Both; WE and THE MESSAGE...

[acomplishedartis]

I have been influenced greatly on the way that I have seen how this website front page presents so many bible truths. As our world views are not identical with anybody else's, it can be said that a piece of us is always part of our messages, of our writings and our researches. As you can see on my profile my age is 23 (almost 24), I would not like for anyone to take me in little because of it, however, I already have seven years reading and appreciating these site.

I am going to talk on this post about the importance of HOW we deliver our messages and things I have learn on bible-truths.com (even things not written down. How come? Because the way the message is presented says a lot).I hopes to not get out line. And I really hope to be on the right posting section this time.

English is not my former language. This has been written on the south-center of Mexico. Thanks God I am an independent worker.
This is especially for the ones who have come to understand a little better, It is not for the masses that doesn't really care or do not have the patience.

I think that understanding the essential of these writing (which I bet many here already knows much of all these) will help us to get rid of many idols (on God's will), and so we may obtain gradually more and more time to focus on the things that matter the most, and so we may start to appreciate many valuable messages with a greater capacity.


HOW DO WE DELIVER AND APRECIATE A MESSAGE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE MESSAGE ITSELF

''you don't serve a wedding cake on a dog plate'' - L. Ray Smith

In order for us to be able to communicate we must belong or be part of a society. A society is a group of people who share something in common.

There are social structures on whatever the society that we were meant to live and we must always remember that we are capable to do whatever we could ever judge on anybody under certain social environments.

The most remarkable thing that we all humans share in common; Man's heart is weak. Here a Quote:

Man's mind is not the birthplace of sin. And certainly man's will is not the originator of sin. God did NOT say: "O that there were such a WILL in them..." (Deut. 5:29). If we will just believe, our Lord tells us plainly where sin originates:

"And Jesus said, Are ye [all of you] also yet without understanding?

Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth FROM THE HEART; and they defile the man.

For out of THE HEART proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man" (Matt. 15:16-20).

Need I remind any that all of the above thoughts and deeds are sin?
                         
                        [L. Ray Smith, The Myth of "Free Will" Exposed - Part A (bible-truths.com)]

On a society what the majority of the people thinks and believes; that's common. And what is also common on these predominating societies is that 'People's desires are in charge'. The way communication works well is advertising the right idea at the right time while understanding well the needs of the ones who will receive our message.

Who will receive the message (the idea)? Witches are the tools available to deliver the message? Most of the times messages for public large audiences are delivered according to what's the best way for the majority...

How much effort does delivering the message will involve and witches are the chances to succeed?    Should we make repetitions, present testimonials, and create associations?  Remember that after certain special group receives it, others will follow them and then many others will follow as well.

What about the message, its history and the main goals of it? What about the mayor enemies of the message and about 'the audience' [age, gender, income, ethnicity and outlook / personalities, expectations, personal believes, easiness for being persuaded]? Know that most of the times delivering according to what's the best way for the majority at this predominating society is done while taking advantage on our humans desires and appeals (example of depicters: many Sunday sermon's at church and marketing advertisements).

We never chose what we want but what we prefer! And if anyone takes on account and figure out a good way to use well all these points adobe, whatever his message is, it will have good possibilities to be highly persuasive, to rice behavior, to cause someone else's desires in pro of his message.

But if the way to deliver a message is deceptive (no matter how well the message is delivered) whatever values anyone can say they must be not taken seriously, like if for example someone is taking advantage of people's weak emotions and appeals to seduce them to do, believe, or buy something. Also even when messages are false or stupid, the majority still can respond to them, How come? Because; man's heart is weak. And here we have just proved with another very good example that we have NO free-will.  


TELL ME HOW MUCH IS YOUR STORY WORTH

Both WE and the MESSAGE are free from error – Apostle Paul

To interpret messages, it must be taken on account: 1) The thing and its relation or referential, 2) The grammatical meaning or definition 3) Its general 'social interpretation' in context with the surroundings and 4) Our very individual interpretation, which are personal associations that brings us memories back.               
                               
Knowing the circumstances that surrounded the creation of the message helps. Same things can be able to mean different things for certain groups of individuals, so we must keep in mind that things CAN BE MADE to mean just about almost anything. Taking on account the classical 'symbolic representations' of the culture on which the message is going to be delivered or interpreted helps too.

Interpretation is a process, a social event. Culture is every form of expression of life on a society which is formed through language. Language is a system of rules on a structure of meanings usually trough sounds and words, and when these are longer make discourse. Discourse creates values, social identities and gives birth to cultural statements. It's said that the ones who control the discourse, control the ''social reality''. So, it may be good to ask ourselves; whom is controlling the discourse in our surrounded communities, groups or society at large?

Also Words have two forms of interpretation;A) its 'Grammatical' definition on a dictionary (or by the ones who made the word), and B) its 'Connotative' definition, which is what we individually conjure up when we hear or read that certain word.   
             
