To Judge or Not to Judge?---That is the Question!

Sometimes of the words of Jesus are rather confusing. While at times you believe He is saying one thing, He then turns that tables and makes comments that are seemingly contradictory to what you though He said. Take Matthew 7 for instance. We are told not to “judge” (V.1); however, we are then told that if are heart is in the right place, we are allowed to speak into the lives of those who are erring in their ways (v.3-6). To further this, Jesus then tells us that we can recognize a “tree by its fruit” (v.15-23) which clearly tells us that He has given us a sense of discernment to make judgments concerning the issue of “truth.” So on one hand, Jesus tells us “Do not judge” and on the other, He tells us that we can “judge.” What is the method to his madness? Using the words of Shakespeare to fit our thinking, “To judge or not to judge?---that is the question!”

Writing from the perspective of an American (for those of you in Germany, Russia, and the UK), we take this issue very seriously. In fact, it appears to be an “either-or” way of thinking. In one camp you have the “Don’t judge me” people and in the other, you have the “I’m God’s agent of wrath who can reveal everything within the hearts of men” people. The truth is, neither one of these type of people are following the Biblical precedent concerning the Christians ability to “judge or not to judge.” The result is what you have come to see in this country. The “don’t judge me” people gravitate to churches that make them “feel” good about everything. They don’t talk about “sin” as they should and the goal of their faith is to be “happy.” If they are confronted about some sinful behavior by concerning people, they respond quite vehemently “Don’t judge me!” The other camp feels its place to condemn everyone who does not meet up to their “standard.” This is best scene in the ungodly ideas of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Kansas” Clearly they have a “plank” in their eye called “hate” which is something that is not in the heart of God (not that I’m judging). For those of you in the “Don’t judge me” camp you also have to live with your hypocrisy as you most likely believe that Westboro is “wrong” in doing things like protesting military funerals---thus “judging them” for their actions.

The answer to this dilemma is simple---We are to judge---but not as we think. There are judgments that are reserved solely for God Himself. He alone is the only One who can determine a person’s eternal destination; furthermore, He alone is the only One who can know what is truly in the hearts of men. For us, however, we can “judge” the actions of others based upon what we know to be “truth” through the standard of God’s Word. There is, however, a condition that Jesus puts forth. To judge clearly, one must be in a place in his life where he has overcome a similar issue in his own life (v.3-6) Secondly, one must have the leading the Holy Spirit and walk in the spirit of love (v.7-12). Thirdly, one must be living in such a way that he is following the standard of God (v.13-14). Finally, one must realize the “purpose” as to why God allows for brothers and sisters in Christ to “judge” one another (v.15-27).

God wants us to know the “truth.” As children of God, He has given us the ability to recognize what it true and what is falsehood. Jesus emphatically tells us “by their fruit you will recognize them.” Who is the “them?”--- Those who are producing fruit which is contrary to God’s truth. The Bible calls them “false prophets” (v.15). They are active in the church and live among the Body of Christ. They experience what we experience and look very much like “normal Christians,” expect for one thing: when it comes to the real fruit of their lives in the issues of living by the standard of God, something does not quite line up. (Next’s week’s blog will explore the “false prophets” in more detail.)

Judging in the Body of Christ is about revealing “truth” to a person’s life rather than condemning “sin.” We, however, get offended when someone says to us, “I’m concerned about the choices you are making in life as they are in contradiction to the Word of God.” As the brother or sister in Christ is not “judging” you but they are trying to ensure that your life is built as the “wise man’s” (v.24-25). The qualification that kept the man’s house from being destroyed was not because he had accepted “Jesus.” Read the passage again: “Therefore everyone who HEARS THESE WORDS of mine and PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE is like a wise man” (v. 24). We’re too caught up in semantics and we play this “don’t judge me” card like Isaac Stern plays the fiddle. As we have accepted Christ, we have also accepted the fact that we are members of a Body larger than ourselves (see 1 Corinthians 12). Just like there are parts of your physical body that alerts you when something is “wrong,” so the Body of Christ has the ability to do the same. You be the judge: would you rather have a doctor tell you that you two weeks to life because you have a cancer in which you felt no pain until it was too late or would have you much rather preferred that your body alerted to you that something was wrong before the disease spread? In encourage you to read the many passages of the New Testament that tell us that as the Body of Christ, we are to keep one another accountable for the way that we live-----not to play “God,” but to keep one another from having an awful end to what should be the most glorious life!

