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Was Jesus
a Madman, or who he said he was?
People have said (to illustrate a point)
that either Jesus was a madman or he was who he said he
was, reality is, only a madman would have made the claims
Jesus did unless he was who he said he was, and if we take
the position that he is who said he was, we also have to
take the position that he was an intelligent and logical
person as well.
The majority of us apply everyday logic,
sometimes called “
common sense”
Or “Horse
sense” to our everyday lives. We need to consider this when
we read the bible, many people will say
“I don’t think he meant that” chances are if Jesus said it he meant
it.
According
David Barrett et al, editors of the "World
Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches
and religions - AD 30 to 2200," there are 19 major
world religions which are subdivided into a total of 270
large religious groups, and many smaller ones.
34,000 separate Christian groups have been
identified in the world
Only a mad man( or Satan) would want
34,000 different Christian groups, look at what Paul says
in Ephesians 4.
Ephesians 4:5 There is one
body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope
when you were called--
6 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and
in all.
The original church was one belief, and
that was the original intent, it has been mankind’s desire
to make religion suit his desires rather than follow what
Jesus says, it is mankind that created 34,000 different
Christian groups, not Jesus.
How did this happen?
Matthew: 7-15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ferocious wolves.
Beware of false prophets.
The word prophet, as used in the Scriptures, means any one
who teaches authoritatively the will of God. A false prophet
is one who is a false teacher. Christ refers to the scribes
and Pharisees. Come to you in sheep's clothing. While appearing as harmless as sheep
they are wolves.
Will
we all go to heaven? I think not, many have deceived
by false teachings read Matthew: 7-13-14
Matthew
7:13-14
13 "Enter
through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road that leads to destruction, and many
enter through it.
14 But small
is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and
only a few find it.
How are people
so easily deceived?
They
don’t study the bible to see what it says, they listen to
sound bites, or read a particular verse that suits their
desire, in a recent television interview George Bush Senior
very proudly made the following statement about his son
George Bush Junior, the president of the united States.
“ He’s a man who has read the Bible twice!”
What should we
do?
We begin by studying the Bible, imagine
you were stranded on a deserted island.
You had never seen a bible before, and
one washed ashore and you began to read it. What would you
believe? Most likely you would believe what it says, it
is Satan that deceives us, read Genesis 3:1 Did God really
say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (That’s exactly what he said), but the serpent
created doubt.
We need to study the Bible, and then obey
what Jesus commanded, and we need to understand what the
Bible is, it’s not a book, it’s God’s word and a covenant
between God and man.
The word “covenant”
appears 276 times in the Bible, Cov-e-nant (kv-nnt) A binding agreement; a compact.
A formal sealed agreement or contract.
The New Testament -Covenant - a
contract or agreement between two parties
Hebrews 9:15 For this reason
Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who
are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now
that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins
committed under the first covenant.
The Complete
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Bible
The gospel is here considered as a testament,
the new and last will and testament of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. It is observable that the solemn transactions
that pass between God and man are sometimes called a covenant,
here a testament.
A covenant is an agreement between two
or more parties about things that are in their own power,
or may be so, and this either with or without a mediator;
this agreement takes effect at such time and in such manner
as therein declared.
A testament is a voluntary act and deed
of a single person duly executed and witnessed bestowing
legacies on such legatees as are described and characterized
by the testator, and which can only take effect upon his
death.
The New Testament, or Covenant is an agreement
between God and man, all agreements (contracts) have conditions,
if there were no conditions there would be no need for an
agreement, it would serve no purpose, when you purchase
a new car or house the lender draws an agreement that is
binding to both parties, and it has conditions that both
parties must adhere to or the agreement is null and void.
No man would draft an agreement that would
be impossible for either party to fulfill, nor would he
want anyone to agree to it unless they understood the conditions,
Read Luke: 14 to see an example, in verse 28 Jesus tells
us to count the cost before entering into an agreement.
We
have to have faith: What is faith?
Hebrews
11:1 1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and
certain of what we do not see.
Therefore, let us consider what faith is,
how to get it, and how it works. Some people seem to think
that one just "snatches faith out of the blue sky".
But Biblical faith is not a matter of human whimsy. Romans
10:17 states that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
the Word of God.
Romans:
10-17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through
the word of Christ.
B. W. Johnson's
People's New Testament
So,
then, faith cometh by hearing. Hence the need of preaching.
If God by a miracle wrought faith in the heart, he could
dispense with the preacher. But the divine arrangement is
that it should result from hearing the word of God preached.
How
do we trust the word that is being preached? We study the
Bible
The Concise
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Bible
It was necessary that the gospel should
be preached to the Gentiles. Somebody must show them what
they are to believe. How welcome the gospel ought to be
to those to whom it was preached! The gospel is given, not
only to be known and believed, but to be obeyed. It is not
a system of notions, but a rule of practice. The beginning,
progress, and strength of faith is by hearing. But it is
only hearing the word, as the word of God that will strengthen
faith.
The Following
verses are an example of covenants (agreements God has made
with man.
Genesis
6
18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will
enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your
sons' wives with you
Genesis
17
19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear
you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish
my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his
descendants after him
Exodus
34
27 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write down these words,
for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant
with you and with Israel."
Deuteronomy
4
13 He declared to you his covenant, the
Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then
wrote them on two stone tablets
Judges 2
20 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said,
"Because this nation has violated the covenant that
I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to
me,
Matthew
26 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Romans
11
27 And this is my covenant with them when
I take away their sins.
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