sickness

Truth and Dare I was speaking with my wife today, telling her about a concept I developed about 15 years ago. It’s quite simple. People come to God with their baggage, whatever that may be. What I mean is this. If they are broken, they bring it with them. It shapes their faith. Whatever it was that broke them in the first place, continues to shape their lives, even their newfound faith. It may be their political points of views, their sociological points views that shape their faith. A good example is the encroaching and dreadfully wrong ideas of social justice that is creeping into the churches. The bottom line, people’s philosophy is a filter through which people see and then shape their religious faith. Let’s examine one, the division between Jews and Christians. Christians use Paul’s writings to accuse the Jews, to show how they are wrong and got it all mixed up. Well, Jewish Rabbis and theologians use the same writings to show how Paul and others, while Jews, were anti-Jewish. Neither want to accept the others’ views on God even though they agree far more than they disagree. To be truthful, the disagreements are major, original sin, Salvation, who or what Jesus was, the Law are a few serious obstacles. Let’s talk about my own baggage. I love food and I will aways trace it back to its origins. What is pizza like in Italy, Mexican food in Mexico, and so on. How about some of our own food like potato soup? What was it like back in the day before everyone and their mother changed it. I apply the same philosophy to everything, including religion, in this case, Christianity . My baggage has forced me to peel back the layers of added ideas from present to past. Working through the various reformers, the Catholic church, the early church fathers, to just the Bible alone. Reading it with no preconceived notions guiding me, instead letting the text guide me. Finally, to just the three synoptic gospels. Kind words there, yes. synoptic (adj.) 1763, "pertaining to synopsis," from Modern Latin synopticus, from Late Latin synopsis (see synopsis). Greek synoptikos meant "taking a general or comprehensive view," and the sense "affording a general view" in English emerged by mid-19c. Specifically of the first three Gospels from 1841, on notion of "giving an account of events from the same point of view." Related Synoptical (1660s). From Online Etymology Luke is a Friend of Paul; he is acting more like a historian and must have interviewed some of the apostles and read other’s writings to put together the Gospel of Luke. He was not an eyewitness. Nonetheless, his writing is part of they synoptic gospels. John’s is not because it is different. Here’s the truth, Jewish theologians, and Rabbis, along with Christian theologians and pastors are wrong about some of the things they disagree on. We know Jesus was upset with the religious leaders of the day because they were making intolerable rules, all the while, breaking the very rules they made. They created a religious bureaucracy. Well, lo and behold, over the millennia, so too have Christian leaders created intolerable rules and regulations, creating a religious bureaucracy. Faith is not based on outside, manmade rules and regulations. It emanates from the inside of the spiritual person. It comes from the divine spark that is fueled by a relationship with the Almighty. Without a doubt, we can ascertain the rules of God, that which he wants us to do. But our desire to follow those God given rules must be motivated from within, not without. No church, no leader, no worship song, no set of manmade laws can instill faith. All the gobbledygook made by man are pits of tar that will mire a person down, shackle their free expression of their faith in God. Doctrines outside of the bible are simply gobbledygook. There maybe truth in some of them for sure. Nonetheless, our call is to have a relationship with the Almighty first. To obey Him first. I find Jesus’ message, the “good news” is “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” It is right in front of you and all you need to do is reach out with your spiritual heart and touch it.