Reflections - Disciples Path Ministry
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Reflections
I believe I've mentioned this earlier but please allow me to reiterate my hope that it will be obvious to anyone reading what is written on this site that these are my reflections and my thoughts, unless otherwise noted. I have made every effort to bring the core of what I've written into accord with what the Bible teaches. It could be said or argued that everything I write is from an independent mind but to the best of my knowledge what I write is in fact rooted in what the Bible teaches. Always in the back of my mind as I write, boundaries, i.e., my conscience will not allow me to overstep without immediate and considerable inner turmoil becoming manifest. For example, in the book of Matthew one reads, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27, KJV). I will share with you another verse from the book of Matthew that has become rooted in my mind and remains with me whether I am writing, teaching a group, or ministering to someone in person, "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:28, KJV).
I am well aware that not everyone has the same intensity of conviction that I have. I once read the following in the article, “Cut to the Heart” by Dr. Feddes:
"God deals with each as he sees fit. Many need their ego humbled and crushed before being raised up in Christ, but others experience God's love and assurance even before they face the full horror of their sins. The beauty and goodness and mercy of Christ may flood the soul with faith, love, joy, and peace before the depths of sin are made known. In certain people, sorrow for sin and fear of judgment may last for quite some time before they receive assurance of God's mercy in Jesus, while others have faith and assurance in almost the very instant they are made aware of their sins. Some conversions happen suddenly, others gradually. The spirit works freely as he sees fit..." (“Cut to the Heart”, Dr. Feddes, Christian Leaders Institute italics added).
I am aware that my next statement is going to sound somewhat foolish and ambiguous not to mention like an oxymoron, but open your mind and see if you can’t understand my point okay? We human beings are all the same…yet different. Stick with me here…our basic and/or fundamental wants, needs, fears, and desires are the same — if we are completely honest with each other. What confuses me to this very day is why people want to be so different/separate from each other? Was that too vague? Let me narrow this down with an example. We all believe in God, god, or gods, yet we are willing (and have) killed and murdered over religious theology, religious doctrine, and religious dogma! Reputations, people, and nations are destroyed over different religious theology, religious doctrine and religious dogma.
History is stained with our hypocrisy! How proud our heavenly Father must be with His creation – yes that was sarcasm, I apologize. We have all refused for thousands of years to follow the simplest of direction from our heavenly Father which is: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:37-40). What keeps humankind from understanding and living by these two commandments? I believe it is Satan - who loves to use our human pride, ego, and secular science against us. Pride, ego, and secular science are topics I argue at other points on this website. Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible! (Corrie ten Boom)
Disciples Path Ministry - St. Augustine, Florida
U.S.A.