Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

"...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) When I look around I do not see many growing toward those with which we disagree - whether in the political or religious arena. And I rarely encounter any growth in the "knowledge" of our Lord.   When is the last time you learned something new about God's plan and purpose as revealed in the Scripture? I attended a denominational church for more than 60 years and cannot remember anything new in its teaching during that time - just the same old traditions passed down in its statement of faith. Much of which I consider to be what Jesus said about traditions of men... “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain  your own tradition... you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.” Mark 7:9-13) At the end of each year I ask myself whether I have grown in grace and in knowledge of our Lord.  Those areas in which I

"And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables.” (II Timothy 4:4) The Final Solutions of Sinful Humanity: One: Hitler’s final solution was to eliminate the Jewish people who he believed were corrupting the world.  Two: The final solution of institutional Christianity  and  Islam is to offer salvation from hell for sinners if they repent of their sin and join their religion. If anyone refuses they will die, and then be tortured in a lake of fire they call hell - forever in the Christian religion and until their sins are paid for in the religion of Islam. The Final Solution of the God of the  Bible: God’s final solution is to ransom, save, redeem, and reconcile all sinners to Himself through the incarnation, death, entombment, and resurrection of His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. My anger towards institutional religion's final solution seems well founded to me. HOWEVER, I think that most members of those religions who are involved in spreading

  "Do not for a moment suppose that I have come to abrogate the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abrogate them but to give them their completion .” (Matthew 5:17) The Old Testament contains the Law and the Prophets. Whatever the Law and the Prophets said was completed when Jesus came to Earth. “The Law and the Prophets continued until John came; from that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God has been spreading, and all classes have been forcing their way into it. ” (Luke 16:16) John the Baptist was the final Prophet to Israel. The message found in the Law and the Prophets ended with John the Baptist. Jesus presented the good news message of the Kingdom of God – and all humanity started forcing their way into it. By force is meant they were opposed by the Jewish leaders who refused to believe that their God was also the God of all other nations (gentiles). The last Prophet was Paul, who was given the secrets of the Kingdom of God, one of which is that the God of