BREAK DOWN THE WALLS OF RELIGION

To cause one to think is the purpose of questions.

Preface

I have been a believer in Christ for over thirty years. My only desire has been to
know God and equally important, who I am. In 1986, I began pouring through
scriptures trying to make sense of it all. Soon, six years had passed and I found
myself a teacher, elder and at times a minister of healing at a local
church. I saw and experienced amazing things such as: people healed of sickness;
spiritual giftings and foreknowledge displayed openly; and powerful manifestations
of God's Spirit upon people physically and mentally. However, after several more
years I knew inside me it was time to leave that local
church, and no one could understand why. At the time, even I did not know why.
Today, others still do not understand why! Through eyes of judgement, they can
only see me and my family as "lost."

Now, it is easy for me to look back and see why I was to move on in my spiritual
journey. I had become a very, religious person. Religion is the false, man-made
idea of who or what God must be. The truth will not be found within the
walls of religion. I thought I knew God because I knew the scriptures. Did I really
know truth or did I simply learn too well the beliefs others had taught me? Was I
willing to let go of all doctrines and ask God to show me the truth of who He is and
who I am? Did I really understand the scriptures and the meanings behind the
sayings Jesus spoke? Would I lay scriptures down and trust God to not only "save"
me, but also speak to me by the voice of His Spirit?

It is safe to say that I have a very good perspective from which to write. If you think
perhaps that I lack understanding of traditional teachings and doctrines of the
scriptures let me say you are mistaken. For years, I taught the very doctrines many
believe and hold true to today. I had believed I could
prove to you the doctrine was true based upon lining up one verse of scripture with
another verse. Even though I was a very good lawyer, making my argument with a
book of law known as the "Bible," it did not mean I was correct in understanding or
knowing truth. When I began hearing for myself
the truth within me, it challenged the very doctrines I had defended whole-
heartedly. It has taken many years for these things to be undone in me, and still
today I seek to know the answers...the truth.

My goal of this writing is not to give you answers. If you are looking for answers, I
only want to direct you as to where to find them. You need to learn to seek answers
to life's questions through yourself. The answers you seek cannot be found from the
mouth or pen of any man, but must be heard
inside you, "the hearer." I challenge you, "the seeker," to find those answers
within. In fact, if you look deep enough, you will find you already knew the
answers; you just simply forgot. I give you questions to assist in your seeking of
truth and the undoing of your traditional beliefs in doctrines, which simply cannot
be true. Due to my challenging of what some may consider being core fundamental
tenets of the Christian faith, the religious may find this journey to be highly difficult.
You may say, "I am not a
religious person," but the truth of the matter is man's influence upon your mind has
caused you to perceive things, which are false, as if they were true. Are you willing
to have your current beliefs challenged by questions for only you to find the
answers to? If you are to be true to yourself, then do not give patent answers
learned from another person or book to the questions I will ask you. Ask yourself,
"How did I arrive at this belief? Where did this belief come from and is it truth?"
The truth one knows will set one free.

Where can truth be found? How can one hear God? Look within you. An answer of
truth will always come without fear, condemnation or guilt upon the wings of peace:
like an angel that brings tidings of love, hope and joy. Quite easily, anything less is
not truth or God sent. Some, who I will again
badge as "religious," will no doubt try to scare you with fear into not even
considering thoughts outside of their own beliefs and teachings. Does that make
their beliefs valid? They may say, "How do you know what you are hearing is from
God and not from the devil himself? Perhaps, Satan is
whispering his lies in your ear!" Judge what you hear by one simple means of
measurement: does it come out of love on wings of peace?