Could Jesus Have Sinned?

Years ago when I was in my undergraduate studies, one of the classic theological questions came to the forefront of a discussion: “Could Jesus have sinned?” Given the fact that He wasn’t just “fully God” but also “fully man,” the discussion explored the dynamics of this loaded question. The truth of the matter, however, is answered in a simple but true reply, “It doesn’t matter because He didn’t!” The temptations of Christ, on the other hand, were very real experiences. I believe that we too often skim through the passages such as Matthew 4:1-11 and act as if Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness was nothing more than a formality so that He could briefly experience what those He created experience on a day in and day out basis. Furthermore, what was Satan trying to accomplish? Did he think that Jesus would actually bow down and worship him? After all, he tried to oppose God once before and it didn’t work out very well----so why try to assert his authority and power over him once again?

Regardless of whether you believe Jesus could have sinned or not, there is one truth that can be agreed upon from both positions: Jesus had the ability to feel what we feel. The same emotions that run through our veins ran through His as well. Did he ever feel “fear, doubt, sadness, or anger?” I believe He did. In order to consider the “courage” of Jesus, He would have felt the feelings of fear. In order for Him to offer “hope,” He would have known the feelings of “doubt.” The difference, however, is that Jesus did not submit to what He felt; rather, He made a stand against the things that often hinder man’s ability to truly overcoming in this life.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, I believe that he used the same tactics that he tried in the Garden of Eden----he attempted to bring doubt! As Jesus spend forty days fasting he certainly would had been tired, hungry, and lacking energy. Imagine yourself in such a place. In fact, many of you are in this place. The trials of life have left many tired, hungry, and lacking. They have left many feeling weak and wanting. And then the question comes---“Is this really worth it?” I’m sure you’ve heard this voice before. Like Jesus, who GOD called into the wilderness (Matt. 4:1), we sometimes find ourselves in a barren land----not because of the enemy, not because of anything we did, but because God has put us there! Being there leaves us famished for something to fill our lives. Being there leaves us confused as to why we need to be there. Being there makes us tired of being there and all we want to do is leave the God-forsaken place in our lives. And yet, God has put us there!

If that is all we had to endure, it may be a bearable situation. But that’s generally not the case. We have an enemy who comes to us like the snake he is and he begins to fill our heads with thoughts: “It’s not worth it, take the easy way out, and let’s get through this quickly so that you can get on with your life.” After being clothed in humanity for thirty-years, I wouldn’t have blamed Jesus to think to Himself, “These people are not worth my pain of going through this wilderness.” Perhaps the though came to Him, “Can I even bring myself to actually going through all the way to Calvary if it is going to be like this?” Maybe a though passed through his mind, “There has to be another way.” Isn’t that what Satan suggested with his last “temptation?” He suggested to Jesus that he could give Jesus what He wanted---“the kingdoms of this world”---and give it to him in an instant! (Matthew 4:8-9). With all that Satan whispered into the ear of Jesus, I believe that Jesus fully identified with the feelings of doubt and despair.

