--- Why should you read the words of Christ? If you can say you have already read them, why consider our encouragement to read them over and over? ---
[
John 6:63b;
Deu 8:3;
Ps 119:50;
John 6:68]
Don't be among those people who won't or can't hear what is being said. (Acts 28:27) After hearing our admonition to read the words of Christ, many people respond: "I read from the Bible all the time... Why do you keep asserting I should read the 'words of Christ'?" Please comprehend the difference between reading the Bible and reading the words of Christ. The Bible says at Gal 3:23-25, it is a tutor leading to Christ. Since Christ appeared about 2000 years ago, God has given only one command. God said at Mat 17:5: This is my beloved and approved son, "listen to him". [Mat 3:16-17; Heb 1:1-2] What those scriptures convey is the Bible, outside the four Gospel Books by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, exist for the purpose of introducing [John 3:16-21] and encouraging faith in Christ. It is only those Gospels, however, that contain the words of Jesus himself. Once you get sense of the simple command by God to listen to Christ, and start to believe in the Son of God, who should you make the choice to listen to? Christ Jesus himself, right? [John 5:35-44] So... When we encourage you to listen to the Son of God by reading the Gospels, that is very different from telling you just to read the Bible. You're being encouraged to follow God's command at Mat 17:5 to read a very specific portion of the Bible. Still though, even with understanding you are being encouraged to obey God's command to listen to his son, why read the Gospel records of Jesus's words over and over and over?
[John 6:63b; Deu 8:3; Ps 119:50; John 6:68]
Note Paul told Timothy to "hold the pattern of healthful words (or teachings) and to live in faith and love through the power of holy spirit who lives in us."
What, though, is a "pattern of healthful words," and how can we get help from holy spirit? How to gain God's holy spirit, please realize, is the thing being told you. That is the reason you need to listen to Christ. Listening to the words of Christ is the act of taking in holy spirit. The beginning of our salvation lies in learning what Jesus said, of course, but Christian maturity is also needed. [Heb 5:11-14] All the words of Christ can be considered one large thought. Our human thoughts are small and disjoint, scattered helter skelter in our mind. That includes scriptures we have heard misapplied. Reading one of the Gospels through beginning to end helps us organize and untangle our mind, like brushing out our hair. Jesus was the perfect son of God sent to teach us what he learned from his Father. [John 12:49; John 5:19-24] No scripture can remain misapplied in the light of Jesus's words. Learning from Jesus is gaining life. [John 5:25] He had the perfection of mind to measure his every word against what he had learned from his Father. Every single thing he said, then, is in perfect harmony with his Father's wishes. The teaching of Jesus amounts to the one large thought God provided through his own son. The teachings of Jesus paint the picture of God and what He is doing on the canvas of our mind. There is one truth for all, but it comes to each one through the words of Christ.
To really know Jesus and become his friend, [John 15:15] you have to understand him! [Heb 5:11-14] The words of Christ have to become part of you! As Paul told Timothy, that happens as you gain God's spirit. [2 Tim 1:14] What is the actual process, though, of gaining holy spirit?