The Axe To The Roots

Jesus: Crucifixion, Resurrection and Return

I love to read the gospels, which tell the amazing stories of Jesus. When I think
about him blowing people's minds by his unbiased love, power and healing, it is
then I know inside of me
that he is real. The stories are real. The miracles are real. How do I know this? I
just know deep down because the truth gently rings within me like a long-lost friend
to my spirit. Still I
have many questions. Likewise, many around him in that day, also had questions.
Jesus never seemed to give the answers to them, but rather asked questions of
them. Why did he do this?
I believe he merely asked the questions that would cause us to question our own
beliefs and their origins. He causes us to seriously consider our current beliefs and
ask, "Are they truth or
has my own mind become the prison which keeps me from freedom?" My approach
to Jesus is not an attempt to discredit him or his ministry in any way. Rather, I
believe we are the ones
who have totally misunderstood his life and message. What was he saying? What
is the truth that ultimately brought him to crucifixion, then resurrection, shaking the
entire known world of
that day and affecting us still today?

Question One: Some teach Jesus and his kingdom to be coming again to this world. If
true, why then did Jesus teach, "The kingdom of God is within you...not outside of
you...not visible with the physical eyes...and at hand;" and how come we do not hear
that very same message preached, today? (Luke 17:20-21; Mark 1:15)

Question Two: If Jesus is the only son of God, why did Paul and John both state that,
"we are the sons of God?" (Romans 8:14,19; Galatians 3:26; I John 3:2)

Question Three: Jesus was crucified because he claimed to be the son of God and
Christ. The scriptures state that we are the sons of God and Christ is in us. Who then
killed the idea of us being one with God, God or man? (Colossians 1:27)

Question Four: Some teach Jesus to be coming back literally in the clouds of the sky.
Why then would Jude and the writer of Hebrews refer to clouds as being people, and
could we have missed Jesus' appearing? (Jude 1:12; Hebrews 12:1)

Question Five: If we understand resurrection correctly, why didn't Jesus' own disciples
immediately recognize him after his resurrection?. (Luke 24:13-31)

Sin, Satan and the Antichrist

There have been so many different beliefs, doctrines and teachings on these
subjects that one would find it hard to know just what to believe. Some think the
only "safe" way to live their lives is to look at every action one does and judge it,
accordingly. Others, cowering under fear, believe "the devil" is hiding behind every
tree or underneath every rock, just waiting to pounce on them! In both cases, that's
certainly no way to live and I do not believe those to be truths Jesus stated would
set one free. To me, freedom simply comes from not having fear, but peace
within me, in its' place. Maybe, we have complicated these subjects. Perhaps,
we can find simpler understandings of them and remove the fear of the unknown.

Fear forms closed doors in one's life. Each of us have the ability to choose to go
through each and every door of fear and see what lies behind it. The only way fear
can be vanquished from a life is for it to be faced. When faced, a new freedom and
sometimes pathway to travel is found. You have to make the
decision to not fear. Fear is the opposite of love and God is love. That
means God is not the source of fear. Will you choose to face your fears to find
inner peace?

You may be wondering why I am writing about fear. In the past, I was stopped from
following what I was hearing on the inside of me, by people who were telling me
"God might send me to hell," if
I do not follow their teachings. Funny, how I figured out later that I was already
in hell by believing others' false beliefs about God and myself. I spent years
in that hell by refusing to hear anything but the religious teachings I had learned.
Yet, I had no idea my beliefs were in error and hurtful to me and others. Fear has a
way of paralyzing and hurting each of us.

The following questions are for your consideration:

Question Six: Some teach and believe "sin" as being an outward physical action,
but Jesus taught sin to come from within a person's heart or mind. Could "sin"
simply be a forgivable mistake due to lack of understanding, and perhaps meaning
only to "to mis-think?" (Matt. 12:35; 15:17-20)

Question Seven: Could "repentance" simply mean "to change one's mind?" What
is repentance? (Mark 1:15)

Question Eight: It is written that Jesus spoke numerous times, "only believe," and
"have faith." Could he be saying, "What you believe becomes real to you?" (Mark
5:36; Luke 8:50; Matt. 17:20;21:21-22)

