[Faith-talk] FW: IBGN~NEWSLETTER~ Know it all???

[Eric Calhoun]

Brothers and sisters, this is one, though so utterly true, I've had to
agree with!

Eric


Original Message: 
From: Momsooky <momsooky at yahoo.com>
To: momsooky at yahoo.com
Subject: IBGN~NEWSLETTER~ Know it all???
Date: 
Mon, 5 May 2008 21:48:40 -0700 (PDT)

Proverbs 3:7-8
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It
will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
  
A very dangerous thing is when someone thinks that they know it all.
Heresies and blasphemies are not far behind that sort of thinking. When it
comes to things of God, we all have preconceived notions and beliefs that
have to be broken. Why? Because most of them are based on religious
doctrine (rules made by men) and not upon the word of God. We, especially
here in the US, have become a people of leisure, even when it comes to the
gospel. We may even preach a false doctrine of "feel good" Christianity.
"Receive Jesus so that you can feel good." That's not the gospel. The
gospel is "repent and be baptized."
The gospel isn't any other thing, other than Jesus born of a virgin,
lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and rose from the
dead..........Jesus the Son of God. That's the gospel. When folks get
steeped in "religion" for too long, they begin to work outside God's
standards. Then begin to think they "know it all." And that, is the
beginning of blasphemy.
  
Only God knows it all. I am humbled every time I preach or even speak to
these groups, because I know that without the Lord, it would be worthless.
If I tried to teach out of my "knowledge"......forget about it. It would be
a waste of time for me to do it, and a waste of your time to read it. I
don't claim to know it all, and if I ever do, I pray someone would slap up
beside the head (to use a Texas term). When we get too "big for our
breeches (pronounced britches)" then we tend to leave God out, and try and
do it on our own. Hence
the very next verse, 8. Do you want to be healthy and strong? Don't be a
"know it all". Because guess what? You don't. Neither do I. And I don't
claim to. 
  
Whenever I say something, or teach something......I base it ALL on the
word of God. Not on my own opinion, or doctrine, or what I have been
taught.........none of that. I want it solely based upon the word of God.
If we don't study the word of God, how can we know it? It's great to listen
to Christian radio and watch Christian TV, but you cannot use that as an
excuse not to be part of the body of Christ. You must be under the
authority of a pastor in a home church. If not, you'll be bouncing off
walls and thinking you know it all, when in reality you know very little if
anything.
  
Because your beliefs are not based upon the word of God, but upon what
you "feel" or "think". That's not good. We need to have structure. We need
a pastor we can go to and share with......who can counsel us and pray for
us, and yes, correct us when we need it to keep us in line. There are no
"Lone Ranger" Christians. And those who are out there...... have little or
no love. They may have all kinds of things.....they may have enormous
faith....but without love, they are worthless. (See 1st Corinthian 13) We
don't know it all. And on this earth, we never will. Study the word, and be
under the authority of a pastor so that you don't get off in left field
somewhere. I am under authority, the one over me is under authority, the
one over him is under authority..... So let's not be wise in our own eyes.
Let's
put others in higher regard than ourselves and be the people of love that
we have been called to be. For Jesus said, "This is my commandment that you
love one another, that your joy may be full." (There are many references
John 13:34-35, John 15:12........) 
   
  Good day and God bless. Pastor James




  

"a merry heart doeth good like a medicine" Prov 17:22

 






       
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