Doubt is an interesting thing. It is based upon our perception of what our circumstances dictate it us. When life is good and things are well, we seldom experience doubt. But when we are in the wilderness, doubt rears it ugly head and attempts to be our closest friend. Jesus, however, understood something that we seldom consider when it comes to doubt. His responses to the enemy’s attempt to cast those seeds based upon His circumstances were met with the words of TRUTH! Jesus’ proclamation of “it is written” reveals something that we all need to understanding while living in the wilderness. “Doubts” are lies! The hopeless situation you may be overwhelmed with is a LIE! The fear of not knowing what is to happen is a LIE! God does not send us into the wilderness to die; rather, He sends us to the wilderness so that we can LIVE! Life is not about “bread and water,” but it is about what God says it is about. We don’t have to try to prove that God cares about us when we are in the desert; we just have to know that He is THERE with us. We do not have to throw in the towel and take the easy way out because we know that our wilderness experience is meant to bring us into His plan for our lives----not to end it! Jesus stood upon truth when it came to doubt. It was truth that brought Him through the wilderness experience. He understood that the reality of life is discovered in the truth of God’s Word.

It doesn’t matter what your wilderness experience brings before you---what matters is what God says about you and His plan for your life. One of the greatest ways which we can worship the Lord is by simply saying the words, “I will trust You.” Remember brothers and sisters in Christ that your wilderness experience is an opportunity for you to worship the Lord. The enemy knows this and will try to take your eyes off of the truth. The things that you doubt in your life are not the things which God has promised you. Just like Jesus, remember what the Word of God has said and know that like your Lord, God has an incredible plan waiting for you to fulfill!

Why is God Hiding From Me?

 After taking a week off from the blog, I have struggled to figure out what’s next? A few week’s ago, I attended my annual pilgrimage to Green Bay for my yearly silent prayer retreat. As much as I want to “move on” from my incredible encounter with the Spirit of the Lord and begin to walk the journey which he has placed before me in this upcoming year, I cannot get past the convicting truth which He has brought to my attention---and yes, you guessed it, it is a truth I will now share with you. Two years ago at the retreat, God had me focus on the story of Hezekiah and the purification of the temple. And while he reminded me that that time is now in preparing my temple and that I should not be negligent in doing so ( see 2 Chronicles 29), apparently he was not done in teaching me something through this powerful passage of Scripture as He brought it to me this year once again.

King Hezekiah was a great king and we typically think of a man of faith and a man who trusted the Lord in all he did; however, we sometimes forget about what Hezekiah’s life also produced-----a Manasseh, who was considered to be among the most wicked of Judah’s kings. One has to wonder how such a man of “faith” was inept in making a impact upon his son. Although Hezekiah was a “good” king, he was not without his issues. The end of Hezekiah’s reign did not fair well as his “pride” became his downfall (see 2 Chronicles 32). After God has miraculously healed him and delivered him from the hand of the Assyrians, Hezekiah had allowed pride to enter his heart and caused judgment to fall upon the nation. The end result of his life was a Manasseh.

What causes “Manassehs?” I believe the answer to these things is found in Hezekiah’s dealings in purifying the temple in 2 Chronicles 29. Like Hezekiah, many of us have a passion for the church. We have a passion for worship to take place in the Body of Christ. We long for God to move among his people and we will do whatever it takes to see the “temple” where we worship purified and blessed by the Lord. As Hezekiah began the process, however, he ran into an interesting problem. While there were “Levites” who were more than ready to be used of God and were consecrated to do so, there was a lack of priests to finish the job. 2 Chronicles 29:34 states that “The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more CONSCIENTIOUS in CONSECRATING themselves than the priests had been.”

At first glance, we may think “What’s so bad about that?” However, when we consider the implications of what that points to, it is rather convicting! The Levites were individuals who were “set apart” for the service of God. Like many of us, we have an area of our life which we have set apart for the service of God. It may be being a member on a worship team, small group leader, deacon, or an usher. Regardless of where it is you may serve, many of us do a great job of making sure that our “service” to the Lord is a consecrated aspect of our lives. Hezekiah’s service to the people of God as “King” was something that he did extremely well in leading the people of God. He understood that as king, he needed to be obedient, trusting, and faithful to the Lord. We would not dispute that concerning our own lives as well. Being in a ministry at the church requires that we also be “consecrated” in fulfilling that ministry.

