Holy Spirit Guidance (1/24/11)

Shalom,

 

    Please begin by reading Deut 30:9-10.

 

    To obey Yahweh in this passage means to "listen to his voice."  The problem with the Israelites wasn't a lack of obedience to the Law of Moses, but a lack of listening to Yahweh's voice.  The written Word was never meant to take the place of hearing our Lord's voice.  The failings and wanderings of the Israelites weren't due to their inability to keep the commandments.  Yahweh himself blames it on their lack of obedient listening.

    The Bible is the map that can lead us to Yahweh's Kingdom, but it's not the Kingdom itself anymore than a map of the United States is actually the mountains, rivers, valleys, and cities of America.  We must be totally committed to knowing the Bible, but knowing it will never substitute for knowing the voice of our Lord.  One of the greatest necessities for knowing our Bible is gaining a familiarity with how our Lord speaks.  We need the Bible to help us identify Yahweh's voice, but it doesn't replace the need of hearing what he speaks to us daily.

    We must find the balance of learning Yahweh's truth combined with hearing his voice.  It's imperative that we live out our faith in this way.  We'll definitely miss the mark without this balance.  It will cause us to do a lot of wilderness wandering when we neglect either one.  We find Jesus saying something significant about shepherds and sheep in John 10:4.  "His sheep follow him because they know his voice."  This knowledge comes from having a relationship with the shepherd.  Make sure you know the voice of Jesus, the Great Shepherd.

 

    Some Protestant theologies not only hinder, but actually prohibit Christians from knowing the voice of their Lord.  These theologies got off track when Sola Scriptura was overemphasized.  This motto, Scripture Alone, was used to combat the Pope's dogmatic proclamations which conflicted with the Bible.  Now we find ourselves fighting against these "established" and "non-negotiable" interpretations.  We, the Church, got too defensive about extra-biblical proclamations and began to deny the daily guidance offered through the Holy Spirit.

    We as Christians should never accept a doctrine that's in conflict with the written Word of God.  However, this important truth was never intended to imply that we don't also need to know the voice of our Lord for personal guidance.  Jesus said it would be to our advantage for him to ascend to heaven and then send us the Holy Spirit.  And believe me, the Holy Spirit has much more to do than illuminate the scriptures for us.  He also speaks directly in response to the prayers we offer, especially when he's giving us the Father's answer.

    Yes, it's important for us to walk in the written truth.  Jesus himself taught us the importance of knowing the Word by the way he handled Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness.  Jesus overcame the devil's twisting of scripture by directly quoting the true Word for each proposition his enemy threw at him.  But Christianity is far more than knowing accurate doctrine.  It's walking in a living relationship with our Lord through the direct, and ongoing, guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    In Matt 22:29 Jesus told the Sadducees, "Your problem is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God."  Many who know their Bible well but don't know Yahweh's power complain that they're considered second-class citizens by Charismatics and Pentecostals because of their claim to know that power.  However, some of these same people consider the other two groups to be second-class citizens because they tend to have less biblical and academic knowledge.  So one group looks down on the other for their lack of experience, while the other is intellectually snobbish.  Where is the love of the brethren in all this?

    Knowledge of Yahweh's Word comes only by his grace.  Knowing his power comes only by his grace.  Few come to a strong knowledge of the Word without becoming somewhat puffed up by their pride.  The same can be said for those who have experienced Yahweh's power.  We must find the proper balance of being established in solid, biblical truth, as well as knowing and hearing the voice of our Lord.  We must all quit thinking our way is better, especially in the prideful ways this is often manifested.

    We need to know the fullness of Yahweh.  We need to know his Word and his voice.  One without the other is just plain dangerous.  Being a "word only" person can't bring us to the fullness of our Lord.  What about our daily experiences which aren't specifically mentioned in the Bible?  Being a "Spirit only" person leaves us without a solid foundation.  Many "Spirit only" people are flakes, flitting around without a solid grounding in the Word, and they're too easily caught up in less than biblical spiritual experiences.