The 'connotative' meaning of a word is always personal and it can rarely be also at the same time the 'grammatical' definition. For example when the word 'Bible' is said, we usually don't think: ''a collection of ancient writings including the books of both the Old Testament and the New Testament''.     Maybe some ignorant could think on ''a famous book of controversy, baggy and unauthentic'' others could be more informed about it and think on ''a book taken from scriptures which have more than 5500 manuscripts in existence from the New Testament witch coincide greatly''.         When we think in the word 'Bible' (or whatever other 'widely' word) there are not specific images of bibles on our minds that are 'exactly' the same from anybody else, but there can be general concepts of these words that can remain in us as individuals. 

And of course they are words that are more concrete than other words. The kinds of words that are less concrete are the ones that we usually have to point out with examples so to explain their definitive meanings or what these words are simply referring too.                                     
                                                                                           
'Connotative' meaning words that are less concrete can be able to have very strong emotional content. Many people (like Christian Preachers and Marketers, etc.) take a lot of advantage of these fuzzy words to try to make their audiences to respond more 'emotionally' to their messages rather than intellectually which require time and concentration. And once they make their audience to agree with their point of view on an emotional level they usually win (on delivering well their message) since it's very difficult to argue away emotions because the predomination of emotionalism do not respond to logic. They can tell their ''truth'' trough 'logical fallacies'; statements that sounds like if they have evidence, when in reality they don't! or by appealing to a cultural tradition or authority to deliver their content on a stronger way.

By choosing words carefully according to their 'grammatical' definitions and 'connotative' meanings it is possible to increase the influence of phrases or speeches to be able to strongly persuade the ones who will receive the message.


Anyone can pretend to be saying one thing (outwardly) when in reality they are saying something very different (inwardly).

And there are different levels of interpretation: WHAT IS BEING SAID, HOW IS BEING SAID, and -WHAT WE CAN PERCEIVE OF IT AS A WHOLE?

Matt. 23:27-28 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

[New American Standard Version]

Could it ever be possible for us to be able to COMMUNICATE on a more unselfishly and genuine way, more vigorous and powerfully, more purely and closer to total honestly?

John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.                                                                                                                                                                            

[New American Standard Version]

How we dress have great potential for being interpreted at different levels. If we do not follow certain social ''morally'' cultural codes we could certainly be imprisoned, excluded, or in some places even killed.

1Peter 3:3-4 Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.                                                                                                                                                         

[New Living Translation Version]   

                                                                                                                         
There are three things that we can do when we receive a Message. One: Passively accept whatever is being said. Two: Just accept it in the context according to its cultural background or because it brings us back some memories. Tree: Challenge it, compare it, question it, put it on trial and conclude our own definite meanings for it.                                 
                                                                                                                 
There are way too many big liars out there trying to fill our brains with pure manipulation! So let's be aware! Let's be aware of fake players and even from our own selves!

2Cor. 10:4-5 The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. 5 We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

[The Message Version]

Paul said:
1Cor. 2:1 ... I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy

1Cor. 2:5 which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork  by me or anyone else.                                                                                                                                                                                 

[The Message Version]

On marketing techniques the inconsistent desires and opinions of the majority is for them (the ones who use these techniques) like their own bible. For them; the majority is always in charge as long as they can get some tithes out of them.

2Tim. 4:3-4 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and follow strange myths. [Is not these present predominating society  invaded of strange myths?]                                                                                         

[New Living Translation Version]

Eph. 5:5 You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them— the usual variations on idolatry— will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.                                                                                               

I think these one put all the adobe together:

1Thess. 2:3-5 3-4 God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we're not after crowd approval — only God approval. Since we've been put through that battery of tests, you're guaranteed that BOTH WE AND THE MESSAGE ARE FREE OF ERROR, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. 5 We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.                                                                                                                   

[The Message Version]

Hopefully someday we could come to be able to skillfully read between the many lies that invade us. So that, then...      Eph 4:14 ''Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth.''                                           

[New Living Translation Version]

And here is again the question of the millions. Why oh why do they all want to cleverly deceive us (the most of the times)??

1Tim. 6:8-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

[New King James Version]

Jer. 5:27-28 As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich. 28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.                          
 
1Tim 6:5 Eventually there's an epidemic of backstabbing, and truth is but a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck.            

[The Message Version]

So whenever they say something of value; ANYTHING THAT THIS BUSINESS MAN'S SAY MEANS VERY LITTLE OR NOTHING! They are like annoying noisy kids shooting words into the air, words that are too high for them to understand! So many Christian business men are fake, sponsored and unreal. It's true that ''you don't serve a wedding cake on a dog plate'' or sell a loving personal letters to your friends.


