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Question
Pastor,
I work with a small group of men who are seeking relevant answers for everyday life issues, recovering addicts and alcoholics. I would like to do bible studies with them concerning these issues but finding the right materials can be difficult. Could you point me in a direction that could help me to help them?
Thank you
Hi Larry,
The Bible is the very best resource there is as long as you really understand it and can transfer that understanding to others. The basic things are that the existence of God is obvious (Rom 1), we can know his will for certain, stay away from people who do evil and are likely to influence to do likewise (If you are spiritually mature enough, you may be able to associate with them and influence them to do good. Be careful.) You can do what God requires because you don't have to sin. No one is born a sinner. Sin is something that happens once people are able to know what's right and then don't do it. Sin begins with a heart's desire to do wrong. That's called lust. There's no legitimate excuse for sinning because it is a choice you make and you could just say "No," like Jesus did when he was tempted by the devil. The good news is that God will forgive us if we repent (are truly sorry and firmly decide to stop sinning), let Jesus tell us how to live and then do what he says, no matter what he says, including being baptized as he commanded and as his apostles said sinners had to do in order for their sins to be forgiven. Don't fall for the ignorant argument about "the thief on the cross by Jesus." Before Jesus died, he forgave people of their sins on the basis of any outward sign of faith that they had. He did not command sinners to be baptized as a sign of faith until after he was resurrected and had been given all authority in heaven and on earth. It was then that baptism became a requirement for salvation for everyone wanting to go to heaven. Paul and Peter make this very clear in their writings but many false teachers, who are not able to accuratly understand the scriptures, teach that Jesus and his apostles were telling people to do something that is not really necessary. Their Christ is a false Christ that cannot save anyone.
OK. Go for it. Help them read what the Bible says and let them make the choice to obey God or not.
Sincerely,
Mr. McClellan
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Mr. McClellan
Expertise
I can answer questions concerning Christian doctrine as well as other kinds of questions relating to religion. One important thing, among many, that needs clearing up is the meaning of religion. Religion is any system of belief that tries to explain how people should think and behave so that life is the best it can be. The definition found in the dictionary is seriously in error being based on popular but wrong ideas. Email me at and.the.truth.is@GMX.com for a free PDF 5 page introduction to my just completed book, "And The Truth Is?" It's uniquely different and interactive, designed to show you that you can actually know the way, the truth, and the life Jesus spoke of and what he expected people to do to participate in it as well as what to expect if they did.
Experience
My education puts me second to none in this area and I have had over forty years experience in the area of teaching Christian theology, doctrine, apologetics, hermeneutics, history, and philosophy. Publications: Among the things that I have written is a summary of the entire Bible that is intended to help people put it all together and quickly understand exactly what the writers of the Bible intended for everyone to understand. By reading it and then reading the Bible, the correct understanding should become quite clear and a sincere student will recognize that they have received an invaluable aid to knowing how to correctly interpret the Bible so that they can know, with certainty, that they are understanding it correctly. At the same time, they will be able to recognize the vast number of false doctirnes that are being called Christian doctrines but are only the teachings of men and have no more authority than any oridinary man can give them.
Organizations
I belong to no officially recognized organizations. I'm simply a person with a deep and lifelong desire to know the truth, a desire so strong that I have, for more than 50 years, poured myself and a lot of money into finding it and making sure of it. I believe that life is too short and valuable to waste it believing a lot of stuff that isn't true. Everyone can't be right and be in disagreement at the same time and the claims made by the writers of the Bible are simply too serious to guess about.
Publications
It's quite obvious that the Bible is not easy to comprehend thus all the divided opinions about what it teaches. I am finalizing a short treatise on the Bible that I believe will help a lot of people who seriously want to get a clear understanding of what the Bible actually has to say to everyone, a treatise that should take the mystery out of it and show that it really makes sense. People deserve help in recognizing the truth about what the Bible says because there is so much false teaching about it that is actually leading people away from God instead of to God. It should be ready to send out by the end of this year, 2011 or before.
Now, you can purchase a PDF copy of my book "And The Truth Is?" on CD. It's very unique and it's interactive. If you're tired of living with a best guess and want to learn for certain what the truth is, this, the result of over 50 years of research and serious study, is what you're looking for.
Education/Credentials
I have two degrees in education, including religious belief systems. I also have many years of experience and many thousands of hours of study and research on which I've based my new book, "The Bible Actually Makes Sense."
Awards and Honors
All of my awards and honors are in the form of compliments from people who've read or listened to my attempts to help them understand what the Bible is about and how to comply with what it actually says. So many have said, in one way or another, that I helped them more than anyone they had ever met. It's comforting to know that my efforts to be of value to others is appreciated.
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