What Does It Say?

We once had a Pastor who issued
us a challenge....

To read the Bible and accept the
message for its face value.

He wanted us to clear our minds
of our preconceptions of years
gone by and to really just read
the words and their message.

This seems so simple and obvious.
However, we found that over the
years we had been leaning less and
less on the Word of God and more
and more on people's interpretation
of it.

I especially remember one week this
pastor preached a sermon that was
confusing to us. We invited him over
to explain it to us.

What I remember most about that evening
were the scriptures he had us read.
He did not make any extravagant arguments.
He simply led us on a journey through the
Word of God. Reminding us to ask,
"What does it say?" not "What do I think
that means?"

Naturally there are thing that appear
to contradict each other as we become
very familiar with His Word. However,
as we know that the Holy Spirit is the
author this cannot be the case.

However, this is how we come to have
so many different denominations.
Each reading the text and making
their own interpretations or camping
on this point or that.

Scripture must be tested by other Scripture.
If we are honest we will see that these
things are not contradictory but rather
in context of the day or some other perfectly
rational explanation.

There are some that remain a mystery
to me, but I know that in Heaven I will
have a "duh" moment. I know this because
in I Corinthians 13:11-13 we are reminded
of this:

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

It is so vital to absorb
the Word on a very regular basis.
This way when something troubles us we have a
foundation to look to.

I do not do as well as I should in the daily
devotional area. But, it is definitely
an area worthy of improvement.

Reading other people's books about the Bible
can be good, or it can be dangerous. However,
as long as we are very familiar with the Bible
itself we will be able to recognize error and
hopefully will spare ourselves some time of
confusion.

Have a Blessed Lord's Day!