theme of Jesus missed by many

The spirit of a matter is the source of the letter of a matter. The main message of the most ancient writers, not highlighted by many today, is that God is the spirit of existence. And not similiar to an idol, merely a supreme being. Many people miss the main message of Jesus also, who are unaware of the existence of the abstracted world of the spirit, that of the existence of the abstract "unseen" like the wind, full of forces like gravity or magnetics. Instead, the majority of voices raised up against God are really focused singularly against churches, not God.

They are repelled by the history of all churches which if one were to devote their attention to just the christian churches alone their clerical story of violent disagreement and hair splitting is shocking in the extreme. On these reflections the basis for atheism rests. On this well it might if that were the proper definition of God on which they very often substitute the concept of supreme being.

It's all about us for our own benefit

Like John 3:16 everything Jesus said to do was for our own benefit. You forgive someone for your benefit, not theirs. God can forgive sins not us, so it remains only for us to do it for our own benefit. That is the purpose of everything we do and believe. Anything a person thinks or believes based on what someone else says is that person's responsibility not someone elses. This is true because it is for the spirit within a man and whatever other spirit or spirits he deals with that convicts his heart. The Holy Spirit convicts, not Billy Graham for example. Billy Graham is a slave of Jesus just doing what he is told. If you follow Jesus you are dead in Christ and the dead are in no position to say God changes his mind, is not for today, or restrict or limit His promises in any way. J'es my view. Davin Paralee