----- Original Message -----

From: Name Withheld

To: <Paul Stringini>

Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2011 11:06 AM

Subject: Good job

It's very hard to find a teacher who can teach from the Bible without adding their own ideas and changing what's there.  They don't mean to but they can't help it.  I heard an example of this today.  Murray was teaching out of Mark about the rich man who ask Jesus what he should do to be saved and Jesus said sell what you have. Murray said the rich man had ill gotten gains.  The Bible doesn't say his gains were ill gotten, it just says he was rich.  Murray missed the whole point.

Name Withheld
~From my IPAD~

 ----- Original Message -----

From: "Paul Stringini"

To: Name Withheld

Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2011 1:53 PM

Subject: Re: Good job

Hi Name Withheld,

I remember that was one that used to bother me.  He just pulls the "ill-gotten gains" out of thin air.  We should not force ourselves into interpretations in order to excuse ourselves from something inconvenient that Jesus said.

People usually reply with the question, "Then do WE have to sell all we have to enter the kingdom too?"  And my opinion is that we may indeed have to do that.  Then again, we could look at it in the sense that Jesus was on the earth at that moment and what people needed to do was follow him right then and there.   There is a time for every purpose under heaven.  Above all, every Christian should be ready to forsake all for Christ, if they should be called upon to do so.  I do not think we have to apply Christ's advice to that rich young ruler, at that time, to every man, at all times, but the basic principle should not be corrupted: we value our earthly possessions in peril to our souls.

I must look at my own life.  I personally  have to consider the passages that say that if we do not take care of our family we have denied the faith. Most of what I possess is for the express purpose of taking care of my wife and children and for the execution of my ministry.  God has called me to a ministry that requires a computer and an internet connection.  But still, I know I must seriously prepare my heart to be able to forsake all when called upon; if I cannot forsake my possessions then how shall I forsake my own life as well?  I don't want to weep or look back if God calls me to a more outdoor and away from home ministry or to my death.   The rich young ruler was not likely to have had either children or existing ministry to consider. I mention these things because every man must look into the word and into his own conscience and see if he is indeed in the faith.

Sincerely,
Paul Stringini

----- Original Message -----

From: Name Withheld

To: "Paul Stringini"

Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2011 5:26 PM

Subject: Re: Good job

Thank you for your reply.  I have stopped listening to Murray.  He adds his own ideas that I can't agree with.  God gave us the Bible.  The Bible doesn't give us the whole story, but it gives us what we need to know.  We don't need to inject our own ideas.  I've been searching for a "TV" preacher to listen to and have decided there are none who have it right, so I've turned to the internet.  Thanks again.


Name Withheld
~From my IPAD~