    The Bible was never meant to replace knowing the voice of our Lord.  The Spirit's guidance can't replace knowledge of Yahweh's revealed Truth.  They each have different functions in leading us to his Truth and keeping us walking in the will and purpose of the Lord God Almighty.  One without the other always leads to some sort of error.  One without the other will keep us from the unity Jesus prayed we would have.

    The scriptures give us day-to-day guidance and reveal the will of our Lord to us.  But the Bible doesn't directly address some of the most important decisions we need to make.  Whom should we marry, what career should we pursue, what car should we buy are all fundamental questions that we won't find direct answers for in the scriptures.  Yes, we establish our doctrinal positions through the coherent study of our Creator God's Word.  But we must also have the Spirit's guidance or we'll become overbearing legalists.  Our Father in heaven warns us about trusting in our intellect and our soulishness.  We must learn to be people of his Word and his voice.

 

    Knowing our Lord is so much more than just knowing his Word.  How many people can you recognize by looking at their hands?  With a few exceptions, most of us can only recognize others by their face or voice.  Trying to know Yahweh only through his Word or through his Spirit leaves us lacking in our knowledge of him and his ways.  We need to receive every bit of revelation he desires to share with us.  We need to make an effort to know him in the Word and through the indwelling Holy Spirit because that's what's been given to us.  To deny that one or the other isn't part of OUR theology is arrogant and dangerous.

    Sometimes people claim to avoid or stress things out of a genuine zeal to be totally obedient to our Lord, but all too often it's actually being done out of insecurity.  Needing to hear from the Lord about even the smallest details before making a decision isn't a sign of maturity.  It's actually a sign of immaturity.  Saying that the living Word of God is the full revelation of Yahweh is a denial of the Word itself.  The Word itself says that the Bible isn't the full revelation of our God.  The Bible reveals to us that our Lord will give us dreams, visions, prophecies, and direct communications to guide us.  As we mature, we shouldn't need to be led around by the hand or spoon fed every little detail.  The Spirit is constantly trying to lead us, but we're not mature if we can't make a decision without some direct word from him.  The Bible contains everything we need to be godly people, but if we deny the direct intervention of the Spirit in our daily lives we're denying the Word we claim to rely on.

    According to the Bible we're sent.  Our Lord gives us tasks and trusts us to do the work he's assigned to us.  When Paul and Barnabas were sent out they were given a general directive:  Go to the Gentiles.  They made most of their own decisions about where to go because they were mature and had the mind of Christ.  But they also relied heavily on the Holy Spirit's direct guidance, listening to his voice.

    The goal of every Christian should be to know the voice of their Lord in the written Word and through the Holy Spirit's direct guidance.  We can't be tricked by the devil if we're honestly and whole-heartedly seeking the direction of our Lord and Master.  If we're actively listening for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the devil's tricks will be easily discerned and avoided.  If we know the Word well Satan can't twist it and turn us off the path of our Lord.  We need to both know our Lord's voice and his Word to be prepared to overcome the devil's schemes against us.

 

    Every believer has the freedom to follow our Lord separately, but at the same time knowing that we're all in this together.  What we're hearing individually shouldn't be wildly different.  What we're hearing individually should help us walk together corporately.  But ensure that you're hearing from the Holy Spirit by knowing your Bible well.  Without freedom in the Spirit, we'll often miss Yahweh's will and purpose.  Without the Bible, we'll find ourselves drifting off into error.  Both are essential for keeping us on the path of eternal life.

    Communication is the key here.  We communicate with our Lord and Master through prayer, Bible study, worship, and fellowship.  1 Cor 1:9 tells us the Father "is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son."  It's Yahweh's design and plan for us to walk with Jesus.  It's the Father's intention that we have intimate and personal communication with our Lord and Savior.  This communication is for the sake of fellowship, not for the sake of control.

    Those who can't seem to make even the simplest decision without hearing some direct "word" from the Lord need to get into their Bibles and learn how to be mature Christians.  Those who have to have some concrete verse to back up everything they do, need to trust in the ongoing communication the Holy Spirit offers to us.  The great blessing is that our Lord God Almighty has given us both his Word and his Spirit.  As we've already said, one without the other is dangerous.  Let's pursue them both.  Let those stronger in the Word help teach those who are more Spirit-sensitive how to discern with the help of the Word.  Let those who are more Spirit-sensitive help the Word-keepers to loosen up and trust that their Father is really speaking to them on a regular basis.  Let's all overcome our insecurites and allow the fullness of what our Lord has given us to help us mature in our faith.

