Personally, I am tired
of slapping myself!
If we are lucky we
will kill one or two mosquitoes per swing, but we (for sure)
will get our own selves ten times. And there is no end to those
pesky critters. In fact, they outnumber us. Somehow, I feel like
God must be in this.
You may be asking:
where am I going with this?
This is where...
Our knowledge of good
and evil, and our freedom and power to do good or evil caries
over into all areas of our life.
For example: in Christendom
it is open season on all doctrines that oppose us (by virtue
of not being one of us).
Jesus said, "As
you have done it unto the least of these brothers of Mine you
have done it unto Me" (Matt. 25:40). Jesus completely
identified Himself with those for whom He died.
If we have ever
persecuted, slandered, or brought injury upon any of His, we
have done it to the Lord Himself.
Who among us shall
cast the first stone at Israel for their slander…their
injury of the innocent Lamb of God and… and…AND
at His dearly beloved brethren whom we disagree with?
Could it be that when
we attempt to slap down what God has created and placed in our
midst we only succeed in slapping our own selves, and in no way
diminish the source of our irritation.
It is enough to make
me consider blessing mosquitoes and cursing them not, because
God is obviously blessing them—mightily.
I just don’t know
how good or how smart it is to be caught opposing God. What do
you think?
I have spoken of mice
and mosquitoes, now I am about to tell about a certain boat that
we all find ourselves in.
We all find
ourselves in the boat that was commissioned as The Human Condition.
But the rumor is…it was nicknamed The Adam’s
Apple. This doomed, dead tub was constructed from lumber
harvested from the tree of know-ledge of good and evil.
Which reminds me. I
saw a church sign the other day that read, "If you don’t
want the fruit of sin, stay out of the Devils tree."
Meddlers!
It is strange how we
Christians try to moor the good ship Adam’s Apple,
to the tree of Life. The hypocrisy of it all is—we
are aboard the one tree, but we are attached to
the other.
This is a paradox that
we Christians never quite catch on to. We just don’t get
it. We look upon the righteousness of Jesus over
in His tree of life while we stand on the planks of the
knowledge of good in Satan’s tree, not understanding
that the knowledge of good is as evil as the
knowledge of evil, because both are rooted in the same
tree.
Our knowledge of
evil is in clear contrasts with good. Conversely, our knowledge
of good clearly contrasts with evil. Yet, the mind of Christ
is neither because Truth is not knowledge. Truth is Christ.
The first century
Gnostics believed that God is both good and evil —light
and darkness— and that humans chose which end of the spectrum
of God that suited them. If you saw any of the 'Star Wars' movies,
the 'Force' was this Gnostic god. The good Jedi Knights operated
out of the same Gnostic god that the bad Jedi Knights.
Is this plain enough?
To the degree that we need to repent of our evil we also need
to repent of our good, because both are OURS and neither are
of Christ.
Not until we understand
how to stand in the tree of Life (which is Jesus),
will we ever be able to come into truth. We confuse truth with the knowledge of good,
but they are diametrically opposed—they are two separate
trees.
To the point…self
centeredness is often more important to us than Christ
centeredness. Our being in control is often
more important to us than letting Him be in control.
If we are not IN
the living Christ Jesus (the tree of Life) we are
IN the dead knowledge of good and evil.
When we are not dwelling
IN Christ, the Bible becomes to us the knowledge
of good and evil. Oh, how Satan knows and uses God’s
Bible to defend the knowledge of good!
IN Christ Jesus
the Bible becomes LIFE. LIFE is IN Christ Jesus the Living
Word, not the Bible…the written word. The Bible can
become (to Bible knowledgers) the letter that kills, but it is
the Spirit of Christ that gives life to Bible truthers (2 Cor.
3:6). Used properly, it turns us to Him, it helps us to walk
with Him, abide in Him, and know Him—not just about Him.
Here is how Jesus put
it: My sheep know my voice—and the word 'voice'
means voice, not black ink on white paper. And
in Romans 8:14 Paul says: "Those who are led by the Spirit
of God are sons of God." Do you know His voice? Are
you led by His Spirit, or by His Bible? Where is your fellowship?
