{"id":7694,"date":"2010-12-06T10:20:52","date_gmt":"2010-12-06T16:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/?p=7694"},"modified":"2020-01-10T17:18:16","modified_gmt":"2020-01-10T17:18:16","slug":"the-master-key-to-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buddymartin.org\/blog\/2010\/12\/06\/the-master-key-to-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Master Key to Life"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-7706\" title=\"Biblealive\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/Biblealive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"242\" height=\"208\" \/><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">I received a call, <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><em>&#8216;Brother Martin, my daughter is going through a rough time with a divorce. Would you come and share with her?&#8217;<\/em> <\/span>After talking with the daughter I soon found there was another need. As I was about the leave the mother said, <em>&#8216;Brother Martin, I hear believers talk about how alive the Bible is for them, but its not that way for me.&#8217;<\/em> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">I knew this lady loved the Lord. What I was about to share would become a life changer for her; <em>&#8216;Sister, you need to stop reading the Bible like a newspaper to gather information. If you would began reading your Bible like you were looking into the eyes of God, it would come alive for you.&#8217; <\/em>Then I gave her a Scripture to look at. Hebrews 4:12,13 says, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> <em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">&#8220;For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">The very next day I received a call from this dear sister, <em>&#8220;Brother Martin, the Bible has come alive for me!&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><br \/>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\">J<\/span>ournal,<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The above incident happened about twenty-five years ago. I&#8217;m relating the story from memory. Over the many years I&#8217;ve often shared this story and this maxim. It has become a life changer for many. But this isn&#8217;t some new revelation. It is a truth that belongs to all God&#8217;s children. It has to do with an awesome way that the Lord speaks into our lives. What many don&#8217;t realize is that the Bible is God&#8217;s primary speaking place. The Bible is a book of life. It unfolds around the Son of God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">What prevents the Bible from becoming a living book to many has to do with attitude. We of a western mindset often study the Scriptures to acquire knowledge. We relish in intellectual simulation. We often have scholastics in view. And so we analyze the Bible and love quoting the Scriptures to prove our points of doctrine. It&#8217;s not that all these things are necessarily wrong. However, it is easy to miss the very heart of what the sacred writings are about. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">God&#8217;s ancient people didn&#8217;t study the Scriptures for intellectual stimulation or merely to acquire information. To them the study of God&#8217;s Word was the highest form of worship. They studied the Scriptures to draw near to God. The sages had a saying that when people are studying the Scriptures they must never ever be disturbed because the Shekinah is passing among them. <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">[The Shekinah speaks of God&#8217;s divine presence.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Concerning God&#8217;s Son, the prophet Isaiah laid it out:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><em>On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.&#8221; <\/em> (Isaiah 29:18,19)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Then we have this from Jesus:<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><em>You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.&#8221; <\/em>(John 5:39-40 NASB) <\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">&#8212; Testify [martureo] To bear witness. Moses and all the prophets bore witness to Jesus as Messiah. &#8212;<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The short side is to understand that Jesus Christ Himself is the <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\">&#8216;Master Key to the Bible.&#8217; <\/span><\/em><\/span>Set aside Jesus and the Bible becomes just another book. The Bible wraps around Jesus like a garment. Learn to clothe your life with the Word of God and you&#8217;ll always live in victory regardless of the circumstances about you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">It is David who gives the prophetic insight into how the Bible enfolds and unfolds with Jesus. Jesus is the alpha and the omega of life. Listen:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><em>Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, &#8216;Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.&#8221;<\/em> (Psalms 40:6-8 NASB)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><br \/>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">&#8212; This is a Messianic prophecy. The word &#8216;scroll&#8217; in Hebrew, <\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\"><em>megallah,<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> means &#8216;volume&#8217; or &#8216;writing&#8217; or &#8216;roll&#8217;. This Scripture is quoted in Hebrews. (Heb10:7-9) The Greek for &#8216;scroll&#8217;, <\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\"><em>kephalis<\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">, speaks of the head of the rod and the spindle around which the scrolls were rolled. Thus we have that Jesus is the center around which all the sacred scrolls are wrapped. &#8212;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Do you remember the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus? Jesus joined with them without revealing who He was. The Lord then speaks to them through the writings of Moses and the prophets. Listen:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">\u201cAnd beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">(Luke 24:27)<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">&#8212; To begin with Moses meant He began with the book of Genesis and then walked them through all the prophets. What was their response? When Jesus vanished they said,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">&#8220;<\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?&#8221;<\/span><\/em> <\/span>(Luke 24:32 NASB)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">There you have it. The Lord meets with us in the Scriptures. He opens our hearts and minds to behold the treasures of our salvation in Christ. Jesus is a personal Savior. He speaks to us in personal ways. And His primary speaking place will always be the Bible. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">So, what I shared with the lady was not anything new. It has to do with what Augustine called&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><br \/>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>The Internal Testimony<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">The doctrine of the <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">\u2018internal testimony of the Holy Spirit\u2019 <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">goes back to Augustine and to other early Church theologians. It is part of the evangelical perspective of the Scriptures. This doctrine sets forth certain things in particular.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<ol style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">That the Bible is self-authenticating; that the Scriptures bear witness to their own authority; that the Holy Spirit both awakens and deals deeply with the human heart<\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-7728\" title=\"bible\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/bible.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" \/><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> through the use of Scripture.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">That the Bible has been shaped by God as a meeting place between God and man. Where Paul says, <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">\u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">he is including the thought of the Scriptures being an <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">oikos <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">(dwelling place) of God.