Surrounded by people who love to quote Scripture, I thought I would take a moment and share some thoughts. Each of us have the right to interpret Scripture anyway we want...even if we are wrong. Throwing Scripture out there to communicate what God wants, thinks and feels is often fret with out of context interpretation. For instance, it's not in Scripture that says anyone needs to apologize to you or make right for you what has been a wrong. The Lord's prayer is from Jesus to us (printed in red so we know it's His words). He says that we should pray like this. We ask the Father who is in Heaven to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Catch the connection? We are to forgive others as the Father forgives our confessed sin. Nothing there that says you or anyone else owes me an apology. Yet, that's what's preached and proclaimed. In the Bible's instruction for communion we are exhorted to go and make right that which is wrong before taking communion lest we drink and eat condemnation upon ourselves. Gulp! The Gospel is preached and taught to us so that we can be right with God first and people second. The Gospel isn't concerned about wrongs done to you being made right. The Gospel wants YOU and I in right relationship with God and then if that is real our relationship with man will follow. Just saying...
The Bible tells us that God will pour out his blessings from Heaven so much that we cannot contain them. However, we seldom read the before and after and take into context what else is said. The Israelites had this problem. God proclaimed to them that he would go before them, provide all they needed, give them victory and bless the efforts of their hands. That is all true. The condition is that the Israelites (and all believers) do two things. First they are to Love the Lord God with all their hearts, souls and minds. Secondly, they are to not make any images to worship. When they left captivity in Egypt the crowd was estimated around 2 million. When they went into captivity again in Babylon they numbered 80,000. The prosperity preachers out there would have us look at the blessings handed down to us if we would only ask. There is little talk of the wants, needs or desires of God from his people. The Scripture tells us that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He can sell a cow anytime he pleases and meet the needs of the people who are in right relationship with him. Keep living in sin and God has no reason to bless you or I. Yet, God chooses to provide for the needs of believers even though we sin and fail daily. He is a good God who takes care of our needs. There is no promise of our wants. Our desires of our hearts should be God and not what God can give. James tells us that we ask and do not receive because we ask with wrong motive. We ask so that we can consume it ourselves. James, being the half brother of Jesus, knew firsthand what his brother said, did and showed us to be and do.
I'm tired of all those who profess to have a "word from God" for me. Anyone can tell me to leave my life of sin. Anyone can tell me to treat others right. Anyone can tell me to love and not hate. Anyone can tell me to read the word and go to church. We hear it all the time. The "word from God" serves several purposes. First is to teach. Second is to reaffirm. Third is to warn. Should we look at the message of the prophets we would see that there is weight in what God told them to say. The word of a prophet always comes true. That's what the Bible says anyway. Mike Warnke, Christian comedian ad ex satanic priest, once said, "When you come to me to say something and begin with 'I want to tell you this out of Christian love', it's not." (slightly paraphrased). You get the picture. If it's from God then you don't need to preface the message. God didn't through the prophets and still doesn't today. When you feel the need to say something to someone and believe it's from God simply address the issues. Open your mouth and let God speak. If it's not from God you have sinned against God. Accept grace, repent, and repeat.
The Golden rule is not what we think. We shouldn't treat anyone like we want to be treated. Ask anyone who is mentally ill. We are commanded in Scripture to love others as God has loved us. Wow! What if we actually did what God commanded? How would your world and mine change if we as Christians attended to all of Scripture and not just part of it. Jeremiah 29:11 is quoted often as a prediction that all will be well with you. Wrong. The "if" has been left out. IF you obey the Lord and IF you return to him then HE will cause you to be blessed. Read the context next time before you say what you have heard. Those who preach only what people's itching ears want to hear are not preaching the Word of God.
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