Question Nine: Many teach the "devil" or "Satan" to be a powerful, invisible being,
lurking around every corner, just waiting to attack his helpless victims. If that were
true, then why would Jesus call Peter, "Satan," and Judas Iscariot, "a devil?" Could
Satan and the devil represent something within us, far simpler to overcome? (Matt.
16:23)

Question Ten: The book of Revelation states that the devil, Satan, serpent and
dragon are all one and the same. Knowing this, why do you think Jesus also called
the religious leaders of that day, "vipers" or serpents? (Matt. 12:34; Rev. 12:9;20:2)

Question Eleven: Why are believers still waiting for Jesus to come when John
clearly stated that "He is come in the flesh," and anyone who denies this is the
antichrist? In light of this verse of scripture, what is an antichrist? (I John 4:1-4)

Question Twelve: The unclean spirits Jesus confronted never denied who he was,
even proclaiming him to be the Son of God. I John 4:2 states Jesus to have come in
the flesh and whoever denies this is "antichrist" (against Christ - wouldn't the
unclean spirits count as anti-christ?). In this verse, could John have been speaking
of man's denial of Jesus' appearing (or coming) within our own flesh? (Mark 1:24-25;
Col. 1:27)

Question Thirteen: Why do men teach there to be only one antichrist to come
when John clearly stated, "There are many antichrists?" (I John 2:18-23)

What is Death

We build tombs, monuments and memorials to comemorate lives as if they are gone
and all we have left are the memories. Does the person who has tasted death still
exist? If you answered, "yes," then why do we act as if they are gone? We
seemingly exalt death as if it is a "grim reaper" who steals lives daily. What a cruel
and unjust world. I can't help but feel death is hiding a great truth and blinding us
from our peace and freedom. Could God be the power who gives us life and could
that life-giving energy ever be destroyed? These are hard, puzzling questions to
consider in the midst of what our eyes have sadly shown us. Can we explore
death's veil and test its' bold statement and find error? Do you want to explore
death or have you decided it is what it is?

Death is a subject many of us do not wish to talk about. We just try and forget
about it while believing one day we will have to face it. Most of us hope that day
will not come anytime soon. Staying
back in our minds it becomes a nagging fear for most people. Is death something to
be feared? Paul said, "Oh, death, where is your sting?" Jesus' life was a triumph
over death. He proved by his
resurrection that death does not matter or change who we are. He proved we are
eternal. Jesus couldn't really be killed. He lives on. We shall live on. Do we really
understand death, as Jesus knew it?
Is our definition of death the same as his?

Why do we live now hoping for tomorrow to be better? It appears to me that we

only have today, because the future is not here right now and yesterday is gone!
Now, some want to live in the past,
but that is an illusion. The past can only exist in the mind's memory. What if we
could live right now as Jesus lived? I think we have come to believe it cannot be
done. He lived in power and in control, overcoming all that this world could throw
at him, right now. Most of us, however, want to wait until after we physically die,
thinking death to be a quick fix. Is it? I am not sure, but I do know Jesus walked in
the "right now." Did he teach to wait until after death to have peace? Did he ask us
to put off today for tomorrow? Was he triumphant in death or resurrection? Was
death important or life? Was not his life triumphant and incredible before his death?
Could death triumph over Jesus? Did death
direct and dictate Jesus' life?
Question Fourteen: Did Jesus believe in death? Is death real?

Question Fifteen: The scriptures indicate that no man could take Jesus' life. In fact,
Matthew tells us the people tried to stone Jesus and throw him over a cliff and he
walked right through them! If death is
an absolute, why couldn't the people kill him until he laid his life down to be taken?
(Luke 4:28-30; I John 3:16)

Question Sixteen: If we truly understand death, then why did Jesus say the little girl
and Lazarus, both of whom he resurrected, were not dead but only sleeping? By Jesus'
definition of sleeping, what must one
awake to? (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:35-43; John 11:11-15)

Question Seventeen: When a man who wanted to follow Jesus asked if he could first
go home and bury his father, what did Jesus mean by telling him, "let the dead bury the
dead?" (Matt. 8:22; Luke 9:60)

