WORLD-VIEW

I’ve always been amazed that so many Christians can read the same Bible and have many different beliefs. This is why there are so many different denominations. I’m also amazed when several scientists view the same archaeological evidence, and come to very different conclusions, especially concerning the age of the earth, dinosaurs, and other fossils.

It’s the same with politics. Democrats and Republicans are now so far apart in beliefs and ideas that it seems there’s not even a few issues we can agree on. It all comes down to our worldview. Our worldview, or how we look at the world, determines everything else we believe, as well as how we act, and how we treat others in our everyday lives.

That’s why it’s very important to have a “Biblical Worldview.” In other words, we need to see the world through the lens of God’s holy word, the Bible. You may ask, What good is a biblical worldview when there are so many different opinions, and interpretations of God’s word? That’s a good question. The answer is simple. The Bible says spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:13-14). Jesus said, Everyone must be born again (John 3: 1-7).

There are many people who claim to be Christians, but do not bear the fruits of a Christian. Jesus said his Born Again followers will be known by their fruits, which are the works or deeds that they do (Matthew 7:16). Nobody knows everything, no matter how close we are to God, but if a person is not born again, with the Holy Spirit living inside, they cannot understand the Bible correctly.

Unfortunately, there are many people who have not been born again, but claim to be Christians simply because they believe God exists. They don’t believe IN God, they just believe there IS a God, and they think that makes them a Christian. When Jesus returns, those people will be in the group that Jesus tells to depart from him because he never knew them. They never knew him, nor had a relationship with him.

The Bible is an awesome book. It’s God’s instructions to every human on how to be saved, and what to do after we’re saved. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the word of God, and to help us carry out his instructions.

If you haven’t been born again and become a new creature with the Holy Spirit living in your mind, then you’re not saved. Just believing that God exists does not save us. The Bible says the demons believe, but they’re certainly not saved (James 2:9). We must be born again for the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins, and to inherit eternal life.

Jesus loves you so much that he suffered and died to save you. He wants you to live with him forever, so don’t wait another minute. Trust in Jesus right now. Repent and be born again, and receive eternal life (Romans 6:23; John 3:16).

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ARE YOU BEING DECEIVED?

No one wants to believe they are deceived. No one wants to believe they could ever be deceived. Because of this fact, many are deceived and don’t even have a clue. There’s a song that says “them that don’t know, don’t know they don’t know.” Do you get it? If you don’t know something, then you’re not aware that you don’t know it. If a person is deceived they don’t know they are deceived.

With so many different denominations and religious movements teaching so many different doctrines, it’s difficult to know what the truth is. Difficult, but not impossible. There are those who study the Bible to understand for themselves what it teaches, then there are those who don’t. Those who don’t have set themselves up to be deceived.

In the book of Acts, Paul, and Silas went to the city of Berea and went into the synagogue of the Jews. The Bible says the people of Berea received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures DAILY, to see if what they were being taught was true.

If you don’t want to be deceived concerning the Bible, then you need to read and study it for yourself. Even then you have to be careful and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you to the truth. We can deceive ourselves if we don’t understand a few things first.

We put ourselves into everything we do in life. It’s impossible not to. Have you ever heard the expression, “Wherever You Go, There You Are?” Well, that’s true. Whatever we do, whatever we say, or write, comes from what we have seen, heard, or experienced. It’s no different when it comes to studying the Bible.

When we read something, we understand it based on how we think, and what we have learned. Even our understanding of word definitions color our thought process. That’s one reason there are so many different variations of the same doctrines and so many different denominations.

When reading the Bible there are several things we need in order to understand it properly. One is a desire to know the truth and understand God’s word. Another is a realization that this book was written a long time ago, in a place, and about a place far away from where most of us live today. We also need to understand that there are words and phrases in the Bible that mean something different now than when they were written.

I recommend you have a Strong’s Concordance when studying the Bible. It will help you understand what certain words meant when they were written and what words the English words were translated from. I also recommend the Free computer program called e-Sword which has the Strong’s Concordance integrated and a ton of other helpful tools. e-Sword is now available for iPhones and iPads as well.

The Bible usually interprets itself, and the King James Version has a built-in dictionary that shows you the meanings of many words and phrases right in the text. The more familiar you become with the Bible, the better you’ll understand it, so read it every day.

