A good Christian should.....

A good Christian should… . There are many misconceptions, distortions and/or just plain lies that cause us to wander and never come to the knowledge of the truth. One of the biggest misconceptions is about what truth is.  Truth is simply the fact about something.   So many people are looking for the will of God for their lives and never find truth because they just simply won’t believe what was written, spoken by Jesus and testified to by others all concerning Him.  It is not enough that Micah exclaimed He has shown you oh man what is good and what is required of you.  It is not enough that Jesus said to enter into the kingdom of heaven one must simply believe in Him whom He sent.  Instead in an attempt to hold up a standard, to prove we are a good Christian, or to be a light in the mist of darkness, many have either created or embraced teachings, sayings and behaviors that are not true.  Consider:

Hidden meanings. On any Sunday there are sermons preached that don’t make sense unless you’ve been indoctrinated in the place you’re hearing the message. I turn on the television or watch a video from a local gathering and don’t have a clue as to what’s being preached. I remember a man, Kim Clement (supposedly a prophet) preaching. For the most part I never understood what he was talking about. I remember he would laugh during his sermon and to me it said, I have this great mystery. I was told I didn’t understand because his message was SO deep. (So deep I can't understand? OK!)

This method of communicating is common within the body of Christ. It teaches people to look for a hidden meaning because they can’t understand what is actually been said. Or what is being said it contrary to common sense. People are trained to keep attending so that over time they will get it. Therefore, people learn to fill in all the parts not understood with possibilities and positivity. And call it faith!

Truly the most important part of communicating is that the hearer understands, not that the speaker speaks or writer writes. That said, know this, in my writings and blogs, there is NO hidden meaning. I mean exactly what I say. So, don’t try to figure out what I’m saying. Just read it. It’s that simple. And if I get it wrong or am in error, I will correct the error when I have greater understanding in writing and inform you.

The truth is, that it is okay not to understand or agree with everything being communicated.  Sometimes things just don’t make sense, sometimes it’s just not true, it’s just not factual.

Hocus Pocus. Because so many fail to understand the Spirit of God, it is believed that which isn’t understood or hasn’t been revealed or explain is spiritual. The Holy Spirit is not a ghost. He is not moving people erratically. Simply, if something can’t be explained or you have no knowledge or understanding of a matter, does not make it spiritual.  Honestly I think Christians like what I call “hocus-pocus.” The mysteriousness of something moving or compelling a person to do something without their knowledge and will. Foolish. Just plain foolish. The behaviors I’ve seen make me think of a drunk man that says he didn’t know what he was doing. Foolish.

The truth is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth is God. Therefore there is nothing done by the Holy Spirit outside of the character of Jesus the Word of God who reveals the Father. They are one in the same. Truth is simply the fact about something.

Words. Words are just that, words. There are no hidden meanings to the words. Not even the words written in the bible. Many Christians only use a Greek or Hebrew dictionary to define words from scripture because the thought is that there is a meaning in the words that is lost in translation. (I did) All translations will reveal Christ Jesus if He is the one being sought. Truth is simply the fact about something.

The truth is the actual words written in the bible or the words spoken by Jesus hold no hidden meaning.

Testimony. A testimony is a legal term. It means the exact same thing that people give every day in a court of law. They testify to that which they have firsthand knowledge. It’s not supposition (an uncertain belief) or hearsay (information received from others that one cannot adequately substantiate). A testimony is authoritative if indeed it is a testimony. Most of what people call a testimony has no authority for two reasons, one they fail to understand what a testimony is and two they have no firsthand knowledge of the thing they are testifying to.  How can one testify that God is good if indeed they do not know God?

The truth is a person can only testify to those things of which they have direct knowledge.

Witness. A witness is also a legal term. No one is called in a court of law to testify of what someone else saw. They are called to testify as witnesses of what they know and saw. The apostles are eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus, as written in their letters. According to what was recorded in the book of Acts, no one could be an apostle unless he/she had seen Jesus and was witness of His life. At first I really didn’t understand what the relevance was. Now that I understand what a witness is without the “hidden meaning” I question all these people that call themselves apostles. You’ve seen Jesus? Oh, you mean in the spirit? Well, true apostles saw Him in the flesh and as John said, handled Him. I guess that would take us back to the portion on hidden meanings, because I thought He was sitting at the right hand of the Father. (I’m trying to present to you that truth makes sense) Truth is simply the fact about something.

The truth is the credibility of a witness is dependent upon that which the person can testify too. Hence refer to testimony.

Learned Behavior, Signs and Wonder. When I was first born again, I was so elated that with every statement I said I ended it with praise God, hallelujah, amen. lol That is true. One lady (Karen) called me that as my name, “praise God, hallelujah, amen.” I didn’t realize at the time she was making fun of me. To me it was telling everyone I was thankful to God for EVERYTHING! It was a sign. I had no idea how off putting and silly it was and unfortunately for me no one loved me enough to correct me and explain the irrelevance of my words. I learned that behavior from others more experienced than me.   Interestingly many are in awe when a child mimics a behavior such as lifting their little hands to sing, or reenacting dance moves they’ve watched for years as a sign. People actually think these behaviors are praise and worship and a sign. Inaccurately using the scripture about a child will lead them, or out of the mouths of babes come perfected praise. It is a sign, but a sign to us that they have learned behaviors that have no relevance to them. There are too many learned behaviors and traditions that we mimic from generation to generation and have no knowledge or understanding as to why, just like the children we laud. Often times something seems right (hocus-pocus) at the time and for whatever reason becomes a part of the on-going rituals.

