Human Imperfection
One of our greatest temptations, or maybe even vanities, is to think of ourselves as the most correct personification of Christianity. We think that those who share our mannerisms are right and those who don’t, well, they are just poor souls. Thank God for our belief in charity that allows us to treat one another with courtesy!
However, we should have more than just good manners that keep us proper in our fellowship. We should have a conviction and faith that the only perfect One is in heaven, and that we all are but imperfect shadows of His perfect image.
I am not advocating compromise of doctrine. I believe that a preacher who believes one doctrine, but won’t mention it because he knows those he stands before don’t believe it, is not a gentleman, but rather given to deceitful ways.
I believe we should all stand for what we know to be true. But at the same time, we must remember how we came to know the truth–by denying our way and our thoughts unto being open minded to God to show us through His Word. Sometimes, after we come to know some things in God’s Word, we then start closing our minds to everything but our own ways and our own thoughts. Thus, some of the things that we then contend for as being the right way, are really no more than the projections of our human imperfections.
It is amusing sometimes when opposite projections meet. When this happens, we usually think to ourselves of how right our way is and how far off base the other person’s way is. In defense of our way, we will usually ad lib on anything that compliments our way, while resisting anything that testifies in behalf of the other way.
We all need to have the door open to grow in grace and in knowledge of the truth. We will best do this by observing and open-mindedly considering things. It is surprising how we can improve ourselves this way: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17 This will not happen, however, if we despise the other for their differences.
Sometimes, both are working from imperfect positions and both need to take a step toward the direction of the other. Some may need to loosen up a bit, while others need to tighten up equally.
Some things just testify of the need to take a closer look spiritually. When our way of projecting ourselves starts becoming an offense unto others of like faith and doctrine, it calls for a closer look.
Thank God that we can all look to Him that He might perfect that which concerneth us. May we consider how glorious it will be when we are all delivered from our imperfections and made perfect in Christ!
SHARING
The Short Skirt Speaks
I want to make it clear that I am a Christian short skirt. That is, youre mom I go everywhere my Christian wearer goes, even to church.
Though we represent a variety of colors and patterns, we short skirts have a lot in common. We all have a way of revealing attractive thighs, especially when the legs are crossed.
Unless I am misreading the situation, we seem to make our wearers a bit self conscious. At least the girl who wears me is always tugging at my hem.
I have also noted that we short skirts have the ability to attract a good deal of masculine attention, even at church. At first I took pride in thinking men are fascinated by my pattern and color design. However, just this morning, I heard the preacher say that this was not really what the young men (some not so young) were looking at. Though I was all ears when he started to preach, “The Appeal Of A Short Skirt”, I was embarrassed before he was through.
According to him, there are dozens of other skirts more beautiful than I. His blanket statement that short skirts do not make an aesthetic, academic, moral, or spiritual contribution to the wearers left me feeling I was not such a great Christian after all.
He said my appeal was to the lusts of the flesh, at which time I felt a hard tug on my hem. He then spoke on the carnality of human nature and gave this quote: To flaunt sexuality in public is a betrayal of your femininity, not an endorsement. It is like playing the tuba on the subway to prove you are a musician. It isn’t honest to expose a man to the aroma of steak and apple pie…, and then accuse him of being a glutton because he licks his lip.”
I really blushed when he asked what we thought our testimony amounted to in the presence of men who cared not about feminine purity. He said it doesn’t take much to trigger a man’s thought in the direction of sex.
The preacher claimed there is nothing about a short skirt that would suggest to the man on the street that the wearer’s body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. He said that the Bible teaches that a Spirit-indwelled body should be adorned in modest apparel (1 Timothy 2:9-19). I began to feel as though I was abetting the crime wave when he made the connection that lust leads to sin, and sin to violence and abuse.
I suppose it is the truth that hurts. That’s why I hurried out of church this morning. I saw several other short skirts slinking out, too.
I guess what we really need is to be converted into something more modest.
–Adapted from a tract by Don W. Hillis
SHARINGThe Voice Of Appearance
Your appearance says a lot about you. Most of the people who see you everyday don’t stop to talk to you, but they can clearly read the message you convey by your appearance.
Many are quick to remind the preacher that, “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart.” Well, it is true. A person who covers up on the outside by dressing right, when their heart is filled with wickedness, cannot fool God. God DOES look on the heart, but that does not mean He is blind to our outward appearance. The teachings of the Bible are clear that appearance is important. Also, don’t forget that “man looketh on the outward appearance.” People cannot look upon our hearts to know what is within. They must discern from what we display on the outside.