We should always come to the Bible as little children, with humble, teachable spirits, and be willing to change our beliefs when we realize that they are different from God’s Truth. We should always pray and ask God to guide us in our understanding of scripture. Who better to help us understand the word of God than the One who inspired the men who wrote it? (2 Peter 1:21)

You must put away all preconceived ideas. This may sound radical, but try this the next time you pick up your Bible. Pray first and ask God to show you the truth, and keep you from being deceived. Then, forget everything you think you know about the Bible. Forget all you’ve heard and all you’ve been taught about the Bible. Forget what your denomination teaches, and read the Bible like it’s a brand new book you’re reading for the first time. Only then will you begin to understand the truth of God’s word. If everyone will do this, the Bible will finally become to us the book that God intended it to be from the beginning, and we will join the ranks of those who make up the true church scattered throughout the entire world. The ones who know the truth, and have been made free by it.

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2016 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6

UNDERSTANDING BIBLE TRUTH

I’ve been reading the Bible since I was very young. I’ve known it was God’s book for a long time, but I didn’t really understand exactly what that meant. When I got older and learned how to properly study the Bible, it came alive to me. I realized that what I once thought was a big book of collected stories from many different writers, is actually one big book containing one story about God and his people, and although the words were written down by over forty different men, it all came from one source, God himself.

It’s not only a history book, but a book of promises for us, now, and for the future. It’s an instruction book on how God wants us to live and treat each other. As anyone can see, many who don’t follow God’s instructions, contained in the Bible, do whatever they want, violate every command given by God, and cause countless innocents to suffer.

What’s even worse, there are many who claim to follow biblical teaching, but often have the same mindset as those who don’t. Part of the problem is the interpretation, or should I say, the “misinterpretation” of scripture. This leads to all kinds of problems; from simple disagreements, to split congregations, new denominations, split families, and even total rebellion against God.

Everyone thinks their interpretation is right, and that’s understandable, but most will not even consider the possibility they might be wrong, even when shown from the holy word of God. Almost every denomination believes it’s the only one who has the truth.

In giving Bible studies, I’ve studied with and talked to many people over the years. I’ve studied different denominations and what they believe, and I’ve arrived at one conclusion. No denomination that I know of has all the truth. Most of them have some true doctrines, and some have mostly true doctrines, but they all teach something that is contrary to the Bible. It seems the Truth is scattered throughout the earth.

Before I go any further, let me say that I’m not a Bible scholar, and I don’t know everything there is to know. I’m not claiming to be perfect, nor to have divine wisdom. I’m a sinful wretch saved only by the grace of God. I have believed strongly in certain Bible teachings only to discover I was wrong, and as I continue learning, I expect to find more things in God’s word that I didn’t know or maybe even misunderstood. I’m not claiming to be smarter than anyone else, but when the Bible clearly teaches something, and a church or an individual is doing and saying something totally opposite, it doesn’t take a scholar to see the contradictions.

So what should we do, stop going to church? No. The religious leaders in Jesus’ day didn’t have everything right either, but that didn’t stop him from going. Sometimes it may be serious enough that we have to move to a different congregation or even change denominations, but we have to realize that God’s true Church is not a certain building, or denomination anyway.

The true church is made up of believers all over the world who have been born again; Those who follow God wherever he leads, and obey his Commandments (Luke 17:21). They pray and study his word every day. That’s the key. Bible Study; Not just reading, but studying; Treating the entire Bible as one book, comparing scripture with scripture (Isaiah 28:10), and being willing to change our minds when we see we are wrong. That’s called growing.

There’s only one Truth, and it’s there in God’s word for all of us to see. There are so many denominations today because there are so many different interpretations of God’s word. Too often, people will develop their own views, and when they come to the Bible, they look for evidence to support their beliefs. This is the wrong way to study the Bible.

Another mistake we make when studying God’s word is one that we often ignore because we don’t really think about it. When we read something, we understand it based on how we think and what we’ve learned. Even our understanding of word definitions color our thought process.

When reading the Bible, there are several things we need in order to understand it properly. One is a desire to know the truth. The other is an understanding that there are words and phrases in the Bible that meant something different when they were written than what they mean now. A good Bible Concordance will help with this. I also recommend the Free computer program called e-Sword, which has a Concordance, and a ton of other helpful Bible Study tools, including many free versions of the Bible. There’s also an app for iPhones and Androids which does cost a few dollars, but it’s worth every penny.

The Bible usually interprets itself, and the King James Version has a built-in dictionary. The more you study, the better you understand. We should always come to the Bible as little children, with humble, teachable spirits, and again, we must be willing to change our beliefs when they are different from God’s Truth. We should always pray and ask God to guide us in our understanding of scripture. Who better to help us understand the word of God than the One who inspired the men who wrote it (2 Peter 1:21).