Question Eighteen: Some teach we are not to speak to the dead on the other side of
the grave, so why did Jesus speak to Moses and Elijah at the mount of transfiguration?
(Matt. 17:3; Mark 9:4)

Question Nineteen: If Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah, why did Saul get into trouble
by speaking to Samuel through a medium?(I Sam. 28:11-15)

Question Twenty: What did Jesus mean when he quoted scripture saying, "God is not
the God of the dead but of the living?"(Matt. 22:29-32)

Question Twenty One: Many denominations and doctrines of men deny the existence
of ghosts as being possible. Why is this so, when clearly the disciples believed in their
existence when they mistook Jesus
for a ghost when he came walking on the water? What about the appearing of Samuel's
spirit or ghost to Saul?(Matt. 14:25-26; Mark 6:49)

HELL AND HEAVEN

This world just doesn't make sense. You look outside and this place appears right at
times, but look real close and you find there is nothing of value here, except people.
All that your eyes can see is passing away. Can you ever find peace in this world if
your hope is in it? Where can you look and not find crisis? Thomas quoted Jesus as
proclaiming, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you."

Behold religion closely and you will find turmoil within their ranks, as well.
Squabbling, divisions, differences and unspeakable crimes have torn apart the walls
of religion, exposing their man-made foundations and ideas. Often times, we see
hurting people who are looking for life's answers, trapped within their visible and
invisible walls. Hurting people do not need religion in a crisis; they need love and
truth. The fact that there is any crisis at all within religion's walls should say to us
that its' doctrines might not line up with truth. Have you ever considered that?
Have you ever examined your christian beliefs and thought to yourself, "These
seem good, but I can't help but feel there is something wrong or maybe even
missing?" Could it be a small voice within you whispering the truth in your inner
most being? And if so, could it be this same, small voice causing you to desire what
is true, by allowing you
to finally see what is false? Have you succumbed to believing doctrines you were
taught by others? Are you even open to hearing what is true or has your mind been
made up? Has what you heard within your heart come into conflict with the
teachings you have received from others, but you decide to follow others beliefs
instead? Is the basic christian doctrine true as it is portrayed by the religious and
believed by millions today?

Those are just a few questions that I have come to ask myself while trying to
discern what Jesus was teaching us. When people discuss hell, they seem to have
varying beliefs. What I find to be interesting is that many cannot comprehend any
of their loved ones spending eternity in hell, yet they believe in it. My brother often
tells me, "If my family and friends are not going to be in heaven, then why would I
want to be there without them?" If heaven is eternal, then it is available now to all
and never has
been unavailable to us. And if heaven is eternal, then it is true and what is true
cannot have an opposite, such as an eternal hell. Have you ever run into a person
who tries to convert you to their religious beliefs, usually through the fear of missing
heaven and ending up in an eternal hell? If you have, then may I suggest
questioning them about their beliefs regarding hell? There are too many
contradictions taught to people about hell and it may not even be recognized when
the error is plainly
exposed! All we need to do is follow our train of thinking through to the obvious
conclusion and it begins to become clearer that these doctrines just cannot be
correct. I will assist in pointing out some errors through the following questions,
while you work to figure out the truth for yourself!

Question Twenty Two: If hell is an eternal place of torment, why did Jesus set the
captives free from the time of Noah...the same people whom the flood waters were
meant to destroy? (I Peter 3:18-20)

Question Twenty Three: If hell does exist eternally, why would Jesus possess "keys
to hell and death," knowing that keys are needed only to unlock something? What
need would there be of even having keys if they are not needed to unlock? If the
keys were only used to lock something up for all of eternity, why wouldn't the keys
be destroyed, if no longer needed? (Rev. 1:18)

Question Twenty Four: Let us assume there is an eternal hell and some we know
and love will be there in torment, while we are in heaven. How could God wipe
away all tears from the eyes of us in heaven if we have lost loved ones in the fires
of an eternal hell? Could we ever be at peace or do you suppose God would just
erase our memories of those we knew and loved, but have perished? Could you
ever forgive God for doing that to someone you love? (Rev. 7:17;21:4)

Question Twenty Five: If it were true that once a person finds himself in hell he is
trapped in a prison of torment without hope, why would Jesus state that "the gates
of hell shall not prevail?" (Matt. 16:18)

Question Twenty Six: Why did Bible translators use the word "eternal" in the
scriptures when the Greek word properly translated means "for a set period of time"
(an age), properly meaning hell has an end? And why are the greek words Hades
and Gehenna translated as "hell" in the King James Bible, when Hades simply
means the place of all departed souls, good or bad (the other side of the grave),
and
Gehenna was just a local trash dump outside of Jerusalem? (Mark 3:29; Jude 1:7)

Question Twenty Seven: Some teach fire in the scriptures to be of the devil and
part of his torment upon the godless in his future dwelling place called "hell." If fire
is of the devil's hell, why would Jesus say, "all will be salted with fire?" Why does
the writer of Hebrews state, "Our God is a consuming fire?" (Mark 9:49; Heb.
12:29))

Question Twenty Eight: Many believe very few people will be saved and make it to
heaven. How could Jesus say he would draw all men unto himself? Why did Paul
say in I Corinthians, "all shall be made alive?" (John 12:32; I Cor. 15:22,28; Col.
1:20; II Cor. 5:19)

Question Twenty Nine: If you believe only some people will inherit heaven and
eternal life, what percentage would be saved in your opinion? If all are not saved
from hell, wouldn't that mean Jesus and God failed in their plan to "destroy the
works of the devil," making the devil victorious if even one perishes? Who is more
powerful, God or the devil, and which one failed since both could not be victorious?
(I John 3:8)

Question Thirty: When the disciples asked, "Who then shall be saved?," Jesus
replied, "The things that are impossible with men are possible with God." How can
some still teach it to be impossible for all to be saved? Didn't Jesus answer man's
doubts in his response? (Luke 18:26-27)

Question Thirty One: Jesus called heaven "the kingdom of God" and the "kingdom
of heaven." In fact, both were used interchangeably in the same parables that were
recorded by the different authors of the four gospels. The very word "kingdom"
implies the totality of all God has and is, heaven obviously being included. Why,
then, do we wait to "go to heaven" some day after we die, when Jesus plainly stated
that the kingdom is here now and within us? What does that mean? (Matt. 3:2;
Mark1:15; Luke
17:21)

Question Thirty Two: A common belief of most christians is that unless one
worships Jesus alone, heaven is unattainable. They base this doctrine upon the
scripture, "no man comes to the Father (God), but by me (Jesus)." Jesus' ministry
showed us how to live and how to love. He led by example. He showed us how to
follow our heavenly Father. In essence, when you look at Jesus and his life, you
should see yourself and your life. How might that give new understanding to the
above verse of scripture? (John 14:5-7)

The Church
What is "church?" Where is "church?" How is "church" to be? When I was
teaching at a local "church" from scriptures, I couldn't help but wonder about Christ
stating His church will become "one." To me that would mean no separation or
division. Would God gather all the denominations together
into one organization, or would He establish a governing body to rule over all the
differing denominations? Neither idea could be farther from the truth. My error was
in looking at the church as a building or denomination that worshipped together on
Sunday. In fact, when I began having these ideas burst into my head, I decided to
research where the concept of church buildings, offering plates and pulpits came
from. The more I looked at the early church in the book of Acts, the more I became
convinced that these things were instituted by man to establish control. The early
"church" simply
did not look like what many call "church" today. Many current christian "church"
teachings did not exist then, either. Most of the established doctrines and
traditions, such as buildings and pulpits came into existence around the time of
300AD. Today, if one believes the scores of church buildings on every street
corner to be God's ordained church, then that same person will be misled
into believing and following doctrines not taught by Jesus. It took me years
to finally realize the power of this
illusion. Christ said His church is not divided but will be "one." Is what you believe
the church to be today "one" and undivided? I believe the current "church
system" to be the major cause of division amongst people and therefore rendered
powerless.