The priesthood, on the other hand, speaks to something much deeper that Levitical ministry. The priesthood was a life-long calling. It was more than a ministry but it was indicative of the person----they were the “priests” of the Living God. In other words, Levitical ministry is something you do while the priesthood is someone you “are.” I believe that in the church today, we have many who are consecrated in “doing” their ministry, but few who are “consecrated” in all of life! Hezekiah, while being a great king, failed miserably as the priest of his home. He did “kingship” well, but what about his personal life when he was away from the throne?

It is not difficult to the parallels in this story. We have churches full of people who serve the church well in what God has called them to----but what about their lives outside of the church? Are they living consecrated lives? When the TV goes on at home, is the temple remaining “consecrated or are we allowing things which compromise our priesthood? Does our “holy” conversation at church sound like the conversation we have behind close doors in the security of our homes? Do we serve our family like we treat the people we “minister” to with the same passion and respect? Or is home a place to take a “day off” from the grueling task of being “consecrated?”

True worship can only take place in a purified temple. If we fail to keep the temple truly consecrated, then God will do something incredible----he will “hide” from us” (2 Chronicles 32:31). By removing His presence, he will reveal the truth about what is truly in our hearts. Unfortunately, we discover that despite the fact that we serve Him faithfully in the church, His presence remains elusive. Could it be that because we do not see the need to have all of life consecrated unto Him that the process of having a purified temple cannot be made complete? Its not that God does not want to make His presence known to His people but it is because we have yet to live in a way where we act as if we truly desire it. The real fruit of our live will not be measured by the service we do in the church; rather, it will be measured by the person we are at all times before the Lord. Yes, Hezekiah was a great king, but he failed at the more important role of being the priest of his home. We must remember, despite his great faith and trust in God as a king, the Lord didn’t measure his legacy based upon how he served----but in who he was. For Hezekiah, he saw the ever-so-important role as being King of Judah, but lost sight of seeing himself as a person in need of God in all areas of life and living in such a way where his life was consecrated for the full-time service of worship.

Prayer Request

I want to thank so many of you for supporting this blog and being champions for truth. Although I have not met all of you who read this blog as some of you live in countries such as Russia, Great Britain, and Germany, I love that fact that we are connected in the Body of Christ. As my brothers and sisters in the Lord, I am asking for your prayers. I have recently finished writing my first book and it is now in the hands of a publisher who I feel that Lord has directed me to work with. This is a co-publishing endeavor and therefore, the financial obligation for the printing of the book rests upon me. I am asking that you partner with me in prayer for the provision of this project as it stands as a mountain before me. I know that "With God, all things are possible" but I also know that God works through the prayers of His people. I thank you for your commitment in doing so and I will remain to be a faithful servant of the Lord who desires to see His people worship Him "in Spirit and in Truth."

Worshiping at the Table of Demons

Trick or treat? It seems to be a harmless phrase that accompanies what has become one of the most celebrated holidays in America: Halloween. This is the time of year when we “celebrate” ghosts, witches, death, gore, and “good ole’ American” fun-----as long as nobody gets hurt. After all, we celebrated it as kids and why should we deprive our children and grandchildren the beautiful, lifelong precious memories that come from this wonderful celebration? I’m sure you can detect a sense of sarcasm in the tone of my writing as over the years, I have developed a very strong opinion (which that opinion is based upon what God’s Word says) about the notion of Christians participating in this celebration.

To begin with, you must ask yourself, “Does the Bible have anything to say about participating in Halloween?” The typical answer is, “No, it does not specifically say anything about Halloween.” The Bible does however, have much to say about God’s people in regards to participating in pagan celebrations. The origins of Halloween began with the pre-Christian druids of Gaul and Great Britain who believed that “ghosts and witches” would most likely to manifest during this night. The pagans of Western Europe believed their “god” whom the Christians called “the devil” became “incarnate in human or animal form” and they celebrated the presence of their “god.”[i]  This is the essence of “Halloween.” It is based upon honoring some other “god” than the One True God.  Even in the symbolism which we now associate with Halloween (jack-o-lanterns, black cats, “trick or treat,” etc.), it refers back to the roots of pagan beliefs and celebration practices. The Roman Catholic Church however, did attempt to rectify the celebration by instituting the “Festival of the Dead” and “All Saints Day” in the hopes to bring a redeeming value to the festival. Consequently, this attempt failed at changing the nature of the holiday as the entire historical context of Halloween is still centered upon the idea of being a “worship celebration” that has no Biblical basis.