Jesus plainly told us at •••John 6:63, God's spirit is alive in the words he spoke. [Heb 4:12] As you read and reread Christ's words, you pattern your mind over his thinking. [1 Cor 2:16] You begin to better and better understand the one large thought Jesus conveyed to us, gaining that understanding with the help of his Father's spiritual blessings. [John 14:23-27] That all happens because you are following God's command to listen to his son. [Mat 17:5] Please get the sense of this simple statement: You take in God's spirit by reading Christ's words. When speaking with a woman at a well, [John 4:14-26] Jesus told her he was offering her life giving water that would well up inside her to impart everlasting life. At John 4:25-26, the woman expressed her belief the "water" being offered her was Jesus's teachings and he confirmed her understanding. All the Bible is beneficial to direct us to Christ. It's important to understand, however, you are not following God's command to listen to his son when you read the Bible outside the Gospels. It seems unlikely, then, you could take in God's spirit by listening to some preacher or elder or priest drone on about what he or she believes the Bible teaches. And yes, that does include me. After you hear what I say, don't follow me. Pick up a Bible and read the words of Christ. You must learn from Jesus himself. You will likely find it difficult to keep your mind focused as you begin your study of Christ's teachings. It's not that what Jesus said is difficult to understand: It's just that all your other interests and concerns of life will tend to drag your mind away to distraction. Hence, your need for God's spirit to help you! [Mat 7:7-8] You receive the spirit by persisting in the words of Christ! [Jam 1:22-25] Just please realize: Actually reading the Gospels is doing God's will and making you part of the family of Christ. [Mark 3:31-35] It makes you Jesus's friend. [John 15:11-16] Actually reading the Gospels is taking in God's spirit! That brings union with Christ and God looks upon you as clean. [John 15:3] It draws Jesus and his Father to you and they bring you peace. [John 14:23-27]
Listening to Christ is the simple thing God has commanded. [Luke 9:35] Don't be too proud or arrogant to follow his directions [2 Kings 5:10-14] because it is a simple thing He asks. I was very pleasantly surprised to recently hear one Religionist leader with the title of "elder" [or preacher or priest or however they choose to glorify themselves - Mat 23:8-12] who actually did tell his flock they should give special attention to Christ by reading the Gospels. He is the only Church Leader I have ever heard encourage that. He didn't seem sincere, however, as he went on to express "his reasoning" was that Jesus's teachings are simpler than the rest of the Bible. Fancying himself a teacher, he didn't even know to help those following him [Mat 23:8-12] learn God's command to listen to his son; [Mat 17:5] nor to caution them the words of God's son is their only protection: Protection against the false prophets Jesus warned would come misapplying his own teachings. [Mat 7:15-20; Mat 24:23-28; Acts 20:29-30] The clergyman I heard went on to encourage his followers to follow some self proclaimed elite "anointed members" of his organization. Like all other religions, He and his sect proclaim a sub-group they worship (look to for their spiritual direction) to be "anointed" and/or appointed by God as replacements or stand-ins for Christ. His "Religion" is built on the belief all the rest of us need to allow the "anointed" members of "his" organization to explain what Christ meant; even though he called the words of Christ "simplistic." It seems he doesn't comprehend his need to take in God's spirit by listening to what Jesus taught; or that, according to what Jesus said, he can only rely on gaining that spirit by listening to Jesus. [Num 21:4-9] Even with the hand writing on the wall, [Dan 5] most clergymen remain just parts of the world being largely divided into two camps. That division is apparent as we see some people who appear to be trying to help, while others roam about at night breaking into peoples homes and cars. It is obvious those bad people, along with all others spreading terror, need to be destroyed by God. It is the group who appear to be helpful, however, that can be even more dangerous. They can direct you away from what it true. What ever we believe, we should each one consider if we are actually acting in opposition to God's command to actually listen to what his son promised would happen is happening. [Mat 24:21-22; Luke 21:25-28; 2 Chron 20:17a] Among those who appear helpful are the many varieties of God worshipers. [Acts 17:22-31; Mat 15:8-9] They are very deceptive and some of them may be sincere true believers. [Mat 7:21-23] Their sincere belief in untruth is useless for them but can make their words a trap. They proclaim their faith in God, but then produce bad fruitage by directing people away from Christ. They replace Christ by saying salvation is tied to their church and/or an approved membership in their sect. [Mat 24:23-25] We have all seen some eloquent speaker appear on TV in one of their million dollar AD campaigns, or had some well rehearsed follower come to our door with their specially engineered organizational literature. They first offer a beautiful