The Issue is Not the Issue: Seeking the Truth About God's Ways

By Elden Daniel

The issue is not the issue. What does that mean? Here is an illustration. This is the scenario. Your vehicle is not running smoothly and you realize something is wrong. You wonder if the issue is an electrical issue or could it be a fuel issue. You assume that it is an electrical issue but it turns out that the "real" issue is a fuel issue. So,

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elden Daniel
• Release date: Jun 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781087970790

Elden Daniel

...the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8 KJV). ...the endless treasures available to them in Christ (Ephesians 3:8 NLT). ...the boundless riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8 NIV).

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The Issue is Not the Issue

The Issue is Not the Issue

The Issue is Not the Issue

Seeking the Truth About God’s Ways

Dr. Elden Daniel

Elden Daniel

Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Elden Daniel

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Printing, 2022

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Contents

Preface

1 What about the Supernatural?

2 Becoming Like Jesus

3 Who Is in Charge?

References

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Other Books by Dr. Daniel

Preface

The issue is not the issue. What does that mean? Here is an illustration. This is the scenario. Your vehicle is not running smoothly and you realize something is wrong. You wonder if the issue is an electrical issue or could it be a fuel issue. You assume that it is an electrical issue but it turns out that the real issue is a fuel issue. So, the electrical issue is not the issue. Conversely, you assumed it was a fuel issue but it turns out the real was an electrical issue. The assumed issue was not the real issue.

This book is divided into three parts and each part is presented with an issue is not the issue format. I seek to identify the assumed or presented issue and then through exploration of Scripture discover the real issue. Part 1 concerns issues involving the supernatural. Part 2 looks at issues concerning the process that God uses to grow believers in Christ-likeness. Part 3 explores the issue of leadership in the church of Jesus Christ and who is in charge.

Often there can be tension between the assumed issue and the real issue. We look at this tension and some of the reasons for it. The readers are invited to evaluate and contemplate about the issue is not the issue.

At the beginning of each part of the book, I have given what I have called a preamble. My purpose in doing this is to reveal to the reader the basic principles upon which I have sought to base my writing. These are personal principles and guidance for me. I heard or read this saying, We have our beliefs but our convictions have us. This preamble is my convictions and they have me.

Presentation style.

Some authors very effectively insert phrases from Scripture to support their text. Other authors will list references to support their text assuming the diligent listener will pause and look up the references. I have chosen to quote the entire Scripture passage. My reasoning has been based upon the truth that the Holy Spirit indwelling the reader will apply the Word of God in the personal life of the reader in an appropriate manner that only the Holy Spirit knows. Every believer is on a personal individual journey in which the Holy Spirit is renewing their mind and transforming them into the image of Christ. 

The truth that impacts and changes lives is found in the Word of God. It is important to remember when we read Scripture it is the Lord speaking to you and me. The words we read from Scripture are meant to be taken personally.

 My comments may or may not be helpful but the Scriptures will be helpful. Many times, I have grouped several Scriptural passages around a specific topic, this way, the message from the whole of Scripture somehow seems clearer.

My personal experience has been and this may be true for you as well, sometimes, usually during a time of solitude and quiet, the Scriptural concepts, principles or benefits move from my head to my heart. It is not unusual for the move from head to heart to also generate a few tears of thankfulness and blessing.

The Word of God is God speaking to mankind. Think of it, Almighty God the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and everything in it is speaking to you and me. Jesus, God's Son, came to earth as a man and died for the world's sin, was buried and rose again, is speaking to you and me. The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to teach and guide believers in Jesus is speaking to you and me. This reality is both humbling and wonderful. It is good to listen to hear and obey.

You may wonder why so many Scriptural references are quoted including at times rather lengthy passages. Although I cite the reference of the passage, if there are multiple verses, I include them continuously without dividing them into individual verses. I believe this supports the continuity of the passage.

Each separate topic is part of a whole. My goal is to separate some content from Scripture, focus on it, and indicate or imply its importance to the whole of Scripture. I also want to provide insight into the application of the Word in the life of the Jesus follower.

When presenting passages, I deliberately left out the numbering of verses. When you read a passage that involves several verses, it will be one continuous passage. That is the way it originally appeared. Noting chapter and verse is a wonderful tool for referencing. We often see numbering in legal documents. However, it is my view that often breaking up a passage with the numbering of verses can be a distraction that hinders grasping the full meaning. Think about it. If you write a letter to a friend, you don't number the sentences or the lines. You want your thoughts to flow together.

1

What about the Supernatural?

Part One

Preamble

To start with I want to present a preamble to what I am writing. This is my belief: the authority I seek to use for my ideas, thoughts, conclusions, and assumptions is the Holy Scriptures. I believe that both the Old Testament with its Old Covenant and the New Testament with its New Covenant are God's revelation to mankind and me and you. This means that the direct teaching of Jesus and the teaching of the Apostles in their writings is God speaking to me. It is my personal and sincere goal to make this belief my practice. Here are some examples from Scripture.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT).

Psalms 119, the longest Psalm verse after verse speaks of God’s word.

I am also personally committed to being a Jesus follower seeking to follow His lead in my daily life and to the best of my ability to obey every commandment of Jesus as He instructed in the Great Commission. As a disciple of Jesus, I am also committed to obeying the part of the Great Commission where Jesus says to make disciples by teaching them to obey all my commandments.

Also, it is my personal desire to resist and refrain from making judgments about other believers who are thinking differently than I do or do things differently than I do. This is the spirit of Romans 14.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19).

Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval (Romans 14:4 NLT).

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12).

The issue is the issue of faith and a desire to please the Lord as stated in this passage.

You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it