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The Good News Of the Bible |
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"However, if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare declared to you as good news, let him be accursed" - Galatians 1:6-9 |
The Good News |
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What about "preaching the word?" For Apostle Paul tells Timothy
Paul even went further to state about himself,
As Christians we are commissioned by Jesus Christ to:
The questions are, what are the "teachings" that Christ "commanded" his deciples? What are the teachings of the "good news" that we are to preach? Doctrinal explanations that require a detailed question and answer bible study? What is "fully accomplishing your ministry?"(2 Tim 4:1-5; 1 Cor 9:16; Matt 28:19,20)
The answer are in Jesus words at John 13:34 and 1 John 3:23
"This is his commandment, that we (1) have faith in the name of his son Jesus Christ and (2) be loving one another." 1 John 3:23
It is also as Apostle John states, repeating Christ's words, "this
is his (God's) commandment, that we have faith in the name of his son Jesus Christ and be loving one another."
The good news is about Jesus Christ being God's son, his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, sacrificing
himself as a ransom for mankind, reconciling man with God, opening the opportunity for men to "enter into
the kingdom of the heavens" and rule along with Christ. But of higher importance, which
The "love of Christ surpasses the doctrinal knowledge stated above, and is absolutely necessary, are Christ's teachings of "love of neighbor" and "mercy", which means loving God,
The only way to fully obtain God's love is to have faith in Christ and be anointed with his spirit, enabling a person to walk by the spirit:
"If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ."
Romans 8:9 "We entreat you not to accept the undeserved kindness of God
and miss its purpose." - 1 Cor 6:1
"Sorry brother, I can't help you today, I have to go out preaching"
Jesus not only taught this agape love, but also performed this mercy
to the poor, the sinners and those with hardships and illnesses, having "pity for them." This teaching
and performing lo
ve and mercy to all others is the "preaching of the good news"
and not the mere academic knowledge of scriptures and verses, with a detailed question and answer bible study.
It is the actual emotional, physical and material actions of love and mercy towards all others, regardless of their
religious persuasion. This is precisely what Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to perform, when he told him to "preach
the word." For preaching words are nothing but refuse if no love and mercy are shown as Apostle John so aptly
states,
"I can't count my time"
"Little children, let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth." 1 John 3:18
Certainly, it would not be following Christ, to withhold helping a fellow brother, physically, materially or emotionally, because you believe it is more important to go out preaching the doctrinal knowledge of the scriptures to people. (1 John 3:18, 23; James 2:13; Matt 24:14; 9:36; 11:12; 10:28)
Is the "good news of the kingdom", that is to be preached, about a literal government that
will bring the earth to a paradise ? Or is it a message of
simply admitting that one is a sinner and "believing in Christ", without truly showing "love of
neighbor?" Are those the messages of salvation that are to be declared through out the entire earth and a
witness to all nations ? (Math 24:14) Apparently not, for the good news that was preached by the apostles in the
bible is about repenting and putting faith in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection,
thus opening the way to enter into the kingdom of God, that is heaven. (1 Cor 15:52) There was absolutely no preaching
of a paradise earth with a literal government or a church doctrine of the trinity, hellfire, rapture, Pope and
Saint mediatorships. But of far more significance, "surpassing" the doctrinal knowledge, the "good
news" was about love and mercy to God and neighbor,
Any that preach a different "good news" from "love of neighbor" would come under Apostle Paul's words at Galatians 1:6-9,
It certainly appears true, that God has a heavenly kingdom and those in God's kingdom
"will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years." They
are the "seed of Abraham", "circumcised in their hearts", the new
The Central Theme of
Jesus Preaching
"chosen race, a "royal priesthood, a holy nation." However, this
came secondary to the message of "this good
news of the kingdom", which was to exercise faith in Christ, trusting in him, becoming weak, letting go of
our own efforts and thus receiving God's Spirit which then empowers us the ability to walk in accord with the Spitit
and show agape love on an individual basis to the people we meet, gaining entrance into this "kingdom of the
heavens." Today "this" is still the same exact message that needs to be preached to the entire earth,
not the knowledge of a detailed governmental arrangement that has been invisibly present operating in heaven since
the year 1914 and will soon extend it's ruler ship over the earth restoring it to a paradise, or a detailed trinity
explanation and other church doctrines. The message of the "good news" was without elaborate, lengthy
and detailed explanations of scripture, as shown in Acts 2:38:
was not about a kingdom literal government with various legal requirements and scrupulous
sacrifices to conform to, but rather it was about justice, mercy, faithfulness and to look after orphans and widows
in their tribulation and keep oneself without spot (materialism,
greed and lust as a life pursuit) from the world.
(Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:8, Zech 7:9-10; James 1:27)
(1 Pet 2:9, Rev 20:; Romans 9:6-8; 2:28-29)
In this situation,
in Acts chapter two, as with all others in the Christian Greek scriptures, all of the 3000 or so people who got
baptized, neither had a detailed governmental arrangement restoring a paradise earth explained to them, requiring
a 6 month study of a book that is written and published by a 20th century man made organization, nor did they have
the "trinity doctrine" or a "hellfire" doctrine taught to them. Rather they repented for their sins and gained faith in (took in knowledge of) God and Christ:
They were baptized the very same day and all gained the hope of a heavenly reward. (Heb 3:1) Whether they were baptized by a sprinkling or immersion of water is of no importance, "straining out the gnat" and is completely overlooking the teaching of Christ, faith and love. The people recognized the need to put faith in Jesus Christ, "becoming weak to become strong," his ransom sacrifice and accepting him as their savior in order to gain acceptance with God, and receive the power of his spirit to "dwell inside" them. For this they were baptized. But this knowledge and baptism would be futile, if they were not letting go our their own strengths and abilities and relying on Christ for strength and guidence, recieiving the spirit and walking with it by imitating Jesus, following his commands of love, demonstrating their faith by their individal works of love and "mercy," no matter how small and few they were, and not walking with the flesh of the "sacrifices" of preaching doctrines, hours spent in field service, meeting attendance and religious organizational works. Their faith along with showing love and "mercy" to others, in imitation of Christ, was their obligation to fellow men. They were to walk with the spirit and not the flesh.
"This" was the good news declared to them in the bible and is the same good
news that must be preached
Sin and Salvation were
the subjects Jesus spoke about in almost all of his dealings with people.
and taught to the world's population today, not a detailed doctrinal study that
requires 3 one hour sessions with the local elders to determine whether you agree with the Watchtower organization's
unique interpretations of the bible, coupled with a requirement of attendance at various meetings and counted hours
spent out preaching to persons. Nor was it becoming part of a certain denomination, identified by a different name
then Christians. It was not about the many righteous Saints who wrote and taught after the bible was completed,
nor was it the many doctrines that they and various church counsels decided to be church dogma. Instead, the good
news was about "the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge." (James 2:26; Rev 20:12; Romans 13:10;
Matthew 22:37-39; 9:13; 24:14; Heb 13:15,16; 1 Peter 2:21; Eph 3:19)
1.
We're all sinners.
2.
We all must have faith in Christ.
3.
We all must be anointed, Born
Again with Spirit.
4.
We all must walk in the Spirit, with love of our fellow man.
David Roper, writer of Eiljah, a man like us, Discovery House Publishers, explains preaching the good news in this way:
"Who despises the day of small things?" asked one of Haggai's contemporaries (Zechariah 4:10) The answer of course, is that we do. Small has fallen on hard times, inclined as we are to equate size with success. Small is now a value judgment: If we're limited to one or two, we're hardly worth anything at all.
Some people look good with the masses but fail miserably when it comes to one or two. Yet our love for one person is the test of our love for all. Authentic Christianity is this: "to look after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). Reality reveals itself to quiet acts of mercy and goodness that no one sees or applauds-but God."
An Example of
Preaching The Good News
Take the example of Zacchaeus, a tax collector that the Jews looked on as a man who sold his soul to the Devil, a man who worked for the Romans and extorted money from people. To them, he was on his way to Genhenna. He was as what we consider today a drug pusher, a pimp, or a trafficker in kiddie porn, but apparently his heart was searching for God. No one took this man seriously, nor did anyone care, except Jesus. Notice how Jesus preached the good news: "To the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind and to release the oppressed." (Luke 4:18)
Jesus picked Zacchaeus out of the crowd and invited him to eat and drink with him. Jesus wanted to be this man's friend.
"All the people began to mutter" that this man was a low life, no good person, and who is this Jesus that he should show kindness to him? Who is he to even to invite himself over his house yet and socialize with him? The righteous religious leaders would have thought: who is this Jesus to invite himself inside the home of a sinner, a man who does not follow the religious laws and fails to obey the religious organization? Jesus did not judge this man, nor all the other so called sinners. His "Good News" was to preach faith in himself with the fruitage of agape love, both showing and living agape love as he did this. He came to "save what was lost." The end result, Zacchaeus was saved and claimed:
Jesus said:
Jesus did not count his time preaching doctrines to Zacchaeus, nor the quoting of detailed scriptural explanations, nor did he preach an obedience to a visible human organization to get to God. The Good News that he preached to Zacchaeus was not about 1914, pioneering, slave classes, holiday observances, political involvement, trinity doctrines or meeting attendance in a human religious organization. His Good News was the teaching of faith in the Son of Man, with mercy and love, which took in all of humanity, both the Jews and the Gentiles.
The Good News |
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The Good News |
Exercising Faith Solely In Christ |
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Using a so called appointed "Faithful And Discreet Slave Class" as mediator between Christ and men. |
Gaining Entrance Into The Kingdom Of The Heavens |
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Living On Earth Under A Governmental Arrangement That Has Been Invisibly Present Operating In Heaven Since The Year 1914 And Will Soon Extend It's Rulership Over The Earth, Restoring It To A Paradise |
Becoming An Anointed, Spirit Filled, Born Again, Child
of God, New Creation And Spiritual Jew |
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Becoming A Non-Anointed Christian, Interpreted To Be Part Of The "Other Sheep" In John 10:16 And The "Great Crowd" Of Revelation 7:14, Who Are Supposedly A Non-Spirit Filled, Non-Born Again Group of Christians |
Showing Works Of Love And Mercy - Love Of Neighbor |
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Performing The Works Of Sacrifice Of Preaching Door To Door, Weekly Meeting Attendance, Rule Following, Shunning Former Members & etc. |
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