When you see a fat bird with a large orange bill waddling toward the pond, do you catch it and butcher it before you can decide what type of animal it may be? No, you don’t. You say, “There goes a duck.” Now, how could you gather so much information without seeing what is within? Could it be that God made just about everything so that what it really is inside is clearly identified by what shows on the outside?
A book is known by its cover. Whatever is written on the outside gives you the general idea of what you’ll find within its pages. Nobody would print the title “Cookbook” on the cover of a book filled with house plans. Even so, what is inside our heart is clearly displayed on the outside by our actions, our attitudes, our aspirations, and yes, our appearance. If your appearance says it for you, then what is your appearance telling the world about you?
–Copied from an article by Mrs. Cathy Corle
SHARINGThe King James vs. The New Versions
**This comparison will be the passages of Matthew 7:13-14
KING JAMES VERSION: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION: “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Both the NKJV and the NIV change the word “strait” gate to “narrow” gate. The word “strait” sets forth that which is restricted to God’s way, whereas the word “narrow” implies that which is limited. Jesus is the gate to salvation, “the door” (John 10:9), “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6), and the only “name” whereby any can be saved (Acts 4:12). This is strait, i.e., restricted to God’s one Saviour for mankind.
“Narrow is the way”, thus there is no margin for error, the way is limited to just “the way” with nothing else. While Jesus is the strait gate, He is not limited in what He is. But the way is limited to nothing more than Jesus. Calling the gate narrow implies that Jesus, Himself, is limited, whereas calling the gate strait implies it is restricted to Jesus.
The NIV says, in verse 14, “small is the gate”. There is certainly nothing small about the Saviour or His salvation, even though the way to be saved is limited to none other than Jesus Christ.
The NKJV says, “difficult is the way that leads to life”. This does not hold true with salvation by grace through faith. How difficult is it to receive the “gift of eternal life” by faith in Jesus Christ? Rather, saying that the way that leads to life is difficult is lending itself in support of being saved through works, which requires that one go through much difficulty before they actually arrive at having attained to life.
The King James says it like it is, declaring the supremacy of Christ, as well as manifesting the clarity of salvation only by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
SHARINGA Point Of Sound Doctrine
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth have not passed away, so therefore we have not come to the place where we don’t have an inerrant Bible. One’s belief about Divine inspiration is lacking if one doesn’t accept the fact of Divine preservation. To have doubts about God’s Word being or remaining inerrant is where Satan begins all his works of deceit. It opens people’s minds to consider other things outside of the way God’s Word reads–as having so much good to offer (like Eve in the Garden of Eden.)
Did God’s promise of an inerrant Bible fall through the cracks because of language barriers? Has the process of true translation (not revised versions, which are all perversions of sacred inspiration) resulted in an inerrant Bible being lost along the way? “…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20 Jesus very well knew the continuance of His word to all nations, till the end of the world, would involve translating the scriptures.
How difficult is it to make an inerrant translation from one language to another? It happens every day, all over the world, between governments, businesses, etc. Yet many religious professions say it didn’t happen where the Word of God is concerned, so they are pushing new versions as the best way to get a full understanding of the scriptures. HOGWASH! This is deception and confusion, denying both God’s ability to preserve His Word, as well as saying that the process of translation doesn’t work and is unreliable. If inerrant translations are beyond God and human integrity, then the truth could not be preached unto all nations, unto the end of the world, and all international transactions would be flawed.
The Bible foretells everything, but it never speaks of the day coming when man will be left in a limbo of having no inerrant Bible! I read an article once that described “Pulpit Pride”, where preachers set themselves up as the “authority” on the Bible, with such positions as: “A better translation of this would be…” or “In the originals it means this” or “The King James says this, but it’s better rendered…”. NO ONE NEEDS A PREACHER TO RENDER THE BIBLE! This is not preaching faith in God’s Word, it is sowing doubts in men’s hearts and raising uncertainties in people’s minds about the credibility of God’s Word!
The Devil wants everybody uprooted from the inerrancy of God’ Word. He wants to keep man looking for something else, always open to the ideas of men (private interpretations) rather than settling down with the truth and doctrines of God’s Word.
Those who embrace revisions of the Bible, will also go for the “overviews” of men concerning the Bible, rather than get down to a verse by verse ministry and acceptance of the Bible. All who revise the Bible are in violation of the sacredness of God’s Word. Proverbs 30:5-6, Revelation 22:18-19
SHARING
