Thus Says The Lord

This section will be dedicated to issues on the basis of what God has to say about them. 'Thus Says The Lord' will use scripture to interpret scripture- for no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation; speak where the bible speaks-be silent where it is silent and speak as the 'oracles of God' (1 Peter 4:11).

Our intent/aim is not to offend your own beliefs and/or lifestyles. Neither is it to be prejudicial nor to be hateful or promote hate. It is to the contrary to be communicative and informative while being true to a belief in God's Word through dialogue, example and first and foremost the Love of Christ. This is not to say you will agree with all herein or not be offended. Obviously, your responsiveness is your choice- as ours would be ours. That is simply a matter of 'taking ownership'.

If you suspect for a moment that you are not able to be a part of any particular dialogue involving any issue covered, then by all means just like 'Elvis', feel free to 'leave the building'. You do not have to be where you don't want to be. Freedom of speech is a two-sided coin. We all would like to be heard- We must allow for others to be heard.

Three scriptures come to mind and serve as important planks in our platform. Corinthians 13:1-13; Galatians 4:16, "Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" NKJV. Acts 5:29, "Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!" NIV.

One important aspect comes into play. God's way is not a democracy. It is a kingdom. A kingdom established unlike any kingdom before, during or after. This kingdom has no end but it is transitional. Jesus Christ is the one and only king and at some point in time will hand over the kingdom back to God the Father when time as we know it will cease to be (1 Corinthians 15:24). It is a kingdom of love, truth and justice. Through the Holy Spirit of Truth you can know everything you need to know about this love, truth and justice. That said for now, the Bible teaches us in four different ways:

Direct command: Nothing ambiguous about this. It is straight forward and to the point. No options, no variations, no shadows, no gray areas and no 'legalese'. Acts 2:37-38 is a great and clear example of direct command. Acts 22:16, likewise.

Example: If a picture is 'worth two thousand words' then a living example must be 'priceless'. Jesus often used examples- some true life and others in parables. Luke 16: 19-23 is true life. Luke 10:25-37 is a parable. Important: Both are based on the reality of truth. Luke 10 even has a 'direct command' at the end.

Pattern: a particular way in which something is done, is to be done, is organized, or happens:

a) The pattern of family life has been changing over recent years.
b) A pattern is beginning to emerge from our analysis of the data.

Hebrews 8:5 is a scriptural example of where and when a pattern is to be used.

Inference: It is akin to making an educated guess strictly within the scope of the information, data or in the biblical sense- within the parameters of the scripture that applies directly or indirectly. For example, the original meaning of baptism is 'to immerse' from the Greek 'baptidzo'. Yet, only one translation used the word 'immerse' as a direct translation from 'baptidzo'. However, if one examines the scriptural examples of baptism, it is easily seen that immersion is applied or inferenced. Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:38-39. Beyond that and 'inference', the original Greek for 'baptidzo' means 'to immerse, submerge'.

YOUR PLACE TOO!

THE LORD'S DAY

Thus Says The Lord