So, what is the church and where is it? I can't help but feel like we have been
trapped into believing that what we call "the church" is not what Jesus had in mind.
Have you ever been afraid to ask these questions? I have. Still, I cannot help but
ask, "If our understanding of church is true, then where today
is the power Jesus and His followers demonstrated almost two thousand years ago?"
I personally have seen some miracles. But, what caused those miracles to happen?

Question Thirty Three: Did Jesus go to church every sabbath or did He go

wherever he was led by the spirit? (Luke 4:1; Rom. 8:14)

Question Thirty Four: When did the concepts of church buildings, pulpits and
collection plates come into practice? Were these practices man-made or God-
ordained?

Question Thirty Five: If the exact same message Jesus taught is being preached
today, then why didn't He command all the people to come into buildings for a
service every Sunday and worship Him? Why did crowds flock around Jesus to hear
His words wherever He went, but today people are not flocking into church
buildings to hear a message? (John 13:34-35)

Question Thirty Six: If Christ's church is represented by the numerous assemblies

of different denominations (e.g. Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, etc.),
why are they so divided? Didn't Jesus pray that we may all be one and will His
prayer be answered? Can all these
denominations hold onto varying beliefs, separating themselves from each other
and yet be "one" in Christ? (John 17:11, 21-22)

Question Thirty Seven: Are denominations and divisions of God? How can all be
"one?"

Question Thirty Eight: Today, if what we call "the church" is successful and
possessing the correct structure and message "to save the world," why are there
divisions amongst so many christians while the world is still in chaos? Why are so
many churches today losing membership, splitting or folding if
they are of God?

Question Thirty Nine: What is the church to you: a building or people? Which do
you think is more important to God?

Truth and the Word of God

When a person begins looking for God, most run to a religious organization and buy the
products they are selling. Think about the amounts of money given to sustain a local
"church" in return for their beliefs on who they believe God to be. Could this be similar
to the "buying and selling," which Jesus with whip, drove out from the jewish temple?
Can you have a personal relationship with God through a mediator of men who tell you
what God is saying? What if they are wrong? What if their teachings are incorrect and
have just
been passed down for centuries from one to another? Does longevity make a wrong
belief or doctrine correct? Could the Israelites know God through Moses, whom they
sent up the fiery mountain alone to hear God for them? Did they not all end up bound
under laws and fear from what Moses told them God had said? They could only see God
as a ferocious fiery mountain and one to be feared due to all their second-hand
knowledge of Him. Law is second-hand knowledge of who God is. Do not fear the
journey for God to show you the truth personally. Really, truth is what you have been
searching for your whole life. Jesus
stated, "The truth will set you free," and that He "is the truth." Following Jesus' bold
statement would lead one to believe knowing God is to know truth. Wouldn't you agree
when truth is found, the seeker has found God? Start your journey by backing up to the
beginning and searching for pearls of truth amongst the chaos surrounding us. Jesus
told a parable about a pearl of great price. The man sold all that he had and went and
bought that pearl. In my opinion, truth is that great pearl we should purchase with all
we possess.

The gospel of Luke records Pontius Pilate asking Jesus, "What is truth?" Jesus gave no
response. Ever think why didn't He reply? My best guess is that truth cannot be heard
by, or defined by the words of men, called human language. Everyone has different
understandings of what words mean to them. For example, my definition of the word
"love" could easily be different than another's definition of love. Heck, the word "love,"
has several different meanings in the dictionary! Another example might be the word
"forgiveness." Some may see forgiveness as something to be given to a person
conditionally, always keeping track of the offense in the back of their mind. Others may
understand forgiveness as striving to forgive all unconditionally, forgetting any wrong
had
ever occurred. Your definition of forgiveness could be much different than mine.
Language can easily be a barrier in communication of truth. People constantly
misunderstand each other. Man's language, therefore, cannot easily define truth. It
must be understood within the heart, heard with spiritual ears listening to the spirit of
God. When recognized, truth is simply known. It may seem like a new revelation upon
being received, but when one recognizes truth, it is found to always have been known
within that person's
being. It just seemed to be forgotten for a moment in time. Truth is a constant that has
always been and always will be. That is my next question...