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike

What Do I Do After I'm Saved? (1/17/11)

Shalom,

   

 Please begin by reading Phil 2:12-18.

 

    OK, you've asked Jesus to take away your sins, now what?  In many places discipleship has been sadly neglected.  There is a tendency to be very casual in pursuing any sort of Christian maturity, with some churches having no mechanism in place to help its members.  The Bible clearly speaks to a requirement for all who become Christians to labor on in their faith, working toward an ever-increasing maturity.  There's learning to do, tasks to perform, a righteous life to live.  We do that by "continuing to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

    That may not exactly sound very joyful.  It may make you want to turn back or think about this salvation thing a little more.  But don't we normally take for granted the things that come to us too easily?  Don't we have a tendency to be more diligent about things that require a more intense effort?  If we're not passionate about something, our human tendency is to be casual, putting forth a minimal effort in that area.  But when we're passionate about something, as we should be in our relationship with Jesus, we extend a much stronger effort.

    Salvation is a free gift.  All we have to do is ask for release from our sins, and Jesus freely cleanses us.  Sometimes this free aspect is stressed a little too hard.  Yes, salvation is a free gift given by the great mercy of our Sovereign Lord and Creator.  But discipleship is hard work.  All the words about growing in our faith speak of effort and discipline.  Our salvation isn't and can't be a works-based effort.  It's a free gift we receive when we recognize our sinfulness and confess our need of help to the Savior.  But our discipleship is a works-based effort.  The scriptures clearly teach that diligence and discipline are necessary after we're saved.

    The Philippian Church, and us today, are told to "work out" our salvation, to intentionally put its application into our daily lives.  What Yahweh worked through the Holy Spirit to blessedly change us must become our daily practice.  We're not told to work "for" salvation, but to work it "out."  We're to exercise our faith, putting into practice the things we learn as we grow in our faith.  If we'll all work on our individual faith walks, then corporately we'll be less likely to struggle with disunity, pride, and selfishness.

    To work out our salvation is to bring it to completion, to work toward a full and complete accomplishment and conclusion.  Working out our salvation is about making a good end, coming to the end of our lives with joy for a work well done.  What are the words Jesus said we would hear at judgment if we're truly saved?  "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:21).  Don't these words strongly imply that there's work to be done?  Don't they point us to the fact that there's more to Christianity than praying a prayer and coasting to heaven?

    We must avoid the danger of becoming satisfied with where we're at.  There's always more to attain in Christ.  There's always more praying to be done, more people to serve, more truth to proclaim, more praising to do.  Each individual Christian is expected, yes I said expected, to continue growing in faith and learning about their Lord.  We don't get to set the bar at the lowest level, allowing us to to be lazy.  Yahweh has already set the bar at perfection, and that means we need to give all we have as we receive the help of the Holy Spirit.

 

    Fear in this passage means terror, respect, or reverence.  It's not something to be taken lightly or nonchalantly.  We truly need to fear Yahweh and his ultimate judgment.  If you're not scared by the fact that our eternal judgment is in the hands of the Sovereign and Almighty God, you haven't seriously considered the subject.  We must consider that any righteousness we have comes strictly through Jesus.  To be made right with our Creator only comes through obedience and faith.  None of us is getting into heaven because of our personal efforts, but all of us can put forth a strong personal effort in living out our Christianity.  Be thankful for what you've received, but never take for granted that Yahweh always has the final say.

    Trembling means shaking with fear.  There should definitely be some real fear in us when we think about the possibility of missing out on heaven and going to hell.  It should scare us silly, and hopefully we'll have the hell scared right out of us.  This is serious business.  Even after we've received our ticket to heaven we need to fear losing that ticket along the way through our own willfulness

    This fear and trembling should have us using serious caution.  We should develop a tender conscience, a heightened watchfulness against temptation, a shrinking from things that we know offends our Lord.  With proper fear we'll be much less likely to discredit the name of Jesus by our careless actions or words.  With proper fear we'll be better able to trust in the voice of the Holy Spirit.  When we have proper respect for our Lord God Almighty we'll be concerned about offending him, we'll be scared to do it actually.

