The Schoolbus

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.

When I was very young I used to wait outside by our garage for the school bus to pick me up.  We lived about 20 miles from town and on most occasions, our family was the first to get on our rural schoolbus.  It seems like me and everybody else wanted to be in the backseat.  It was an especially fun place to be because we had a huge frost bump in the wintertime on the highway on the way to town and if we hit it really fast we would go flying into the air and almost hit our head on the ceiling.  It was like an early morning carnival ride.  The problem was that when the high schoolers got on the bus they would kick us little kids out of our seats. The normal arguments with each other would quickly follow such as “we were here first” or ” take a hike rug rats” 

I think everyone has probably argued with somebody else at one point in their life.  Children argue with their siblings at the supper table or in the playground but within the church we are supposed to be united together under the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the disciples.  We are joined in agreement together by biblical truth. Although some may argue about the little things in life, we can never argue or have disagreements about what the Scriptures clearly teach. Ultimately God wants us to become obedient, and those who resist God’s will become contentious because they are at war with God in their own mind.  If they continue down that course, they will eventually be punished by God.

But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. (Rom 2:8)

Contention is an argument, contest, debate, strife, or struggle.  To argue is to disagree, or discuss opposing and differing viewpoints. In the Christian Church we don’t discuss opposing and differing viewpoints of God’s Word because His Word is truth. That would be akin to giving the devil a soapbox to stand on in order to present his faithless and unbiblical arguments to the church. There are people who might be weak in the faith within the church but if they are having trouble accepting biblical truth they need to keep it to themselves until God reveals it in their hearts.

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. Romans 14:1

To dispute means to argue in opposition to something, or on opposite sides; and have controversy in words.  To be contentious in the church shows that people are fighting against scripture. We are supposed to accept scripture. To fight against it is only to fight against God’s word which liveth and abideth forever.

2 Cor 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

Many times I think about a family who is gathered together at the Thanksgiving table.  The peaceful meal that you just enjoyed can quickly turn into nasty contention when people start to discuss politcs after supper. There is hostile opposition and disagreement because of peoples with differing opinions.  Within the church, we are all supposed to be of the same opinion. We are supposed to be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.  In the Christian faith we do not argue against scripture because if you did, you would be fighting against Gods will and the Holy Spirit.  The Bible was written by men but God spoke to their hearts the things that he wanted them to say to the people.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16)

Why do you think for so many years that people have tried to alter and change the teachings of Holy scripture? The reason why they do it, is because they want to feel like they are going to heaven but they don’t want to obey in their heart the things that it says. They find it easier to change the wording in the Bible then to change their own lives and become converted to what it teaches. 

For example, if women don’t want to submit and obey men who are their authority, the tendency for them is to seek other women who are the same mind as are. Many times they will commission a woman to do a different version of the Bible.  If they can’t find one, they will find a non-spiritual man who is truly a feminist in his heart to do the version.

One time my wife and I we’re shopping at a dollar store down by Milaca Mn when she came across a pile of bibles that we had never seen before. She looked at some of the passages and then gave it to me and said..” you need to check this out.”  Because I had educated her in the Scriptures the last 20 years, the passages that she had opened up to were not even close to what the Bible clearly teaches.  They were so far away from scripture that you might as well have been reading a fictional book from the library.  The saddest thing is that they were printed with the title, the Holy Bible.

Thousands of years ago people would burn their old magical books when they became a Christian but here were some false bibles that were worthy of being thrown into the same burn barrel with them.

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. Titus 3:9

It only shows vanity in a person’s life when they are contentious wth the teachings of the men that God used to produce the Bible we have today.  When you avoid something it means you keep away from it.  If the wood stove is really hot, you want to keep away from it so you don’t get burned.  When you give the Holy Scriptures to somebody and they have no desire to do what it says, it’s because they are fighting against it in their own mind.  I have found out in 20 years that’s its better not to argue with these people because they are so deceived in their own heart that they will completely resist and fight against God’s will.  If they continue in this contentious attitude towards scriptural truth, all they have to look forward to a judgement day is God’s indignation and wrath.  

Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, by bye everybody. ❤️

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