Do you understand?

I got asked a question just the other day, why is the Bible so confusing? I, as a Christ Follower, did not understand. Because when I study the Word of God, I usually understand. So I asked what do you mean? Why when Jesus talks to people and his disciples does he tells stories instead of just saying what it means? I then understood. They could not understand why parables (stories) and not just coming right out and saying it. I said that Jesus had to hide the Word of God in plain sight so those that sought and seek to perverse God's Word and destroy God's Word would not understand. I then explained that to understand God's Word, you must first be following Jesus and have the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us in John 14:15-16 about the Holy Spirit. "IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. AND I WILL PRAY THE FATHER AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER HELPER, THAT HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, BECAUSE IT NEITHER SEES HIM NOR KNOWS HIM; BUT YOU KNOW HIM, FOR HE DWELLS WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS; I WILL COME TO YOU." When Jesus was crucified, He went to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, so the Spirit could dwell inside our hearts. We have to have to Holy Spirit, for he is our guide, our conscience, our heart, our thinking. The Holy Spirit is what guides Christians to be in the world but not of the world. The Holy Spirit is what makes us do what the world thinks we should not do. So without the Holy Spirit then no you can not and will not ever understand the Scriptures. Yes, you can go to church and learn but what if that leader of the church is not following Christ himself. Where do you turn then? That is why we, as Christians, must stay in the Word of God, that is why we must follow the Holy Spirit not man. Jesus said in Mark 4:10-12; "BUT WHEN HE WAS ALONE, THOSE AROUND HIM WITH THE TWELVE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE PARABLE. AND HE SAID TO THEM; TO YOU IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO KNOW THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, BUT TO THOSE WHO ARE OUTSIDE, ALL THINGS COME IN PARABLES, SO THAT SEEING THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE. AND HEARING THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND; LEST THEY SHOULD TURN AND THEIR SINS BE FORGIVEN THEM." So you see unless you are truly living in the Holy Spirit, you have to rely on someone else and hope they are giving you the honest to goodness God's truth. I even want you to look and pray about what I write, make sure that what I write lines up with God's Word. Don't take my word for it, open that Bible and see. So when Scripture is confusing, you can look up and say, "God, I don't understand, help me to understand what you mean here." You don't need to know what I think, God's Word explains God's Word. The Bible is plain as the nose on my face because I choose to let the Holy Spirit teach me and not just rely on man. I let him guide me in every day life. I let him decide what to say and what to think. And guys, I do get it wrong but he lets me know pretty quick when I have it wrong. So dust off those Bibles, hit your knees and ask the Holy Spirit to be an ever-present being in your life today. We don't know when our last breath is, don't die without Jesus in your life. Have a blessed day! RISE UP!