 

    And notice why you should "work out your salvation with fear and trembling."  "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."  The only way we can walk out our salvation properly is with Yahweh's direct help.  Jesus adds his divine empowerment to our human actions to make it possible for us to do truly good things.  When we live responsibly, truly making wise spiritual choices, we get divine help.  It's not about us getting better at doing what Yahweh wants.  It's about us allowing him to work through us in increasingly better ways.

    True believers walk with Jesus as his partner, laboring together to build his Kingdom.  Yahweh's "work" in us provides energy.  Any power or creativity or wisdom that comes through us is by his hand.  He takes the raw material we place in his hands, and makes it work in amazing and astounding ways.  We have a lot of potential, but it only bears fruit when it's placed in the hands of the Master.  Remember the object lesson Yahweh told Jeremiah in chapter 18 of his writings, we're the clay and he's the potter.  The clay doesn't become something useful by itself, it requires the skilled hand of the potter to make something useful.

    And our loving Father does this so we can "act according to his good purpose."  This takes us back to Psalm 37.  Yahweh's good purpose is to bring himself pleasure and satisfaction and delight.  His favor will solidly rest on anyone who fulfills his good purpose.  To experience Yahweh's righteousness, holiness, and faithfulness should be our heart's desire.  And because it's our heart's desire we should work at living in this approved way.  The root meaning of the word for "good purpose" is a well done action based on a decison made after processing information.  We should be doing what pleases Yahweh because we've come to an understanding that it's ultimately for our good.

 

    Salvation is just the beginning of our faith walk.  We haven't arrived because we made a conscious decision to trust Jesus.  The point of salvation is the very first baby step in a long journey.  We should continue to push forward, especially when the going gets tough.  We should be pushing each other to continue to grow in grace and peace and faith and hope and joy and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus.  Getting saved is only the first step in the process of sanctification that we must all go through.  We're not fully sanctified until we reach heaven, so diligently work through the process and allow the Holy Spirit to continue to shape and mold you into a better and better Christian.

    Our primary work as Christians is witness and service.  Our priority concern should be for people's eternal spiritual welfare.  We should desire that all people come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  All of us are called to bear witness to Jesus and the glorious change he effects in our lives.  There are many different ways for us to do this work, and each of us is expected to participate in outreach and Kingdom building.  We're the servants and Jesus is the Master.  Our purpose is fulfilled through obedient service.

    Our service to others can come in many forms.  We must never forget that the Gospel by itself doesn't feed and clothe people.  Many times our Lord expects us to provide for the material needs of others.  In doing this we may have our best opportunity to proclaim Jesus to them.  The key is active personal involvement in the daily ministry of Jesus to our world.  Remember, by asking Jesus Messiah Master to come into your life you've volunteered for a life of service.

    We're told in Matt 5:13-16 that we're the salt and light of our world.  Both of these illustrations point out that Christians are to fill and permeate our world.  Salt was used to preserve meat in Jesus' day.  It was rubbed in to keep the meat from spoiling.  One of our functions as Christians is to keep our rotting world from spoiling so bad it can't be redeemed.  This is the hard work of maintaining the values and standards of Yahweh's Kingdom which hinders the societal deterioration caused by Satan's strongholds.  Our presence in this world holds back the corruption of sin, and gives the lost more opportunities to be saved.

    Our light is to shine in the darkness of this corruption that clings to and surrounds this world.  We're expected to influence our society for good by being the light in the darkness.  We're to expose the evil deeds done in darkness by being strong representatives of the truth found in the Word of our Lord God Almighty.  We must keep shining the light of hope so people can find peace and salvation in Jesus.  The light always overcomes the darkness, so there's always hope that someone will be drawn into that holy light.

    It's important for us to be firmly rooted and grounded in the precious Word of our Lord Jesus.  It will guard us from deception and fill us with wisdom in our sharing.  The Church needs this to bring it back to its purpose of being the light our world needs.  The world needs this because they dwell in darkness outside the influence of their Creator.  So put forth a good effort to work as a faithful servant of your precious Lord.

