All creation is waiting for the Sons of God. It is not just Christians waiting, nor is it just waiting for religious ideolgy. There are very few absolutes in the world or the even the Word of God. Things may be similar, but there are distinctly, yet still God given different strategies and paths and rewards for each and every one that ever has or will walk the Earth.
The sons are here to set an atmosphere of liberty & justice so that each and all in the world may freely choose and find their right path and also Christ. That's what happened for us. We have searched and found who we are and have found Christ freely. We were not manipulated or forced.
It is in this context alone, I quote the 90's R&B group En Vogue, "Free your mind and the rest will follow."
An open mind is a good thing in that it is curious, but a wise person is closed minded having eventually found the answers, and walk therein.
God, Jesus Christ, WILL be found by the ones who is allowed to sincerely and freely search.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they SHALL SEE God.
I'm conviced, if any person is allowed to freely search from ANY religious or philosophical point of view, and searches with a pure heart or worships in their faith purely, they will find Jesus. This may offend all of other religions, and the mere suggestion may scare and anger Christians. But consider when you found God. You yourself, even if you were raised Christian, still had to be searching from a wrong point of view or lost place, too. Train up a child in the way it should go is right and best, but still no one is born saved. We were all born in sin and had to be saved or personally accept Jesus Christ. So, what diference does it make which "lost mental place" or position one searches from? Whether it's from Bhuddism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Mormanism, LBGTism (considered a faith for this purpose because of it's all encompassing lifestyle and not just sexual activity), or any morally good philosphy, it should not matter to the Christian that desires, like God, that all men be saved, how they come to know Jesus, only that it happens. The only thing that matters is that Jesus is found and a soul is saved. The best way for that to happen, since we are not to force but compel by influence by preaching the gospel, is to first provide as best as possible a free environment and atmosphere to all and whosoever.
Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me...to preach deliverance to the captives...
Who cares what is or has them captive, only that they are captive.
John the baptist prepared a way for Jesus by preaching repentance and righteousness according to the prevailing religion of the people Jesus was sent first to, Judaism and Israel.
Matthew 3:3
...The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
But after Jesus dies and is resurrected, the way to clear a path so that all may freely receive, changes. Paul, differently from John the baptist, must make strait paths for all people of all religions and philosophies, not just of Israel. Consider, Paul's approach to achieve the same goal.
Romans 1:14
I (Paul) am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Acts 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
Paul does not yeild to their beliefs, he keeps the integrity of Christianity, but uses their beliefs as an opportunity to reason. And to work with them inter-dependantly.
It is intricately delicate. To draw in, without force or lying and manipulation, and expect the preaching of the gospel itself to work, even as one worships in all sincerity and freely other gods using other ways, takes utmost faith. But, there is no alternative. If we force them into our way, it is reasonable they will and should force upon us their ways. The human was made to be free. See Romans 8. The law and binds of the mind, CAN NOT save.
Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh...
Remember. God did not fail. The Old Testament works, but only a handful found truth. The New Testament casts a stronger, wider net that can save and change all, and is much more desirable and attractive because of freedom.
The Church must grow up. We are to be closed minded inside the Church towards those that have received and been converted already. They are alone the Church, and we have a different expectation from them. But I am presenting how we are to conduct ourselves outside the four walls. Still truthful, but they must be free to reject our truth, the Truth. This is that love that never fails.
When I speak of getting along and cooperating with other religions without breaking the integrity of our own faith, of course, we add what should be obvious that any faith or philosophy that promotes hurt or harm to the individual or any part of Creation or society is to be excluded and even fought against, such as Nazism, Communism, any Occult/Cult that harms especially women/children, Sharia Law, and Terroism, which is almost become a religion itself; hi jacking Islam and changing it into a violent discipline, which Islam is not.
We are to set an atmosphere of peace or Shalom meaning nothing missing, nothing broken, and nothing lacking to all of Creation and all that is within. This means we are to feed the poor, care for the widow and fatherless, heal the sick, visit those in prison, judge all with good impartial judgement according to what is right and just, and speak truth to every man, woman, boy and girl; near and far, regardless of religion, or if agnostic, or if atheist.
It is important to know also, that outside of protecting the innocent and any from being harmed, by force, that punitive measures are necessary against all offenders and those that will commit crimes. So evil philosophies will not be tolerated, but in justice to protect society we still ARE NOT to force any to believe and do what God has declared.
The Church is still struggling with how to interact with the world and still keep integrity to their own faith. We are to influence by preaching the gospel. We have fallen unwittingly to a humanistic belief that actions speak louder than words. And legislation is more powerful. While faith without works is dead and we are to be doers of the Word, we tend to forget or not understand in the first place that speaking is action to. In the beginning was the Word which is God. And any and all action you do outside of speech is preceded by or accompanied by an instruction or Word. Now it is the Spirit that gives us a specific word or orders for each season, then action follows to carry out the orders. But the order can be as simple as speak or pray. Example: Daniel and the lions den. So we get back to that the safest place in all the world is the will of God and whatever He says to do, do. If it is just to speak that is what it is, only. Do not add or subtract.
I say all the above to bring this back to my main point. Preachers preach. Legislation CAN NOT deliver, else God should have kept the Old Testament. Read Romans 8. But preaching the full gospel is the power. Read Romans 1. Do not be ashamed to preach gospel for it is the power unto salvation.
Consider all. I know I rambled and repeated but we had to get it all in.
Peace. Real peace. Power is wasted in superficial struggles. But where there is liberty, there is great power and infuence to do goodness and justice.
Yulanda K.
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