WE ONLY CAN DO, WHAT WE HAVE LEFT TO DO

I guess it is just as important WHAT we say and HOW we say it, as well as WHY and WHERE we say it. It is just as important WHAT we interpret and HOW we interpret it, as well as WHY would we want to interpret it. All this is easy to say but in practice...it is not that easy!       
                                                                     
And what are we suppose to do when all those messages with all their attractiveness and glamour assault our minds? What are we suppose to do on a certain day when we feel so weak that our selfish desires could get on the way? This is what:

We should remember that we humans always chose what we prefer and not what we want [since we have NO free will!], we should also remember that we can't have complete control of our surroundings and we should pray too. So let's never say that we are not going to fall no matter what, let's better say that we are ready to fall if something bigger does not stop us! Because all we need to fall is just one simple weak impulse o thought. Our will is simply a matter of cause and consequence and we should take these on account also when judging others.

God did "make us" as He made us.  However, it is not true that God "MADE" us do anything.  People have trouble understanding that just because we don't have a "free will" does not mean that we do not have a "will" at all.  Of course we have a will, it's just that it isn't free to operate WITHOUT A CAUSE.  It is the "cause" that takes away the "freedom" of our wills.  And God does not "MAKE OR CAUSE" us to sin, for example. We volunteer to sin according to our OWN WILL.  And our will, of course, operates on the many thousands and millions of circumstances we confront daily which are totally outside of our control.

    God plain tells us that He does NOT "tempt--try or test" any man with evil (James 1:13).  Well what does "tempt" man then if not God?  Answer: "his OWN LUST/DESIRES." God is, however, responsible for His entire creation, and therefore in Judgment, God will right all apparent wrongs of the past.               
                                                                                             

L. Ray Smith

Let's try to see any message for what it really is, let's try our best with the little we have and know to be right, let's pray for straight and courage for our brothers and for our own selves. The main points of these writing will hopefully help us not only on interpreting speeches and writings but also whole plethora of arts.

[Duane]

WOW!  that is a pretty impressive piece of work, and mastery of several essentail concepts-- coming from a 23 year old--writing in a second language!
God will use your intellect and Inquisitive mind to serve Him for many years to come!  (You wouldn't want to read my "deep thoughts" at 23 years old because I am afraid they were all too few and shallow! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MUTURITY!

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hi Moises

I appreciate that you put a lot of thought and effort to compile your post to share your views and convictions.

I used to enjoy a song written and sung by Cat Stevens called I can't keep it in.

The lyrics included the following:.....

Oh I can't keep it in
I can't keep it in, I've got to let it out.
I've got to show the world, world's got to see,
See all the love, love that's in me
I said why walk alone,
Why worry when it's warm over here.
You've got so much to say, say what you mean,
Mean what you're thinking and think anything..

It is important to know what we are thinking and to mean what we think.

Our thoughts are before God.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things.

I can see that you have been thinking exactly as Paul encourages you to Moises in the deliberations of your post you share with us.

Blessings to you

Arc

PS Cat Stevens also sang in the same song "Light needs to shine"...I think he got that right

[G. Driggs]

And what are we suppose to do when all those messages with all their attractiveness and glamour assault our minds? What are we suppose to do on a certain day when we feel so weak that our selfish desires could get on the way? This is what:

We should remember that we humans always chose what we prefer and not what we want [since we have NO free will!], we should also remember that we can't have complete control of our surroundings and we should pray too. So let's never say that we are not going to fall no matter what, let's better say that we are ready to fall if something bigger does not stop us! Because all we need to fall is just one simple weak impulse o thought. Our will is simply a matter of cause and consequence and we should take these on account also when judging others.

Thank you for your post Moises. The above quote was the most encouraging for me.

Let's try to see any message for what it really is, let's try our best with the little we have and know to be right, let's pray for straight and courage for our brothers and for our own selves.

Amen.....this is so important!

G.Driggs

[acomplishedartis]

I appreciate the encouragement that I have received.


Maybe I shouldn't mention my age at first, after all I already decided to show a photo of my self. Duane, thanks for you kind words. It would be funny if you presently would have 25 and you would be making those memories.


I have make some search on Mr. Stevens and he have a very interesting biography, Arcturus, I hope to listen a couple songs and the songs you mentioned some time soon.


G.driggs, please if you get a chance pray for me to have the straight to pass trough some drastic changes on my life that I am about to experience.

[G. Driggs]

G.driggs, please if you get a chance pray for me to have the straight to pass trough some drastic changes on my life that I am about to experience.

Always praying for your courage, strength and endurance.  I hope these verses will encourage you.

Psa 31:24  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD.

Psa 27:14  Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

G.Driggs

[Morten]

Incredible work. God be with you:)

Isaiah 41

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

11 "All who rage against you
       will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
       those who oppose you
       will be as nothing and perish.

12 Though you search for your enemies,
       you will not find them.
       Those who wage war against you
       will be as nothing at all.

13 For I am the LORD, your God,
       who takes hold of your right hand
       and says to you, Do not fear;
       I will help you.

[judith collier]

Dear Moises I will pray for you. That was quite an expose' and very well stated!

[acomplishedartis]

thanks Judy

[cjwood]

i always enjoy reading your essays moises. much to consider.

claudia