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MAKING DISCIPLES OF ALL BELIEVERS
Charles Pinkney
The
world of religion,
what a world! Almost everyone is in their own particular
place regarding a search for a personal belief system.
How would we graph our place as a believer or an
unbeliever? Do you know what you believe? Do you
know why you hold these beliefs? Some have a belief
in a god of some description, others
may not. Some pray, some believe in an afterlife,
while others have no faith in any god nor any life
following this one.
There are so many religions inside and outside of
Christianity. There are so many named gods and paths
to pleasing or appeasing them. Within these myriad
forms of belief or worship some have developed a
set of moral values in accord with these beliefs.
Indeed many of these values promote peace and brotherhood
toward the greater community. Many religious beliefs
may generate hatred and intolerance toward those
outside of that faith. Now some religions compel
its followers to convert the world to their viewpoint
and to, in a word, cause the whole world to believe
according to that religion.
Religion is a noble study for some, for millions
of others, obligatory doctrines. Religion in general
revolves around the belief in god, gods, or "spirits"
as defined by Margaret Mead, the anthropologist.
Christianity may be practiced with "a wrong
spirit." The crusades were a demonstration
of such wrong Christian beliefs. Inhumanities
done were done in accordance with a form of religion
that was not in conformity to the Gospel of Christ.
The crusades and the inquisition enacted through
Catholicism demonstrated an abuse of power that
is presumed when God's rule on earth is assumed
by any political religion or church
on earth. Christianity in its correct form must
reflect a message of love, acceptance and forgiveness.
Enacting judgment against unbelievers is not to
be exercised by true believers in Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
In the Gospel (presented to the non Jewish world
by Paul the apostle) there is an invitation
to come freely and receive, partaking in the life
changing power of Jesus' love, and forgiveness.
It is not an intellectual belief system. Nor is
there is there a sword to convert the unbeliever.
Rather a simple promise of redemption into a changed
life. attested by a demonstration of the supernatural
power of God. The preaching of this gospel
converts the heart and pursuades each that there
is a loving God in heaven who desires that no one
dies under condemnation. "God so loved the
world - - ," John 3:16 is the often quoted
basic text. Condemnation and judgment is not to
come from the hand of a believer who is commanded
to walk in the same love and forgiveness that Jesus
modeled to all.
Christianity
has a simple and wonderful Gospel that is:
Indispensable; (There
are eternal consequences to ignore it.)
It is verifiable - - meaning
it works; (It has the power to change lives)
and
It's entirely free
to any who are willing to believe and ask.
The aim
and commission of this Gospel of Jesus Christ is
to bring people together in oneness as a righteous
human family living in harmony in the world.
The doctrine of Christ, has 3 requirements
that determine Christian
authenticity:
(See 2Corinthians 11:vs.4)
The
right Jesus, not an angel, not merely a prophet
nor a good man, not a teacher, but the only begotten
Son of God, the Jewish Messiah.
The right gospel, it is a gospel of good
news that humanity may come to the giver of
life and receive eternal life and forgiveness freely,
without the mediation of a priest; nor is it a gospel
of works, nor is it a gospel of faith and works;
the door is open to any who call upon the name of
the Lord.
The source of truth and understanding of this gospel
is the Holy Bible.
The right Spirit, there are many spirits
that have influence in the world. These spirits
are both Godly and demonic. Spirits (not visible
to the eye) occupy the atmosphere (mid heavens)
and the earth and have impacted human life for thousands
of years. Evil spirits described by Jesus, his disciples
and apostles remain to seduce and steal from the
life, liberty and spiritual potential of all, even
believers. The "spirit of the world" is
a spirit of self exaltation and pride. Of course
modern thought and psychology thoroughly discredits
any discussions involving spirits as a primitive
and absurd belief system. However, it is to be noted
that Jesus the Messiah came to "destroy the
works of the devil," (1John3:8) Satan, the
"god of this world" rules all fallen beings.
It is God's purpose to restore the proper line of
earthly rule under the dominion of Jesus Christ.
In due time nations will recognize him as the Holy
One of God, appointed Lord of all things. Evil or
wrong spirits include, pride, rebellion, witchcraft,
defilement, sensuality, gluttony, drunkeness, etc.
These are not merely negative human behaviors
or attributes but are energized by the demonic.
One
God equals any other?
The broad-minded, ecumenical world would like to
assert that any god is essentially at par with any
other, or declare they all are expressions of the
same sublime higher One.
I have
become a Christian believer, but was not always
so. Disillusioned by religion, sensing superficialities,
hypocrisies, and the lack of any evidence of the
God of the Bible I went on searching and doubting,
and trusting that I was good enough not to fall
into condemnation in the hereafter in event that
my presumptions were wrong. I had heard the term
"Good News" referring the Gospel of the
Messiah Jeshua (Jesus). But my experience in Christianity
was only valued in an institutional and sentimental
way. I knew the memories of a lifestyle in my childhood.
In these early days I yearned to touch and experience
something that was real, powerful and persuasive.
This is exactly where so many seeking people are
at today. Hopeful, but without proof that God is
real and reachable. I was not taught that God was
a reality to be experienced and the Gospel is the
Power of God to effect human life in many profound
ways outside of my religious experience.
An important breakthrough in our understanding:
The Gospel is the power of
God. This power persuades
us to believe and transforms us into a whole new
person. A God of love can impact human lives in
remarkable life-changing ways. Such knowledge is
absent in the realm of most traditional church
life. It goes beyond religion to know a God who
reveals himself as Savior and King of the universe.
Even
more amazingly, we discover that the Bible proves
to be entirely believable and consistent. Today
there are well educated detractors who work continuously
to discredit any belief that there is accuracy or
consistency of the Holy Bible.
Now
when I hear of a God who walked with man in a spiritually
perfect world, I believe it; when I hear of a God
who did wonders in the days of Moses or the prophets
I do not doubt for one moment; when I hear the prophecies
of the appointed men of God to declare the end from
the beginning I have no doubt in the veracity of
any of those words.
God spoke through prophets with inerrant accuracy
to declare the Messiah and his mission to redeem
fallen humanity and all these prophecies came to
pass. Jesus as the lamb of God came to close the
divide between God and humanity. The resurrection
of Jeshua, as irrational scientifically unsound
it sounds on the surface, remains the foundation
of Christianity. Resurrection establishes the "Power
of the Gospel" and enables any believer to
partake in His divine nature.
Religions
of the world vary in name and beliefs. Establishing
worldly kingdoms as the launching pad for those
beliefs is contrary to the Gospel. Christian religions,
including, Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses,
and most of the Protestant denominations have distorted
the simplicity of the Gospel greatly, making it
formalistic and religious. Churches (Buildings
with congregations) is what most people think of
when we imagine Christianity in practice: Where
church leaders act as priests that control a laiety;
Where ceremony and ritual are the practiced; and
where obligations or extraneous rules and obligations
are taught; these very practices contradict the
original Gospel, i.e. the Apostolic epistles.
The
New Testament Epistles define the nature and scope
of becoming and living as a believer and how to
function in the fellowship of other believers. Realizing
that these plain and effective practices of first
century of Christianity became distorted and lost
is now being rediscovered by many writers. God is
now taking us back to the beginning and the basics
which we have lost.
Introduction: "The
Quest for God"
Chapter
Titles
to contact the
author use "gospel1" at the friendlyarts
net domain
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