Word Perfect?

                                                        servant@yahshuaservnt.com

 

 

Can the Holy Bible be trusted?  Many today seem to say it isn't for us today or it needs to be adjusted, even discarded.  Others place dreams and vision and conversations wtih angels over the written word.  I have even heard the suggestion that scripture is still being written, you know, by modern Apostle's of god.  These modern Apostles then have authority to bind and loose nad to make the written word of non-effect.  Is there some place we can go to for the simple answer?  I think there is.  Certainly there are many scriptures penned about the trust-worthiness of the Word of YaHshua and of the God of the Old Testament, but much is left up to interpretaion and twisting about for a teachers, or a porphets, or a modern Apostles use.  What I have found is an example of the position the Believer should take as regards the validity of the Written Word.  I think the Apostle Peter, and no one will argue as to his credentials, has the answer for us.

 

I would like to present a perfect example from the pages of your Bible of a case for disobeying a direct spoken command from the God of the Bible, your Bible.

Please hang with me, I know this may seem like an outrageous claim to some.  Certainly there are those of us thinking it impossible for a man or woman of God to deny a direct command from Him.  But we have just such an incident, a leading man, a pillar in first Church doing just that. 

Recall the account of Peter and the three visions of unclean animals (Acts 10:11-14) and Peter is commanded to "take and eat" but Peter refuses!  Imagine, Peter refusing to obey God Himself, the God of Israel, the God of the Holy Bible -- and on what basis? Peter refuses obedience based on The WRITTEN WORD!  That's right, Peter denied obedience to a verbal command from the Orignal Source of Hebrew/Christian Spripture as the "command" was contrary to the Written Word. 

 It is written in the pages of your own Bible, the written words of our God, the "words" Peter relied on in his refusal to obey, as his authority for his disodedience. It is written that certain animals are unclean and not fit for food, so Peter refused, based solely on the written Word, even though the author of those Words commanded otherwise, not once but three times.  Peter never went against the "written words", refusing to eat of the unclean animals he was commanded to slaughter and eat.  Instead he wondered about the real meaning of the vision, knowing the Living God of the Bible would not be telling him to do something so clearly opposed to the "written word".  Had the God of the Bible changed His mind, had He made unclean animals clean, Peter may have wondered, or not?  No, Peter did not wonder, he know the words written stood firm, he had lived with and been personally taught by our Savior, YaHshua, and by His example Peter knew the words stood as written, unclean animals are unclean animals.  He knew there had to be another answer, another reason for the vision but what?  He was not troubling himself with having disobeyed His Creator, no, he troubled over the meaning of the vision and it had nothing to do with making unclean animals, animals not meant to be food, clean.  It making unclean animals clean to eat there would have been no problem for Peter but this is not the case.  Peter never considered such a thing and never expressed guilt over having not obeyed his God.

Today's Christian teachers slip and slide around the true meaning of this encounter Peter had his with his Creator and get off on how this proves eating unclean meats is now OK -- forget about Peter's example and refusal to do so -- and he did not take and eat!  Actually, modern day Christians and teachers have no problem with this at all, they have no problem with saying, "take and eat, for our god has made unclean meats fit for food", that is what they say, what they teach and everyone seems perfectly happy with it -- eat pig, eat dog, eat snake, eat cat, eat your own excerment -- they say.  Yes, they do, when they tell you this is where my Father in Heaven made the unclean animals clean for food, that is exactly what they are saying, and in this they do blaspheme.  The context of what Peter went through makes no such suggestion -- remember -- Peter REFUSED, he di not take up and eat!  No, he pondered the meaning and it came to him in the form of three Gentile men sent to summon him to a Gentile home. 

Gentiles were considered by the Jews as "unclean animals".  We all know the Jews did not equate Gentiles as a food source anymore than did the Gentiles themselves, but the Jews, the Hebrews, did considered them as "unclean", not fit for the Spirit of God and His truth, the "uncircumcised" were all the "unclean".  This is the reason, also, the Jews had such a problem in dealing with the rest of the world, with the Romans and Greeks, they saw them as unclean animals, and by comparison they saw themselves ad the clean people of the Living God.  Imagine the anomosity this could generate among people and authorities of the day? 

When the three Gentile visitors appears outside, seeking Peter, and wanting him to go with them to a Gentile home this had to have made everyone at this Jewish house stare in disbelief and to make it even more incredible, Peter accepted.  This was the message the God of the Bible was pressing on Peter, "not to consider anyone, any person He made pure through the Christ as unclean -- the way had been opened up for the Gentiles to be accepted as fellow workers in the field of God.  That was the message to Peter, not a message of food -- how ignorant are the teachers of the Christians?  Either ignorant, or false, you decide.

 

Here, then, is proof of the power of the "written words" -- Words of the Living God, YHWH, seen in the pages of the Holy Bible.  When someone comes to you saying they have received a word from god, or have visited heavens or hells and have heard things contrary to the "written word" then close your ears and hold up your hands for silence against such blaspheme.  Stand firm in the WORD and reject them.  Don't be troubled, either, as it is not you passing judgment, it is the written word.  Peter denied YaHshua, remember, as the Roaster crowed the third time, so he know the heart break in seeing your weak side and failure to live up to your own words -- rmemeber, Peter said he would never deny YaHshua, but he did.  With this as his history you would think Peter would have been quick to accpet the command to take and eat these unclean animals, especailly after being told to do so three time!  But no, he stood on the written word over the spoken word.  How could he be so sure?  By faith, for he believed what our Creator had said previously concerning things and what had been written down, for the record, and that the Creator had already stated He changes not!  So, by confidence in this Peter stood, in faith, in belief, he knew, even though his Lord commanded, He had to mean something else, and He did. 

This then, is the perfect proof the written word is the word we are to listen to, not the words of men, or self proclaimed prophets.  The next time someone recites a vision or dream they may have had go the the pages of your bible and see if what they say is so.  Many times this is not necessary as some of the things these self proclaimed prophets come up with is obviously demonic -- especially be on gaurd against anyone telling you they have visited Heaven or even hell.  Remember, friends, it is Satan and his demonic horde that want you reduce the written words to nothing.  We see this in many cults, they twist the Written Word to mean nothing, of no account while the words they speak, inspired of course, are to be trusted.  Some call themselves Prophets and go about getting innocent, gulible women to join them in all sorts of depravity, building their own little kingdoms in the belief they are still receiving words from the Creator, words that override the written Words of Scripture.  They are liars and the truth is not in them -- flee from such as soon as possible.

 

I hope and pray this small observation will be of help to some and is an adequate demonstration of not trusting vision to mean what some think is obvious, even when they seem to come form our Savior.  I have heard of many stories people seeing angels, talking with them, worhiping them, writing books about them and for what purpose?  Yes, to belittle the written word.  Let us follow Peter's example and apply the Written Word against everything, let it be your steady guide.  YaHshua and our Heavenly Father will guide you, they will lead you, but always remember, the text book they use in the worldly class room is the Holy Bible.   

 

Peace to you in His Name, YaHshua.

servant@yahshuaservant.com