Why Preaching Issues Kills your Spirit!

[Paul Thomas]

I've noticed the church online becoming more and more caught up in issues, male, female issues, the clothes issue, the holiness issue, this issue and that issue.

Jesus gave a parable about a woman with issues (Luke 8;43) you know the story. She had to press in throught the crowd to get her deliverance and healing.

The same thing with those who get caught up in controversial things that cannot change a man's heart. They too have to "press" through the "crowd" of religious folks to get to Jesus, for that is what issues do, they stop us getting to Jesus.

People with issues will always preach issues, people with Jesus preach Jesus! Issues are man made stains on a garment caused by the womans impurity and monthly cycle. I'ts a disease of the "church" (woman) that rises up when we fail to deal with the "impurities" in our own life. Issues come from religious mistreatment and religious control. We get into issues when we by the flesh try to change a person externally, rather than trusting God's spirit to change them internally by his power. It's what we preach when we don't trust his hand and dont understand his grace!

Issues are man made and flesh created. That's why the woman with issues touched Jesus "gament." Only God's touch can deliver the flesh, only God's hand can make you whole. Only God's power can loose a person from being attracted and distracted by issues. People who have received a touch by God's hand don't dwell on issues, people who have been touched and hurt by religion do!

Lord help me its not my time of the month to talk about this stuff, there again I must be free from the pain of a miscarriage somewhere. Are You?

The woman wanted a garment exchange. I dont know about you but I got rid of my stained garment the day I began to preach his name... so join me, let the issues die and Jesus live, change your gament and preach Jesus, he's my issue how about you!

Brother Paul

[Paul Thomas]

What issues do you see in the church?
Are there issues because we no longer preach Doctrine?
Your insight is appreciated.
Paul

[A.W. Bowman]

The short answer: We are more fond of teaching the doctrines and traditions of men than in teaching (and living) the doctrines of God.

[Paul Thomas]

Greetings My brother and thanks for taking the time to respond,.I really feel that "issues have become the Issue" in many parts of the church today and indeed in our online networks. I guess I'm Just looking for folks who have Jesus as their revelation and not issues as a question!.. Your answer is spot on, traditions have replaced doctrine and may pastors are then wondering why their members are leaving the church?

May the Lord continue to bless you my brother
Brother Paul

[Paul Thomas]

Greetings Dr Lee Ann, youre a blessing and as always your insight is valued. As you say, It is as if your teaching is accepted if you have on a robe yet its ignored if you're not a "big shot." And yes listening to the spirit not the flesh (issues) would get us our healing. Please use on power for Today, I'll be delighted. Again thanks for taking the time to connect and comment.
Brother Paul

[Paul Thomas]

Greetings Dr Lee Ann, that's an interesting perspective "they don't know how to make it practical" and issues "create a false sense of salvation!" I guess my reason for this was that I could see that many (not all) posts on this site focus on issues rather than Jesus or doctrine, yet its a site for preachers!  One pastor told me last week, "I don't bother with doctrine, it divides," I replied, "its supposed to, that way you'll get the sincere folks stay and the time wasters will go. Doctrine empowers the radicals and disengages the spiritually ignorant"....  Anyway... thanks for the comment, its valued.
Brother Paul.

[A.W. Bowman]

First, thank you for highlighting this 'issue'. Your post indicated an excellent world view.

 

Second,even so, both Jesus and His disciples often addressed issues, see Matthew 23 as an example and Paul's letters to the church at Corinth, and Acts 15 for yet another.

 

Third, you are most correct in noticing that the preponderance of preaching today focuses on issues and not on Christ, and that it is 'issues' that take up so much of our time and spiritual resources, and are the result of a living carnal life style rather than living and walking in the Spirit.

 

You are also to be commended in noticing that there is a real problem with the doctrines that are preached/taught. While there are a few biblical doctrines being taught, the majority of doctrines (teachings) are of men and not of God. Even some sound biblical doctrines have been subverted by humanistic additions and/or other alterations.

