There is No Such Thing as Pauls Gospel

Sister Dorla has asked me to make some comments on this matter of calling "the Gospel of Jesus Christ", "Paul's gospel." Nonsense!!!!

I have placed it on Dorla's page and here too!

Mark 1:1-3 "1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

2 just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“Behold, I am sending My messenger before You,

Who will prepare Your way;

3 The voice of one calling out in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

Make His paths straight!’”

We were never called to follow Paul, there is no language in the Bible that we should follow Paul except when He says; "follow me as I follow Christ."

Following any man would be placing that man above Christ.

If we are following Christ we are bypassing any human being. We follow Christ along with those who follow Christ, but we do not follow human beings.

There are no teachings that come from Paul, what he wrote came from Jesus Christ. It would have been plagiarism for him to claim what he wrote was from himself.

1 Corinthians 1:12-15 "12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name!"

It is clear in this passage that Paul didn't want anyone to follow him. His ministry was to guide people to follow Christ.

If you follow Paul, your husband, your parents, your teachers or anyone else you have negated Christ and place Him second to human beings.

All reactions:

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We are in a Spiritual Battle

I notice that a lot of Biblical language and in the old hymns there is battle speak. It was clear to believers many years ago that we are in a battle, a spiritual one as born-again believers.

"Onward Christian Soldiers" Written 1865
"A Mighty Fortress is Our God" Written around 1527
"Battle Song of the Church" Written in 1866
"Be Strong in God" Written 1872
"Banner of the Cross" Written 1887

And, there are many more songs like these. Believers back in the day before "entertainment in every home" spent their time ready God's Word, believing it, following it, and living in isolation from the rest of the world.

 
There would be no need for "battle songs" if the Christian life was going to be easy.

 
The prophets and the apostles saw what a struggle it was to be "strong in the faith." Our walk with Christ is becoming an enormous battle greater than any other time in history.

The churches have become apostate having gravitated toward entertaining the goats while rejecting the true sheep. Entertainment and personal aggrandizement are the norm now, even in the gatherings that claim to follow the Bible. Psychology has dominated the thinking of most church attendees to such a degree that when they hear the truth they cannot wrap their minds around it and they refuse to go to prayer asking Christ to show them truth.

 
Their claims of being "bible believers" have been proven to be merely words they say to sound spiritual, however, in practice, they violate more of God's Word than they obey and become antagonistic when challenged to evaluate themselves.

 
Even those who do not approve of the apostate religious practices remain silent to preserve the false peace. Those who challenge others to greater adherence to the Scriptures are maligned while the gossips lie against them.

 
We do not see actual war with weapons, but we live daily in the presence of those who hate Christ and treat with contempt anyone who is openly bold about their faith.

 
Those who do not openly physically persecute believers will exclude, mock, and dismiss with contempt those who desire for their walk to be authentically led by the Spirit of Christ Who lives in them. Not only do they do these things but they enlist others through gossip to follow their lead.

Times have never been different from now, but they have become more intense in these last days. Even when I was a child unbelievers respected Christians, now they openly without apology reject them, calling them fanatical and unworthy of love.

We know the unsaved world doesn't know the nature of love. They think love means giving everyone what they want without challenge or correction. They are loving their friends and family into hell as they accept anything and everything they do no matter how destructive it is to those they claim to love. More disturbing than this is the twisting of Scripture to fit their own desired beliefs instead of asking Christ to show them the truth. They love their false knowledge and live according to it.

 
Love has been redefined to mean "just let it go", allowing friends and family to do things that are self-destructive and sadly influential to all those around them.
Why does a culture grow worse over time? It is because the pressure to accept and leave unchallenged sin has created a culture that accepts things today as normal that were rejected in the day before television and entertainment.

 
When sin is unrestrained it explodes and cannot be stopped. People no longer are reasonable and rational living lives completely for themselves while claiming every manner of good things about themselves. They believe they are good when they have been monstrous in their treatment of God's people and the truth.

 
The most peaceful place to be is walking in total acceptance and tranquility knowing we will not be loved, we will be gossiped against and excluded remaining alone with Christ as we await His glorious return for the church. This should give us great joy!

James 1:2-4 " My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Do not allow "political types" to distract you with the mantras of the world that we must "be salt and light" through service in politics. The people who assert this have taken the phrase "salt and light" out of the context of the Bible. "Salt and light" refers to bringing the gospel to the world, not winning in a government.

 
Satan is a master of deception allowing people to belive it is their mission to fight for the things of the world to distract them from the gospel. Those who do this are witnessing to the world that gaining power over governments is the goal of the Christian.

 
God never called us to power over governments, He called us to spread the gospel and edify the brothers and sisters in Christ so they can go out and be salt and light as they share the gospel. And just as importantly they will live boldly their lives of righteousness as others are noticing. Because the believers have a great love for the lost and for one another they are not combative, they are peaceable but bold about the truth.

