The Next Time Someone Tells Me They Have a "WORD" for Me From God...

Recently, I had the second person in a short period of time come up and tell me that they had a "word" for me from the Lord.

I remind you that in my last post about this, I shared that in the Old Testament, God was so serious about false prophets, that He required them to be killed.

It's not acceptable in His eyes for one to say that they are speaking on His behalf, when in fact, they are just speaking out of their own feelings.

He does not tolerate that!

In fact, now that we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which people did not have during the times of the Old Testament, I believe that that God loves me enough that He'll speak right to my heart.

He doesn't need to tell someone else to come and tell me what He Himself is fully capable, and desirous of telling me.

In addition, I've been learning through the example of Josiah's life, that even when God spoke to Josiah through a prophet, what was spoken related right back to the book of the law. To be more specific, it was directly out of Deuteronomy.

And today, we have the full cannon of Scripture. It's complete. Lacking nothing.

So, even more so today...if God wants to speak, He will do it by pointing people back to His Holy Word.

I do believe that the gift of prophesy is still an active gift...but I believe that a true prophet only points people back to God's Word.

I don't believe that there is new revelation. Yes, it might be new to us, in that we might never have seen a truth in Scripture before..but it isn't "new" in that God just came up with it!

So, the next time someone tells me, "I have a word for you from the Lord", I'm going to say, "Super! I love hearing from God. Please tell me what book and verse it is, and I'll go home and get on my face before Him, and I'll read it"!

Chapter and verse, please...that's all I need.

Chapter and verse, please...no more, no less.

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The Believer's Responsibility for the Body and for The Word

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

How are you living out your life as a minister of reconciliation? Are you aware of the fact that God says in His Word that this is your job description?

Do you know that it also says that as a believer in Jesus Christ, that you are to be an ambassador for Christ?

Think about it...both of those truths tell us that our lives are not our own...wow! Scripture even says that too..we've been bought with a price ( the blood and flesh and life of Jesus Christ ), and it's NOT ABOUT US ANYMORE!

What does it mean to be a bond-servant?

It means that we are totally and completely to be at the will of God in all that we say and do.

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, was SERIOUS about this!

He said that even if he himself, or an angel, should preach a gospel other than what they had heard originally, that they were to be accursed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He included himself in that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is SERIOUS about the holiness of God's Word...and so is GOD!

God tells us in the Old Testament that He has exalted His Name with His Word.

Why do we feel, in the church, that we can't be bold in the Lord?

Why do we buy into the thought that we don't have to PROTECT God's Holy Word with our very lives?!

Why do we seek the favor of MAN instead of the favor of Almighty God?

Why do we work harder at protecting man than at protecting God's Word and His body?!

We have to realize that God hates that junk! He hates it! He will not put up with it!

He is Holy, and we are told to be holy as He is holy.

He would not tolerate someone twisting His Word to meet their own needs and their own glorification..and He does not want His church, His body, to tolerate it either.

Yes, we are to speak the truth in love. No doubt about that...but speak the truth must...and it won't always mean that the person who it's being spoken to walks away feeling all rosy inside!

Maybe they'll be mad.

Maybe they'll be hurt.

Maybe they'll be convicted.

The end result is not our business. God doesn't say, "Speak the truth in love unless someone is going to be offended. In that case, just coddle them instead."

He never says that, for to do so would be contrary to Who He is...and contrary to the truth that He GUARDS His GLORY..and that we, as His body, are supposed to do the same...to follow in His model.

In fact, let's look at that passage a little more closely, for it is WAY too often taken totally out of context, and used to serve one's selfish need instead of serving it's intended purpose.

Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

So, look for yourself and see..what's the PURPOSE behind "speaking the truth in love"????????????????

That the whole body may grow up in all aspects into HIM who is the head, even Christ! For the growth of the body, for the building up of itself in love!

How can a body of believers truly grow up in all aspects into Christ, if we are not willing to speak the truth, relative to v.14 regarding "the winds of doctrine, the trickery of men, and craftiness in decietful scheming"?!

We must do so! We have an obligation to protect both the body of Christ and the Word of God.

If we need an example of what happens when a body of believers doesn't do this...we need only to read the Old Testament and see what happened to Israel and Judah.

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A child who hits their parent....

Did you know that the Old Testament says that a child who hit their mother or father must surely be put to death?

Wow! God was SERIOUS about not transgressing His Covenant!

We had to deal with this yesterday with our child.

It wasn't really a hit, it was more of a head slam.

So, for you who say our kids are perfect ( you know who you are!), can't say that anymore! ;)

Shane found that verse in the Old Testament and shared it with our son and then was able to explain to him about God's mercy through Jesus Christ and that it's only because of Jesus' coming and fulfilling the Old Covenant that we are able to walk in grace before God.

But, that God's grace is not to be used as opportunity to walk in sin, thereby profaning His covenant.

It was a great study for Caedmon to learn, and today I have a new son. His heart was broken before God...it had to come through his bottom, unfortunately for him.

But, he got it. And we were reminded once again how serious God is about His Word, and WHY he has precepts in place to help us govern our lives according to His righteousness and not our own.

(In my righteousness, I wanted to tear his head off! Good thing I have God's pattern to live by and not what is right in my own eyes.)

Aren't you glad we don't have to put our kids to death for doing something like that, anymore? The death for sin was paid once for all when the Messiah of Israel came and reconciled us all to God, and imparted His Righteousness to us, through His death. (Romans 6)

And, through His resurrection we have newness of life to walk in God's glory through Jesus! ( Romans 6 )


Thank you again, Lord Jesus! Thank you, Father!