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike

Still Not There Yet (1/10/11)

Shalom,

 

    Please begin by reading John 16:25-33.

 

    It's very easy to become pessimistic about our world.  World-wide, economies are struggling.  Throughout America social services are falling short, and not able to truly help everyone in need.  Major corporations are merging or being swallowed up by international conglomerates.  Technology is moving so fast things become obsolete almost overnight.  There are wars all over the world.  And instead of crying out to our Creator for help, many people are trying to remove him from our public lives.

    If you're surprised or upset by any of these things, please remember what we just read.  "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world."  Things just might get worse than they already are.  But as believers in and followers of Jesus, we can experience something in the midst of all the trials and sorrows - Peace!  Even when we're hampered and hindered by flaky friends, funny money, hellish homes, broken bodies, crushed emotions, and devilish attacks - we can stand and say that our God is blessing us and helping us face the future unafraid.

 

    In this discussion with his disciples, Jesus is trying to prepare them for the Cross.  He knows that when he leaves them, they'll be surrounded by Satan's World System.  He wants them to know that nothing can overcome them when they stand strong in their faith and belief.  We need to have that same assurance in our hearts.  We also need to know that this world is controlled by the ultimate loser.  Satan is a created being.  He tried to overthrow his Creator and take over as the ruler of the universe.  But he was cast out of heaven for his rebellion and now he's doing all he can to keep as many humans from reaching the place of blessing prepared for us by Yahweh.

    Satan's World System lies and tells mankind to come to him for power and pleasure.  But this world system turns strong men into weak addicts.  It turns families into broken homes.  It makes the young look old while the old try to look young.  It mocks Christians and lifts up fantasy, witchcraft, and New Age spirituality.  True Christians do not belong to this world.  We just live here while we work as ambassadors for our King.

    We need to be reminded of the power in the words of our Lord Jesus.  His words stilled stormy winds and waves.  His words opened deaf ears and loosed mute tongues.  His words called a man back from the dead.  His words healed a man miles away.  His words opened the doors of heaven to those who would trust him and obey his teaching.  In contrast, the devil's words are lies, empty words meant to pump up human egos and make them think they don't need their Creator.

    Think of the encouragement found in the Scriptures.  I was going to quit, but "the one who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).  I was going to throw myself a pity party, but "weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).  I was going to go absolutely crazy, but "Yahweh will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because I trust in him" (Isa 26:3).  And that's only three examples of the power available to us when we seek the fullness of what our Lord has provided for us.

    The Word of God is given to us that we might have hope.  These things, these laws and prophecies and stories, they all matter.  The key is that we have a Creator God who cares deeply, who provides everything we need to have hope and peace and joy and comfort.  Even though we still have a long way to go, and even though things may go bad, we can fully trust him and believe that our Savior has already overcome the world.  There aren't  any more truly major battles to be fought between heaven and hell.  Satan is already defeated.  Jesus has already accomplished his overthrow.

    Yes, Jesus has already overpowered and prevailed against the enemy of our souls.  The devil is a defeated foe right now, not just at some unknown time in the future.  Jesus is triumphant right now.  He's the conqueror right now.  But we're not there yet.  We still have our lifetimes to live in defending and spreading the Gospel.  Spiritually, all the work is done.  Physically, we still have to work to bring this spiritual victory to more and more and more people.

 

    What does this peace mean to us?  Jesus is our peace.  In him there's very real and true peace, rest, and quietness.  In him there's peace between people.  In him there's salvation because he makes peace between us and Yahweh.  In him there's tremendous Christian fellowship because he makes peace between our different opinions and prejudices, you know, those things we often call our denominational distinctives.

    If Jesus is the source of our encouragement and peace, the devil can't discourage us.  Satan works hard to bring discouragement into the lives of believers.  He throws all the junk he can at us to cause us to lose sleep, lose patience, lose hope, lose joy, or lose peace.  We need to set in our hearts that Jesus provides everything we need to overcome the devil's ongoing schemes and plots against us.  We need to have the kind of hope Habakkuk spoke of: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in Yahweh, I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Hab 3:17-18).

