Several years ago Frankie Lane sang a song “I Believe”. It really had nothing to do with religion. We all have our beliefs and I have never tried to force mine on anyone and I guess that is why I will never be a missionary or a Bible pounder. I will lead "Bible" Study classes but not from a denominational view. The "Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit is sufficent. So prayer comes first and last. I do profess Christianity as my religion. I was raised in a Southern Baptist home and that is the base of my points of view. I remember at about 11 years old in a Sunday night service I experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and accepted Christ as my Savior. I was well aware of him before but this time it was very different. All through the military I was active in Baptist churches close to where I lived. When I left the military I still attended church but worked less with younger people and became a pew warmer. I married a Catholic and that gave me a different slant on Catholics. Arriving in La Paz, Bolivia I joined an English Speaking international, interdenominational church that had a greater effect on my religious thinking. With my in-laws very old and unable to get out to go to a restaurant on Sundays we had to buy take out food for them, but Church ended later than was convent for my family. So to keep peace in the family I started going to Catholic Mass with my wife and son. My wife, over the years, has tried to get me to convert to her religion, she has given up now. The more I learned of Catholicism the less I felt it is correct in a lot of it's teachings. Now that my in-laws are in the other world I have returned to the interdenominational English speaking church. In Tarija there is no English speaking congregration. So I go to the methodist church here. The missionary in charge is an American so I get to speak in home land English. Service is in Spanish. Cochabamba and Santa Cruz do have English or English/Spanish services.
I believe in the GOD the Father of Jesus, the same GOD of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. I believe only GOD can forgive our sins and Christ will be our judge. I should only pray to GOD, not to Mary, or the "saints". I believe that Christ will come again when GOD wants it to happen. I believe that keeping the commandments that Christ taught and believing in GOD and Christ we can achieve salvation, or eternal life of the soul.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
John 3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 5:22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
John 5:23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 5:25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live
*******************************************************************************************.
Faith must come first, but faith alone is not salvation. On several occasions Christ taught we must follow the Commandments, we must be charitable, we must love one an other and how we present and conduct ourselves in public, are our works.In James we learn that because of our faith and love for GOD and his Son we will do good to our neighbors. Many say GOD and his son exist but fail to follow the commandments!
Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. ( ( I must continue to be faithful.) Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
John 14:21 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
John 14:23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
John 14:24 He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Matthew 5:47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Now comes a warning for not good works!
Matthew 6:1 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:2 "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
Matthew 6:3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Matthew 6:4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:7 "And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words
Matthew 19:16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life? ( King James Version)"
Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Matthew 19:18 He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Matthew 19:19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 19:20 The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." The lesson in Matt 19:16-21 is this, the person asking was very rich and wealth was his real god. Christ covers all the things and charity he wants from his followers. *******************************************************************************************. Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:38 This is the great and first commandment. Matthew 22:39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Compassion, charity and mercy *******************************************************************************************. Luke 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Luke 10:31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. Luke 10:32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, Luke 10:34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Luke 10:35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Luke 10:36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" Luke 10:37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." In this one story Jesus taught how far or to what extent we must love our neighbor. Not just who is our neighbor. I have felt for a long time the man attacked was a Jew, So the Samaritian not only showed love for his neighbor but his enemey, but also the extent of our love. *******************************************************************************************. The doers vs the nondoers Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Matthew 25:32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep the doers from the goats the no-doers, Matthew 25:33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; Matthew 25:35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Matthew 25:36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Matthew 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? Matthew 25:38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? Matthew 25:39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Matthew 25:41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; Mat 25:42 I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; Mat 25:43 I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.' Mat 25:44 Then they will answer him, 'When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?' Mat 25:45 The King will reply, 'I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.' Mat 25:46 These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life." Not being a doer of the teachings of Jesus even though we claim to know him will still get us eternal death! *******************************************************************************************. My opinion on the "Bible" The early church did not have the New Testament. Until Mark wrote his record of Christ's presence on earth every thing was passed as word of mouth, oral history. Luke's writings followed as did Matthew, John wrote later, all of these writers it is believed were inspired by GOD to write the truth of Christ on earth and his teachings. It is also believed that the other writings, books, letters etc. were also written by inspired writers. I just wish we had the original text, and I could understand the original language they were written and the context of the time that they were written. Some feel the translators were inspired, maybe they were, I was not there and I have no way to know. In the orginal text it is inspired and correct intent words of GOD. The "Bible" has all the essentials for salvation, it tells us what GOD expects of us, it tells what will happen to us if we do not believe, worship and live this life in the manner GOD wants. My concern is if it, "The Bible", was the way some perceive it the inspired inerrant word of GOD, then there should be only one group of Christian believers. As it is we have a modern Tower of Babel with the "Bible". The Christian community has been split over baptism, communion, and marriage, gay prists, women in the pristhood even which "Bible" to use. I read the"Bible", not just one translation, but several so I can see what differences are there. I have read the red-letter additions so that I could know what Christ taught. Then I read the black letters before and after to get the setting and context. Some of the things that some Christian denominations do or practice I cannot find a reason for in the "Bible", they claim to be able to prove their methods of worship. The common ground is a belief in GOD, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and the second coming. In the interdenominational church I attend some have a saying, "Agree on the essentials, and tolerate the non essentials." That expression is the reason I like interdenominational congregations. I believe that some Christian groups will find in the final days they were wrong and violated the second commandment. Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. Sunday 29 sitting in church a paper fell out of my "Bible" with this poem on it. SERMONS WE SEE Edgar Guest I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear; And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds, For to see good put in action is what everybody needs. I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done; I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true, But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do; For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give, But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. John T. Osborne May 24, 2007, edited October 1, 2013 *******************************************************************************************.
Matthew 19:18 He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
Matthew 19:19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 19:20 The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?"
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
The lesson in Matt 19:16-21 is this, the person asking was very rich and wealth was his real god. Christ covers all the things and charity he wants from his followers.
Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.
Matthew 22:39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
Compassion, charity and mercy
Luke 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Luke 10:30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Luke 10:31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion,
Luke 10:34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Luke 10:35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'
Luke 10:36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"
Luke 10:37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
*******************************************************************************************. The doers vs the nondoers Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Matthew 25:32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep the doers from the goats the no-doers, Matthew 25:33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; Matthew 25:35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, Matthew 25:36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Matthew 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? Matthew 25:38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? Matthew 25:39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Matthew 25:41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
My opinion on the "Bible" The early church did not have the New Testament. Until Mark wrote his record of Christ's presence on earth every thing was passed as word of mouth, oral history. Luke's writings followed as did Matthew, John wrote later, all of these writers it is believed were inspired by GOD to write the truth of Christ on earth and his teachings. It is also believed that the other writings, books, letters etc. were also written by inspired writers. I just wish we had the original text, and I could understand the original language they were written and the context of the time that they were written. Some feel the translators were inspired, maybe they were, I was not there and I have no way to know. In the orginal text it is inspired and correct intent words of GOD. The "Bible" has all the essentials for salvation, it tells us what GOD expects of us, it tells what will happen to us if we do not believe, worship and live this life in the manner GOD wants. My concern is if it, "The Bible", was the way some perceive it the inspired inerrant word of GOD, then there should be only one group of Christian believers. As it is we have a modern Tower of Babel with the "Bible". The Christian community has been split over baptism, communion, and marriage, gay prists, women in the pristhood even which "Bible" to use. I read the"Bible", not just one translation, but several so I can see what differences are there. I have read the red-letter additions so that I could know what Christ taught. Then I read the black letters before and after to get the setting and context. Some of the things that some Christian denominations do or practice I cannot find a reason for in the "Bible", they claim to be able to prove their methods of worship. The common ground is a belief in GOD, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and the second coming. In the interdenominational church I attend some have a saying, "Agree on the essentials, and tolerate the non essentials." That expression is the reason I like interdenominational congregations. I believe that some Christian groups will find in the final days they were wrong and violated the second commandment. Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Sunday 29 sitting in church a paper fell out of my "Bible" with this poem on it. SERMONS WE SEE Edgar Guest I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear; And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds, For to see good put in action is what everybody needs. I soon can learn to do it if you'll let me see it done; I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lecture you deliver may be very wise and true, But I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do; For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give, But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.
John T. Osborne May 24, 2007, edited October 1, 2013