The truth is Jesus told us that there would be no sign given except Jonah, which was  significant ( a sign) of Him and His time in the grave. Yet, again most don’t believe Him.

There are other misconceptions, distortions and just plain lies that all of us have swallowed at one time or another. But, it doesn’t have to be that way if we would take the time to consider, to question, to trust that just maybe it is just not that complicated. Oh, that we would just be honest….with ourselves, for God already knows. Then the true possibilities of the liberty He has provided is possible.

A true test of the heart is at hand!

Initially I found it daunting to embrace the truth that the bible is not the word of God. Although I desire above all else to know truth and search for it continuously I found that acknowledging, embracing and then walking in this truth proved to be more challenging than I imagined. (Truth is suppose to set us free, right?)   

Let me explain. A man did not speak this truth to me. I didn’t hear a sermon, watch a video or a television show. I didn’t read an article.  It was revealed to me by the Holy Spirit as I sat alone in my home contemplating the words of John the beloved.  Honestly it was over a period of time because I refused to acknowledge the truth of what was being revealed. I had a struggle within my mind between what I had been taught and believed and what was being quietly made known.  I had great trepidation in not only embracing this revelation contrary to what I believed was truth but in comprehending what had been revealed and then communicating it. In part because I hadn’t heard anyone say what I now know was not only true but obvious. The bible is NOT the word of God.  Isn’t it Interesting, we all say we want God to reveal Himself to us, to lead us and guide us. However, when He does and it is not what we know or that which we have ever heard a man say before, the true test of our heart is at hand.

I have experienced therefore testify first hand the harm following man can cause. One of the many lies I believed was that God had put men and women as i.e, pastors, bishops etc, in His body for leadership, guidance and our protection. (I participated).  Therefore to be led by God without a man was absolutely foreign to me. As evidenced by my leariness in being led by God in that which I heard no other man say.  And yet I know that to be led by God without a man is and has been the will of God from the beginning of what we know of God, correct? However, regardless of what I said I knew and believed, I lived according to the traditions I was taught. Perhaps you do the same. This is one of the very reasons I present truth to you with hope that God Himself will reveal the validity of my words to you. I never want to shame, belittle or berate you for that which you don’t know, have yet to embrace or for that which has not been revealed to you.  This approach is also is new to me and taught to me by God and not man. I have learned that regardless of what men/women think, we do not have the power to make anyone receive truth. We can only share our testimony (that which we can testify to, as in a court of law) but God only can reveal Himself to us.

Consider this. The bible is written by men. It is documentation of various men and women and their lives on the earth. It chronicles their dreams, visions, prayers, wisdom, vanity, victories, defeats, triumphs, prophesies and promises. It describes humanity and deity. It records the fulfillment of every promise God gave to mankind in the person of Jesus Christ. From His birth to His death and resurrection. All for the purpose that we would believe. Yet, what we have learned to believe “in” is not the one He willed to reveal. Jesus. We believe, hope and have faith in the actual words that are written to reveal God. Not in God. In doing this, God revealed to me, that we have made the bible itself our god.

Jesus revealed Himself to people throughout the bible in a manner in which they could understand. He spoke to fishermen about fishing, farmers about farming, potters about clay and shepherds about sheep and barns and that which had meaning and relevance to them. Today because Jesus said He is the great Shepherd we learn about sheep so we can attempt to understand a scenario that is truly unfamiliar to us while failing to realize that Jesus reveals Himself to us continuously. However we fail to recognize and know Him because we have confined our minds to our knowledge through teachings of the scriptures.

Trust me when I say I understand the apprehension in accepting my words. Even though I know they ring true inside of you and they make sense to your mind. Acceptance would require actual individual and independent thought. Ex: If I were to believe this I would truly have to walk in faith of a God I do not see. I would truly have to be led by God’s Spirit and believe that He will guide me into truth. I would have to come into knowledge of this Jesus whom I say is my Lord. He would have to reveal Himself to me without a man/woman preaching or teaching me.

Just the thought of what I’m proposing is exhilarating and paralyzing at the same time. That we would 
know God. Each of us from the least of us to the greatness of us. No one having need to say to his brother, know the Lord.  Wow! I know, this truth has become my life. He has become my life. Someone said, be careful what you ask for. Well, I searched for truth and I have begun to find it. There have been times when I’ve wanted to ignore what I know and go sit in some building and go through all the antics I used to participate in. There is comfort in doing what you know. There is solace in the familiar. There is a perverse benefit in allowing someone else to be responsible for your journey. And there is a sense of power in numbers. Then I come to my senses and remind myself of the liberty God has given me in Him. And I remind myself of the bondage and uselessness in those practices. Regardless of how it may feel for a moment it fails to have the ability to produce what it can not, life. Life is only in Christ Jesus. I truly want to know and understand all that God has purposed for us in giving His Son Jesus. Don’t you?


Because of my own experiences with the teachings from men.  I remained silent for many years for fear of leading anyone astray. Not to mention the conflict of truth with the doctrines requiring submission  to some man so that I would not go astray. I considered so many that have gone on another way. Then I considered Jesus and decided to believe Him. Not only in my words but as He is in me, I am in Him, to walk and continue to be led by Him. To learn of Him as He reveals Himself. Truthfully the walk can be lonely but I am never alone. The Word Jesus abides in me.

I hope my words have stirred you to think and perhaps examine your own self. I encourage you to read the two previous blogs on this topic if you haven’t. I think you will find them helpful. You can also read or watch other blogs and you will clearly see the progression of my journey.  God is good and it is my joy and commission to share my knowledge of Him with you.