    Think: This world is out of control, but I have peace.  The crime rate is up, but I have peace.  The financial market is shaky, but I have peace.  There are wars and struggles all over, but I have peace.  There is sickness and pain all around, but I have peace.  The Church is failing to build Yahweh's Kingdom, but I have peace.  Live out the promise of Phil 4:6-7.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 

    The ones reading this who know Jesus as their Savior are classified as an overcomer in the Bible.  And every person in this world is either an overcomer or they'll eventually be overcome by the world system.  The words of Jesus clearly tell us that positively and absolutely there's trouble and trials and sorrows in this world.  Don't be surprised by this, be prepared to face it with all the strength our loving Father provides through the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Our outside circumstances may not be wonderful, but we should always be able to say, "It is well with my soul."

    In the past week, one (or all) of you readers got pressured by family, on the job, in your finances, by other church people, or by your own unrealistic expectations.  But face it, pressure is part of this world's regular activity.  Remember that we have a God who can "work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28).  This doesn't mean that everything that happens to us is good, but that our loving Father is able to bless us no matter what the world does to us.

    We all need to cheer up.  We've got to stop moping around and letting the world steal our joy.  Rebuke the devil and let him know that you belong to Jesus and that you're going to crush his head.  That's got to be one of the most interesting verses in the Bible.  Rom 16:20 says, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet."  Our heavenly Father - the God of peace and harmony and tranquility and safety - will destroy and dash into pieces our enemy, the devil.  And notice that it says "under your feet."  My feet and your feet are going to be what ultimately smashes the devil into little pieces and destroys him.  But we're not there yet.

 

    As we struggle through this world, or should we say as we victoriously walk in Christ through this world, stand strong in your faith and trust the limitless power and authority of our Lord Jesus.  Don't sweat the small stuff like poverty and disease and war and crime and abortion and corrupt politics.  Even though we're not there yet, we can live victorious lives of faith and hope and peace right now.  We can overcome the world by not letting it's nasty assaults against our faith wear us down.    Remember, it's not what's happening on the outside that determines where we stand spiritually.  It's in our hearts and minds that we stand strong in faith.

    Our peace and security aren't found in this world.  We don't have to be overly stressed by the problems and struggles because we have the promise of our Lord Jesus: "I have overcome the world."

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike

Stability & Discernment (1/3/11)

Shalom,

 

    Please begin by reading Eph 4:11-16.

 

    "Then we will no longer be infants."  This mature condition is stated as being the result of believers being equipped by Yahweh's appointed ministry "for works of service."  If we look at it in reverse we could say that the reason for immaturity and instability in our churches is the tendency to let the "ministers" do all the work.  The professional ministry can hinder the work of the Body of Christ.  Some ministers get arrogant and keep their congregations from moving in power and authority because it challenges their position, at least they believe it does.  Some congregations expect the professionals to do all the ministry and sit as spectators watching and evaluating every move the ministers make, most often critically.  We've got to find the balance point where both are doing the work of ministry according to their role and function as appointed by the Holy Spirit.

    We need teachers to help ground us in solid biblical truth, and to pass along a love for the truth so we'll all search the scriptures diligently for ourselves.  We need pastors to help guide us in the ways of our Lord, equipping us to help encourage and protect one another.  We need evangelists to impart Yahweh's love for the lost to us, and to equip us to share the Gospel ourselves.  We need prophets for strategic guidance, and to teach us to know the voice of our Lord.  We need apostles to take all the different parts of the Body and fit them together into a functioning whole, and to give us a right authority to turn to when problems do arise.  All five are necessary for a balanced, healthy, Christian Church.

    There are five things to avoid found in this set of verses.  As a result of being properly equipped we'll: 1) No longer be children.  2) Not be tossed about by troubles.  3) Not be carried away with "popular" doctrine or teaching.  4) Not succumb to the trickery of men.  5) Not be misled by craftiness or deceitful scheming.

