Believe...Mark 9

In today's church one of the hardest things is to believe the Bible.

And I mean not just our favorite verses or those that speak to our own agendas, but the whole Word of God. It is also common to take the scripture out of context or to twist it for our own purpose. Often done with good intentions.

What I observe is that many teachings are just skipped over, ignored.

This can take different forms, like the continued debate over the Genesis creation account....btw confirmed in many other passages of scripture, likewise the fall, the flood the exodus....etc.

Or the examples below...how often do we hear the hard verses at the end Mark 9 fully preached?

Mar 9:21  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

Mar 9:22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

Mar 9:38  And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

Mar 9:39  But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

Mar 9:40  For he that is not against us is on our part.

Mar 9:41  For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

Mar 9:42  And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Mar 9:43  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mar 9:44  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mar 9:45  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mar 9:46  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mar 9:47  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Mar 9:48  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mar 9:49  For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Mar 9:50  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

One often hears of miracles, or giving cups of water (in Jesus name? Maybe not mention that!) or peace, but the reality of unquenchable hell fire....no we either skip that or deny it or rationalize it away.

Some thing to think about! Do we believe this too?

Just as an aside, I've heard it said often in statements of faith that "we believe in the scripture infallible, and inerrant in the original writings."

These last words added can leave an out, since it is often said we don't actually have the originals.