If you were to ask
your spouse or fiancée if he/she loved you, and he/she
said back to you, "read my letters, it's all in there,"
what would you think?
Hay, love letters are
fine! But I want my spouse to HOLD me and TALK
to me. And that is exactly what the Bible says Jesus want's to
do with His Bride-in-waiting. Are you part of that bride?
God’s infallible
Bible is His instruction book for every human being. It contains
the greatest wisdom ever written in any language. It gives important
instructions about how the human creature really works, our potential
and what causes our problems. It would be impossible to put a
value on this most marvelous gift the Lord has given us, but...
The Bible was given
to lead us to Jesus, not take His place.
It is human nature
to seek until we find verification for our preconceived
ideas ...our prejudices ...our doctrines …
our paradigm.
Christians of every
doctrinal group use the Bible to verify what they know to be
GOOD—in advance of searching the Scriptures. We all
MAKE the Bible agree with us. Very few want THE truth
(the person Jesus), we all want OUR truth (the knowledge of GOOD).
We want to be right more than we want to know the
truth…who is Jesus.
In the day of political
spin-meisters we have religious spin-meisters as well who spin
the Word to agree with their doctrine. Yet, those who are dead
to the flesh don't spin, they just rest.
Brethren, we are to rest in the Living Word, not
spin the written word (Ps. 37:7, Matt. 11:28).
"The unfolding
of Thy word gives light,"
says the Psalmist (Ps. 119:130). There is unfathomable depth
of revelation we have not yet realized in God’s Word, even
concerning the most basic doctrines.
It is a terrible mistake
to become satisfied with our present knowledge and understanding;
because we all see through a glass darkly.
We cannot know anything
fully until we know Him fully.
"The path of
the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter
and brighter until the full day" (Proverbs 4:18). When the truth stops
expanding for us we begin to live in darkness.
Most Christians
STAND ON THE BIBLE—which is good. Few STAND IN CHRIST JESUS —where true union with His Spirit
and will is found.
There is no human or
Christian solution to this human problem because, after all,
our righteousness (goodness) is as filthy rags, our
knowledge is incomplete, and —again— we see through
a glass DARKLY—more darkly that we would ever suppose. The
mind of Christ is something only God can bring. The solution
is in Jesus at His Second-Coming. When we see Him face to face,
then we will understand ALL truth because HE IS ALL
TRUTH.
So! The question
arises! How do we receive the mind of Christ in the here-and-now
in order to come into communion (common-union) with His Spirit
and will?
Perhaps we can find
the mind of Christ in the diversity of the Body of Christ. If
God is obviously blessing those brethren (whom we perceive to
be in error) as much as He is blessing us—if not more—then
perhaps we should go to them and find out why He
is blessing them.
We will befriend them…IF…we
want the mind of Christ more than the knowledge
of good.
We are exhorted to
"grow up in all aspects unto Him, Who is the Head"
(Eph. 4:15). The apostles were directed to "speak
to the people in the temple the whole message of this life"
(Acts 5:20). The Psalmist discerned "the sum
of Thy word is truth" (Psalms 119:160). We can be
distracted from the Truth by individual truths.
We can be distracted
from the River of Life by the individual tributaries that feed
it.
Almost every denomination
is built around a single emphasis (such as the great commission
or the spiritual gifts, etc.). They may teach other aspects,
but emphasize one small portion of the whole revelation
of God. Any time we focus our attention on one part of the whole,
our scope will be limited. Only when we focus on the Truth —Jesus—
do all truths take their proper perspective.
Jesus is
the Sum of God’s word.
I am reminded of a
line out of a fiction book about this jungle boy in India who
is arguing with a city of monkeys. The monkeys won the
argument by telling the jungle boy, "we all agree,
therefore we must be right." The monkeys
were amazed and appalled that there could possibly be any opinion
that dared to differ from theirs.
When we consult
only our fellow monkeys, we are sure to agree. Yet, this is how
MOST so-called research is done.
I submit my work to
my sharpest critics, because it is there that I will learn how
to rewrite my material and make it a much more accurate work.
They are no fun at all, but they serve me well. My friends contribute
nothing but agreement and flattery—which, of course, I like.