    Stop and think about how the Church has done at these things.  It only takes a few seconds to realize that we haven't done very well.  This is a result of settling for less than Yahweh's best.  We've allowed ourselves to be led by only a fraction of Yahweh's appointed five-fold ministry.  Many today don't even acknowledge that there are apostles and prophets.  Most churches don't have a local evangelists, they just bring in traveling ministries.  We've swung too far into the "teaching" mode and intellectually moved away from having Yahweh's ordained structure keep us from such error.  Somehow, men have reasoned that since we have the Bible we no longer need the offices of apostle and prophet.  The verse doesn't say that Jesus gave us these ministries only until the Bible would be printed.

    New Testament ministry is called to be a team, and any team lacking members is weakened.  Many churches are missing 80% of their ministry possibilities because they only have a pastor.  How strong can we be with ony 20% effectiveness in ministry?  Most of us are comfortable with boards or councils doing the administrative work of our churches.  We've got to move away from that humanistic approach and trust that our Lord will appoint those he knows to be worthy of serving as our leaders.  We need to trust in the ongoing manifestations of the Holy Spirit, working through our leadership and every member, to guide and direct us to be doing true Kingdom work.

 

    1) We are no longer infants.  This means that we're supposed to grow up.  I'm astounded at times when I here people who've been in the Church for many years ask what I mean when I speak of spiritual maturity.  All we have to do is look at Heb 5:11-14.  In the deepest and meatiest book in the New Testament we find the author lamenting the fact that his audience is immature.  He teahches on subjects like the Melchizedek priesthood and the preeminence of Jesus.  But his complaint in this passage is that his readers need milk, not solid food.  How many people in our modern churches understand the Book of Hebrews?  Not enough of them can rightly connect the Old and New Testaments to be able to teach or understand the fullness of Yahweh's Word.  If they can't handle the baby food, how can they mature in the faith?

    Yes, there are some who understand the meatier parts of the Bible today, but in general too many Christians have been taught that they don't need the Old Testament.  Many in our churches today have only been led by one part of the five-fold ministry, and they've sought only shepherding while neglecting self-responsibility.  They may have been given a lot of revelation, but they tend to have little practical grounding in how we need to be able to make the connections between the Old and New the way the Book of Hebrews does.  So with many of the people who attend our churches lacking this basic understanding of the Word, they're stuck in immature faith and then have very little ability to "do works of service."

    The goal of Christian ministry should for all of us to be able to teach and preach at our individual level.  We should all be able to heal the sick, cast out demons, and have wisdom like Solomon because the Holy Spirit lives within us.  Where is the depth, the maturing in godliness, the knowledge of our Lord's ways and purposes?  We need active five-fold ministry in every body of believers!

    2) We aren't to be tossed about.  Moves of the Holy Spirit are often referred to as waves.  The Holy Spirit is doing many wonderful things in the earth right now, but if you tried to be a part of every one of them you'd be like a cork in the ocean.  Too many hungry believers end up being tossed about because of their hunger.  Their lack of wisdom leads them to attend every conference and seminar and revival they possibly can.  And their emotional excitement about the teachings they hear overwhelmes them because of their lack of spiritual maturity.

    The word for tossed about means to be on raging waters.  We're not talking about the gentle waves most often experienced when we're out on deep water.  This is about a raging storm, tossing and rolling us to the point of capsizing our boat.  When things get that rough on the ocean not many people can think clearly.  The majority of people lose their equilibrium and and become physically ill, causing them to be confused and incapacitated.  Our Lord Jesus doesn't want this to happen to us so he says we need to be taught and led by his appointed leaders.  And when they are functioning properly, we have a mature knowledge that keeps us calm on the stormy seas of our world.

    We must be discerning about what our Lord is doing within us and around our area.  We should be happy for what he's doing in others and around the world, but not jealous or envious or overly eager to try and bring some to our community.  We shouldn't feel that we need to chase everything that's going on in the Body of Christ.  This kind of maturity and discernment comes from being properly grounded in our relationship with Jesus so we have security and know where our foundation lies.