model prayer or sermon, as they encourage you to acknowledge your need for God in your life. Pray to God in the name of his son, they encourage, and welcome Jesus into your heart. Those are beautiful words of truth; to lure you in! What is the next thing, however, to come from their mouth? Not to read the words of Christ, but to call their 800 number, or study their literature, and oh yes, send money to truly be blessed by God. [•••Mat 7:15-20] Their common bad fruitage, can't you see, is they proudly witness their deliverance is coming through their sectarian religious affiliation? They exist to convince you they are your source of salvation as well. [Mat 24:23-28; Mat 13:36-43] That fateful act of directing you to their teachings and organization, instead of to Christ, is the thing that distinguishes Religionists from Christians. That's also why Religionists feel compelled to meet in groups: They find no satisfaction in reading the words of the son of God; or in encouraging other people to listen to Christ. Don't be deceived by Religionists, or by those who hope in "science" and the works of men to save them. What you are hearing is neither of those false hopes! Thankfully for you, this grants you knowledge of a third option. Please just imagine God showed you in a vision he was sending his son right into your neighborhood; maybe to a public park or to a school or other public building. If you had such a personal invitation from God, to come and be taught by his son, would you accept? That is precisely what you already have, and, that is what you are hearing today. You heard as God first commanded you to listen to his son. [Mark 9:7] Then, God inspired men to record [2 Tim 3:16-17] the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John] Your understanding of that simple arrangement is God's gift of life to you. That understanding identifies the latter day awakening of the friends of Christ. [John 15:15] That understanding is a lifting of the veil from our eyes. [Luke 2:30-32] You can join yourself to Jesus to be taught by him personally, every time you open one of the Gospels and read his words. It is just like the days of Noah or of Lot, in that you must follow God's one very specific latter day command. [Luke 17:26-30] To survive the tribulation, Lot had to flee Sodom and Noah had to build an Ark. You need simply to follow God's command to learn from him by listening to Christ. [Mat 17:5] You must realize and appreciate only the words of Christ can be relied on to gain you God's spirit. [Mat 7:15; Acts 20:29-30; Rev 18:4] Christ's words amount to a promise of deliverance, or a warning of destruction; [Mat 24:21-22; Mat 24:3-14; Luke 21:25-28] depending solely on your understanding and appreciation of what he said. [John 12:48] Read the Gospels! [Matthew, Mark, Luke or John] After that, read the words of God's son again and again and again... [Mark 3:31-35] The words of Christ amount to the return of the tree of life to mankind.
If the Bible were just another of so many fairy tale religious books, you should eat, drink and be merry. [1 Cor 15:14 & 32-34] If you realize the Bible is true, however, as 1 Cor 15:34 brings out, you should be ashamed you are not telling people why it is like it is... Jesus wasn't lying when he promised the tribulation was coming. [Luke 21:7-11 & 25-28 & 31] Because of the tribulation we have caused, things are going to keep getting worse for this old world system. If you are a person being marked by God for survival, [Eze 9:3-6] He promised to cut the tribulation short to spare you and the others being chosen. [Mat 24:21-22] The Bible does say, however, many people are going to die. [Psa 91:7-11] Every wicked dogmatic hateful person must die for earth wide peace to exist. [Isa 11:8-9] "Armageddon" is the destruction of the wicked by God, which also brings the tribulation to an end. You only have to decide who you are following! [John 8:23-24; John 12:48] If you are listening to and believe what Jesus said, publicly abandon all religious ties. Explain you have chosen to listen to Jesus only. While being as loving as you can with every person, [John 13:34-35] you should do your best to care for yourself and your loved ones by what ever honest means you can. While you do so, hope and pray for, and expect, God's deliverance by the power of his spirit working through your faith. [1 Thes 5:1-5] Following the pattern of Adam, the human race have killed themselves in the tribulation our disobedience has created. What God has done is provide deliverance. [1 Cor 15:21-22] Climb in the ark [Luke 17:26-30] by taking in God's spirit; comprehending you do so by reading the words of his son. [John 12:44-50] Lots of religious people may appear very sincere. [Mat 7:21-23] If they are not sincerely encouraging you to read the words of Christ, however, they are distracting you from truth. [Mat 24:23-28] Just exercise faith in the words of Christ as you get on with having your part in God's purpose for us to live forever. [John 5:24; John 11:25-26; Job 33:24-30] Every person in existence should hear this message of hope and truth and life, to help them understand what is happening to our world and why. Share the words of Christ with everyone you know! Direct them to JustBibleTruth.com and to the Gospels. [Matthew, Mark, Luke and John]
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