Truth is bigger than any one church or institution

 

Have you ever given truth much thought, what it really is?

Isaiah 55: 7-9

7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

This passage of scripture is saying a few things.  First, God wants us to change into better, and to be in close contact with Him.  He wants our thoughts and feelings, to know His thoughts and feelings.  He says, that he will have mercy, and abundantly pardon when we do so.  An abundant pardon?   Maybe that means, a lot of, ample supply, richness, plentiful, maybe even in this regard, wholeheartedly and fully.   Generous forgiveness?

We are just these puny humans in comparison, that get things wrong, are misled, are blind, and stubborn at times.  We can be capable of great things too.

Since we are children of God, our concept of truth should be larger than ourselves-- what we can perceive in our present time with our 5 senses and our heart and mind.  He tells us, His ways are much higher.

So sometimes, we pigeon-hole ourselves into one cause, one church or other place of worship, one doctrine, one anything.  There is power in being One.  A unification of energy can focus so that great gains are achieved. However, just playing one note on the piano keyboard of life, or just a few notes, can rob us of other experiences and learning that we could get by finding other worthy notes and melodies on the keyboard.

God has so much more for us to see, if we will reach out to Him.  

It took me awhile, to figure out, that no one church, or institution, can teach everything.  Each church is like a product, and they emphasize a few doctrines.   Some churches will emphasize something found in the scriptures, that another church will completely ignore--not having time/space/energy/or funds to focus on that other thing, or perhaps not believing that the other thing is even important or relevant to our times.  That, in my opinion is why there are so many branches of belief.

I learned some pretty priceless things by going outside the invisibly drawn, but nevertheless still real, box that my childhood church drew for me.  I read books from people outside my church, and I listened to talks or attended services.  I found some really valid things that have enriched my faith walk.   These were pretty much still passages or concepts from the scriptures, but just ones that had been overlooked by others.

So climb that mountain and get closer to God and see a bigger picture than you conceived of, before!