Have you also been deceived

Not speaking in own authority and not presenting own teachings

In this world we have lots of people who do their utterly best to get others away from the True God. For already more than 150 centuries people like to have their own traditions and folk-tales in the first place instead of the real biblical words we can be so simple, but according many Christians too simple for human beings to follow, because they think God must be incredible difficult to follow and our human minds are not able to understand His way of handling and His way of thinking.

It is such a shame that they do not believe the God of Order and the God of Clarity wants His people to come to understand Him fully and to respect His Words and His Creation like He gave His Voice to the World.

Throughout history we can see that several generations have been looking for answer and went looking wherever they thought they could find something; Many myths were created. Throughout the times there was somebody Who looked form high up and followed His creation, willing to guide them and help them to find ways to have a nice life. When Jesus was alive it was not different and at that time there were also many who looked away from Scriptures and preferred to be deceived by man whom they could see. It seems easier to accept stories told by man than to go on stories told by men who say they are from God, a Spirit Who is eternal and can not be seen by man.

Two thousand years ago there were like today people who were self-deceived. They were taken by their self, considering themselves smart enough to know everything. They were not so much interested to get to know more and certainly not about matters which looked beyond world matters. Man for them had enough business and worries about the things here on earth to keep themselves busy with matters in space of outer space.

Lots of people are also so convinced they are doing the right thing. For them it are mostly the others who are doing the wrong thing. They are taken by inner pride which blinds them. they have no ears at all for something which seems to come from above and from an eternal Spirit while they are clearly limited in time and have to face death.

Are we as Christians prepared to go looking for those mysteries? Are we willing to open those old Books and willing to search for truth in it? Are we prepared to let those words from the Book of books, the Bible, to come unto us like they are written, or do we want to be so stubborn to keep to the dogmatic teachings of human beings which we do want to implement on the Bible, the infallible Word of God?

Are we prepared to come to a careful and prayerful reading of God’s word as the antidote in this heathen world?

“Have you also been deceived?”

(April 15)

This was the question, the comment, the Pharisees made when the officers they sent to arrest Jesus returned without him. They reply,

“No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46,47).

John, the most intimate of the disciples of Jesus (John 21:7,20) records his teaching in great detail, one often needs to reflect and meditate deeply about the points he records Jesus as making.

There was a 7-day feast in Jerusalem, many were looking for Jesus, but it was only

“about the middle of the feast (that) Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching” (verse 14).

They marvel at his words; then Jesus says,

“My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God …” (verses 16,17).

And that is equally true today as we read his words and the other words God inspired men to write. Paul was later to declare,

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness …” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Proverbs we are presently reading are an outstanding example of this.

If our hearts are genuinely operating on a spiritual wavelength we will accept the point Jesus makes,

“The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood” (verse 18).

Ever since the days of Jesus the existence of human self-seeking among those claiming to follow him can be observed: Jesus sums up this part of his message by stating,

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (verse 24).

The religious leaders, dismayed at the popularity of Jesus were blinded by jealousy, there was no humility in their make-up, and this is why they said to those who failed to arrest Jesus,

“Have you also been deceived?” (verse 47).

Every generation since has had those who are self-deceived – it is the kind of pride that so easily springs from human nature. Our careful and prayerful reading of God’s word is the antidote. John made an essential point in his first letter,

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1:8).

Let is make sure the “truth is … in us” and read and meditate on God’s word every day and come closer to him and his Son who came to give real meaning and purpose to our lives.

You might be interested to find more Thoughts for the day or want to subscribe to the Christadelphian magazine

Please read further:

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Palms Sing Rocks Cry (moondustwriter.com)
One day (in a week) he is revered, another he is sold, and blood spills upon the Via Dolorosa…
In Uganda, Jesus would have been tear-gassed last Sunday (monitor.co.ug)

Playing with the idea of a Davidian kingship implied overthrowing the sitting tetrarch and possibly a mass rebellion against the edifice of Rome itself. If Jesus and his followers had their sights on Jerusalem for his earthly throne, that would be a joke in very bad taste.

Even if the governor and the tetrarch had their old differences, the threat from a Jesus-led crowd marching into Jerusalem presented them with a common enemy.
Jesus Rocks!!! (pastorsstudy.blogspot.com)
Jesus’ rebuke was a statement to the blindness and deafness of those condemning religious leaders. In some sense the word of the Lord was declaring even these inanimate objects of My creation know more and see more than you. What a powerful indictment!The discussion of that day over 2,000 years ago is still relevant today. Will we allow our eyes, ears and hearts to be open to the reality of the One who is alive in our midst? Will we declare with our voices praise to God for His indescribable gift in the Person of Jesus, the Messiah?
Jesus is shabbat (workforthecausenottheapplause.com)
And just as Jesus was grieved for His people back then, I too am grieved. We missed the message completely. We are taught in synagogue that the name alone is a “bad” name. We are forbidden to ask questions or talk about Him. We are ostracized from our Jewish communities, we are not counted as “Jews”.
For Parents During The Triduum (supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com)
My mother had a sense of what to do in the house over theTriduum. We were not allowedto be part of loud or raucous activities. Quiet settled into the house on Thursday and continued until Sunday morning.We did not have to be silent, but subdued. No parties, of course, no sports, no tv, just peace,and a sense of solemnity while doing chores around the house, getting ready for Easter.

We did not have to be silent the entire time Christ was on the Cross, but we did have to be silent from one until we went to Church at three. We did quiet things in our rooms, like color, or read, or pray, or think.
[Bible Challenge] John 7: Confusion (esther-mag.com)
John 7 shows us the political and social tensions that arose from Jesus’ teachings. From the Pharisees, to the scribes and the Jewry, people were either offended, angered or confused by what he had to say. It is interesting to read the fluctuation of emotions: from being sceptical, many of the Jews accepted him after he taught in the temple, but some were still conflicted: “Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?…So there was a division among the people because of him” (verses 41 and 43). Verses 45 and 53 gives us an insight into the plots of the Pharisees: they really wanted him dead, and it seems like Jesus was the main focus of their conversations.
The Pharisees and The One Who Knows My Heart (catholicguyxl.com)
the fear and inner conviction of being unable to ‘cope’ and to change things. When it’s time to strip myself of an idea that I’ve only ever known my whole entire life – it’s excruciatingly painful. If the Pharisees believed that Jesus was the Messiah, that would mean they’d have to take personal responsibility of themselves outside the only life they’ve ever known.
Dennis Tate added a discussion to the group Jesus Great Teacher or God? (community.humanityhealing.net)
he fear is like a devil which possesses me, and I go out seeking men to assuage the fear, Deliver me from this devil.
The Truth Is Not Welcome In This World (prophecynewsandviews.wordpress.com)
A lot of people who claim to be upright and righteous with God are doing just what those pharisee’s did to Jesus, by denying truth. How can a person be afraid of the truth unless they enjoy lies . This is what Jesus told those pharisee’s
To Be a Christian… Forgiveness in Action #inspiration #Forgiveness #Spirituality (princessofthelight.wordpress.com)
No matter what the circumstances, we need to forgive others because God has forgiven us. Forgiveness doesn’t mean putting yourself in harm’s way. In fact, forgiving another has nothing to do with that person. Forgiveness is all about cleansing your own heart and finding peace.