January 12, 2007
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Hearing from God by Pastor Don
I really miss it when I cannot get to Bible study, so Friday Bible study was wonderful, food for a starving soul. I missed Wednesday’s study due to a cold trying to turn to bronchitis. The antibiotics knocked me for a loop.
I had time to talk with Pastor Don before Bible study about things in my life and questions. He still loves knowing that you are all blessed by his teachings, and spent a bit of that time looking over your comments. I asked him about something that happened to me the other night. I was waiting in the car for my son, it was too far to drive home for his hour appointment with a person who helps kids plan about colleges, so I sat in the car reading the Bible. Besides my day to day Bible studies, I also am doing a read through the Bible in a year. During my reading, and I do read with attention, notebook in hand and ready to ask God questions when there is a tidbit that I didn’t notice before. And while I was reading I felt sort of spacey – kind of like if you had one drink too many – sort of paying attention to reading but part of my mind seemed elsewhere. Pastor Don calls that “the Zone.” I asked him about it because of my occult background (my testimony) and whenever there is anything that seems close to similar experiences in my background, I like to check it out to make sure I haven’t opened myself up to any oppression. Well, states like this are Biblical, and Friday’s Bible study was focused on teaching about this.
Pastor Don pointed out that there are people who hear but don’t hear the truth. What he is going to talk about is spiritual experiences that are backed up with scriptural experiences and Biblical foundation. Today in some churches there is a dangerous practice of saying that there is going to be a Bible study, but instead of opening up the Bible, the people open up books about the Bible, and dispense information without consulting the Word directly. The further a teaching gets from the actual word of God, you leave room for dangerous teachings that are not Biblical. If the experience cannot be verified by scripture, it is suspect. It is important that the Spirit and the Word agree.
Sometimes God shows a person a scripture and an interpretation that is specific to that person, and not necessarily a word for everyone. When we get something from God it is important to decide if it is a word for us specifically or a word to share and if it is truly a word from God. He gave a silly example about if God showed him a banana and said, “call this an apricot.” While this might be important for him to call a banana an apricot for a time, it is not something that is backed up by the Bible and therefore is not something the whole Body of Christ needs to be doing. We can never say that our experience supersedes the Word of God. We need to refer back to the literal Word. Our spiritual experience needs to be understood in light of scripture. We as defenders of the faith must bring spiritual experiences back to what Jesus says.
Jesus told us that the Word must be established by two or more witnesses. By itself, without the Word or the Holy Spirit, it is just our experience, but has no validity for the Body of Christ, and may only hold personal significance.
Someone asked about the prophets in the Old Testament who gave prophesies which were not verified for hundreds or years or seemed to be spoken on their own, and Pastor Don pointed out that many of them were contemporaries, and the Sprit of God ministered through the prophet to give a message that God spoke. (Heather’s note, prophets who did not speak God’s word were stoned to death, and they were very careful that they were really speaking what God wanted them to say.)
When we are confirming the Word of God, there are two things to keep in mind, two questions to ask ourselves.
1. Was that for me or for the people, something to share with the sheep or a personal message? Last Wednesday Pastor Don wanted to speak more about covenants, but instead God kept telling him to speak encouragement. Instead of doing what he wanted to teach, Pastor Don was given the verse 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. He realized that he needed to give up his own agenda, his own planned Bible study and do what God wanted him to do and teach. And it was verified independently by the worship songs sung before Bible study, the praise reports during prayer time, and by comments overheard. Some pastors do not give up their own agendas for God. God wants to lead us by our Spirit, not our intellectual processes. At the same time it is important to realize that in the realm of the spirit there are also false spirits, so we have to discern what is of God and what is not of God. And Pastor Don said that some spiritual revelation is what he called “bedroom revelation” meaning for yourself alone. As a pastor, it is not his job as a shepherd to speak what he needs to learn about, but rather to speak about what the congregation needs to hear.