 As it stands now, as people celebrate the holiday, they carry on the “traditions” which origins began in the worship of demons. I find it interesting that many Christians attempt to convince themselves that they can “make” Halloween mean something other than what it truly represents (a sure sign of postmodern thinking). But imagine a “Christian making this claim: “Just because the cross of Christ stands at the foundation of salvation in history, to me, I think that its okay to choose to be a Mormon in order to be saved.” As Christians, we would argue that you would be in error if you adopted that particular belief as it is contrary to the claims of the Bible. We cannot change the “truth” about something because of what we choose to “believe.” In 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1, Paul refers to the idea of “origins” and the willingness to participate in something which has its origins in the demonic. He uses it in the context of the Lord’s Table and in essence, is promoting the idea that as God’s people, we cannot mix the “holy” and the “unholy.” He states, “No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s Table and the table of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). In other words, our lives as God’s people cannot represent the participation of both the godly and ungodly. We can attempt to dismiss the celebration of Halloween as being something “harmless” but is that thought in the context of God’s mind or ours?  It’s much like taking a rotting piece of meat out of a dumpster, brushing it off, and presenting it to our children and saying “Here’s a gourmet meal for you to enjoy.” The truth is however, no matter how much you attempt to make the meat appetizing and appealing, it is still a rotten piece of meat from a dumpster. For some reason, many believers feel as Halloween can be “dressed up” and celebrated in a “Christian” manner; however nothing we can do will ever change the truth that it is still a celebration of the kingdom of darkness.

This Bible does give us some very sound advice. Ephesians 5:11 tells us to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” As the apostle Paul wrote the Ephesians, he had a great concern for them in how they conducted themselves in their culture---especially when it came to the influence of paganism and the temple cult of Diana. He encouraged the Ephesians to be “imitators of Christ” not under the guise of blending in with the cultural norm but in standing against the things that were contrary to the Christian life. The things we “participate” in are the things we become “identified” with; thus, this was the reason Paul admonished the Ephesians to be “imitators” of Christ rather then being imitators of the pagan culture. Ignorance does not negate the truth and the truth about Halloween is what it is: the worshiping at the table of demons and for the Christian, to participate would be to place a costume over Christ and pretend that you are someone who worships at the table of demons.

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[i] Walter A. Elwell ed., The Evangelical Theological Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Baker: 2001), 533.

A One World Religion? Ask Rick and Bill

We live in dangerous days. The apostle Paul warned Timothy that there would come a day when people would no longer put up with “sound doctrine” and I believe that we are now seeing the fuller implications of the apostle’s words. For me, it’s sad to see that for so many, they are easily swayed by a pastor or teacher based upon the size of his church or the success of his books and not even consider some of the things which they willing endorse. Okay, I must let the cat out of the bag as I am righteously annoyed at two of America’s more prevalent pastors who espouse such “expertise” in church growth----even giving conferences and offering the “struggling” churches resources by joining their “association.” But for the latest endorsements for Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, I must be obedient in exposing the error of their Christian beliefs.

There is a new movement called “Christ-Islam” which endeavors for Christians and Muslims to join together on the basis of “loving God and loving each other” for the sake of world peace. The movement which is called “A Common Word Between Us” http://www.acommonword.com/ holds to the belief of unity of the faith based on what both the Bible and Qur’an teaches. It states: “Not only can A Common Word Between Us give them a starting point for cooperation and worldwide co-ordination, but it does so on the most solid theological ground possible: the teachings of the Qu'ran and the Prophet r, and the commandments described by Jesus Christ u in the Bible. Thus despite their differences, Islam and Christianity not only share the same Divine Origin and the same Abrahamic heritage, but the same two greatest commandments.”

