When I was growing up in a home of a pastor it was the dogma to keep to Bible scripture for inspiration and read other religious books with caution but freedom. I knew scripture has a badge of agreed authenticity of being from God but I was encouraged to read other books too and learn the knowledge that focuses on providing a background to scripture to help my understanding of scripture and of people to whom I might be reading scripture and preaching. I learned the churches lacked the power of God but power of God is recorded as being made known to the churches to whom scripture was primarily written as they were blessed by God. I wanted that too. I would leave churches to find it. Then after three decades asking God to reality He sent out to me what I needed and found me and showed me His power and glory. Part of it was manifestation of the same Holy Spirit who had come to the first church on the first Pentecost after Lord Jesus Christ ascended. The thing was, now I knew for real for myself and on behalf of my hearers what is real truth from God which came to a blessed church I attended and to me especially as one marked out to know this truth of what God actually teaches. Not a translation of scripture by scholars but inspiration directly and through another too of the very words of the Holy Spirit. So I had this plus my background reading to help me understand scripture. Yet what helped with scripture in the Bible agreed 'canon' also applied to scripture I came across from outside that Western-controlled canon when I saw a book of it in an SPCK Christian bookshop. I knew this was scriptiure just as much inspired by the Holy Spirit as Bible scripture. Confessing contributed to me being banned from a church - the very church blessed by God that time. (Though my 'sins' conributed too and my human misdemeanors might have warranted it.) I was out on a limb. All I had was my God and these manifold scriptures. Which got me thinking there is more scripture out there inspired by the Spirit who leads into all truth as Lord Jesus had promised. Lord lead me into truth as I discover and read it - and my hearers too. God bless those who read these words, especially you who seek unbridled truth.