2. Can I prove it in the Word? Is what I am teaching able to be quoted from the Bible? Jesus told people that He only did what His Father told Him to do. So often Jesus quoted from the Scripture (the Old Testament). There is no new revelation. The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament, and the New Testament reveals what is written in the Old Testament. There is no third testament. If someone is coming to you with a new revelation that is not verified in the Bible, it is a false teaching. It is their own ego trip.
He pointed out that whenever there is a speaker in our church and they say something that does not seem Biblical we are commanded to raise our hand and politely ask the person to show us where it is proven in scripture. If they cannot point to chapter and verse then we are to realize it is not a good revelation for us, and may not be meant for the church to hear.
Then he went into the topic at hand. I will write that response tomorrow. I borrowed my daughter’s laptop and the battery is low. I can’t get to the regular computer to type, so I figure I will give you the background tonight, and the scripture study tomorrow.
Hoping you have a blessed Saturday.
Heather
Comments (10)
That´s what happened to my husband, his immune systen was completely wiped out after the two shots of antibiotics. He felt really good for 2 days, then after that…. he´s been sick for a month now with coughing and chest cold. It will get better then he´s back at it again. He´s a lot better now, at least his cough is loosening up. I got him some natural cough syrup.
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
Back it up with the word….that´s what my former pastor used to say. If you can´t back it up, then it is just your opinion. We cannot take one phrase and run with it, we have to study the whole context.
Hi Heather, thank for praying for me. Just finished my paper and so glad that it’s over. The days we are living in is evil and we must be watchful.So amazed by your hunger to know the word. I’m going to try to do what you are doing as well.
This is so very true. If you want to teach the Word than you should always know and have the scriptures to back up what you are teaching. That is why when I write my post, I will write the scriptures at the top so everyone understands what area of the Word inspired me to write about and how I feel this aplies to my life or someone elses life that I have been praying for and God has laid it on my heart to share it so it will touch that person or someone else who may need that Word brought to them at the time for thier needs…….Hope you are feeling better…..and have a Great Saturday!……In Christ’s Love……..(((hugs)))…….Monic
Great lesson.. I understand what you are saying about the “zone”.. and also about the conclusions we come to without attesting that to the bible. I think that stage is certain an area that is prone, where the devil can mislead us or even we lead of our own selves into.. God bless. Thanks for sharing that.
Ren
I do get tired of classes that are suppose to be Biblestudy that turn to a book by some author. I actually dodge in preference to read God’s Word alone or reach out to someone instead. Mark Cahill in his news letter encourage people to seek the Word of God verses reading books about the Word of God. He told people he would much rather them read the Word of God directly than read his books. That is one reason I do enjoy reading his books when I do have the time. His are a resource that makes you want to dig deeper to you can share the Gospel and be ready with a answer backed by scripture.
this is good. i’m going to have to re-read it. tell pastor don he encourages me by his faithfulness to you, heather
oh yeah, you encourage me by your faithfulness to God.
*grins*
Heather, hope that you are feeling better and can enjoy a nice long weekend with the family. Be blessed ~Sherry
Just stopping by to say Hello! And you know that I always enjoy your entries….looking forward to the next!
Have been pray for your sick,hopefuly you are well now ! I enjoyed your pastor teaching to day,… You have a great weekend,… (((( hugs )))) , Tip
Heather, just came back by as I read your entry a bit closer. I just wanted to share how far Sunday schools and such are moving away from the Word. Dh and I taught a Sunday school round table, therefore we were at a yearly SS meeting. Pastor’s wife announced she was using Dr. Phil’s book for her Sunday school with scripture added. Yes, we’ve come a long way baby…in the wrong direction. As for our family? Dh saw it fit we to leave that church. The problem? So many churches are moving to the apostate. It’s dangerous. Instead of churches being the Light to the outside world, they are allowing the darkness in. I’m sure you agree, just wanted to share what we have seen first hand. Have a nice evening. : )