 

One 'issue' that needs addressing in the [Western] church today is the question of the gospels, especially the gospels of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. Remember the charges brought against Jesus? For consideration:

What is the gospel of

 

(1) Jesus Christ?  Romans 1:16

(2) the kingdom of Heaven?  Matthew 3:2

(3) the kingdom of God? Matthew 6:23

(4) of salvation?  Ephesians 1:13

(5) of Paul?   2 Timothy 2:8

(6) of Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus, if different than the gospel of Paul (above)? 1Thessalonians 1:5

(7) of the everlasting (eternal) gospel? Revelation 14:6

 

What are these 'gospels' and how do they relate to one another? Why should they be important to the sinner and to the believer? In what way (is there a difference)? Why are these kinds of 'issues' not taught in public by the saints of God and supported within the church buildings by spiritual leaders? 

 

Thank you Paul, you have opened up a whole new perspective of what should be our focus, from lost souls to failing saints and the role that Christ is to play in our lives.

[Paul Thomas]

Thank you my dear Brother for your interest and response, l Iike what you said, 'issues' that take up so much of our time and spiritual resources, and are the result of a living carnal life style rather than living and walking in the Spirit."

May I also add, I'm convinced that as pastors preach the apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42) the doctrine for the church, then we will see authentic signs and wonders just like the apostles saw. We will also witness less denominationalism and doctrinal confusion, and see a return to the faith once delivered (Ephesians 4:5) the one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Jude 3) instead of a multi-faithism, multi-god, any god, kind of religion within "Christian" circles. 

 

Again many thanks for your response it's valued
The Lord bless you
Brother Paul.

[A.W. Bowman]

My friend, you have just identified the root cause of all of the divisions that plague the body of Christ, i.e. there are almost no pastors/preachers who actually know or understand the doctrines that the Apostles taught. For example, what did Mark, Matthew, James and John, Bartholomew and the other Judas, and all of the others. teach? How can we know for a certainty?  We know from the letters Paul wrote that they did not contain everything he taught, even while spending a year or two at particular churches. So, what all did Paul actually teach? How do we know? Can we know?

 

The simple answers are: We can know for a certainty what every apostle preached to the unsaved and taught to those who believed on the name of Jesus Christ.We can also get a very good idea as what it was Peter preached on the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost). As there are no scriptures that single out any apostle for not preaching the correct message, we can assume by that resounding silence that every apostle remained true to his calling until martyred, except for John the beloved, of course.

 

That specific answers to all of these questions, along with the foundational explanations to all of the 'short' answers can be found, collectively, within the four gospels with some application notes noted in the epistles. That is, first remove the page that separates the Old Testament from the 'New'. Then try considering the for gospels as the four parts that make up the book of Third Kings, Acts makes up the Third Chronicles, the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ remains the prophetic book that it is, and all of the New Testament letters become the God ordained commentaries on the Old Testament.

 

Then, perhaps we would be in a position to set aside all of our man made doctrines, traditions, and religious philosophies, and discover (from the scriptures) what it was that Jesus and His disciples actually taught. I think that would make for a very interesting thread, But, who would be willing to place everything they think they know 'on the block' for public examination? I would think, not many.

 

Even so, if one is going to preach 'the gospel', don't you also think that it would be beneficial to everyone involved  if the preacher also knew and understood what it was they were talking about? For example, Jesus will not return until one of the gospels identified earlier in this thread is preached throughout the world. What is that gospel and what does it consist of?

 

Brother Paul - I leave the administration of such a study in your hands.

[Paul Thomas]

My dear brother thank you for your passionate response there is much we can learn from you here too. the gretest need today is a return to the apsotles doctrine, for salvation, baptism and knowledge of the one true God.

The Lord bless you
Brother Paul

[Senior Apostle Cauline [ETAMA]]

Well said!

[Paul Thomas]

The Lord bless you my sister, The apostles preached "Jesus" that's why they shook then then known world. Today we don't shake the world, in fact we let the world shake us. If we as men and women of God preached doctrine we have less confusion and more solutions. More truth and less speculation, make disciples instead of converts and would know God intimately by name and person and not just by title and office.

Jesus is God ( 1 John1:1 Col 2:9 1 Timothy 3:16 Acts 2;42) what a doctrine....

Many thanks for your response.
Paul.

[Minister Tassel Daley M.Sc. DDiv]

Amen. Love it.