the blind man’s eyes, yet the blind man was not healed until he did what he was told. The man would not have been healed until he did his part.
James 1:22-25 says- 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
If we’re just heaerers of the word, and not doers of the word, the bible says we’re just deceiving ourselves! How often do we listen to a great sermon, got encouraged at the service, walked away at the end of it and forget everything? The best part is that we blame God for not doing anything but we ourselves are the ones not doing anything! See the irony in that?
John 9:11 says- 11He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
Let us be not just a hearer but a doer of the Word. I guess what they say is true- God will only help those who help themselves. If God brings you to it, be assured, when you do what He says, He will bring you through it. How often do we ignore the fineprints of the bible?
August 3, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Most people who ppreach it, pastors especially, still do not practise it or live it day..
do you?
August 3, 2008 at 11:00 pm
well i am now
August 4, 2008 at 1:01 am
“Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we “dress up” for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices. Many Christians take for granted that their church’s practices are rooted in Scripture. Yet those practices look very different from those of the first-century church. The New Testament is not silent on how the early church freely expressed the reality of Christ’s indwelling in ways that rocked the first-century world. Times have changed. Pagan Christianity leads us on a fascinating tour through church history, revealing this startling and unsettling truth: Many cherished church traditions embraced today originated not out of the New Testament, but out of pagan practices. One of the most troubling outcomes has been the effect on average believers: turning them from living expressions of Christ’s glory and power to passive observers. If you want to see that trend reversed, turn to Pagan Christianity . . . a book that examines and challenges every aspect of our contemporary church experience. http://www.paganchristianity.org/”
Most Christian professing people can be easily lied to, mislead, since they are in often in unrepentant sins and rarely read the Bible.. and at least of them 70 percent are not even born again, and most of the rest are not anointed, filled with the Holy sprit, pastors included cause they have not made Jesus Christ as Lord of their life yet too.. they are still mostly doing their own thing and really do not know God .. sad.. 70 percent of today’s pastors have admitted to committing adultery.. what do you think the rest do as well?
So some people think that the solution is going back and reestablishing the New testament church structure.. what these people need firstly is getting the book of acts Pentecostal experiences.. and they will naturally next care for the poor people, act like real anointed Christians. http://groups.msn.com/HolySpiritCome
Home churches established without leading of the holy spirit still has a lot of elders, decisions undeniably committing adultery with their flock…
August 5, 2008 at 12:54 am
we’re not perfect, no one is perfect except Jesus. This is where amazing grace comes in, not cheap grace.
And if you look at it in a positive way, 70% of today’s pastors have admitted to committing adultery, would it be better if they din’t admit it? As long as you confess your sins, God will definitely forgive you for Jesus already died on the cross for all our sins 2000 years ago
However it is true that most churches today are stale and unfruitful;we are called to be the salt and light of the world, we are called to be in the world yet not of the world; The world is looking for an answer, and the church has to be that answer and it is very sad that churches do not change with time to be that answer.
It is also true that most Christians are not filled with the Holy Spirit, some of them are just living on cheap grace; but it is a personal choice, they’ll account for it when they, one day, stand in front of God and when He asks “so what have you done with your life”
I know I’ll have something exciting to reply God that question
and hey im no theologian im just 17 this year :)