    3) We won't be carried about by every wind of doctrine.  It's interesting that there's no particular mention of false doctrine here.  Like trying to follow every wave of the Holy Spirit, we can actually be carried about and become superficial in our faith by trying to chase every new teaching that comes along.  If we're going to be stable and go on to maturity, we must recognize what our Lord is teaching us and sink our roots solidly in that place.  We can become a tumble weed, rolling around whichever way the wind blows because we don't have good spiritual roots.  According to Psalm 1:3 we're to be "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."  Set your roots deep in the knowledge of your Lord Jesus and don't let the wind move you.

    The literal description of this wind blowing us about is to be whirled around, a violent swinging that makes us dizzy.  So just like the waves causing us to become sick, we must also be careful to be securely rooted so we won't be spun around and again lose our equilibrium.  Yahweh wants his people to be rooted and grounded in his truth, secure in the knowledge we have of who he is and how he works in our world.  We have a phrase we like to use when we get off track during a discussion.  We say we're "chasing rabbits."  What that's referring to is when a dog can't focus on what his master wants him to be doing because of distractions.  So don't chase rabbits!  Keep your focus on Yahweh and his teaching instead of the distractions that may even come from good places.

    4) We won't be fooled by the trickery of men.  It's shocking the way so many believers will follow those with a nature contrary to our Lord Jesus.  When the wolf comes we should be able to easily discern his tricks and put him out.  When an emissary of the devil infiltrates the Church he should be easily identifiable and quickly shown the door.  We're in desperate need of this kind of discernment today.  This cunning and trickery is done by unscrupulous men who want influence.  Their desire is to gain status, and they're willing to use any means to get it.  They're basically gamblers seeing how far they can take their deception.

    If we have the balance found in the coordinated ministry of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher the whole group of believers can discern and overcome these types of men.  According to 2 Cor 2:11, when we're rightly giving and receiving forgiveness, which can only be found in a solid group of believers, we gain a good foundation where we can also say; "in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes."  The discernment we gain by having right hearts before Yahweh and among ourselves will keep us from easily being fooled by man's cunning and trickery.

    5) We won't be misled by the craftiness or deceitful scheming of men.  Crafty is what the serpent was called in the Garden of Eden.  Craftiness is the tendency to try to bend the rules and get away with being less than obedient.  This is a characteristic of the devil, and when we see it operating in a person it's a good indication that there's deceit and scheming also going on.  Again, if we have the solid balance of a working five-fold ministry, less people will fall for these kinds of tricks.  This kind of activity often comes from within our fellowships.  People don't want to sacrifice and be committed fully so they compromise in small ways, which if accepted by others, will lead to further compromise and a walking away from Yahweh's truth and order.  This was the problem that caused the Pharisees to be the enemies of Jesus.

    In the Amplified Bible the "deceitful scheming" is described as "inventing errors to mislead."  These deceitful men are doing this on purpose.  They're introducing error to mislead and draw believers away from their Lord.  When there is solid leadership and an equipped body of believers these scoundrels have much less effect.  If these wolves enter the sheepfold they'll be quickly chased off when Yahweh's appointed team ministry is in place and the sheep themselves are ready to fight them off because they've been properly trained.

 

    The Church of Jesus Christ seems to be awakening to Yahweh's call again.  Apostles and prophets are coming back into a right prominence.  We're returning to the design set forth by our Lord Jesus, the one he said he put in place for our spiritual maturing.  We need to recognize and receive the five-fold ministry, and allow it to operate as it should within our fellowships.  We need to seek for Yahweh's best and quit telling him what he can and can't do among us.  We have no right to tell our Lord God Almighty that there are no more apostles and prophets.  If we can move in this direction we can anticipate our Lord leading us into another Great Awakening.

    We must also be careful because there are some who are too quick to jump on bandwagons or are overzealous in pursuing new things.  Some are going to extremes, calling people apostles or prophets too freely when they don't actually measure up to biblical standards.  Some individuals are trying to call themselves apostles and prophets to gain influence just like the deceitful men we discussed.  But we can count on the ultimate stability, maturity, and strengthening of our Lord Jesus to come as these ministries are restored to the Church as a whole.  It's essential that this happen if we're to become what Yahweh has called us to be.

    To close, listen to a warning from 2 Pet 3:17.  "Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position."

 

    Blessings & Peace,    Mike