 
Romans 5:3-5
"Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; / perseverance, character; and character, hope. / And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."

1 Peter 1:6-7
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Matthew 5:11-12
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. / That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Hebrews 12:11
"No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it."

1 Peter 4:12-13
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. / But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory."

May anyone who is discouraged and reading this be edified as they realize the discouragement comes from the father of lies the devil and is not who they are because of Christ Who lives in them. The discouragement is just a feeling and can be overcome through meditating on God's Word and living what we know in spite of anything else others are doing.

 
When we ignore the feelings and just obey Christ we will be alright and even grow in strength. When we do this enough times we begin to notice the feelings go away even right in the midst of the attacks of Satan. He is a joke, a footnote in history and soon God will put him where he should be, in the lake of fire.

God's Description of the Narcissist is a Fool

From my experience, narcissists are so foolish that they chase away the empathetic kind, and loving person who would be an asset to them, for a momentary feeling of superiority.

The only people left in the narcissist's life are rude, mean people who use them as they use their rude friends, they are always engaged in silly drama that has no purpose except feelings of dominance.

This feeling is so fleeting that they have to keep doing this over and over again while in a state of continual stress, thinking they are getting something good out of it but there is no good.

Proverbs 28:26: "Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe"

Proverbs 23:9: "Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words"

Proverbs 18:2

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."

Narcissists think they know others but they do not. They assign to others their own thinking and make guesses about others that are not accurate based on the narcissists own mindset. They do not know anyone but think they know everyone and everything.

Narcissists have lots of people around them but no close friends. They have a sour mood they cover up as long as their friends remain loyal to them, and it is all very superficial.

The real narcissist mentality emerges as soon as someone else doesn't elevate them as special. When the friends make their own choices and think differently from them, they punish them when they do not bow to the narcissist. Narcissists are the bossiest and most judgmental people you will ever meet but become enraged if you suggest they think or do something differently.

In short the narcissist is one who is highly hypocritical, they expect to do anything the way they want but others must do things their way. They expect to never be corrected but correct others often.

And, lastly, narcissists gossip with ferocity, as they judge others for the silliest things. If we were to judge their things the way they judge us they would become enraged.

This description of the narcissist is one commensurate with the devil. He is behind the tactics and imaginations of the narcissist, even making the narcissist think it is their own idea.

Proverbs 1:7

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 18:6

"A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating."

The best way to protect ourselves in these last days of wickedness is to stay away from those who are narcissistic. They bring nothing but trouble to the lives of those who love Christ and then blame the trouble on the believer. There is no value in allowing these people into our lives.

Proverbs 28:26

"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."

Trusting Christ Instead of Ourselves

When we pray it is foolishness to pray specifics for a desire because God knows what is best for us. We ought to pray for His guidance and His perfect will for us.
Our silly ideas about what we think we want may be far less than what He has planned for us.

 
There have been many twists and turns in my life that I didn't understand but as I trusted Christ I realized later why they should be and what a blessing it was to be taken from what I thought I wanted to His perfect will.

His will made my will look silly when He showed me His purpose in what He did.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."
Anyone who thinks they know better than God is foolish!!!!!

We Shall Know Them

God told those who have the Holy Spirit, "you shall know them by their fruit."

Matthew 7:17-20
"17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."

Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Those who are born again will see into the Spirit of another believer and connect because of the Holy Spirit.

Those Who Want Control

Just like the devil the narcissist wants control over everyone within their sphere of influence. The devil wanted to be above God and when he could not he began to attempt to ruin all those who loved God.

This is exactly the tactic of those who are narcissists. They are driven by the same mentality of superiority as the devil was when in his fantasies he thought he could be above God.

Narcissists are deeply insecure people who are not satisfied with what God made them, they want more, they want to be above God and everyone else. Their desire to be superior to everyone, the center of attention in every situation is the evidence of a deep insecurity that drives them to seek validation through intimidation and supremacy.

Narcissists are disposed to judge the smallest matters of others to feel dominant over them. The devil does this very thing, it is his mission to dominate, control and ruin anyone who loves Christ.

1 Peter 5:8

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

Narcissists are controlled by the devil through thoughts of grandiosity about themselves. He appeals to their pride to cause anger in them when they cannot be the center of attention for every encounter.

Genesis 3:5

5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it."

The devil appealed to the pride in Eve convincing her she should be like God, it was her right to be so. This is the same mentality of narcissists. They are completely controlled by the devil and think it is their own idea.

No one can love the way God loves without Christ. Everyone will have a degree of narcissism unless they confess it to be cleansed by God and desire to be changed.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Psalm 37:28

"For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off."

For those who repent and trust Christ there is peace, joy and strength, no one can overtake us not even the devil.

Psalm 91:1-16 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ..."

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