Spiritual Insight: Do you think you have it?? IF so - why?

[BobRyan]

First Question for the group -

If you were transported back in time to the days just before Christ's ministry - and had no memory at all of the Christian Church or the life of Christ. If all you had was your Old Testament and your "CURRENT" practice in Bible study prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit. WHAT about your life tells you that when you heard the news that "There is a carpenter from Galilee claiming to be the Son of God - but all the family, friends, Sabbath School teachers and church leaders say he is a deceiver" - you would study and pray and come up with "nope! I am going to go against what everyone is saying - I choose the carpenter's son"?

What gives you any encouragement at all based on your current practices that you would go against the popular opinion of the ONE TRUE NATION CHURCH started by God Himself at Sinai?

Second Question for the group:

Given the first question - what do you think the "average person" says to himself when reading that question?

A. "Sure I would be among the few willing to get kicked out of church for following the carpenter's son"

B. "I would have gone with the crowd supposing that my leadership knew more than I did and not wanting to risk family and friends over a carpenter's son" who claims to be God.

Now to "bring it home" -- I am asking this question in direct connection to the OP - on the "Wakeup calls for Christians Thread".

http://clubadventist.com/forum/ubbthread...html#Post226925

in Christ,

Bob

[phkrause]

Well Bob I would hope that I would be able to be one of those that stood up and said I believe that this man, carpenter from Galilee, was the Messiah. But I also realize that I need to be studying and searching.

pk

[Bravus]

Leading the witness, yer honour.

What if your Question 1 is applied to Joseph Smith, or to any of the thousands of false Messiahs before and after Jesus?

I agree that spiritual discernment is the key criterion.

So what is it about *your* spiritual discernment that makes you so sure that the OP in that thread is the Real Deal?

[teresaq]

what do you see happening if you could get everyone to accept ernie?

[BobRyan]

HEY BOBRYAN

I WOULD have to say that as I STUDIED the

with an open mind and kind heart that the HOLY SPIRIT

would lead me to the truth back then just as the

HOLY SPIRIT lead me in the present time frame....

I AM SURE most of the people would have be lead

by the leaders of their time again just as they are

being lead today....

dgrimm60

Well said. As Paul points out in Romans 14 each one must stand or fall for himself. No amount of "I only thought what I was told to think by those I respect" will do.

Interesting that in Matt 23 the contemporaries of Christ argue "we would not have been so stupid in centuries past to kill the prophets as did those who went before us in Bible times".

The more things change - the more they stay the same.

The truth is that most are "accustomed only to the well worn path" of a group near them telling them what to think.

But Paul says in 2Cor 5 that EACH one must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. No "appealing to my local Sabbath School teacher" or my "favorite book author" or my "favorite sermon" to get me through.

In every age those who were called out as was William Miller and John the baptizer and Isaiah, and Noah and even Paul - were often standing "alone". As Martin Luther said when he reflected on that Bible history "it is precisly because I AM alone that you should fear me".

It was a small scattered group of 50 out of 50,000 millerites that went on to proclaim the 2300 day solution - and who eventually after a number of years passed - finally agreed to accept the ministry of the Spirit of Prophecy in the life of Ellen White.

in Christ,

Bob

[BobRyan]

"As Paul says in 2Cor 5 that EACH one must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. No "appealing to my local Sabbath School teacher" or my "favorite book author" or my "favorite sermon" to get me through."

Still you have to wonder how many are still merely using that method today...

The examples given in the previous post indicate that there must surely be "a lot" of people in that group.

in Christ,

Bob