Have you ever thought that you might be a judge of God? The words of Christ are the words of life for all true Christians everywhere. Yet it seems that there are many gospels floating out there today and being preached from pulpits. You've heard them: The Prosperity Gospel, The Social Gospel, a ubiquitous Secular Gospel and as many as you can imagine. But I am really only interested in truth so there can only be One Gospel because its only about One Jesus.
What would make you a judge of God if you subscribe to any of these gospels? Because by choosing one thing you ignore another. Imagine that all of the Old Test lead up as a path to Jesus who was the culmination of all of the law. And also imagine that Jesus who also created the whole world and holds it together is going to tell you about life and its meaning and how it is lived and instead you decide to ignore parts of what he is telling you. If you throw out some of the pieces then how can you be sure the rest will work correctly?
If you tell me you love Jesus, then it means you also have to love everything He has said since that communication is a projection of his inner thoughts and being. He is telling you about himself and since the Trinity is the source of all creation, it is also telling you about reality and truth at its deepest level. So I can admit I don't like some things i read in the Gospels, but that doesn't mean it can be ignored or edited except at my own peril.
If I can accept that Jesus loves me then I have to accept that what he tells me is for that purpose as well.
I believe in the prosperity of God, but it doesn't deserve its own Gospel. God promises prosperity, but he also promises trouble as a mechanism for spiritual development and growth. You can't read "Count it all joy in trials and tribulations" and then you will never have a problem. And you can't spiritualize money and get involved in class warfare as if this is the only life we will ever live for a social pseudo gospel. There is only one Jesus so there can only ever be one Gospel or even one mystical church.
There cannot be a genuine Gospel without the involvement of the Spirit of God who is part of the Trinity. I am a Trinitarian and I believe that the Spirit is the deposit of earnest given by The Father until the return of our True King. And since God doesn't change then there cannot and must not be a change in the activity of Jesus through the Paraclete in his rulership of His church.
Secularist Christians will essentially evade miracles and casting out demons in their discussions of the Gospels, but if you cut that out you would cut out at least half of the words of the Gospels and that is to edit Christ. You can't have it both ways - That's the Gospels. It's a package deal so you have to take everything or you don't really love Jesus yet. You have to accept "Blessed are you when they persecute you for righteousness sake" and you have to accept "I will repay them many times for what they have lost for My sake".
The real bottom line truth about Jesus is that he is the King of Justice, and of provision, and He has things to say about life and justice that are philosophical, but that He is changeless. And His command to us as an Apostolic and Orthodox Church cannot and must not ever change.
How much justice will you have if you are possessed by the devil? You are a slave! How much prosperity do you have if you live in darkness and are sick? God heals and delivers. How much light do you have if you are ignorant? Then the teachers of the church have to instruct and drive the darkness out of peoples minds with healing rays of light in Godly teaching.
You cannot separate a genuine Gospel as you would find in the Gospels and Acts from Gods power and presence. If you have been plugged into one of these partial Gospels then there is a simple solution: Change your mind.
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16, NKJV)
The above is the Gospel that I signed up for. Not an empty philosophical society, a get rich quick scheme, or a socialist meeting, but a real and genuine living Gospel of transformation and freedom. What are you seeking?
Ask God for an infilling of His Most Holy Spirit and power so you can participate with Him in Gods plans for you. It's not an option: It is a calling. So how will you respond? Abraham, Samuel, and Peter and Paul all responded to the call of God. Throw out your ideas and partial affinities for Christ and really open yourself up to Him to allow Him to share with you a true reality so you can be a genuine child of the church and not a partial one. Then you can be "Complete and whole, lacking nothing".
What would make you a judge of God if you subscribe to any of these gospels? Because by choosing one thing you ignore another. Imagine that all of the Old Test lead up as a path to Jesus who was the culmination of all of the law. And also imagine that Jesus who also created the whole world and holds it together is going to tell you about life and its meaning and how it is lived and instead you decide to ignore parts of what he is telling you. If you throw out some of the pieces then how can you be sure the rest will work correctly?
If you tell me you love Jesus, then it means you also have to love everything He has said since that communication is a projection of his inner thoughts and being. He is telling you about himself and since the Trinity is the source of all creation, it is also telling you about reality and truth at its deepest level. So I can admit I don't like some things i read in the Gospels, but that doesn't mean it can be ignored or edited except at my own peril.
If I can accept that Jesus loves me then I have to accept that what he tells me is for that purpose as well.
I believe in the prosperity of God, but it doesn't deserve its own Gospel. God promises prosperity, but he also promises trouble as a mechanism for spiritual development and growth. You can't read "Count it all joy in trials and tribulations" and then you will never have a problem. And you can't spiritualize money and get involved in class warfare as if this is the only life we will ever live for a social pseudo gospel. There is only one Jesus so there can only ever be one Gospel or even one mystical church.
There cannot be a genuine Gospel without the involvement of the Spirit of God who is part of the Trinity. I am a Trinitarian and I believe that the Spirit is the deposit of earnest given by The Father until the return of our True King. And since God doesn't change then there cannot and must not be a change in the activity of Jesus through the Paraclete in his rulership of His church.
Secularist Christians will essentially evade miracles and casting out demons in their discussions of the Gospels, but if you cut that out you would cut out at least half of the words of the Gospels and that is to edit Christ. You can't have it both ways - That's the Gospels. It's a package deal so you have to take everything or you don't really love Jesus yet. You have to accept "Blessed are you when they persecute you for righteousness sake" and you have to accept "I will repay them many times for what they have lost for My sake".
The real bottom line truth about Jesus is that he is the King of Justice, and of provision, and He has things to say about life and justice that are philosophical, but that He is changeless. And His command to us as an Apostolic and Orthodox Church cannot and must not ever change.
How much justice will you have if you are possessed by the devil? You are a slave! How much prosperity do you have if you live in darkness and are sick? God heals and delivers. How much light do you have if you are ignorant? Then the teachers of the church have to instruct and drive the darkness out of peoples minds with healing rays of light in Godly teaching.
You cannot separate a genuine Gospel as you would find in the Gospels and Acts from Gods power and presence. If you have been plugged into one of these partial Gospels then there is a simple solution: Change your mind.
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16, NKJV)
The above is the Gospel that I signed up for. Not an empty philosophical society, a get rich quick scheme, or a socialist meeting, but a real and genuine living Gospel of transformation and freedom. What are you seeking?
Ask God for an infilling of His Most Holy Spirit and power so you can participate with Him in Gods plans for you. It's not an option: It is a calling. So how will you respond? Abraham, Samuel, and Peter and Paul all responded to the call of God. Throw out your ideas and partial affinities for Christ and really open yourself up to Him to allow Him to share with you a true reality so you can be a genuine child of the church and not a partial one. Then you can be "Complete and whole, lacking nothing".