 

Any student of God’s only Word to man, the Bible, should be able to understand that the teachings of Islam and the teachings of the Bible are not compatible. In a document entitled “A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You” the following is endorsed by the mentioned names above as well as many other in the evangelical community:

 “What is common between us lies not in something marginal nor in something merely important to each. It lies, rather, in something absolutely central to both: love of God and love of neighbor. Surprisingly for many Christians, your letter considers the dual command of love to be the foundational principle not just of the Christian faith, but of Islam as well---That this common ground consists in love of God and of neighbor gives hope that deep cooperation between us can be a hallmark of the relations between our two communities.” (http://www.yale.edu/faith/acw/acw.htm. see the names of those endorsing at the bottom of this document).

 I know that it sounds rather “Kumbaya-ish” that we would show “our love” to Islam by recognizing that they also have a love for God and a love for each other just as we Christians are commanded to do; however, this has nothing to do with “love” but rather a blurring of the lines of truth which promote the idea of a “one world religion.” Islam and Christianity do not serve the same God. We do not share the common belief that we are of the same “Divine Origin.” John 1:1 states very clearly that man’s divine origin came from JESUS CHRIST who was “The Word” that He was with God in the beginning. Islam vehemently opposes the deity of Jesus Christ. How then can Christians promote the idea that we are on the same page with Islam when it comes to “loving God?”  Furthermore, do we, as Christians, believe that Muslim’s are lovers of God when they deny that Jesus Christ is Lord? Does the God of the Bible see them as one’s who love Him? No, the reality is that Islam is far from God and is incapable of offering Him true worship because they have denied Jesus Christ. By evangelical pastors believing that we can “join together” on the common ground of “loving God and loving our neighbor” is being deceptive in their witness to Muslims making them feel as if they are lovers of God while being on the pathway to eternal damnation! 

We cannot have “Peace” apart from the “Prince of Peace” who is Jesus Christ! Peace is not the absence of war but it is the presence of Jesus! By these “leaders” endorsing this idea, they are promoting deception by eliminating the truth about Christ and proposing that there is “another way” by which we can accomplish God’s plan on earth. Sorry Rick and Bill, but give me chapter and verse where it says that to “love others” means to lower the standard of truth in God’s Word. The truth in this matter is that there is no “compromise” when it comes to proclaiming who Jesus Christ is and by us softening our beliefs by coming under the name of “God” and “love” rather than the name of “Jesus Christ,” it diminishes the power of the gospel. Paul himself said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of JESUS CHRIST for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”(Romans 1:16). It’s not the gospel of “God” as everyone has a “god” whom they serve. Islam serves a “god” who demands his followers “perform” acts of goodness in order to be given an opportunity to enter into heaven---and knows nothing of true love. Allah is not a god that reaches to man. So, Rick, Bill and others, why would you profane the holy Name of my God by portraying Him in the same light as the god of Islam? There is a greater agenda----one that calls for “global peace” apart from Christ, one that calls for the “unity of man” apart from Christ”, and one that calls for the “worship of one god” apart from Christ---its called the moving toward a one world religion and as for me, I’m not buying it!

