In the previous chapter we mentioned how in the 4th century the leaders of the Roman Empire tried to bring the followers of Christ at the same foot again as the gentiles or heathen citizens of the empire. We showed how the church-fathers tried to bring a smoke-curtain and presented their flock with a new sort of terms, which were not really Biblical terms. As such you no-where in the Bible shall find the title ‘Trinity‘ nor ‘Mother of God‘ etc..
We should try to come to see the Biblical terms and what they do imply. For example “to seek” or “seeking” is not to just look around casually, it implies a deep desire for the object of your pursuit.
Image via CrunchBase
In history, already before the birth of Christ, many people wanted to distract those around them from focusing on connecting with God. In the Bible lots of time we find examples how others managed to get followers of God to go into another direction. Even when God had provided them with liberation or got them out some trouble they soon forgot it and went the old way again, with sometimes even honouring other gods.
Today we do have more distractions to get us away from God. Today there are not only physical people in our presence who can be distracting, people in the cyber world can be even more distracting. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social networking sites are awesome at staying connected, but when you are dedicated to seeking God consistently, these sites can suck your focus away from that. They are the new deceivers. Deception by them is very easy.
In case we do look for God and really do want to find Him, we should be aware of all hoodwinks.
Try to use a physical Bible for your quiet time instead of the Bible apps available on your phone or IPad, which also have apps for social sites that pull you away from seeking God.
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Preceding articles:
Finding God amid all the religious externals
Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God
People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers
People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations
People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions
To be continued:
People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
People Seeking for God 6 Strategy
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Please find also to read:
- Nazarene Commentary Luke 2:1-7 – A Firstborn’s Birth In Bethlehem
- Raising digression
- Politics and power first priority #1 The early days of Christianity Deities and original Christian faith
- Politics and power first priority #2 church fathers pre-Nicene terms and Nicene Creed
- Politics and power first priority #3 Elevation of Mary and the Holy Spirit
- I Only hope we find God again before it is too late !
- The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
- How to look for and how to handle the Truth
- Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
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Map of Treasure Island, from the first German edition (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Additional reading:
- Treasure Hunters
Imagine that you were just handed a treasure map that leads to Blackbeard’s Lost Treasure. Now take that map, put it in a frame, and hang it on the wall for all to see. Makes sense right? Of course not! You would take that map, follow it exactly step by step. No questions asked because you knew that this map would lead to Blackbeard’s Lost Treasure. Just like any quest , along the way you may encounter obstacles, people may call you names for following the map, and you might even want to give because it is just to hard. But instead of giving up, you continue with the treasure hunt and find it, and knowing all the trials and hardships you had to endure just makes finding the treasure even sweeter. Sounds like the plot to a movie right, but it’s not. It’s the the story of our lives.
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The Bible was written by man but inspired by God to teach us and instruct us in our everyday lives ( 2 Timothy 3:16) but if we just sit it on a shelf and let it collect dust, how are we suppose to know what it is God whats us to do? If we don’t use God’s map and seek Him out, it is us that is missing out. God’s love is our treasure and just like any other treasure that is buried, it hasn’t moved. It is in the same place it has been for years but we must seek it in order to have that treasure and just like any other treasure, it is meant to be shared with everybody, so they can inherit God’s kingdom and feel this unending love of God. Lets start using our maps and seek God not just when we are going through struggles and storms, but in our everyday life. - Seek God First
Lately I have been trying to go to God and the scriptures more. Of course one verse that comes to mind quickly is the one I hear people say often in which God knows the plans he has for you.
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God has a plan for those who follow after Him, who truly seek Him, just like he had a plan for the people of Jerusalem. I don’t know where I am going from here, but I know I believe in God and want to follow after Him. I don’t know where I am going, but I know I have to seek God and put Him first in my life. I know this because of the context of this scripture. - So what does it take to be a true Christian? You might want to share this important message.
Unfortunately over time, the word “Christian” has lost a great deal of its importance and is often used of someone who is religious or has high moral values but who may or may not be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Many people who do not believe and trust in Jesus Christ consider themselves Christians simply because they go to church or they live in a “Christian” nation.
