Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
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La verdad puede ser más extraña que la ficción.
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Estudio bíblico que nos hace abrir los ojos en menos de cinco minutos! Acceda a todos los episodios aquí.
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Augenöffnendes Bibelstudium in weniger als fünf Minuten! Alle Episoden finden Sie hier.
Was There A Curse On Helen's Romantic Life?
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¿Qué tiene que ver conmigo? por Teófila Gottfried
Lo que leemos en la Biblia tiene que ver con todos los seres humanos, sean cristianos o judíos, ateos o agnósticos, budistas, musulmanes o adherentes a alguna de las filosofías o nuevas religiones que surgen en el mundo. ¿Por qué? Ver mayor información sobre este interesante libro.
Scripture of The Day - St. John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Escritura del día - San Juan 14,6
Jesús le dijo: Yo soy el camino, y la verdad, y la vida; nadie viene al Padre, sino por mí.
Bibelstelle des Tages - Johannes 14,6
Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater, denn durch mich!
Ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus?
It's becoming increasingly popular and socially acceptable, even among Christians, to adopt the "live and let live" doctrine when it comes to the subject of evangelism. From the mouths of believers it's heard that Christians should cease to find fault with non-Christian religions and that, most importantly, believers should refuse to embrace a philosophy of shouting to the world their supposed wrongdoing or of preaching the gospel of Jesus to all those whom they encounter. It has even been said that the text of Mark 16:15-16 should not be cited as support for aggressive evangelism, or any evangelism for that matter, since it speaks of preaching to "creatures" ("And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned"). It is suggested that since "creatures" includes animals, Mark 16:15-16 must be referring simply to exhibiting kind behavior toward all.
The "Creatures" with Whom the Gospel of Jesus is to be Shared
On the contrary, a "creature" is the creation of a creator. Romans 1:25 is clearly speaking of people when it says, "Who changeth the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever." This can't be a reference to animals since animals can't lie (sin), worship, or serve. If animals had sin within them, or if they could sin, then they would have been unfit for sacrifice for the purification of sins in the Old Testament. This is precisely why the Lamb of God had to be spotless or sinless. Sin cannot cleanse sin. Additionally, going back to the Mark 16:15-16 passage, the word "preach" here, and consistently throughout the entire Old and New testaments, literally refers to speech from the mouth, not to behaving kindly toward others.
Does not the Bible specify, so there's no supposition, what is wrongdoing before God's eyes (2 Timothy 3:16)? What is the core and beginning of the gospel of Jesus? Is it not to repent and turn to the Lord? Was this not preached in the wilderness, in the streets, on the tops of mountains, in the hills, in the synagogues, in the marketplaces, on the rooftops, on the seas, in the highways, and in the hedges? Is it not written that, "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, REPENT YE..." (Matthew 3:1-2). Doesn't Scripture say, "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT YE, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL" (Mark 1:14-15). Did not Jesus say that his disciples were to follow him and that if they didn't, they were not his disciples (Matthew 16:24)? Did he not tell his followers to do the works that he did (John 14:12)? Did not the apostle Paul shout the gospel, preaching repentance, in the midst of Mars' Hill (Acts 17:22-30)? Did he not tell all who believed on Jesus to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1)? Did Jesus and Paul and many others not preach in the synagogues (Acts 13:5, 17:1-3)? Did not Paul say that there is only one true gospel (Galatians 1:6-9)? Did not Paul say, "woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:16)? Did not God tell Paul not to keep his mouth closed but rather to speak out the gospel (Acts 18:9-10)? Did not the apostles Peter and Paul and many others shout loud, preaching the gospel in the streets from city to city throughout the New Testament book of Acts? Did not Jesus say, "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops" (Matthew 10:27)? Did not Jesus teach, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (Luke 14:23)? Did not the apostle Paul teach that it is better to be what men call offensive than to be an offence to God? He said, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
Does not the Bible say to reprove (rebuke/speak sharply against) the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11)? Did not God Himself say, "Cry ALOUD, SPARE NOT, lift up thy voice like a TRUMPET, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isaiah 58:1)? Did not God speak a very serious and frightening decree when he said, "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at THINE (your) hand" (Ezekiel 3:18)? Does not the Lord want every soul to come to repentance and be saved (2 Peter 3:9)? Has not every single person that says he has been reconciled to Christ, received from Christ Himself the ministry of reconciliation in that the Bible says, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18)? Is not everything in the Bible written to serve as a teaching example, whether to show believers what they should do or not do (1 Corinthians 10:6)? Is not every philosophy to be compared to God's Word to see if it is in agreement or if it conflicts? Scripture says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (philosophy), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Does the believer not read that God is love and if someone says that he knows him, that he should have love in him? It reads: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (1 John 4:8). Is not the second greatest commandment to love one's neighbor as himself (Mark 12:29-31)? When one truly loves someone, does he not care for the salvation of his soul and therefore will not fail to speak to him about Jesus being the only way to salvation (John 14:6)? Does not the Bible confirm that true love tells the truth, even when it may end a friendship? Secret love is inferior to real love because it keeps silent in favor of friendship, social acceptance, the praise of men, the avoidance of conflict, the ruin of a reputation, etc. The Bible says, "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:5-6).
Anyone who believes that Christ is the only true and living God but will not witness of him to others, does not know the love of Christ for lost souls. How that message is delivered is another subject. We are strictly speaking of the commandment that God gave to deliver his Word. Many do not do this because they are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus. But Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).
© 2005
Edited by Ruth Zetek
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The Missing Definition Of Religion
Based on true events, The Third Man by Angela Sheffield, brings the Bible up close and personal as the characters face real issues of life: Betrayal, deceit, romance, bitterness, anger against God, hopelessness, will power, perplexity, triumph, unforgiveness, mental illness, and the "Alcohol made me do it" excuse. Read chapter one FREE now.
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