Read 2nd Timothy chapter 3 (King James Version)  

Yes it is and so many people are missing so much and don't even know it. I felt so sorry for my wife. She tried so hard to have a good personal relationship with God and she just could not get where she wanted to be. I honestly believe it was because she was in church any time the doors were open. She put too much value on man's teaching. That is the only thing I can figure out that could have been between her and God.

Art

the thing is it's hard to be satisfied, when we're down here. we have a taste of heaven now and then but we're here. so it is limited and occasional. it's hard to live in the two worlds of being human and spiritual. i can sympathise with her.

Hi Abby. Look back at what you said here. "Listen to the teachings of God through the Bible". No truer words were ever spoken. However there is a healthy way to read the Bible and a harmful way. The Bible is a simple teaching tool God uses to teach us. It is a bad mistake for us to believe we are smart enough to figure out what the Bible is saying. Just read it and remember what you read and where you read it. Then if God wants to show you something He can send you back to the Bible and prove what he is showing you. The Bible is also a good tool we can use in building our personal relationship with God and Jesus. There is enough simple easy to understand information in it to teach us how to depend on God for his help when we need it. That's what a relationship with God is all about. God wants to guide and help us to live the life He intended for mankind.

Also the Bible is confusing for the simple reason it contains information that applies to 3 different stages of this world. The time from Adam to Noah was the first stage then the time from Noah to Jesus was the second stage. The time from Jesus to now is the third stage. We live in a totally different world than Adam or Noah did and we need different information to guide our lives. Jesus gave us that information in the New Testament. If we could just live our lives by the first 4 books of the New Testament then we would be living in a totally different world. We would be living in the world God wanted us to have. In fact God wanted is to have it bad enough to allow his own son to die so we could have it. Its sad that Jesus gave his life for it and we still don't have it.

Art

Everything we need is available to us, God will provide. So many times man thinks HE is the one to offer us guidance and inspiration. That is why you have so many religions today. I personally believe that if a person seeks God sincerely, they will find him. Before even opening the Bible, one should pray to God, that God will give them the understanding of what they are reading, and to help them apply it today. Our walk with God is a personal journey, the closer we get to him, the more we understand, and the more others feel his presence.

Familyguy,

You are right on the money. A "Man" standing in a pull pit is not going to teach you how to rely entirely on God. If he does he is exposing himself for what he really is. He is not going to do that. Where man ever got the idea he was supposed to stand up in a church, read a couple of verses from the Bible and then spend an hour trying to explain what it means is way beyond my understanding. That is not the way Jesus set His church up.

A word on building a personal relationship with God where he can help you in your every day life. Few know it but God works on a barter system. In order to receive from Him your must give to Him. At least you must be willing to give to Him. He may not require it every time but you must be willing. To get very far with God you must be willing to give up everything you have including your very life. If you went out today and taught exactly what Jesus did it could very easily cost you your life just like it did Jesus. Do the healing, raising of the dead and the whole thing just like He did. I have a news flash for you that is exactly what we are supposed to be doing today with one exception. We are to use our homes as our home base. We are to keep our ministries in and close to our home. The growth of Jesus' true church is to spread from one home to another.

Art

A lot of people go to church to get something out of it. I do not think attending church in itself is a bad thing. We can draw closer to God through fellowship with like-minded people. But we should be giving, just as you said of the barter system with God. So many people sit back and wait for things to come to them, instead of going after it. If a person is a member of a church, they should ask themselves "Am I closer to God today, than I was when I started attending this church?" If the answer is no, then there is something wrong. I agree the home is the base, and I see family as our first mission field. It spreads from there. Why do people think they have to go overseas to do mission work, when the United States has become so Godless? Don't get me wrong. it's admirable when missionaries do God's work abroad, but where is the burden for our own family and friends?