Question Forty: Think this one through carefully: Is truth absolute and can it change?
(Psalms 31:5; James 1:17)

Question Forty One: Jesus stated that He is the truth. Is truth eternal? (John
8:32;14:6)

Question Forty Two: Here is the deep question for those who believe truth to be
eternal and unchanging: If truth is eternal, what does that say about the world you see
passing away before your eyes? What does that say about your physical body? What
does that say about sickness and death?

Question Forty Three: Think about the concept of God at war with the devil, as
believed and taught by so many. If God is truth, can truth ever be defeated or even
threatened? If not, then can evil be real? Are things contrary to truth real? (John
15:26;16:13)

Question Forty Four: Many christians today believe and teach the Bible to be the
"word of God." If this were true, how can John 1:3 state, "...the word of God is God." Is
the Bible God or was John saying something else? What is the "word of God?"
(Ephesians 6:17)

Question Forty Five: John, chapter one tells us, "The word became flesh and dwellt
among us." Did the Bible become flesh? Did the Bible even exist in Jesus' day? (John
1:14)

Question Forty Six: What if scriptures are men's interpretation of what God was
saying to them? What if their interpretations were at times wrong? Could they be
wrong?

Question Forty Seven: Some teach to only be led by the Bible. Did the Bible or the
spirit lead Jesus? Why would Paul write, "It is those who are led by the spirit who are the
sons of God?" (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:18)

Question Forty Eight: People teach to take the scriptures literally and line them up,
one with another. If this would be the correct way to learn from the scriptures, why
would Jesus tell us He speaks in parables so men could not hear the truth of what He
was saying literally? Can we learn from His parables and statements literally?
(Matthew 13:13-17;21:45; Mark 4:11-12)

Question Forty Nine: Jesus said to call no man your master or rabbi (teacher), and
Peter stated, "You have no need for any man to teach you." So, why do we look to men
for answers to life's questions? (Matthew 23:2-13)

Question Fifty: Paul tells us that all scriptures are profitable for instruction. Why didn't
Jesus, Paul or the rest of the apostles tell us to look to scriptures (the Bible) for answers?
Where did they tell us to look? (II Timothy 3:16-17; I John 2:26-27)

LOVE, POWER AND HEALTH

I used to be involved in the "charismatic movement." It is the belief in the gifts of

the Holy Spirit being available not only to the original apostles, but to us here today.
When one first experiences the power of the spirit, he or she can be overwhelmed
with a new and exciting spiritual journey. It is like coming alive to something
wonderful you had been missing right before your eyes. All of a sudden, God
becomes real to you. Many worldwide have experienced prophecy, visions, dreams,
spiritual tongues, healings and most importantly, transformed lives. I personally
have seen God's power come and "touch" an unsuspecting person, incredibly
changing them while sometimes even taking them physically down to the ground.
Many of these were people who would never allow themselves to be taken by
surprise, if they could have stopped it from happening. During these
"manifestations" of God's spirit, often times the different giftings or healings would
appear.

There is one fine example that now comes to mind. I remember a very reserved,
non-charismatic lady in particular. "Leslie" came hobbling into the sanctuary of a
local church, about an hour before the service was to begin. Immediatley, I had
asked her, "What happened to you?" She replied, "It is a back problem that I
recently found out from my mom, runs in our family. Both my mom and aunt have it
and have been told I am destined to have it, also." Well, I was immediately under
the impression that Leslie had
believed a lie about her health and so I told her if she wanted us to pray for her, she
should come up at the end of the morning service for us to "lay hands" upon her in
prayer.

