Wisdom of Application
Part 3: Application
Religion impacted many lives up to this date due to negligence, lack of knowledge, and the careless choice of joining a group. There are church people that prefer a bigger group or a big church, and there are those who only want a smaller group for a better opportunity to be used in the ministry or looking for a family-type relationship with the members.
Go back to Part 2: Wisdom of Translation.
The spiritual account of the Pastors is well-defined in a smaller church than in a big or mega-church. However, we experienced in our spiritual walk as we mature in the Word of God that it becomes clear to us that the teachings they received and passed to us were not carefully interpreted by our immediate family back many folds then.
What they heard most was likely what they believed. It was like they had to swallow what they heard and digest it later, like a weird contract to sign first, then you read it later. Nevertheless, religion brought a significant impact on our lives. It introduced God, which is in heaven, which is good, and also introduced hell, which is not good; fear of God which is respect to His love for us, and fear of hell, the destination for those who disobeyed God.
These early Christians seeded fear instead of love in our forefathers, and they successfully got what they asked for. Selling indulgences should warn them that it is a sign of false teachings, but of course, not just religion that changes our way of life but also the introduction of money.
Many fall in love with the most incredible human power; it can buy many things, the root of corruption, influence to do things out of bound. But, if the people at that time were given a choice, would they pick religion or money? Can they choose both?
If we ask the Preacher will you honor his pick? Would they care what we pick? Would we mind what he picks? The impact in our lives big or small should allow us to interpret the Word in literal words so that we can have access to a better understanding which may produce questions for clarification.
In the early Christian mass, the message or sermon was in Latin, and nobody even understood what they were preaching and yet no rejection from the churchgoers. So, it was faith and the feeling of being blessed. If they preach that we cannot have two masters because we either love one or despise the other one – God or Money.
At that time, they indeed would have chosen God. The presence of greed was not well established in the mind of the local people then. They could not distinguish the power of money that can buy things versus the barter system, which could also get the things they wanted.
Our interpretation at that time can be changed as life progresses day by day. When Jesus was on earth doing His ministerial work, His apostles sometimes did not understand what the Lord Jesus was saying, and they had to ask him. And that was one way exactly to get the right message is to ask.
Are we shy and unable to express ourselves, or are we not sure how certain we are to tell them? Are we confident that sharing our acquired knowledge can be acceptable, or do we still need to improve our self-esteem to confidently deliver the Word?
There can be challenges that our selfless desire to share what we know is not enough for some with itchy ears, and it will not always be enough. That gives us reason to back out, which is considered a defeat. However, we should not worry about too much assumption that it will not work, and we must keep our mind alert not to host the spirit of fear, or we will never achieve good work.
We learned the Word of God through the interpretation of many learned individuals of yesteryears; books were written centuries ago, are still active today, and are referenced by many preachers and teachers, though the authorship was randomly mentioned to give them credit.
Nevertheless, it does not matter anymore as their opinions have been expounded; interpretations and translations have been honored. Some of the original transliterations have been corrected but not well accepted. People always say that the original always matters to them. For example, they prefer to use the King James Version 1611, which many old believers believe has less manipulation and has a history of its own.
We must remember that seeking the truth or getting even closer to the truth is to start asking yourself before asking someone you think has knowledge and understanding. Who is the speaker? To whom is the Word being addressed? Who is the audience? What is the situation at that time? Is that a prophecy for an individual, group of individuals, or specific places or regions? Is it already fulfilled or still to come? Why will we apply it to ourselves when it is not for us and only the Pastors and Priests that speak it for some reason instead?
Religion teaches fear instead of just the Word of truth. Fear puts everyone in bondage instead of God alone in the center of our lives.
Speakers, teachers from all parts of the world, and even the United States’ founding fathers were involved in religion.
At that time, many different versions of the Bible existed. Some Bibles never mentioned hell, a version that omitted the book of Revelation, a version that faithful believers are not allowed to read. In our modern times, we have Bibles that omit many words from the New Testament. Is it part of great enlightenment or a perversion of the Bible? Is it a revelation or enhancement of their old version? Is it a business decision to make a profit? Humans inflict many things on us. We made a terrible environment; polluted air and water, and even the mind of the people are already polluted with corruption, immorality, and wickedness.
What is new today to make us change? Fear of Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, famines, or pandemics? You name it, and we have them all, and with all these occurrences, it seems to become routine, and no one even mentioned that it is time to return to God.
We must acknowledge the One true God, the joy that our heart desires, the peace of our mind, and our physical body will be more in spirit than in the flesh. Many walk away from being millennialism when the promise of Jesus coming soon did not happen, but they do not know that the truth of the coming soon was already fulfilled. It is not the church as the body but the kingdom that Jesus preached and established when He was on this earth.
After His death, the New Testament took effect and was preached for two thousand years, and it ended when the kingdom was put into place after the people who believed that the kingdom preached by Jesus was at hand.
The Old Testament is for the people of Israel, and the New Testament is for the Jew and Non-Jewish people, and later both became the Bible of Christian believers. Revelation is God’s breath for today’s journey, and both the old and the New became our guide for this revelatory journey.
I cannot give up the notion that the Bible is in three parts which are a perfect number for God, and the book of Revelation consists of God’s instruction of the things to come. God is a jealous God, and He will not share or give up being Supreme God, especially to idols. God of the Old and New Testament is the same God at this end of the ages. Our body is reformed daily, and our spirit is renewed by the Holy Spirit daily.
This is the time for a new beginning, as mentioned in Revelation 21; God is working to make all things new. His healing brings restoration above and beyond the comprehension of the human mind. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you’ve done. As long as you acknowledge His existence, He will reward you. So let go of the past and embrace a new perspective of putting God first.
No matter who we are and what we are, God will never leave us nor forsake us, which is a promise made to us.
What more do we need to know if everything is handed to us for our understanding and acknowledgment that the LORD we pray is the LORD who is and who was to come the LORD Almighty?
Here is the verse to cherish:
REVELATION 21:1-3—I saw “new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.
They will be his people, and God will be with them and their God.
(Start from the beginning. Wisdom Series Introduction)