One can not get objective
material from the enemies of another view. Almost always they
don’t understand much about the view they are being critical
of. Further more, they may be guilty of lying and slander, and
you will be none the wiser if you do not consult the one slandered
and lied about.
Grant Jeffrey did that,
and I found that out by calling the person he attacked to see
what his side of the story was. This Preterist brother (a Southern
Baptist evangelist) mailed to me irrefutable proof verifying
that Grant deliberately slandered him.
Why did Grant do that?
Because he is just sure that none of his followers will ever
be the wiser. But his pure motive…his knowledge
of good came out of his desire to protect us from deception.
The fear of deception
will not keep us from deception, it will lead to it. We cannot
walk by fear, but by faith. The Scriptures testifies that
the only thing that will keep us from deception is to have a
love for the Truth Himself.
When we open our shades
at night, darkness does not come in, light shines into the darkness.
Light overcomes darkness—it is more powerful.
Brethren, this sort
of thing goes on all the time in Christendom. And I can be sure
that I will be attacked for blowing the whistle on them.
I had to do a lot of
detective work to find this Preterist brother, but it was worth
the effort to be objective, academic, honest, fair …and
words like that. That does not mean I agree with the Pretierist
view, but at least I know what the top Preterist theologians
have to say.
Also, I disagree sharply
with some of the extreme and outlandish teachings and practices
that can be found in Charismatic and Baptist (and for that matter,
ANY doctrinal group), but I find most Charismatic
and Baptist groups to be quite sound.
To the point, I learned
about a number of diverse doctrinal groups first hand—not
by hearsay.
I have on my book shelf,
"Christianity in Crisis," &
"Counterfeit Revival" by Hannegraff,
and "The Complete Green Letters" by
Stanford. But, who checks up on the authors of these expose'
books? You probably know that they were wrong as often as they
were right, and they have been caught in their own sticky error
as well.
Their major error was
committed by not personally confronting the people they attacked.
They did not personally confirm the charges they made. These
books boiled down to gossip and slander—all in the knowledge
of GOOD.
Hanegraaff was invited
to visit the Brownsville church that he ripped into. They showered
him with love, respect, and acceptance. He left disagreeing with
some of their theology but believing their revival was real—not
counterfeit. More importantly, he has an ongoing relation-ship
with the Brownsville church
To be objective,
to be fair, to be academic, to be open to the leading of the
Holy Spirit one has to visit and interview the best representatives
of an alternate …diverse view in order to REALLY know what
they believe and practice.
You wouldn’t believe
some of the places I have gone to, and some of the people I have
talked to (by phone, e-mail, snail mail, or in person). Some
of my fondest memories come from such rich experiences…such
adventures. I have some not-so-fond memories too.
One more insight and
I’m out of here. Hope you don’t mind.
If a modern prophet
is (as some say) one who quotes Scripture —and believes
it— then this person is the equivalent of a teacher. The
New Testament speaks more warning to teachers and false teachers
than to prophets and false prophets.
As a by-the-by, the
New Testament equivalent of Old Testament prophets has to be
apostles, because the New Testament prophets didn't hold a candle
to the Old Testament prophets.
So, a false prophet
turns out to be a person who teaches incomplete, and therefore
inaccurate doctrine—especially in the area of Bible prophecy.
Who among us knows
and understands the whole Bible? The Bible is infallible, but
we are not. How can incomplete, fallible, and unrighteous beings
fully understand and teach an infallible doctrine? It can’t
be done…
Ouch!
The last few books
of the New Testament seem to be unexplainably quiet about the
Spiritual gifts. Interestingly, the Scriptures are also distressfully
silent about the five fold ministries (Eph. 4:11).
For instance, the word
"pastor" is used only once in the New Testament, and
is actually the Greek word for "shepherd." So,
in truth, the "pastor" is NEVER found in the
original Greek. No matter how hard we try to justify using the
word "pastor" we have —at best— a weak argument.
List the names of apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors (shepherds), and teachers found
in the New Testament and see how many of each you have. Specifically,
how many pastors did you count? And, most humiliating of all,
1 Corinthians 12, 13, & 14 never even mentions pastors or
evangelists, but goes on at length about the other ministries.
Perhaps we can conclude
that pastors never were numerous or important and had ceased
to exist by that time.