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Related articles
- What Are You Seeking? (makinglifemagnificent.com)
Life can be so busy and these days we have a lot of background noise pulling our attention away from God. These things are not necessarily bad things, they are parts of our everyday life: work, family, and school. But remember God wants to be #1 in your life! So He reminds us throughout scripture to push all those “life distractions” aside and focus only on Him. Remember seeking isn’t just looking, it’s also desiring. Do you desire God enough “to hunt for or go in pursuit” of Him? - The Egocentric Church (samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com)
The influence of the modern egocentric church may be found in the popular fad of minimizing preaching to pursue highly sensual worship experiences with God. The egocentric church does not find the study of Scriptures emotionally appealing. Such church-attenders may believe all the Bible says about Jesus is true without reading it for themselves. They ask, “What would Jesus do?” and they answer “Jesus would do what I feel is right.” They think that the Bible says what they believe it should say and act as if it were true. They refuse to be confused by the facts. - Strengthen Your Relationship With God In A Church In Allen, TX (ourdailychurchblog.wordpress.com)
Here are a few things to look for when searching for a church to strengthen your relationship with God. - Why Read The Bible? (feminarian.wordpress.com)
The sheer size of the book is rather daunting. (Maybe if the individual books of the Bible were released one by one like the Harry Potter series… or if there was a collector’s series that we could trade like Hockey cards…)
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Knowing the Bible means you won’t be left in the dark when people talk about the Jesus symbolism in the Batman series or offer the character Aslan from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a refreshing image of God.You may be surprised how many authors, directors, songwriters, screenwriters and playwrights draw upon biblical imagery and stories in their own works, and how interesting it can be to enter the conversation. The Bible still is a big deal out there, and it’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon.
+So much of our time and energy is given to or taken by industries and corporations that have their own best interests in mind. They too tell us stories about what will make us happy and how to make the world a better place. And they’re usually incorrect.
What if we let the biblical story enter the competition?
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Choose Your Own Distraction
It’s like the Internet is one big “Choose Your Own Distraction” book, but we’ve forgotten that we actually have to make choices to enjoy it’s design. Instead we’re reading straight through from cover to cover. - How to Avoid Being Led Astray by False Shepherds (924jeremiah.wordpress.com)
The Church today is a very dangerous place. False shepherds, pastors, teachers, prophets, apostles, and healers abound. They are all after You: a single sheep in God’s flock. They want your worship. They want your money. They want your loyalty. They are going to use you for their own selfish gain, and when they’re done using you, they will throw you away.
{In this article we can find many false teachings which are presented as Biblical teachings. This also shed light how easy it is to become entangled by the dogma’s created by many churches, which blind lots of people.} - Made in God’s Image, the Trinity, and Free Will (icanhearvoicesinmyhead.wordpress.com)
The topic of ‘The Trinity’ or ‘Three Person God’ had always intrigued me. I have never heard anyone giving me an explanation for it that I could understand. - Uncle Sugar as Religious Bogeyman (religiondispatches.org)
Huckabee isn’t the first Republican called to answer for his endorsement of biblical patriarchy. Just this week, New Mexico Republican Steve Pearce, in a new book, writes that “the wife is to voluntarily submit, just as the husband is to lovingly lead and sacrifice” and “the husband’s part is to show up during the times of deep stress, take the leadership role and be accountable for the outcome, blaming no one else.” - The Bible is a Historical and Theological Primary Source (winnowmethis.wordpress.com)
Drena’s comment lends credence to my own supposition that Christian educational institutions have deviated from Christian orthodoxy and are embracing the “emergent movement”. It is also my viewpoint that rather than turning directly to the Bible to substantiate doctrine, Christian educators are turning to church history and movements to educate and articulate Christian doctrine, without considering that a movement or doctrine may not even stand up to Biblical scrutiny. As such the students coming out of these educational institutions are ill equipped to argue true Biblically based theology.
Stepping Toes 