Someone must have seen the surprise on my face when Leslie came up for prayer
that day. We had many invitations over approximately two years for people to come
up and receive prayer, but never had she come up for herself. She must have
thought prayer wasn't for her, or that we might embarrass her. Still bothered by her
limp, I felt inclined to read her a passage from Galatians which stated that we are
not entitled to curses, but blessings. The mind is a powerful thing. I knew she had
believed whole-heartedly that she was cursed with some form of a hereditary
disease and therefore had fallen ill. As I spoke those freeing words to her, I waved
my hands toward Leslie and the spirit of God poured upon her like a river! She
struggled to remain standing, but eventually succumbed to the power and fell
completely to the floor. She just wanted to be healed and stood up very surprised
that day.
Her healing had come to her by simple faith, but also in a new and unique way.

With all the great things I witnessed by the power of the spirit, I knew there were
major things missing with our beliefs. For instance, we did not see all people healed
as Jesus spoke of and demonstrated. A good friend of mine once said, "It is like
being up to bat in a baseball game. When you make contact with the ball and drive
it out of the ballpark, it is a great feeling. You know it can be done. However, what
about all the other times you swing the bat and do not connect? How can you hit
the ball perfectly every time?" He was making a good point. If we are correct with
our current beliefs and they are identical with Jesus' teachings, why are we not
having a 100% success rate with healings and miracles.
Who failed to heal? Was God too weak in power to heal one person, but plenty
more powerful and more willing to heal another? I believe what God would give to
one, He would give to another, as well.

I think our message has been wrong. In fact, I believe we totally missed Jesus' core
message as demonstrated by his life. I firmly believe we still do not know him or
even ourselves, yet. I think at times when we have seen miracles and healings we
have "connected" with a true faith and understanding, in line with God's
spirit...truth.

When we haven't connected with God, I believe we have missed the mark and fallen
short of truth. What was his message? John stated in Revelation, "The testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." I believe John was saying that when we look at
Jesus' life of miracles, healings and unconditional love, we are seeing who we really
are to become. We become Him (Jesus) by coming to the knowledge of the truth of
who we are and what we already have. His life prophesies or reveals God's plan for
the future of mankind. This is Christ: being one with your heavenly Father. Here
are some questions to contemplate with regard to Jesus' message and ministry:

Question Fifty One: The scriptures state "God is love," "Perfect love casts out all
fear," and "Now there is no condemnation." How then, can preachers preach and
teachers teach a message of fear, condemnation and guilt? Is that "love" in light of
Jesus words, "Love your neighbor as yourself," and "Judge not lest you be judged?"
Why didn't Jesus preach a message of condemnation? (Romans 8:1; I John 4:8,18)

Question Fifty Two: Is fear, condemnation and guilt even from God or is it man-
made? Are not these the very things Jesus set people free from?

Question Fifty Three: Whom did Jesus speak against, the common people or the
religious leaders who led by fear, guilt and condemnation? (Matthew 23:13-16,23-
29)

Question Fifty Four: We are told in the New Testament of the Bible, "God is love,"
while the Old Testament tells of a God who kills women and children. Can they be
the same God when several verses tell us, "God does not change?" How can there
be a God of opposites? (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)

Question Fifty Five: Many believe it is not always God's will to heal sickness. How
could this be true if Jesus "healed all that were oppressed of the devil," and
exclaimed it was His will to heal? God is either a healer or non-healer, if He is
eternal and true. He has to be one or the other. What about the scripture, again,
that says, "God does not change?" Could it be God's will to heal all today?
(Matthew 13:15; Acts 10:38)

Question Fifty Six: Jesus said, "You will do greater works than these." If we are
correct in our current doctrines and dogmas, why haven't we seen these greater
works? Could it be we have missed his message? (John 14:12)

URL: http://www.jesusreligion.com/p9LC.html