Thursday, December 6, 2018

Which version of the Bible?





Which
version of the Bible did the Apostle Paul use, and which version of
the Bible that the first believers use? Obviously we know that Bibles
did not exist and most people were illiterate,they couldn't read nor
write, but what made the difference in the life of Paul, who was a
Pharisee and who knew the Jewish laws and the law of Moses very well,
was when he met Jesus on that Damascus Road. He was on his way to
persecute the followers of Jesus, and Jesus appeared to Him. Paul was
struck with blindness. He was sent to another follower of Jesus who
prayed for him so that he could see, but Paul was a changed man and
that encounter with Jesus became his testimony of Jesus Christ.
He
did not preach the Bible. He preached Jesus Christ, He testified
about Jesus Who appeared to him, who revealed Himself to him. He
testified about Jesus Christ Whom he knew. Paul did not go and meet
up with the other followers of Jesus. He went to Arabia for three and
a half years and during that time he had revelations from Jesus, and
that was the gospel that he preached and that he wrote about in the
epistles . We read in the book of Acts the testimony of Paul, but his
testimony was not about the scripture, His testimony was about Jesus
Christ, knowing Him. Paul became a witness to Jesus and a follower of
Jesus because he knew Him. He was not converted to Christianity, he
was born again and he was baptized in water, and he was filled with
the Holy Spirit and he was led by the Holy Spirit. He followed the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that is what we are called to do, is
to follow Jesus.
People
are very concerned about which version of the Bible you read. I was
once invited to meet with people who had seen me on the Internet and
the first thing they wanted to know when we arrived there was what
version of the Bible I use, because I did not have the Bible with me.
They could not understand that I was not carrying a Bible because
they all had their Bibles. They were taught to bring their Bible
along. To them their Bible was there tie to Jesus, to them their
Bible was their token of their faith, but I've come to know Jesus for
real. I know the Bible. I've read the Bible many times but I don't
walk around with a Bible. I'm a witness for Jesus because I follow
Him .I'm a witness for Jesus because He lives in me and I'm here to
do His will.
If
we follow Jesus and we are His disciples, it is about Jesus, about
His Spirit dwelling in us,about knowing His voice and following Him,
about getting our guidance from Him; praying, listening, obeying,
doing His will, seeking Him with all our heart. Our faith is not
about the Bible. Our faith is about knowing Jesus Christ, in the
power of his resurrection, serving Him, obeying Him, following Him,
serving Him as Lord, being His servant, because those who are born
again are called to be children of God. They will inherit the kingdom
of God if they faithfully serve, if they bear fruit, if they testify
about the kingdom of God.
We
must sow seed, we must testify about Jesus. We must bring other
people to Jesus, introduce them to Him so that they can know Him,
follow Him and have eternal life, It's all about Jesus. He is the way
and the truth and the life. It's good to read the Bible, it's good to
know the Bible, but if we do not get to know Jesus through reading
the Bible and if we do not go on to follow Him, if we are not born
again and if we're not led by the Holy Spirit, then we are not of
Him.
The
Apostle Paul wrote, if we do not have the Spirit of Christ we do not
belong to Him. Those who are being led by the Spirit of God they are
the children of God, not the people that carry the Bibles around,
that go to church. It's those people who know Jesus Christ for real
and who follow Him, they are the children of God. They are the ones
who serve Him, who go after Him, who have a real relationship with
Him. To them the only thing that is important in their lives, is
Jesus Christ, following and obeying Him, serving Him and being part
of His kingdom. Many believers do not know Jesus. They believe in
Jesus, they believe in the cross, they believe in the Bible, but what
we need to do is to pick up our own cross and follow Jesus Christ
until the very end. We must be and live in a relationship with Jesus.
Our life must be about Jesus Christ. In everything we must consider
Him and seek to please Him. Without Jesus we can do nothing.
I
thank Jesus that He revealed Himself to me, that I know Him for real
and therefore I want to stay with Him until the very end. I want to
know Jesus, I want to follow Jesus. It's not about the Bible, it's
not about the church, it's not about anything else. It is all about
Jesus. Do you know Jesus for real? Do you love Him, follow Him and
obey Him? Without Jesus we can do nothing. Do you have Jesus? Do you
know Him and does He know you?
Jesus
Christ is alive and hell is real. I am here to introduce you to Jesus
Christ so that you can know Him and follow Him and have eternal life.
Subscribe to my channel to learn more about Jesus.
May
Jesus bless you.

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