Of course that is not
so. One could make such an argument from silence, but as you
know…
We cannot use what
the Scriptures don’t say as proof for some obscure
doctrine.
For example, the Bible
does not tell us that Peter had children (even though it says
he had a mother-in-law), but we’re not justified in concluding
from the Bible’s silence on this point that Peter was childless.
That is what is meant by an argument from silence.
Pastors (and all the
other ministries and Spiritual gifts) are therefore assumed
to be present when the New Testament was being written.
Interestingly, all
New Testament ministries did disappear from the
scene over the course of the second and third century as Catholic
titles began to dominate. It wasn’t until the reformation
that the New Testament ministries began to be restored, one by
one—starting with the pastor.
Based upon the abuse
of the word "pastor" for the past 500 years, should
we not examine this abuse and rename those that claim that title
as being shepherds? Then, in the pecking order we see in Ephesians
4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12, should we place shepherds below
apostles, prophets, and evangelists?
Of course, that argument
is countered by reducing or diminishing the five fold into five
styles or kinds of pastors. God help us.
It is not the business
of the pastor to lead the flock! Only ONE shepherd can lead.
Only ONE shepherd is THE SHEPHERD! Jesus alone
is King… Head… Shepherd of His kingdom.
Undershepherds merely
flank the sides and bring up the rear in order to make sure that
all the flock FOLLOWS THE SHEPHERD.
It is not God's will
for any person, pastor or pope to rule or lead His people.
We must esteem every
servant and instrument of God 'exceedingly highly in love
for their work's sake,' but we must never permit them to
usurp the place of the Good and Great and Chief Shepherd in our
lives and affections. Therefore, the elect of God have no desire
for an undershepherd to lead them.
This is the desire
of every Spirit filled undershepherd: To duplicate his zeal and
spiritual maturity in his flock to such a degree that —like
John the Baptist— he can decrease and disappear into the
body of believers as Christ increases and appears in His body
of believers.
Oh, let us once and
for all grasp this one great fundamental truth. Christ's church
is not an organization, but an organism, a body, a living reality.
Jesus, and Jesus alone is the Head.
When a man builds an
organization, or a movement, or an assembly of which he is the
strong, gifted leader; and when he begins to establish church
laws and formulates doctrines, both he and his system and are
false… counterfeit.
BOTTOM LINE… all people (which encompasses
all Christians) make the Word …the Bible… conform to
a preconceived notion of reality superimposed upon them by those
they have faith in, or model after. This mindset is obtained
(for the most part) from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil.
Most of Christendom
operates out of the wrong tree most of the time.
For instance: We want
revival, but we want it in our doctrinal group,
not in any others. But…
We won’t have
revival —or a great harvest— until we desire, work,
and pray to bring revival into ALL other churches FIRST.
Then these other churches will come and fill OUR church. But,
those churches that take this approach to revival will be so
busy filling other churches that they will hardly notice that
other churches have filled their church.
When our heart is
to fill HIS CHURCH we will hardly think in terms of ours
and theirs. We will think in terms of HIS!
We can not be possessive,
or jealous, or selfish. The bride is not ours, it’s HIS!
We must work as if OUR group is not nearly as important
as all the other groups. As Jesus said, "Whoever wishes
to be first among you shall be your slave" (Matt. 20:27).
We must be so successful
in preparing the Bride that our identity gets lost in the Bridal
party—becoming the least among the brethren. No super
stars. No great leaders, or even loners. Just John the Baptists
who revel in decreasing so that our King and His Bride might
increase. That is success in His eternal Kingdom.
God will clean up His
Church BEFORE He sends the massive harvest so that the
Church will be ready to disciple this massive influx. He starts
with whatever there is of the five fold, then He cleans up the
congregation (Micah), then the world.
Brethren, there
is a desperate need today for spiritual leaders in the Kingdom
of God…the Church of Jesus Christ…the body of Christ—and
not for denominations, and certainly not yours alone.
So, you can expect
God to clean you up time after time until you are red, raw, and
sour —and blessed— from head to foot.
Those with the highest
callings will get the best clean-up jobs.
Lucky fellows!
Are you ready for the
scrub brush?