How to Launch Into the Extreme Prophetic

There is an alarming trend which I have observed in the arena of worship which makes the suggestion that the heights to which I learn to achieve in my “worship,” the greater “revelation” of the deep mysteries of God will be revealed to me. In this dangerous and erroneous movement, the spirit of prophecy is treated with contempt as self-proclaimed “prophets and apostles” promote the idea that only those who are among the spiritually “elite” have the privileged to understand these “mysteries.” In fact, they go as far to believe that God is giving them “new revelation” which can only be translated by those gifted in the office of prophet or apostle. Because we live in a world where people are searching for answers and are genuinely hungry for something from God that will sustain them in these last days, people are willing to gravitate towards what feels good and sounds good----even if they cannot fully make sense of it. In the end, the thing that is truly missing from their lives is the love for truth and a true knowledge of God’s Word. Unfortunately, rather than understanding the nature and character of the Holy Spirit, many who participate in certain factions of the prophetic movement are captivated by the Christian “tooth fairy” who gives us gold fillings, angelic pixies who sprinkle their intoxicating “gold dust” for us to frolic in and cosmic disco balls which appear so God’s people can brag about our over-the-top worship experience. And because we have this movement which appeals to our fleshly desires---if not bordering on the demonic--- the prophetic movement has left a bad taste in the mouth of many within the church.

In order to combat this, we must come to an understanding as to what the function of the “prophetic” is in light of Scripture. Prophecy as a whole calls out three aspects of God’s redemptive purposes: the condition of man, man’s need for God, and the promises of God to restore man. All of prophecy points to the one essential truth that everything that God reveals, whether it is “foretelling” or “forth-telling,” is “designed to make Jesus Christ preeminent” and “to show how Christ will once again be the revelation of God in all his splendor and majesty.”[i] Additionally, there is no “new revelation” which exists apart from the Word of God. All prophecy only confirms what already had been revealed in Scripture. Otherwise, we might as well take the words of these self-proclaimed apostles and prophets and add them to the Bible and call it “Scripture.” There are no “new truths” about God. HE IS TRUTH AND HE NEVER CHANGES! The “prophetic” only confirms the truth about God----which all we know about God, is contained in His Word.

The “Prophetic Movement” misses the nature of what prophecy is intended to do in the lives of believers (or even non-believers). Prophecy along with the promises of God is simply meant to draw us to Christ. As it reveals the heart of man and the heart of God, it is meant to draw us to a greater realization of Jesus Christ not a greater realization of ourselves. The message that is sent by many within this movement is that the supernatural and the promises of God are meant for us. The result is an ascent to self-realization rather than Christ-realization. The apostle Paul stated that the “promises of God” are “Yes and Amen in CHRIST” not “yes and amen” in ME (see 2 Cor. 1:20-21). His point is simple: no matter what God is doing it is done with the sole purpose that Christ is glorified. Prophecy which admonishes that “we” can achieve or that “we” are given power and “gifts” rather than prophecy that admonishes that “He” allows us to achieve and that “He” is the source of all power and gifts is not of God. There is no deep “mystical truth” that only those with “eyes to see and ears to hear” are privileged to experience. In fact, Acts 2 tells us that God will “pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh” and that “your sons and daughters will PROPHESY…” Those who come to “Christ-realization” are given this privilege of experiencing the spirit of prophecy---which is Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:10) and this “prophetic gifting” is for a very distinct purpose. It is to be WITNESSES to the truth about Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). It is not for the purpose to bring about “deeper teaching” and “supernatural signs and wonders” which make people say “You’re really spiritual!” It’s not so we can come to a ‘self-realization” of power which makes us believe that we somehow have a spiritual authority to use or even “command” the things of God. 

Prophecy in the modern day church is the same as it has always been. It is a witness that testifies to the condition of man, the heart of God, and the answer for man’s dilemma. Simply put, prophecy proclaims that we are sinners, Jesus took the judgment that is awaiting us because of His love and because of this God has made us His sons and daughters to live eternally in His kingdom. Beware my brothers and sisters in Christ as there are wolves among us who would lead you to believe that there are deeper truths out there through the “prophetic word.” The only essential truth that we will ever need to know for all of eternity is that Jesus Christ is Lord and He alone is the One who is to be glorified!  If you truly want to launch into the world of “extreme prophetic” then simply worship Jesus and bring Him glory with all of your life; after all, isn’t that the most spiritual thing we can ever attain to do?

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[i] D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2002), 205.

                [i] McConville, 159.