TRADITIONS

Have you ever wondered why your church experience is not the same as found in the “Book Of Acts?”   I did, but I was taught in my little church of 1955 that those days were over and not needed any more due to having the Bible.   For me, then, that was am OK answer but I did not know my Bible very well and the guy had letters after his name so, what do I know?   Then I was taught that there was no more supernatural like in Mark because all of the apostles had died in the 1st century.  And the power was only given to them???  That also did not float very high in the water of faith for me.  So I spent 13 years in a little box church even teaching this stuff because I supported the lack of power in the so called church.   Like my computer right now, I could write and put things together but the web is down now so all I have is words but no power.  So, for now,   I am stuck in a word processing mode with no way to get to Bible Gateway or send this note to you. or any up-dates of what is going on in the world today.   So our experience may be a long way from what our Loving Creator has designed us for, 2 Tim.3:5….  (This is a prophecy of apostle Paul for the “latter days.”  Seems like we are now entering those days ?….)

I have attended and been a member of about 20 different denominations or churches and yet saw no power of the Holy Spirit like Acts 5:16 in the New Testament or had any teachings of what was needed to change in order for the Holy Spirit to be free to confirm the word of God with signs following.  Actually, I did not realize that the message of those  ministries  was edited of all that they did not know or have.  So that they looked OK in sharing only what they knew.  An edited gospel that approved of what they were teaching, Rev.3:14-22.   Never heard a sermon on 2 Tim. 5:16.   Was told that Mark 16:16 was good, but then very little taught about Mark 16:17-20 about the signs following (That is Supernatural Signs Following.)  “Signs” is mentioned over 83 time in the Bible, but from 1955 till 1968,  nothing but words.

But then the Holy Spirit got me and I use to think nothing of driving to Santa Ana / Costa  for Mesa from my home in Oregon to experience the Holy Spirit in a real way.  Loved to watch HIM fix people,  Isa. 61,  Luke 4:17-21.   And Jesus gave this power to HIS Church (John 17:20-26),   (Matt. 28:18-20),  (Mark 16:16)  but we are still learning as to how to make  it work,  2 Tim.3:5.  We have a lot of vain (prideful) traditions  that keep the Word of God from being powerful.  Even Jesus could not help much with the folks in his home town due to there vain traditions.  “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  The supernatural works with “a Jesus kind of faith.”  Faith works in a knowing dimension.  We have to learn to make it all work with HIS kind of faith in loving righteousness and a total commitment to unity.  Heb. 11…..  “FAITH is the substance and evidence of things hoped for and not yet seen.

So let’s read some of the “Signs” scriptures together and see how many vain (prideful) traditions we can find and toss.   The more we can find and destroy, he more that the Holy Spirit will be able to confirm God’s Truth with POWER and set captives free.  Makes my day to get rid of the chains and bondage of the enemy that hold us back from enjoying the Lord’s Kingdom.   Jesus told us that HE would give us the TRUTH and that the TRUTH would set us free.  We need to get on a hunt for HIS TRUTH to set ourselves and others free.  For me, I limit the search to the Word of God as found in the confirming context of the 66 writings of our Bible  as being carefully selected as being without poison.  I have found a few translational issues but easy to correct.  I feel the King James has the least translational leanings one way or the other and that the Amplified is a great help along with the Greek in using Bible Gateway to really get into God’s Truth for me.  So what does the Bible say about finding God’s Truth?    I go back to Isaiah 28:10-13.   “For He (God) says, ‘Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Rule upon rule, rule upon rule, Here a little, there a little  Indeed, the Lord will teach this people [in a more humiliating way] By [men with] stammering lips and a foreign tongue,  He who said to them, “This is the place of quiet, give rest to the weary,” And, “This is the resting place,” yet they would not listen. Therefore the word of the Lord to them will be [merely monotonous repetitions]: “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Rule upon rule, rule upon rule, Here a little, there a little.”  That they may go and stumble backward,” So if you don’t learn by humility to listen,   you will not make it.  In another place Jesus puts it this way: “He replied, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders), as it is written [in Scripture],  ‘These people honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. ‘They worship Me in vain [their worship is meaningless and worthless, a pretense],  Teaching the precepts of men as doctrines [giving their traditions equal weight with the Scriptures].’ You disregard and neglect the commandment of God, and cling [faithfully] to the tradition of men.”  

Apostle Paul puts it this way to Timothy: “And how from childhood you have known the sacred writings (Hebrew Scriptures) which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus [surrendering your entire self to Him and having absolute confidence in His wisdom, power and goodness]. All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage] so that the [a] man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Tim.3:15-17.  David shared this with us: “Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.  Blessed and reverently praised are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts And [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts].” Psalms 119: 9-16

Jesus shared this with HIS Disciples:   “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments….”The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him]….” “If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.”  John 14:13-15:10

Yours, in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace and Mercy,   Ken<><   www.OhanaChurch.Life