When we do this we’ll see the Truth more clearly. The Bible will become to us the book that God intended it to be from the beginning, and we’ll join the ranks of those who make up the true church scattered throughout the entire world; The ones who know the Truth, and have been made free by it.

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO OBEY GOD'S RULES, JUST CHANGE THEM

I was raised in church and I grew up reading the Bible. I’ve attended several different churches and I often wondered why there were so many different denominations. We have the same Bible but there are so many different interpretations of the same scriptures. All Christians have a few doctrines that we believe pretty much the same as other Christians but each group seems to have a few things that are vastly different from all the other groups. This is the reason for so many different denominations. It seems that all denominations began by following one man or a few who believed certain doctrines that were not excepted by the group they were currently associated with. When there were strong disagreements on doctrine, one group would leave and start their own church. I’ve seen that happen in my lifetime.

The fact is, the Bible is God’s word. It was inspired by the Holy Spirit and preserved for us by God for thousands of years, so we would be able to know God better and understand His great love for us and what He expects from us. He never meant for us to have more than one denomination. It doesn’t matter how many different beliefs we may have, there’s only one truth and there’s only one place we can find it. It’s in God’s Holy Book, the Bible. For proof that the Bible is God’s word, read the article entitled “Is The Bible Really God’s Word?” *

When Jesus was being questioned by Pilot, his final question was, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) He didn’t wait for Jesus to answer him, though. If he had, I’m sure Jesus would have told him the same thing he said in John 17:17 when he was talking to God. Jesus said, “Sanctify them through Your truth: Your Word is Truth.” The word of God, the Bible, is TRUTH. When we need to know the truth, the Bible will show us. Many today, though, don’t believe the Bible is true, even Christians doubt it. Many people pick and choose what to believe and what not to believe based on what they want to do and don’t want to. The Bible says, “don’t kill” but they want to kill, so they just redefine what killing means.

Proof? Abortion. Life is life, no matter what stage it is in, but some said, “No!” They changed the definition of an unborn baby to a “fetus” and said it’s okay to kill a fetus as long as it is not old enough to live outside the womb. Then they changed that and introduced late-term abortion. Later they introduced partial-birth abortion where the baby is killed after it is almost out of the womb. Thank God that awful procedure was made illegal in 2003. Now they’re trying desperately to make the world believe a child doesn’t develop a conscience until they are five years old and therefore they are not a human being before then. This is just another step in redefining what killing is, simply because many humans don’t want to obey God.

Another example: The Catholic Church changed the Ten Commandments by getting rid of the second commandment completely because they didn’t want to obey God when he said not to worship carved or sculpted images. They split the tenth commandment into two, so there would still be ten. By the way, the Catholic church claims they moved the holiness that God placed on the seventh day Sabbath at creation (Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:8-11) to Sunday, the first day of the week.

That’s another example: The fourth commandment. The Sabbath commandment, which states “the Seventh Day Is The Sabbath Of The LORD Your God”. It IS a commandment, NOT a suggestion, but some people decided they didn’t want to obey God so they started using the first day of the week instead of the seventh. By the way, this happened long before there was ever a Catholic. They used the day of the sun, or the sun day to worship the sun god Tamoos. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity. In 321 A.D. he made an edict that forced Christians to worship on Sunday instead of Saturday, which he saw as Jewish. In 364 A.D. the Council of Laodicea made the following decree.

“Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday (Sabbath), but shall work on that Day: but the Lord’s Day, they shall especially honor; and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ. **

This is what happens when men don’t want to obey God’s laws. They change them. There is not a bit of proof in the Bible that God changed his fourth commandment in any way, but millions of Christians defend the change with vigor and refuse to worship God on the day he said to. Sure, some have been deceived, but many know the truth but still will not obey God.

These are just three modern-day examples of what happens when people don’t want to obey God. To make ourselves feel better about sinning, we “change” the rules, or the definition of terms or just ignore them altogether. Whatever helps us sleep at night. We are just fooling ourselves though. No unrighteousness will enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 7:21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:1-20) We have to obey God to get to heaven, and we need to stop twisting the scriptures to suit our own beliefs. (2 Peter 3:16) We will be judged by whether or not we obeyed the words of the Bible. (John 12:48) It is God’s word. It is TRUTH.

* Is The Bible Really God’s Word?

** Council of Laodicea Decree

*** Catholic Church Admits They Changed Sabbath From Saturday to Sunday

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6