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">That the reader must become open and honest hearted before God without preconditions; meaning it is dishonest to try to make the Scriptures mean something that they don&#8217;t mean. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">The internal testimony revolves around the witness of righteousness and the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Heb 11:4)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">Jesus said, <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;\" lang=\"en-US\">If any man is willing to do His [God\u2019s] will, he shall know of the teaching [reality of the gospel] whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.\u201d <\/span>(John 7:17)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-size: medium; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">There are several Scriptures where the internal testimony is set forth. Cf. Isa. 29:11-14, 18,19; Jer 1:11,12; 1Co. 2:9,10,14-16; 2 Co 3:15-18. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" \/><\/p>\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-7766\" title=\"falseprophets\" src=\"http:\/\/buddymartin.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/falseprophets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"165\" height=\"252\" \/>Warnings against unprincipled men<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">In addition to the internal testimony, every believer needs to be aware of how the enemy tries to distort the truths of God. The apostle Peter gave a caution and a warning with regard to &#8216;unprincipled&#8217; men. Unprincipled men include the false prophet and the false teacher. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Peter knew that Paul had been given awesome insights into the work of Christ and into His kingdom. <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">(Keep in mind that Paul had been caught up to the third heaven.<\/span><\/span> <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cf.<\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> 2Co12:1-4<\/span><\/span>) Peter also knew that some of what Paul had been permitted to share could be twisted into distortions of the truth. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Listen and take to heart Peter&#8217;s warning:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><em><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">&#8230;and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, <\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, <\/span><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.&#8221;<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"> (2Pe 3:15-18)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\">Carried away [<em>sunapago<\/em>] &#8211; Idea of being led astray; beguiled.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\">Unprincipled men [<em>athesmos<\/em>] &#8211; kjv has &#8216;wicked men&#8217;. These are deceivers who lead into error.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\">Paul spoke of these men: <\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><em>&#8220;But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.&#8221;<\/em> (2Tim3:13)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><strong>Guiding Principles for studying God&#8217;s Word<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Here are some principles for studying the Bible that should be kept in mind &#8212; <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">Principle #1<\/span> &#8211; It is important to understand that the Bible has a story to be told to all people. God communicates to us in terms we can best relate to. Much of the Bible is analogical in nature. (Shepherd\/sheep, body of Christ, building upon a rock, etc.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">Principle #2<\/span> &#8211; A<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">ll study should be done in a framework of coming to know God and with a special view to the work of Christ. When this framework is followed the outcome will be Scripture clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Consider these portions:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Peter wrote,<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><em>Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.&#8221;<\/em> <\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">(2 Peter 1:2-3 NASB)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Then we have this from Jesus:<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">\n<blockquote>\n<div><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">&#8216;<\/span><em><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.&#8217; <\/span><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\">, and He said to them, &#8216;Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'&#8221; <\/span><\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">(Luke 24:44-47 NASB)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">Principle #3<\/span> &#8211;<\/span> <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Understand that revelation is the general pattern of the Bible. Therefore most doctrines found in the Old Testament do not come into maturity until they are brought into the New Testament. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">This does not mean there are no mature doctrines in the Old Testament. It means we must keep Christ at the center of our theology. Augustine said, <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">\u2018Distinguish the times and you will harmonize the Scriptures.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\" lang=\"en-US\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">Principle #4<\/span> &#8211; <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', times;\"><em>&#8216;Believe in order to understand.&#8217;<\/em> <\/span><\/span>Augustine <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">taught that love is a form of spiritual intuition necessary for a deeper apprehension of Scriptures. He also taught that the obscure passage must yield to the clear passage, and that no Scripture is to be interpreted so as to conflict with other Scripture. Then we have this adage, <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">\u2018Where the Bible is silent we are to be silent.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><span style=\"language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><span style=\"language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"><br \/>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><span style=\"language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">Well, thats enough for today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;\" lang=\"en-US\">The only question left is,<em> <span style=\"font-size: medium;\">&#8216;<\/span><\/em><\/span><em><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Have you been looking into the eyes of God lately?&#8217;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><em><br \/>\n <\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Here is a special song for your meditation. Listen with your heart. <\/span> <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino;\"><strong>&#8216;Revelation Song.&#8217; <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-pagination: none;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" codebase=\"http:\/\/download.macromedia.com\/pub\/shockwave\/cabs\/flash\/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><param name=\"src\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/brreo8QlkEE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US\" \/><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/><\/object>\n<\/p>\n<p><br class=\"spacer_\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Love in Christ Jesus,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\">B<\/span>uddy<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Views: 134<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I received a call, &#8216;Brother Martin, my daughter is going through a rough time with a divorce. Would you come and share with her?&#8217; After talking with the daughter I soon found there was another need. 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